1. Overview
Sapa is a popular tourist destination in Vietnam known for its beautiful landscapes, cultural diversity, and unique markets. Several tour operators and travel agencies offer Sapa market tours to visitors who want to experience the local culture and see the traditional markets in the area. These tours typically include transportation, a guided market tour, and sometimes additional activities such as trekking, homestays, and visits to nearby villages.
2. Top Sapa Market Tours
2.1. Bac Ha Sunday Market
Bac Ha Market is a small town in the Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. In recent years, the Bac Ha Market has become a popular tourist destination, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to visit and experience the culture. The market sells famous ethnic specialties such as armpit pigs, Docynia indica, and corn wine. Besides, many brocades such as ao dai, bags, and scarves are displayed throughout the market.
Highlight tour: The Bac Ha Sunday Market tour usually includes trekking through the village of H’Mong, Dao, and Zay, talking to local minorities, having some dinner with the family, and tasting their local foods. You will especially visit the biggest and the most original minority market all day Sunday in the highland and enjoy their cultures, customs, and how they exchange goods.
Duration: 3 days 4 nights
Places to visit: Hanoi → Lao Chai Village → Ta Van Village → Bac Ha Sunday Market → Hanoi
Price range: From 159$ / pax
2.2. Muong Hum Sunday Market
Muong Hum Market is a small town located about 50 km northwest of Sapa city center. Muong Hum Market is held every Sunday morning. At the market, Docynia indica wine, wild honey, and rice paper are popular products when tourists choose.
Highlight tour: You will enjoy the cool air, such as Muong Hum and Y Ty village, O Quy Ho Pass. Then you will visit and share the local life of the minority people of Ha Nhi. Here is the chance for you to shoot beautiful photos surrounding the Lu rice field. Visiting Muong Hum Market is the highlight; the market is crowded from morning to noon, and people from different faraway villages come here to trade their agricultural products, handicrafts, etc.
Duration: 2 days 1 nights
Places to visit: Sapa → Muong Hum market → Y Ty → Sapa
Price range: From 110$ / pax
2.3. Coc Ly Tuesday Market
Coc Ly is a highland market in Coc Ly commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province. Coc Ly Market is held every Tuesday. Although it is not a big market, Coc Ly is vital for ethnic minorities west of Bac Ha. This market is the meeting place, exchange, and trading of the Flower H’mong, the Dao, and the Nung people.
Highlight tour: Going to Coc Ly Market, you will experience the bustling and fun sounds of the locals. Moreover, you can freely buy souvenirs such as scarves, decorations, and brocades. In addition, you can also go through the Chay river, vegetable fields, and Bao Nhai village and enjoy the typical dishes here.
Duration: 1 day
Places to visit: Sapa → Coc Ly Market → Sapa
Price range: From 100$ / pax
2.4. Can Cau Saturday Market
Can Cau Market is a famous ethnic minority market in Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai province, Vietnam. The market is held every Saturday and is one of the region’s biggest and most colorful markets. A special feature here besides the goods, tourists can also enjoy local food and drinks, as well as traditional music and dance performances.
Highlight tour: Coming to the Can Cau Market tour, you will visit the villages, with the scenery of terraced fields and romantic bamboo forests. You can also trek down to the valley bottom to the waterfall where the French built a Hydraulic Power Station. Also, you climb Ham Rong Mountain right in the Sapa town center. Can Cau market is where you will visit local minority groups with their cultures and lifestyle and have lunch at the market with local food.
Duration: 3 days 4 nights
Places to visit: Hanoi → Sapa → Can Cau Market → Hanoi
Price range: From 170$ / pax
2.5. Lung Khau Nhin Thursday Market
Lung Khau Nhin Market is a weekly market that takes place in the Lung Khau Nhin commune of Muong Khuong District in Lao Cai province, Vietnam. The market is known for its handicrafts, textiles, and traditional clothing, as well as its fresh produce and livestock.
Highlight tour: Lung Khau Nhin Market tour will bring you interesting experiences such as trekking through villages on Lao Chai and Ta Van hills, taking photos, and preserving moments with yellow-ripened terraced fields. Moreover, you will participate in cultural exchanges with the Flower H’mong and Tay people at Lung Khau Nhin market, enjoy corn wine together, and eat specialties here.
Duration: 2 days 3 nights
Places to visit: Hanoi → Lao Cai → Lung Khau Nhin Market → Sapa → Lao Chai → Ta Van → Hanoi
Price range: From 110$ / pax
2.6. Cao Son Wednesday Market
Cao Son Market is held every Wednesday and attracts many visitors who come to see the unique cultural traditions of the hill tribes. The market is known for its handicrafts, traditional costumes, and local specialties like corn wine and roasted pork.
Highlight tour: The tour usually includes transportation to Cao Son Market, a guided market tour, and lunch at a local restaurant or with a local family. Then, you stop at nearby villages to see traditional handicrafts, such as weaving and embroidery. Next, you will try local specialties like corn wine and roasted pork. Also, when you go through several hill tribe villages Lao Chai and Ta Van, take photos of the beautiful scenery.
Duration: 2 days 3 nights
Places to visit: Hanoi → Lao Cai → Cao Son Market → Sapa → Lao Chai → Ta Van → Hanoi
Price range: From 110$ / pax
2.7. Can Cau and Bac Ha Markets
Can Cau and Bac Ha Markets is one of the options many tourists choose in Sapa market trips. Because besides experiencing many days, you also get to explore two markets on the same trip, see more cultures, lifestyle and enjoy food.
Highlight tour: On this tour, you have many interesting experiences, such as cycling through the peaceful countryside of the Red River valley, staying overnight at a local house, eating fruit in the garden, drinking corn wine, and cruising on the Chay river. Surely, you will go through two markets, Can Cau and Bac Ha, discover activities and lifestyles, buy many souvenirs, and have cultural exchanges with the Hmong, Tay, and Nung people.
Duration: 3 days 4 nights
Places to visit: Hanoi → Lao Cai → Bac Ha Market → Can Cau Market → Lao Cai → Hanoi
Price range: From 200$ / pax
Above are the Sapa market tours with various prices, times, and locations. But the common point of these tours is the bustling sound of the market, delicious mountain cuisine, and the friendliness of the ethnic people.
To Wrap Up, Metta Voyage believes that discovering a tour of the markets in Sapa is a must-do activity for anyone interested in the local culture and traditions of Vietnam’s hill tribes. To discover more about Vietnamese culture, refer to the Discover Beauty of Northern Vietnam tour.
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