Laocai city and province

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General information about Laocai

Lao Cai is a city in northern Vietnam, the capital of the provinces of the same name. Laocai is located 300 kilometers from Hanoi, 33 kilometers from the mountain resort of Sapa, and on the border with China (Laocai on the map). This is a relatively large trading city (population – a little less than 100 thousand people), it is a land crossing to China in Yunnan province.

Sometimes you can find the pronunciation and spelling of the city as "Loachai" or "Laosai", but this is not true. Its correct pronunciation, as well as the pronunciation of the name of the province – Laokai or Lao Cai.

The city of Laocai itself is an uninteresting place for tourists. There are no attractions worthy of attention and very poorly developed tourist infrastructure. But it is an important transport point on the way to the popular mountain resort town of Sapa (Sapa) and the village of Bac Ha (Bac Ha), which are part of the province of Laocai. Also through Laokai enter or leave China in the very beautiful mountainous province of Yunnan. The border crossing is open from 07:00 to 22:00, you need a visa to enter China. Obtaining a visa on arrival in Vietnam is not possible: you must either have a pre-issued visa, or Russian citizens can enter for 15 days without a visa (see all about a visa to Vietnam).

There are a couple of dozen hotels and hostels in the city so that you can stay for the night, but there are no travel agencies, entertainment for tourists, interesting places. You can walk around the city in one of its parks, walk along the embankment of the river, on the other bank of which is China, and that's it.

If we talk about the province of Laocai, then this is one of the most interesting places in Vietnam. The region is inhabited by numerous ethnic groups, decorated with emerald rice fields and mountain landscapes. But it is best to get acquainted with the province not from the city of Laokai, but from Sapa or the village of Bac Ha, which are the tourist centers of the province.

Laocai Province

Lao Cai Province, Vietnam

Trekking in Sapa, Vietnam

Hotels in Laocai where to stay

Many hotels and hostels are scattered throughout the province, but most of them are in Sapa (see hotels in Sapa) and in Bac Ha. Many accommodation options are offered in the ethnic villages surrounding Sapa and Bac Ha. This is a special type of accommodation – Homestays, or otherwise, Home accommodation, where tourists stay during trekking excursions.

In the city of Laocai there are a couple of dozen hotels, gests and a hostel with very low prices for accommodation usual for Vietnam. Given that there is no tourist center in the city as such, where you can come and look for accommodation on the spot, it is best to book hotels in advance. You can do this on the following sites, or through the search form:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Laocai on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Laocai on Booking.com
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Laocai on Trip.com (💥 our choice)
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

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Hotels in Laos on the map

Weather, tourist seasons in Laocai

The province of Laocai is mountainous and flat, and therefore the climate here has its own characteristics and differs greatly from place to place. So, in high-altitude areas, in particular in Sapa, snow even falls in winter, while in the city of Loakai or in the village of Bac Ha it can be hot. Anyway, this is the northernmost region of Vietnam, and in the winter months (from December to February) in the evenings it is cold even on the plain, so be sure to take warm clothes. A warm jacket, hat and gloves will not hurt, especially if you plan to go trekking in the winter. Fog and rain are also frequent in the region, always carry a raincoat.

It is better to tie a visit to Laokai not to the weather, but to the time of rice harvest. It is best to come here before or during the harvest season in September-November or spring, while the fields are still green and decorate the landscape. In summer, especially in August, it often rains and the magnificent scenery will be hidden. In winter (from November to February) it is cold and foggy, and the rice terraces are brown.

Tourist seasons in Laocai by month*

Current weather in Laocai and forecast for the near future:

How to get to Laocai

Laocai is an important transport border hub. It is connected by bus to Hanoi, Sapa, Bac Ha, Dien Bien Phu (border town on the border with Laos), Lai Chau (Lai Chau, another beautiful mountain town on the way to Dien Bien Phu), Cat Ba Island, Halong city. Also, Laocai connects the railway connection with Hanoi (night trains). There is no airport here.

There is a railway station in Laokai (railway station on the map), and bus station (bus station on the map). There is also a minivan and local bus station at Sapa and Bac Ha just opposite the train station.

Learn more about all routes, how to get to Laocai:

• Hanoi to Laocai

  Vietnam train

  Travel time from Hanoi to Laocai by train is 9-11 hours. There are at least 8 trains daily, all overnight. When purchasing train tickets, keep in mind that it includes branded cars of various companies, and, accordingly, the price and service will vary (see about traveling around Vietnam by train).

