Mount Fansipan is absolutely the highlight of any trip to Sapa. The highest mountain in Indochina, the incredible feat of engineering that is the Fansipan Cable Car means that you can visit with almost no climbing. This is a unique opportunity to visit a mountain that’s 3147m high without trekking!
Having said that, visiting Fansipan is still a bit of a marathon (or so it felt to me). I also didn’t feel like ticketing options were clear. There are other things to consider like weather and appropriate clothing. As I couldn’t find all this information when I was planning my own trip, I’ve created this comprehensive guide so that you have all the info you need before you go!
How to get to Fansipan
There are three steps to the journey: the initial train, the cable car, and the final funicular train (or walk).
You’ll take the funicular train from central Sapa to the main Sunworld Fansipan hub. You then walk up a hill and through a very fake ethnic village to reach the enormous waiting area for the cable car. If you want to spend time in the village, do so on the way up. You won’t see it again on the way back.
Even though this enormous space only felt about a quarter full, I waited about half an hour for the cable car. It was certainly worth it, with one of the longest and highest cable car journeys in the world as my reward.
Once you’re swept up to the mountain itself, you can choose to take another small Funicular to the top, or climb via steps.
You’ll finally reach the summit of Mount Fansipan. There’s plenty of space up here for the inevitable selfies, pictures of the view and a lot of Vietnamese flags. It’s absolutely stunning.
The way back down to the cable car station includes a number of temples and statues, all of which are stunning and all of which are brand new. It’s well worth doing the walk down to see these incredible feats of engineering.
Tickets to Fansipan
Tickets are bought in person at the ticketing desk in central Sapa. You buy your tickets and then depart from the bright yellow Hotel de la Coupole – you can’t miss the building.
Note that tickets on Viator or Getyourguide are offering a car transfer to the cable car, rather than the train. For me, this isn’t worth the extra unless your hotel is very far away from the train. The train itself is a lovely little ride, and not particularly expensive.
I found the ticketing very confusing, even though the information was in English and the staff spoke good English. It only made sense once I got to the top. Essentially, I was confused by there being two trains, and the single/return options for only one of them, as well as trying to understand what the Viator/Get your Guide options were.
Options include:
- Train + Cable car
- Train + Cable car + 1 way Funicular
- Train + cable car + 2 way Funicular
As stated above, I went for the option with 1 way Funicular and walked down from the summit to the cable car station. I was advised to do this by the helpful lady at the ticket office – she also told me that you can buy a return funicular ticket at the top if you take a look at those 600 steps and decide your knees can’t hack walking down.
Steps or Funicular?
There are over 600 steps between the cable car station and the summit. I strongly suggest taking the Funicular up and walking down the steps. This gives you the time to take in the temples and statues, and even with the Funicular there are a good few steps up between the cable car and the summit to get your heartbeat going.
Apart from the effort, the steps aren’t evenly spaced, they are usually narrow, and when it’s misty or raining, they get slippy. There are signs everywhere telling you to be careful. But the effort isn’t to be underestimated either. I saw so many people walking up who were clearly doubting their life choices!
Food and drink, and other practicalities:
Visiting Fanspian takes at least half a day, so it’s good to know what your food options are. The site has been set up by Sunworld, who also run Bana Hills in Da Nang. It feels to me like a theme park company, and it has all the same amenities.
The main restaurants are at the top of the cable car, with two options on different floors. There’s also a cafe near the summit area. Throughout the complex there are snack carts offering e.g. popcorn. I think there was also a restaurant at bottom cable car station.
There are toilet facilities throughout.
What to wear to Fansiapn
Fansipan can be cold, especially if you’re going in the early morning (the best time, as fog often seemed to roll in later in the day). My experience was that it was best to bring layers – I certainly got hot walking around the summit area.
You also need to think about whether you’ll need a waterproof – bear in mind the weather can change quickly on the mountain.
You’ll also need decent shoes. Sandals are fine but I wouldn’t recommend flip flops or anything with a smooth sole, as the steps are uneven and slippy.
Finally, remember that much of Fansipan is a sacred space and make sure you dress respectfully. Having a cover up if you want to go into the temples is a good idea.
Hopefully that gives you everything you need to know to visit the amazing summit of Mount Fansipan. Enjoy the views once you get there!
Spending more time in Sapa? Check out my guide on the other things to do in this beautiful part of Vietnam: Sapa, Vietnam: Everything you need to explore this gorgeous region