Your essential guide for visiting Fansipan, Sapa, including how to get cable car tickets, what to expect, and how to prepare for your visit.
The popular Vietnamese tourist town of Sapa is surrounded by the soaring Hoang Lien Son mountain range, with the summit of Fansipan stretching three thousand metres into the clouds. It’s the tallest mountain in the region formerly known as Indochina (the modern-day countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia), with only Indonesia and Myanmar boasting higher peaks within Southeast Asia.
Not so long ago, a trip to the summit would involve a multi-day hike but since 2016 it can now be achieved via a twenty-minute cable-car ride. Whilst this is no doubt handy for tourists, some of the tranquillity and sense of achievement is now missing from the summit, but it still ranks as an essential Vietnam with kids experience.
Do check out our guide to visiting Sapa with kids for ideas on more things to do in the region. Our guide includes details (and map) of a family-friendly trek you can do independently (without a guide).
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Click here pre-book your cable car ticket via Klook.
How to get to the Sapa cable car entrance
Fansipan towers over Sapa and is visible for miles around (if the clouds are cooperating). Assuming you’re not in the mood for the multi-day hike to the summit, the only way to reach the top is via the cable-car.
There are two options to get to the cable-car entrance: either take the tourist train from Sapa town or jump in a Grab taxi and proceed directly to the cable-car ticket office.
The tourist train/funicular (known as the Muong Hoa railway) adds another VND180,000 per person (over 1m tall) to the cost but is a fun way to reach the cable-car. The location in the centre of Sapa couldn’t be more convenient if you’re staying in town and the building itself is impossible to miss, and a tourist attraction in its own right.
If you’re staying out of town, it’s easier to take a Grab directly to the cable-car ticket office and save some money. You’ll be dropped off in the large car park from where you can buy tickets and then walk the 200m to the entrance.
Prices and opening times of the cable car
The Fansipan cable-car is open year round, but does close for a few weeks each year for routine maintenance. These closure dates aren’t fixed so you’ll need to check before planning a visit, although they’re usually around October or November.
The operating hours of the cable-car are:
- Sunday to Friday: 8am to 4pm, with the last trip down towards Sapa at 5:30pm. On Sundays the first ride is 7:30am.
- Saturdays and public holidays: 7:30am to 4:30pm, last trip down at 6pm.
See the below image for other relevant opening times including the ticket office and restaurant.
Of all the activities we did in Vietnam, the Fansipan cable-car was one of the most expensive. An ‘adult’ ticket is an eye-watering VND800,000 (US$32) and ‘children’ are VND550,000 (US$22). The reason for the air-quotes is that the definition of an adult and child are solely based on height, not age. If your kids are quite tall for their age, it’s likely they’ll fall into the adult height bracket and you’ll end up paying an adult price for your nine or ten year-old child. Children under 1 metre are free.
It is *slightly* cheaper if you pre-book your cable car ticket via Klook.
The height limit is very zealously enforced at several points before you board the cable-car, so don’t assume you can beat the system or stretch the boundaries. We were turned back at the ticket gate after buying our ticket as we weren’t aware of the height limit; we’d naively asked for two adults and two child tickets.
The total cost came out as £83 (US$110) but note that it’s more expensive on Saturdays and public holidays.
Once you’ve negotiated the ticket office, there’s a 200m walk to reach the cable-car queue. If you’ve arrived on the tourist funicular directly from Sapa town, you’re dropped right next to the queue. The walk is interspersed with attractive landscaping and a few displays relating to the hill tribes who live around Sapa.
Queues are well managed for the cable-car and it’s clear they’re designed for vast numbers of visitors, with a seemingly endless system of walkways leading to the entrance. On the day we visited (a weekday morning in August), the queue was moving quite freely and we only had to wait for about 10 minutes.
Riding the Sapa cable car
The cable-cars are few in number but have a large capacity, capable of carrying 25 or so passengers. They’re usually filled to capacity so it can get quite cramped and loud inside, especially if you board with a large tour group who keep their conversations flowing.
The feat of engineering to build the cable-car system is impressive, with the gondolas disappearing into the distance with a surprisingly small number of towers supporting them. Indeed, the Fansipan cable-car is the proud owner of two Guinness World Records relating to the distance and elevation differences achieved on the twenty minute journey.
Reaching the summit of Fansipan
Upon arrival at the top station, take a few moments to acclimatise as you’ve just gained 1500m in altitude and are now comfortably above the height where altitude sickness can become a problem. The most common symptom you’ll encounter are a shortness of breath but if any of the more serious symptoms appear, you should descend immediately. Staff are trained in recognising the symptoms and assisting, so seek their help if needed.
As a reference, none of our group encountered any symptoms, although us parents found the climb to the summit harder than we expected, which was likely due to the thinner air. The kids breezed along as if they were at sea-level but altitude sickness is notorious for how and who it affects, so keep track of your kids and how they’re feeling at all times.
There are then two options to reach the summit; funicular and walking. However, the funicular does not take you directly from the cable car to the summit, there are still a fair few steps to climb.
