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VietnamDescription and is it worth visiting
Ta Phin Village – is one of the ethnic villages 10 kilometers north of Sapa. Two tribes live here in friendly coexistence: the Red Dzao and the Black Hmong. Entry to the village is paid.
Usually, Ta Phin is visited as a day trip on a rented motorbike or a trekking hike from Sapa, but if you wish, you can stay here overnight. In the center, there are several homestays, the owners of which will be very happy to host you, as there are few tourists here. Also on the main village street, by the way, very dirty and potholed, there's a local market and a few non-touristy cafes where tourists can still eat without any problems. At the end of the village, there's a decent Ta Phin Cave, equipped for tourist visits.
But the most interesting thing is not the village itself, but the one-day trekking route to it. Along the way, you'll pass through another ethnic Hmong village, Ma Tra Village, beautiful rice fields, and cross several mountain streams. Of course, if you have time, we would recommend going on a two- or three-day trek in the Muong Hoa Valley, but if you only have one day, you can do this one-day route as well.
Mostly, the villagers are engaged in agriculture, but as soon as tourists appear on the horizon, it creates the impression that everyone leaves their homes and starts only providing tourist services. Groups of women dressed in traditional tribal costumes will follow you throughout the village, offering their handmade embroidered souvenirs: wallets, cloth bracelets, toys, and other trinkets that are sold everywhere in Sapa and the surrounding area.
You can't even escape them on a motorbike: they will pursue you on theirs and offer their help navigating the village until you buy something from them. But even if you just drive them away or buy something, others will immediately take their place. All this creates discomfort, but there's nothing to be done about it.
If you decide to buy something, don't forget to bargain, as the initial prices are about five times higher than for the same items in Sapa. But if you bargain with a smile, you'll get both the pleasure of the haggle and a fun handmade souvenir.
Overall, apart from the pestering, the locals are very friendly to tourists and will even offer to visit their homes so you can get to know their way of life, but again they will expect you to buy something from them.
🕐 Opening Hours
24/7, best to start trekking here early in the morning.
💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Price
Entry to the village is paid – 50,000 VND (1.52 USD, see all about Vietnamese money and exchange rates), children - 20,000 VND. Payment is collected at one of two booths along the road to the village.
🚶 How to Get There
Ta Phin village is located 10 kilometers from the center of Sapa (Ta Phin village on the map). You can get here by rented transport, taxi, or on foot. If you go by transport, you'll have to drive on a bad dirt road with almost no signs, but with a navigator, it's easy to find the way.
But, in our opinion, there's not much point in coming here by transport. The village is interesting precisely as a place you can reach on foot during trekking (read our guide to trekking in Sapa to learn more). The route is simple, for one day. For this, you can buy a tour at any travel agency or hotel in Sapa, or go on your own, which is very easy to do. For this, you'll need a navigator with community maps like Organic Maps or OSM; Google Maps or others that show not only roads but also footpaths will also work.
The start of the route is in Sapa on Suoi Ho street, which you can reach from Duong Dien Bien Phu street by following the sign. Then follow the trails and your navigator to the village. You can go light, with only a small backpack, water, a raincoat, a jacket, good shoes, a navigator, and something to snack on. You can eat, by the way, in the village. You can take a taxi back to Sapa via the Grab or Xanh Sm apps from 100,000 VND.