Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Ta Van 3 Days from Hanoi: Private Car, Guide and a 4-Star Hotel in Sapa
Picked up at your Hanoi hotel, driven to Sapa in your own car, then two unhurried days in Ta Van with the same guide: the Giay lanes, indigo, a family lunch, the bamboo forest and a Red Dao herbal bath. Two nights at a 4-star hotel in Sapa town. Every entry fee is paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
The same car and driver for all three days, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
With you from Hanoi and back, fluent in English, explaining each hamlet and each step of the indigo cloth — to your group alone
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in central Hanoi, or at Noi Bai airport, which is on the way. No bus station, no meeting point
Every gate fee, the hotel and the meals prepaid
Two hotel nights, meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 3, the workshop and the herbal bath. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a souvenir showroom that pays to have you delivered
A 4-star hotel, named in writing
Two nights in Sapa town in a private room with its own bathroom, confirmed by name when you book
Duration
3 days, 2 nights
Departure
07:00 from Hanoi
Pickup
Any central Hanoi hotel
from · $418 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$1,100 BOOK →2 guests$1,205 BOOK →3 guests$1,560 BOOK →4 guests$1,670 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 21 days before · every tour tailored on request
Three days, stop by stop
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Day 2 follows the weather: in heavy rain the climb to the bamboo forest is swapped for the village lanes.
Day 1 · Hanoi pickup · 07:00 · your hotel in central Hanoi, or Noi Bai airport
Expressway to Lao Cai and up to Sapa · about 5.5 hours with rest stops · lunch in Sapa town
Ta Van in the afternoon
Day 1 · 14:30 · about 2 hours · on foot, gentle
Gate fee included — nothing to pay on the road
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Ta Van’s Giay families live in wooden houses set among their own terraces, a few minutes off the main trekking path. From the head of the village you walk the paddy walls down towards the stream and stop where people are working. Your guide explains how a Giay house is arranged around its ancestral altar, with the kitchen in its own building beside it, and asks before anyone takes a photograph.
Your 4-star hotel in Sapa · check in, then dinner at a restaurant in town chosen with you
Indigo and beeswax workshop
Day 2 · 08:45 · about 60 minutes · seated, hands-on
Workshop fee included — your piece is yours to keep
4 photos · tap to enlarge
A small family or co-operative workshop, booked for your group. Patterns are drawn on the cloth in hot beeswax with a small metal pen, the cloth goes into the indigo vat, and the wax is boiled away to leave the pattern pale against the blue. You draw and dip your own small piece; it comes out lighter than cloth dyed for weeks, and it is yours to take home.
Lunch with a Giay family
Day 2 · 11:45 · about 90 minutes
Lunch and a soft drink included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A Giay family cooks lunch in their own kitchen and you cook alongside: usually rice, pork or free-range chicken, stream fish when there is some, and garden greens, with a soft drink. Vegetarian dishes are made on request — tell us when you book.
Giang Ta Chai and the bamboo forest
Day 2 · 13:30 · about 2.5 hours · on foot, uphill
No entry fee anywhere on this walk
1 photo · tap to enlarge
Across the stream the path climbs to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao village on the hill, then into a bamboo forest with a small waterfall at its head — about 5 km there and back. It is the steepest part of the day, uneven and slippery after rain, and your guide sets the pace. In heavy rain or a landslide warning this leg is swapped for the village lanes, at the same price.
Red Dao herbal bath
Day 2 · 16:30 · about 45 minutes
Herbal bath included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A wooden tub of hot water brewed from a mix of forest leaves, the way Red Dao families bathe after a day in the fields. It is not advised on an empty stomach, with sensitive skin or open cuts, and you can skip it.
Back to your hotel · about 40 minutes · dinner in town
Hau Thao carved rocks
Day 3 · 08:30 · about 45 minutes with the valley viewpoint
No entry fee at this stop
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A field of boulders above the Muong Hoa stream, cut with shallow lines that researchers still argue about; it has been a national monument since 1994. The marks are faint, so your guide shows you where to stand to see them and what the main theories are.
Sapa stone church, then the drive back · a short stop in town · lunch on the way
Back at your Hanoi hotel · around 17:00 · or dropped at Noi Bai airport
Three days, one car, one guide
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$1,100 BOOK →2 guests$1,205 BOOK →3 guests$1,560 BOOK →4 guests$1,670 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 21 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car and driver for all three days, Hanoi to Sa Pa and back
- Your own licensed local guide, fluent in English, from Hanoi
- Two nights at a 4-star hotel in Sa Pa town, breakfast included
- Meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 3
- Indigo workshop, Red Dao herbal bath and every gate fee
Not included
− Drinks beyond those listed, and minibar or room service at the hotel
− Anything you choose to buy in Sapa, the villages or the workshop
− A tip for your guide and driver — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You are starting from Hanoi and want the whole trip handled, door to door.
You would rather sleep in a 4-star hotel than a village homestay.
You want two unhurried days in the valley instead of a rushed day trip.
You want one price that covers the car, the hotel, the meals and every fee.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget.
You want to sleep in a homestay in the village. This tour uses a hotel in Sapa town.
Long drives are a problem: each way is about five and a half hours.
You can only book a day or two ahead. The hotel needs a week or more.
Already in Sapa? The Ta Van half day and the Ta Van full day start from your hotel there. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
Three days and two nights: pickup at 07:00 on day 1 in Hanoi, and back at your Hanoi hotel around 17:00 on day 3.
Where do you pick us up?
At your hotel anywhere in central Hanoi, or at Noi Bai airport, which is on the way. We can drop you at the airport on day 3 instead of the hotel.
Which hotel do we stay in?
Two nights at a 4-star hotel in Sa Pa town, a private room with its own bathroom and breakfast. The hotel is named in writing when your booking is confirmed.
How much walking is there?
Day 1 is a gentle two hours in the village. Day 2 has the climb to the bamboo forest, about 5 km there and back on paths that turn slippery after rain; it can be dropped for the village lanes. Day 3 is short walks only.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample trip and every part of it can be adjusted: add Fansipan or a market day, skip the climb, or stay a third night. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs of each hamlet and each step of the indigo cloth as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, and the car is the same car. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest. Groups of five or more travel in a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
This 3-day tour includes two hotel nights, so it has its own terms: free cancellation up to 21 days before departure for a full refund. From 21 to 14 days before, 50% of the hotel cost is charged. Within 14 days, including no-shows, 30% of the tour price (the deposit) is charged. Date changes are free up to 21 days before, subject to availability. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What should I bring, and do I need cash?
Walking shoes with grip, a rain jacket from May to September and warm layers from December to February; Sapa is cooler than Hanoi all year. You do not need cash at any gate; if you chose to pay the balance in cash, bring it for your guide.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain: the tour runs. Heavy rain or a landslide warning: the guide drops the climb to Giang Ta Chai and keeps to the village lanes with the car close by, at the same price, or you move the date for free. If the authorities close the road or a storm hits, you get a full refund or a new date.
Book your three days in Ta Van
Private car and licensed local guide from Hanoi, two hotel nights, meals and every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$1,100 BOOK →2 guests$1,205 BOOK →3 guests$1,560 BOOK →4 guests$1,670 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 21 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›