How to travel from Sa Pa to Lao Cai, Vietnam

There are several options for getting from Sa Pa to Lao Cai by bus, taxi and car. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around ₫46,790 ($2) and will take around 1h 15m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take a taxi and arrive in approximately 30min, though it is a bit more costly at approximately ₫561,455 ($24).

The distance between Sa Pa and Lao Cai is around 33km (20 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 22km (14 miles)

It takes around 1h 15m to get from Sa Pa and Lao Cai by bus. If you are travelling by car it will take around 30min to drive there.

The quickest way to get from Sa Pa to Lao Cai is to take a taxi which takes around 30min and will set you back approx ₫561,455 ($24).

The cheapest way to travel between Sa Pa and Lao Cai, if you exclude driving, is to take the bus which will typically cost around ₫46,790 ($2) for a standard one-way ticket.

There is no train service that runs between Sa Pa and Lao Cai. We recommend that you take a taxi to Lào Cai. instead which will take 30min.

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from Sa Pa and Lao Cai. It typically takes around 1h 15m and departs every 30 mins.

Yes there is a direct bus service that runs between Sa Pa and Lao Cai with no changeovers required. The bus runs every 30 mins and takes 1h 15m.

Lao Cai Public Bus run regular bus services between Sa Pa and Lao Cai. Buses run every 30 mins and take around 1h 15m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Sa Pa to Lao Cai. We recommend that you take the bus to Lao Cai. instead which will take 1h 15m.

The closest major airport to Lao Cai is Dien Bien Airport (DIN) (DIN) which is approximately 149km (93 miles) from Lao Cai. Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) (HAN) and Bai Thuong Airport (THD) (THD) are also nearby and might be a better alternative airport depending on where you are flying from.

Yes it is possible to drive from Sa Pa and Lao Cai. The distance is around 33km (20 miles) by road and it will take around 30min in normal traffic conditons.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Sa Pa to Lao Cai is to take the bus which takes, on average, 1h 15m and will usually cost around ₫46,790 ($2).