North Vietnam Independent Travel Day 2 | Departing from Hanoi to Sapa × Visiting Cat Cat Village × Overlooking the Beautiful Rice Terraces

Day one from Hanoi to Sapa marks the start of an adventure through the highland towns of northern Vietnam. The mountains, mist, and ethnic minority scenery along the way get you excited for the days ahead right from the bus window. Today's Itinerary Departing Hanoi for Sapa We had to get up early today — at 6:30 we boarded the 16-seater minibus arranged by the travel agency to head to Sapa. Since we couldn't make it in time for the hotel breakfast, I specifically asked if they could prepare a simple boxed meal, and to my surprise, the hotel happily agreed! I have to say, the service at Vietnamese hotels is almost always five-star, always full of pleasant surprises.

It takes approximately 6 to 6.5 hours to drive from Hanoi to Sapa, with two rest stops along the way. During this time, I also introduced my family to Vietnamese rest stop culture and let everyone try Vietnamese salt coffee. The slightly salty aroma combined with the rich coffee flavor is truly special.

Arrival in Sapa × First Look at the Market Around 1 PM, we arrived at the restaurant arranged by the travel agency for lunch. After the meal, we discovered that Sapa Market was right next door, and everyone excitedly headed over to explore.

The first floor of the market mainly sells souvenirs for tourists, while the second floor has shops where locals buy clothes; we headed straight for the fruit stall area at the back entrance, and it was a bountiful harvest — the muscat grapes and longans were both super sweet!

Checking in at Cat Cat Hills Resort & Spa After finishing our meal, the driver took us to the hotel we had specially chosen for this trip, Cat Cat Hills Resort & Spa. This hotel is located right next to Cat Cat Village, in an excellent location — you can enjoy a magnificent view of the terraced rice fields right from the lobby.

The room is spacious with large floor-to-ceiling windows that let you enjoy mountain views directly from your room. At less than 1,500 Taiwan dollars per night, the value for money is excellent. However, the downside is that the facilities are somewhat outdated and it's quite far from the city center. If your schedule is tight, I'd recommend staying at a hotel in the city instead for more convenience.

Cat Cat Village Experience × Hmong Guide Xiao Yang At 4 PM, Xiao Yang, our guide for this Sapa trip, arrived at the hotel to pick us up. He is a Chinese-speaking guide specifically arranged by the travel agency at my request, and he is also a local Hmong person, very familiar with Sapa's culture and geography. Today's afternoon itinerary is to visit Cat Cat Village. To be honest, Cat Cat Village is quite touristy. Overall it's centered around a commercial street. Walking down the road, you'll reach the waterfall area below the settlement. Along the way, you can visit ethnic minority homes and handicraft exhibits, and there are also many photo spots.

Not long after, the group members were drawn to a "paid Instagram check-in spot," so we split into two groups to proceed. Although some of the photo platforms were artificially designed, with the clear weather and the magnificent terraced rice field scenery, the photos still turned out really great. Besides running tourism businesses, the residents here also maintain their traditional farming lifestyle — corn and rice are still being dried at their homes, and they demonstrate the process of handmade sewing and fabric dyeing.

Hmong Traditional Costume Experience × Performance Event Before we even arrived in Sapa, my cousin had already been dreaming about trying on the local traditional costumes. Our guide, Little Sheep, reminded us: don't rent the outfits at the entrance to Cat Cat Village, since our itinerary is a "no backtracking" route — it's much more convenient to rent them at the bottom of the waterfall area instead, so you can just return them right after taking photos. The cost for the costume rental plus hair and makeup styling is 250,000 VND (about NT$320), and getting ready only takes around 10 minutes. Once dressed in the traditional Hmong costume, you instantly transform into a "princess of the mountains" ✨ — the photos turn out amazing!

Before taking photos, let's first head to the activity center to enjoy performances of ethnic minority songs and dances. The activity center that used to be next to the waterfall has been demolished and is now a primitive hydroelectric power exhibition area. It takes about a 2-minute walk to reach the new venue.

