From Hanoi: Sapa Real Experience 2-Day 1 Night at Ethnic Homestay

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Hanoi, Vietnam

Great choice

5+ bookings last month.

2 days (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

There’s more to everyday life in Vietnam than just its historic monuments and popular inner-city neighborhoods, and this private overnight experience in northwestern Sa Pa gives you the chance to sample it. Explore Sa Pa town and the mountainous countryside around it with your guide, then stay overnight at your guide’s house and participate in the rituals of rural life, including the option to work in the terraced fields seen throughout the area.

Trek through Hmong, Tay and Dao villages in the Hoang Lien Son Mountains
Free time in Sa Pa built into your schedule for shopping or sightseeing
All meals, including dinner prepared by your guide’s family, are provided free of charge
Travel direct from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter in a provided shuttle bus

What's Included

Breakfast
Dinner
Return transportation Hanoi – Sapa – Hanoi by sharing sleeper bus with Air-conditioner
Meals as mentioned: B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner with local dishes
Local English speaking tourguide ( local host )
Trekking time
Local village visit
Photo taking time
Accommodation ( Local house )
Cooking with host
Experience the real rural daily life
Air-conditioned vehicle
All entrance fees
Lunch (2)

Lunch

All meals & beverages not specifically mentioned.
Pick up and drop off outside Hanoi Old Quarter not included
Tips, Personal Expenses & those not clearly mentioned above
Travel insurance.
Visa application (where applicable) and personal travel documents are the sole responsibility of travelers.

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Bus pick-up point: 30 Ly Thai To str

Meeting point

30 P. Lý Thái Tổ, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
If your hotel is outside Hanoi old quarter, please feel free to be at the bus office: 30 Ly Thai To str at 6:30am

End point

30 P. Lý Thái Tổ, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Bus will drop off customers at 30 Ly Thai To str in the old quarter. Please feel free to help us going back to your hotel by your own.

Operating hours
.6:30 am

Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1: Sapa – Ylinh Ho – Lao Chai – Ta Van village (Meals: L, D)

3 Stops

Hanoi

6 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Sapa

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Ta Van Village

12 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Accommodation: Local people homestay

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2

Day 2: Ta Van – Giang Ta Chai village – Sapa – Hanoi (Meals: B, L)

1 Stop

Sapa

12 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Accommodation: Local people house

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available

Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Most travelers can participate
NOT recommend traveller who is over 60 years old
NOT recommended for those who have any physical difficulties
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 159 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

A great challenge and experience

veronika_s, Jan 2026

The trip by sleeper car was comfortable. Toa met us at the bus station. Because of the cloud cover, we took a different, uphill route to Mama Zuzu’s village. My partner and I are avid hikers in our mid-30s and found the uphill trek extremely challenging, so proceed with caution if you think this is beyond your physical limits. Mama Zuzu was patient and accommodating and walked the 45 min uphill trek slowly with us. Dinner at her home was yummy, and we slept comfortably. We felt very privileged to stay with her. The next day was a relatively easy downhill trek, then an uphill trek she thought might be too challenging for us, so we took motorbikes. This was a great experience for us, even though we underestimated the physical challenge.

Sapa adventure.

Shiuling_H, Apr 2025

It was much harder than I had expected. But it was a good experience to see SAPA from the eyes of a local. Some portion was really steep and slippery. Make sure you have the right hiking shoes. It was wet and muddy for sone parts. Five hours of trekking the first day and three hours the second day. If you can handle the physical challenge, it would be a very good cultural experience. It was bad that the tour ended with the bus ride back delaying by two hours because some passengers failed to show up. The whole bus full of passengers were waiting for a few missing ones. I think the bus’s waiting policy is not structured.

An unforgettable experience

Lina_C, Apr 2025

An unforgettable experience. Mama Ju and her family were wonderful helping us with the trekking and telling us the culture. The group we trekked with was fantastic and kind. The accommodations cannot be better. The food cannot be more organic and fresh.

