Fansipan

Vivu Vietnam · CC BY-SA 4.0

The roof of Indochina at 3,143m in the Hoang Lien Son range — reached by a two-day climb or a fifteen-minute cable car.

Fansipan is the highest ground a person can stand on anywhere in Indochina. The traditional walk up takes two days through dwarf bamboo and rhododendron that flares red in March, the trees shrinking and the wind sharpening with every hundred metres. Since 2016 a cable car has crossed the Muong Hoa valley and cut the journey to fifteen minutes, opening the summit to those who cannot climb. At the top, a three-sided steel marker stands in a sea of cloud that never stops moving; when it does part, the Hoang Lien Son range appears ridge behind ridge to the horizon.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Fansipan?

September to November, clear and dry

How much does it cost to visit Fansipan?

800,000₫ (return cable car)

How long do you need at Fansipan?

Half a day (cable car) or 2 days (trek)

What are the opening hours of Fansipan?

07:30 - 17:30

Did you know

At 3,143m it is the highest peak in Vietnam and in all of Indochina.
It lies in the Hoang Lien Son range, about 9km from central Sa Pa.
The summit cable car opened in 2016 and takes about 15 minutes.
The traditional trek usually takes two days and one night.
Summit temperatures can drop below 0°C, with frost in winter.

Travel tips

Go up before 9am — cloud usually closes over the summit by midday.
Bring warm layers even in summer: the top runs 8–10°C colder than Sa Pa.

Source: https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fansipan

Updated: 2026-08-05