  Trains from Hanoi to Laocai depart from Hanoi's main railway station (Ga Ha Noi), which is located in the city center at 120 Le Duan. You should buy train tickets in advance and preferably directly at the ticket offices of the station or via the Internet. Travel agencies and ticket sales offices add a commission to the cost of tickets, besides they do not sell tickets for simple inexpensive trains.

  E-tickets can be purchased via the internet, but on the official website of the Railways of Vietnam https://dsvn.vn/ only plastic cards of Vietnamese banks are accepted for payment. But you can purchase tickets through a trusted site 12go.asia. This site has a Russian-language interface, the purchase is carried out with a small commission.

  Hanoi-Laocai Schedule:

  Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Сапа Дополнительная информация / Билеты

  Автобус Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Сапа ₽ 856–2,888 5 ч. – 6 ч.

  →  ВИП 22 00:00, 05:50, 06:25, 06:30, 06:55, 07:30, 07:40, 07:45, 08:15, 08:30, 08:55, 09:30, 09:40, 10:15, 10:30, 10:40, 11:15, 11:30, 11:40, 12:15, 12:30, 12:50, 13:30, 13:45, 13:50, 14:30, 14:50, 15:15, 15:30, 15:50, 16:05, 16:30, 17:30, 17:50, 18:45, 20:00, 21:20, 21:50, 22:30, 22:50, 23:00, 23:05, 23:20, 23:30, 23:35, 23:45 →  Sleeper 44 07:45, 13:45, 22:30 →  ВИП 20 06:30, 07:00, 07:45, 09:00, 09:45, 10:45, 11:45, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 18:00, 21:30, 22:00, 23:00, 23:30 →  VIP 9 Экспресс 07:20, 07:30, 07:40, 15:20 →  ВИП 14 07:40, 15:30

  Такси Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Сапа ₽ 16,230–32,669 3 ч. 55 м. – 5 ч.

  →  Эконом на 3-х человек →  Микроавтобус 12 чел. →  Minivan 5pax →  Комфорт на 3-х человек →  Микроавтобус 9 мест →  Внедорожник 4 места →  ВИП Микроавтобус 9 мест →  Микроавтобус 6 чел. →  Внедорожник 3 чел. →  Микроавтобус 11 чел. →  Микроавтобус 15

  Микроавтобус Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Сапа ₽ 1,549–2,093 5 ч. 10 м. – 5 ч. 50 м.

  →  Средние места 07:30, 15:30 →  Van + VIP Bus 06:15, 07:15, 08:15, 09:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:15, 20:15, 21:15, 22:15

  Ханой - Сапа Дополнительная информация / Билеты

  Автобус Ханой - Сапа ₽ 801–2,147 5 ч. – 6 ч.

  →  Спальный 23:00 →  Double cabin 23:00 →  Single Cabin 23:00 →  VIP Luxury 22 00:00, 01:00, 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 →  ВИП 22 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 19:30, 22:00, 23:00, 23:50

  Ханой - Лао Сай Дополнительная информация / Билеты

  Автобус Ханой - Лао Сай ₽ 774–1,695 6 ч.

  →  VIP 9 Экспресс 06:30, 06:45 →  Спальное место 40 06:10, 06:30, 06:45, 21:10, 21:30, 21:45 →  ВИП 22 05:50, 06:00, 06:15, 06:30, 06:45, 07:10, 07:15, 07:20, 07:30, 08:15, 08:30, 09:15, 09:30, 10:15, 10:30, 12:15, 13:15, 13:30, 16:45, 17:15, 17:30, 20:15, 20:30, 21:00, 21:15, 21:30, 21:40, 21:45, 21:55, 22:15, 22:30 →  Sleeper 41 Express 06:00, 06:15, 06:30

  Такси Ханой - Лао Сай ₽ 14,440–16,742 5 ч. 30 м.

  →  ВИП Микроавтобус 9 мест →  Микроавтобус 12 чел.

  Микроавтобус Ханой - Лао Сай ₽ 1,401–1,800 5 ч. 30 м. – 6 ч.

  →  Средние места 06:00, 06:15, 06:30, 06:45, 13:45, 14:15, 14:30 →  Передние и задние сиденья 06:00, 06:15, 06:30, 06:45, 13:45, 14:15, 14:30 →  Микроавтобус 11 чел. 06:30, 06:35, 06:45, 06:55, 07:00, 07:15

  Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Лао Сай Дополнительная информация / Билеты

  Автобус Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Лао Сай ₽ 1,674 5 ч. 30 м.