A hike with some truly breathtaking views!

Shannon_M, Sep 2024

Our guide was great, and the hike was beautiful. The homestay was super clean, and the homemade breakfast and dinner they provided was delicious! The facilities (i.e., bathroom and showers) were really well kept and everyone was super friendly. Thank you again for such a fun experience!

Great experience!

Anna_R, Aug 2024

The experience is amazing. A few things I would change. If we had more time we would stay one more day in Sapa and see other things. It was possible. You get picked up on shuttle, then have a big bus, the ride is long. We could sleep most of the time. The hike is great, but was hard for some people, especially when it started rain. Have your rain jacket, soap ( there is shower, no soap), bathing suit if hot weather, you might stop at waterfall. The next day hike is easy and the views are amazing. Lunches outside of Mama Zuzu home were not so tasty, but dinner at the family house was so good - amazing! The family is nice and fun talking to. There is no option to work on the rice fields, we went in August and there is no work to do until September. They just check on it. It is also cooler there, so take a long sleeve with you.

Great way to experience Sa Pa

Bronwyn_D, Jul 2024

Great way to see the Sa Pa countryside and learn about Vietnamese culture. Many different animals seen along the hike. Food was very good. Cold beer and karaoke shared with other travelers in the evening was a highlight. All hosts were excellent and any requests were never an issue.

Beautiful tour

Anna_R, May 2024

I would absolutely recommend this trip to everyone. Please keep in mind it is quite challenging and the route takes around 4 hours from Sapa to Mama Su's homestay. Everything is well organized and the guides keep checking if everyone is doing okay and if a short break is needed. Food is homemade and delicous. Support the locals by buying some souvenirs directly from them.

Breath taking experience

Dennis_S, Apr 2024

Mama Linh and her family made us feel so welcome in their home. So friendly and helpful with everything. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

A must do experience

April_S, Mar 2024

Incredible, must do experience. 2 fantastic hikes, a little challenging but nothing to intense. The home stay was lovely and a great experience. The bed was comfortable and clean, and a proper toilet and shower to share also. The family couldn’t have been more welcoming and the trip exceeded my expectations.

Must do, you won’t regret

Antonio_C, Mar 2024

This is a must experience in Vietnam. So far the highlight of my trip. A special thanks to Mama Zuzu for being so kind and hospitable. Fellow traveler, you won’t regret it!! Just keep in mind the weather may change very quickly and fog will hamper your expected views. However, I leave two suggestions for improvement: - Safety: the trails are very muddy, steep and dangerous. One of our tour members injured himself and all of us struggled to avoid falling. Please review the choice of walking trails as there are many more alternative trails in the area. - Rental boots: since the mud on the trails is unavoidable, our shoes get really dirty. Please have water proof boots available for each person directly from Sa Pa. You can rent out the boots to tourists and make some extra money. Tourists will be glad to pay for it as this is a must have.

Amazing Experience

Paul_R, Feb 2024

The trek was amazing, challenging in places, but our guide Mama Lihn was fabulous. She gave lots of information and answered all of our questions. Mama Lihn was very calm and caring, you could tell her priority was our safety and enjoyment. When we arrived at the homestead Mama Zuzu welcomed us and made sure we had everything we needed. Dinner was very good and authentic. The bed was super comfy and we slept for 9 and a half hours straight! If we had the chance we would do it all again.

SAPA

Richard_P, Dec 2023

Great experience. Super authentic would definitely recommend doing! MaMazuzu is super awesome and takes great care of you.

You get the real deal!!