Funicular
The funicular (known as the Fansipan Funicular) costs VND150,000 to go up, VND120,000 to come back down, and lets you skip some (but not all) of the steps to reach the summit. It’s a pretty looking carriage but it’s more of use for visitors with limited mobility or those who are struggling with the altitude.
Whilst you’ll still see some of the sights in-between the cable car, such as the Grand Belfry and the Giant Buddha statue, you do miss out on some of the temples and viewpoints.
Depending on your budget, the extra cost might not be worthwhile.
Walking
If you’re not keen on the funicular, the walkway to the summit makes for a beautiful stroll, especially if the weather is behaving and you have the spectacular views for company.
Officially known as the Alahat Path, this 800m trail takes a slight detour from the most direct route to the summit, which is blocked off. Instead, you’ll get the chance to climb the nine-storey waterfall staircase (take regular breaks for a few breaths of fresh air) and visit the Bich Van Zen Monastery, Grand Belfry, Grand Buddha statue, plus other temples and viewpoints.
If you take your time and enjoy the views and rest areas, it makes for a fantastic ascent to the summit. The kids will enjoy the space to wander and ours loved checking the numerous statues that line the walking trail. Remember to bring some snacks for this section in case the kids need an energy boost as there are limited options until you reach the summit.
Arriving to the summit
However you reach the summit, there’s a sense of achievement as you emerge at the highest point in Vietnam. It’s at this point that the weather becomes most important. If you’re here on a clear day, the 360-degree views will take your breath away (or is that the altitude?). On a cloudy day, there’s still a fascinating atmosphere with the mist and clouds wrapping themselves around you.
It’s a popular spot for the obligatory summit photograph and various national flags can be borrowed to give it all a sense of occasion.
Perhaps it was the time of year but we need to mention the flying insects at the summit. They were everywhere. It was slightly unnerving to climb the last few steps and suddenly have to battle the insects who have apparently colonised the summit. It did spoil the moment slightly and made our relatively normal family photo quite an achievement.
They only appeared for us at the very top so, once you’ve got your photo and have touched the summit marker, head back down the few steps to some sense of relief. It’s here you’ll find some toilets and a shop selling crisps, drinks and popcorn. It’s a good place to refuel before you start making your way back down.
Tips for visiting Fansipan
- If you’re in Sapa for a few days, it’s worthwhile checking the weather forecast to see if a clear day is due but…
- Don’t worry too much about the cloud rolling in and spoiling the view. The weather changes quickly here, and the mist engulfing the mountain temples is a rather intriguing sight.
- Prepare for the weather. Take rain jackets and an extra layer as the temperature is much cooler here than in Sapa. Snow is not uncommon in the winter months as well as high winds.
- It’s possible the cable-car will be suspended in bad weather. Your hotel or homestay owner are the best people to check with.
- Pace yourself on the steps. There are a lot of them and there is the chance of getting altitude sickness.
- Bring some snacks for the kids, there are a few places to buy supplies but it’s always best to have your own stash.
- Don’t try to beat the 1.4m height rule, it’s highly likely you’ll be stopped and sent back to the ticket office (annoyingly, they don’t attempt to enforce the rule when buying tickets).
Is Fansipan worth the high ticket price?
That’s a tricky question.
Fansipan is one of the best-known attractions in Vietnam and the picture-perfect photos of the summit views show the potential of any visit. If you’re here in perfect weather, it’s a once-in-a-trip type family moment.
As we’ve mentioned above, cloudy weather doesn’t ruin a visit by any means, but it does knock Fansipan a few notches down the ‘must-do’ chart.
In our opinion, it’s just worth the money if you’re visiting on a less-than perfect weather day. It’s a fun place for kids and the cable-car ride really is spectacular. In other countries, £85 would be a cheap day out for the family, but in Vietnam, it equates to the top 1% of activities in terms of cost.
Final thoughts on visiting Fansipan, Sapa
Click here pre-book your cable car ticket via Klook.
From our fantastic family homestay (Stone Paradise Homestay) on the outskirts of Sapa, the glorious peak of Fansipan was fully on display and beckoned us each morning. It would have been impossible not to visit, and you’re likely to feel the same when you visit Sapa.
In some ways, it’s a must-do activity, albeit an ultra-splurge one. From a cost perspective, if you’re travelling on a budget, you’ve got a decision to make.
Our advice would be to bite the bullet, hand over the credit card and board the cable-car. If the weather is behaving, you’ll be talking about the visit for years. And even if your visit is shrouded in cloud and mist, there’s still much to enjoy and experience, not least the giant statues and temples that would be a feat of engineering at sea level, let alone three thousand metres in the sky.
Fansipan cable-car is a well-organised tourist experience and for most families, it’ll be a literal high point of your Vietnam trip.
You may also like to read:
Visiting Sapa with kids
Riding a Vietnam sleeper train: what to expect and how to book
Sapa trekking without a guide: yes, it’s possible and here’s how to do it