  →  ВИП 22 00:00, 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 09:30, 10:15, 10:30, 11:15, 11:30, 12:30, 12:45, 13:00, 13:30, 14:30, 15:30, 16:30, 17:30, 18:45, 20:00, 22:30, 23:30

  Микроавтобус Ханой Аэропорт Ной Бай - Лао Сай ₽ 16,742 5 ч. 30 м.

  →  Микроавтобус 11 чел. 00:00

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  And another useful tip: trains in Vietnam are mercilessly air-conditioned, and it's really cold to sleep in them even under a blanket. Therefore, either dress warmly, or bring tape (not the one to drink, but with which to glue) and paper to seal the vents on the ceiling.

• Sapa-Lacoai

  Minivan Laokai-Sapa

  Sapa from Laos and back can be reached by minivan, local bus or taxi. Distance-40 kilometers; travel time-a little more than an hour.

  A huge number of private minwen to Sapa is always waiting for tourists arriving by train in the parking lot in front of the railway station, and with offers to take you to Sapa you will be met immediately when leaving the train and even in the cars. But do not rush to agree to such proposals, because there is a so-called "taxi mafia": young people catch sleepy arriving tourists, put them in a minivan, collect money for travel and disappear. As a result, you will either sit for an hour or two and wait for the driver, who says he knows nothing and again asks you for money for the fare, or simply do not wait for the shipment, because it seems that some minibuses never even go anywhere. The trick is designed for the fact that tourists just get tired of waiting for the shipment, and they themselves will go to look for another bus. Therefore, look for a minivan that is already filled with tourists, and give money only directly to the driver. And next to the building there is a corporate office where you can go and just buy a ticket for the nearest departing bus.

  You can also take the local state bus No. 1 and No. 2. They depart every 30-60 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, cost 30,000 VND. Their stop is located just behind the parking lot in front of the railway station, although according to unverified information, it was moved a little further, since the local "mafia" simply did not allow tourists to approach these buses. In any case, it will not be difficult to find it, everything is nearby.

  In Sapa, buses and vans arrive in the center of Sapa at the main square at the stop next to Sapa Church, and from here they go to Laokai.

• Bac Ha-Laokai Village

  From Lakai to Bac Ha or back can be reached by local bus for 57,000 VND. Buses depart from early morning until about 14 hours, the journey is 3 hours. Place of departure-bus station opposite the railway station. Reverse departure at the same time.

  Tickets should be purchased only at the ticket office of the bus station, which is located 300 meters directly from the exit from the railway station of Laok on Phan Dinh Phung Street. Do not pay the fare to the driver or "helpers" who will meet you immediately when leaving the train, because these are scammers. Do not even pay the drivers who put you on the bus until you are sure that it is a real driver and not a "fake" one.

Attractions of Laocai, what to see

As we have already mentioned, in the city of Laokai there are no attractions at all, but the province is filled with various interesting places. Moreover, it is better to get acquainted with them not from the provincial capital, but from the tourist towns of Sapa and Bac Ha.

• Sapa

  Ta Van Village

  Sapa (Sa Pa, Sapa) is a town located among the Hoang Lien Son Mountains, also known as the Tonkin Alps, at an altitude of 1600 meters in northwestern Vietnam in Lao Cai Province. Sapa is located almost on the border with China and 400 kilometers from Hanoi (Sapa on the map of Vietnam). This is a popular tourist destination, attracting its magnificent mountain scenery, because it is surrounded by high mountain peaks, valleys, and beautiful rice fields. Also here you can get acquainted with the many ethnic groups with which the northern part of the country is richly populated.

  See for a detailed guide to Sapa and its attractions here...

• Buck Ha

  Bac Ha Village

  Bac Ha is a village almost at the very edge of northern Vietnam near the Chinese border ( Bac Ha on the map). From Hanoi it is 300 kilometers, and from the popular tourist city of Sapa-100 kilometers.

  The village is not so small, at least its geographical scale is no less than Sapa, and maybe even more, and the population is just over 7,000 inhabitants. However, for some reason, it continues to be stubbornly called a village, not a city. Although, in our opinion, this place has the prospect of becoming as popular a resort as Sapa, because there are obvious advantages: in winter it is not as cold as in Sapa, at least there is no snow; the surrounding ethnic villages, and Bac Ha itself, have not yet been spoiled by tourist popularity.

  See for a detailed guide to BAC-Ha here...