DebraLynn_C, Jul 2023

Our stay was definitely a REAL experience and we loved it! Cat mimi was our guide (mama zuzu’s daughter) during the 2 day trekking. She was just so nice and told us all about their family, traditions, lifestyle,… both days we walked over 10km which is pretty heavy because of all the steep paths up and down. I would not recommend this for people with kids or in less condition, cause it is not that easy! (we are kinda sporty). It is not a group tour so we were the only people in the homestay at mama zuzu’s house, which is really their house so don’t expect it to have any luxury. There is a shower and toilet which are clean! And you get your own room for sleeping with a bed. Mama zuzu cooked us a delicious meal and we got to try the homemade happy water. Her husband cooked us the breakfast in the morning and it was also delicious!! We got to meet a few familymembers and at the and of the 2nd walk a short scootertrip back to sapa wich was so beautiful and fun!! Only thing we didn’t know was that we got the lunch in the reastaurant for a certain price, but drinks are on yourself. So you still need to pay some extra. Anyway, we were very happy to choose this trip and get the real deal!!

A walk into the nature!

Federica_G, Jul 2022

Mamazuzu was a fantastic tour guide and her English is great. The trek was challenging but we were surrounded by so much beauty that we didn't feel tired .. and then MamaZuzu left us our times. Walking through the rice fields and being hosted by Mamazuzu and her family was an experience that I will never forget. Thanks Mamazuzu to you and all your beautiful family.

Response from Host, Dec 2022

Dear Federic It was very happy to hearing from you on here. We were so glad to see that you have enjoyed Sapa with nature, sightseeing, ans especially Mama Zuzu and her family. We have forwarded all your lovely words to her family. Perhaps you can not imagine how were they happy to hearing that. Thank you so much for sharing your lovely experience in Sapa. We do hope to have more chance to welcome you on our other trip in the future. Have a nice day! Best wishes! Manh & Vietnam Real Tour team! WhatsApp: +84 976 242 887

村の中の移動を体験

Anonymous, Feb 2025

山道を歩くので汗をかきます。しっかり着替えが必要。村人の移動を体験、面白かった。夜冷えるので、若者にとっては大丈夫でも、年配者は、防寒対策をちゃんとされる事をお勧め！お部屋は綺麗で、気持ちよく過ごせました。

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Dear there Thank you so much for your feedback. We will take better care of our future guest thanks to your feedback. Have a nice day!

Authentischer Trip

Laura_F, Jan 2024

Der zwei-tägige Trip bei Mamazuzu hat uns sehr gut gefallen! Wir waren eine tolle Gruppe mit insgesamt 8 Personen. Die Wanderungen durch Reisfelder und den Bambuswald waren wunderschön und teils etwas abenteuerlich. Gegessen haben wir zusammen mit der Familie. Wir hatten das Gefühl, authentisch zu erleben, wie der Alltag hier aussieht und würden die Tour wieder besuchen.

Top Empfehlung für SAPA

Gregor_R, Mar 2023

Super authentisch Homestay bei einer super netten Familie, eine tolle Erfahrung, wir würden es jederzeit wieder machen.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Dear Gregor Thank you so much for shairng your great experience about Sapa trip. I could see your enjoyment with Zuzu and her family. I hope you have also known cooking her local dishes and try it at home. We hope to have more chance to welcome you back to Sapa, also on our other lovely tour. Wish you always healthy, lucky and happy! Best wishes! Manh & Vietnam Real Tour team! WhatsApp: +84 976 242 887

Authenticite

Anna_C, Feb 2023

La famille d’accueil était authentique Nous avons adoré ce partage en revanche ne pas y aller en février car mauvais temps et on ne voit pas les rizières 8 h de bus Confort très sommaire

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Dear Anna Thank you so much for sharing your travel experience on here. I were so happy to see both you enjoying the trip what you let us a great chance customizing. Thank you so much for your kind words that make us very confident and full energy to serve our next customer's vacation. We really hope that our company has more chance welcome your family, friend and both you again back to our lovely country on the other tour in the future. Once again, thank you so much for your lovely review on here. Hope you have a nice day there. Best wishes! Manh & Vietnam Real Tour team! WhatsApp: +84 976 242 887