Choose Sapa or Halong Bay for holidays?

Quick overview of Sapa and Halong Bay

Sapa

Sapa is a small town belonging to Lao Cai province in North Vietnam. Sapa is famous for its breathtaking views of a valley filled with rice fields that can be seen on clear days, especially during harvest season when golden rice terraces. It is the ideal location for nature photographers, often featured as a highlight of Northern Vietnam in world photography competitions. Moreover, Sapa is home to ethnic Vietnamese people with their traditional village lifestyle.

Terraced rice field in Sapa

Halong Bay

Ha Long Bay, located in Quang Ninh Province is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Halong Bay is attractive in its own way with its thousands of magnificent limestone, hidden caves, and lagoons surrounded by emerald seawater. Ha Long also has the typical cultural features of fishermen that will surely attract all tourists when visiting.

Halong Bay’s impressive view from above

Should you visit Sapa or Ha Long?

Weather in Sapa and Halong Bay

If you prefer the chilly weather over the tropical climate, Sapa is the best place to go. Regardless of the month, Sapa has a lower average temperature than the other cities. Visitors who have been to Sapa will be accustomed to the daily weather changes, which are frequently referred to as "four seasons in a day." Within one day in Sapa, you can experience a cool spring morning, a sunny summer day, a cloudy autumn evening with a little breeze, and finally a cold winter night.
 
The best time to go to Sapa is in the fall from September to November. When the rice color is ripe and golden, the weather in Sapa is extremely pleasant, fresh in the early morning and cold at night. If you are a nature lover, coming to Sapa in the spring is a perfect trip when all the flowers bloom.

Spring in Sapa

Meanwhile, Halong Bay has a tropical climate, so there are particular times that are more comfortable and ideal for traveling. However, Halong Bay is still exposed to summer heat and stormy weather occasionally. Autumn is the season for tourists and winter when Halong Bay has a lot of foggy, becomes the most magical and mystical.

If you plan to visit Ha Long Bay in July, August, or September, check out this post to learn about Halong Bay’s weather.

Sunny day in Halong Bay

What is in Sapa and Halong Bay?

Travelers who are interested in ethnic minorities and in trekking should go to Sapa. All treks include visiting ethnic minority villages, go trekking in the hills, visit the local markets. In Sapa town, you will meet a lot of people from the Dao, Han, Xa Fang, Tay and Thai, Red, and Hmong ethnic groups. Other things you can do in sapa are going to Fansipan by cable car, visiting the waterfall, and taking a motorbike or mountain bike to explore the landscapes,...

Trekking in Sapa

In Halong Bay, visitors can also go trekking in a few spots such as Cat Ba Island, and Titov Island. Stunning scenery from the top of Titov Island helps you feel the wonderful beauty of nature bestowed on Ha Long. The visits to the floating fishing village also help visitors have a better understanding of the culture of the people in Halong Bay. Moreover, taking a cruise in Halong Bay brings many interesting experiences such as exploring magnificent caves, kayaking, sunbathing, and night squid fishing,...

View from the top of Titov Island

It is another challenge to compare the two locations' natural scenery. Sapa stands out with attractive ribbon roads leading the eye down to the valley floor, eye-catching terraced fields, and beautiful green mountains rising as far as the eye can see. Mount Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam, caps the rough ridge line above the town.

The top of Fansipan

On the other hand, Halong Bay knows how to attract tourists in its own way. With more than 1600 limestone mountains and hundreds of caves of all different sizes and shapes, Halong Bay tells its own story about the legend of the God Dragon. White sand beaches stretching and emerald water with countless sea creatures living help the heritage bay create an irresistible attraction of the heritage bay.

The magical beauty of the bay

The cuisine of Ha Long Bay is slightly better than Sapa. While Sapa is famous for a few delicious grilled restaurants, Ha Long cuisine is diverse with countless seafood dishes. For gourmets, watching the poetic natural scenery on the bay while enjoying fresh seafood is the best experience. The cuisine served on a cruise is always carefully prepared and processed, providing the best dining experience to all the guests.

Cuisine on Sea Octopus cruise

Sapa and Halong are both worthy destinations to experience once when coming to Vietnam for every tourist. If you have a plan to visit Halong Bay, check out our website to book the most exciting and classy cruises.