The performance includes Miao ethnic dance, musical instrument playing, and interactive bamboo pole dancing, lasting about 30 minutes in total, with a really lively atmosphere.

After the tour ended, Xiaoyangyang also introduced a building called the 'Healing House'—the Miao people still believe in shamanism today, and when someone falls ill, they ask a shaman to perform rituals and offer blessings. I didn't expect such a tradition to still be preserved in modern times; it's quite fascinating.

Taking photos in Kaka Village while wearing local clothing photographs beautifully!

Dinner in Sa Pa Town × Evening Stroll At around 7pm, we finished our Cat Cat Village itinerary and had the driver take us back to Sa Pa town center for dinner. Unfortunately the restaurant was too busy, and quite a few dishes never even made it to our table — so after dinner we headed out to the street food stalls to try some local flavors instead. This change of plans turned into a pleasant surprise — the Vietnamese pho and bánh cuốn (Vietnamese steamed rice rolls) were both incredibly authentic! After dinner we strolled along the streets and noticed that Sa Pa today is far livelier than it was years ago — more shops, more colorful lights, and the whole town buzzing with energy.

Tomorrow will be the long-awaited highlight: We'll take the cable car up to "Fansipan Peak (Fansipan)" and visit Sapa's new attraction, the Rong May Glass Bridge, officially launching our mountain city adventure! Itinerary Summary and Suggestions 🚐 Hanoi → Sapa: Approximately 6 hours drive, you can ask the hotel to prepare a breakfast box 🏨 Accommodation: Cat Cat Hills Resort & Spa (great views but a bit far from the city center) 🐾 Afternoon itinerary: Cat Cat Village walk + H'mong costume experience + performance show 🍜 Dinner suggestion: Try the Sa Pa night market or roadside street food for authentic local flavors 📸 Photo highlights: Cat Cat Village's terraced rice fields, traditional H'mong houses, the water wheel and hanging bridge area On arriving in Sa Pa on the first day, I already deeply felt the charm of this mountain town. From the beauty of the terraced fields to H'mong culture, every corner is worth savoring slowly. Tomorrow, we'll climb Fansipan, Southeast Asia's highest peak, and take on the heart-pounding challenge of the Rong May Glass Bridge. Previous ← Northern Vietnam Free Travel Day 1｜Hanoi Hoan Kiem Lake × Ngoc Son Temple × St. Joseph's Cathedral × First Experience of Water Puppet Show Next →Northern Vietnam Free Travel Day 3｜Climbing Vietnam's Roof Fansipan × Challenging the Rong May Glass Bridge Above the Clouds 🔗 Further Reading｜Northern Vietnam Free Travel Series 【Travel Journal】 Northern Vietnam Free Travel Day 1｜Hanoi Hoan Kiem Lake × Ngoc Son Temple × St. Joseph's Cathedral × First Experience of Water Puppet Show North Vietnam Solo Trip Day 2 | Departing from Hanoi to Sapa × Visiting Cat Cat Village × Overlooking Stunning Rice Terraces North Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 6｜Crossing the Yao-Miao Ethnic Reserve, a Farewell in the Mist North Vietnam Self-Guided Trip Day 7｜Ninh Binh One-Day Tour: Trang An Boat Ride × Mua Cave Hike × Thung Nham Bird Reserve 【North Vietnam Travel Guide – Full Roundup】 Hanoi Travel Guide｜Must-Visit Spots × Itinerary Planning × Extended Trips Around North Vietnam (2025 Update) Vietnam Sapa Travel Guide｜A Hidden Gem of North Vietnam's Rice Terraces and Ethnic Minority Culture Ha Long Bay Travel Guide: One-Day Itinerary, Best Season, and Classic Attractions Vietnam Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site: Best Travel Season and Recommended Three-Day Itinerary