The best hike in Sapa is a bit of a secret.

As we like it, of course. Less of those loser tourists to deal with.

The Sapa area is home to the tallest mountains in all of Vietnam. The tallest and most popular of these is Fansipan, standing at 3,143 meters. But many trail not too far behind.

A visit to Sapa generally entails a trek through the beautiful rice fields the region has to offer. But conquering one of these mountains should be at least as high on your list, in my opinion.

If you’re to do one hike, make it the hike up Ngu Chi Son, which I would argue is the best hike in Sapa. In this post, I’ll give you an overview of the hike, how to get there, and other logistics that you’ll need!

Why Ngu Chi Son is the Best Hike in Sapa

The feeling of being at the highest point in a country is a very powerful one. I’ve done the UK, Thailand, South Korea, and most recently Montenegro.

But not Vietnam.

While it would be great to make it to the highest point in the entirety of Indochina (Fansipan holds that trophy), it isn’t worth it because Fansipan has become overly commercialized and touristified over the years.

As recently as 2016, Fansipan was just like all the other mountains in the region.

Then someone decided that it would be great to install a cable car to the top and allow all the lazies to get up without any work.

Seriously, imagine trekking for over 6 hours and having to wait in line to take photos behind a group of people with “I conquered Fansipan” t-shirts who in fact conquered nothing but their breakfast.

Preposterous.

And if you’re thinking that the cable car is good- since that way you can hike up and take the car down- that’s true. But be aware that a one way and round trip ticket go for the same rate- about 800k dong ($33 USD).

Ngu Chi Son, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of what you’ll find today at Fansipan.

In the 5-6 hours it took to get to the top, my group only met two others. That’s it. You’ll have the mountain to yourself and the summit to yourself.

Even though the foot traffic is low, the trail remains in excellent condition. That’s a rarity for hikes in this region.

And there was no cable car construction in sight.

Note: Since you’re reading this post, I’m going to presume that you’re a fan of going against the grain. If that’s the case, I wrote a post about the best way to do Sapa without a tour, including a visit to Ngu Chi Son among other adventures! You can check it out here.

What to Know Before You Go

There are always certain precautions you have to take when going on a long hike up a mountain, the most pressing of which is always getting back before it gets dark.

It takes about an hour to drive to and from Ngu Chi Son, so you should leave Sapa by around 8:00 AM to guarantee enough time to make it back before sundown.

Check the sunset time for the day you plan to hike. If you’re there in winter and have a sunset time before 6:00 PM, try and leave a little before 8. If you’re there in winter and have a sunset time after 7:00 PM, you can have a longer breakfast

For those of you that are confident in your ability to hike fast, you can also get away with leaving an hour past what I recommend. If you do so, just know that there’s a good chance you’ll be driving back in the dark. My friends and I did, and you have to drive slowly but it’s certainly doable.

On that note, I should mention that you really need a motorbike to drive there (unless you want to join a tour- more on that later). You can rent one in town for around 100-120k dong per day (around $4 USD).

If you don’t drive one, find a hiking buddy who does. And preferably (more like non-negotiably) with some experience.

Going with company is another thing I would say is necessary– there are some difficult portions of the hike near the top and you want someone with you in case something goes wrong- there might be nobody else there.

And lastly- bring lots of snacks and water!

How to Get to Ngu Chi Son

Hiking Ngu Chi Son

The Lower Trail- Finding Your Legs

After parking, walk up the road and you’ll quickly reach the divergence you can see in the photo. Make sure to go left instead of right.

The lower trail of the hike is the part that leads up to the base of the peaks that you see in the photo. It isn’t too steep (though it gets gradually steeper), and the views are awesome. It’s relatively flat for about an hour before things start to get more intense.

Beware of a few more trail divergences, though. Ngu Chi Son isn’t very popular, and it’s clear by the lack of markers.

There’s one about twenty minutes in. Again, stick to the left. If you don’t, give it a few minutes and you’ll stumble across someone’s house and likely be yelled at. I speak from experience.

About half an hour after that you’ll reach a small clearing. In front of you there looks like there may be a path forward towards the mountains. Don’t go that way.

You’ll be turning right, up a steep section that takes you on a ridge which then heads towards the mountains. You can see it marked by the red arrow above, which you should try and use to guide you.

It’s all a bit confusing. One of the Brits I was with had a drone, and we had to send it up to check which way to go.

Things really pick up here. The fun and games are over and it’s time to work a bit. This is no Fansipan.

It takes between 1 to 2 hours to make it across the ridge to the base of the peaks. For most of it you’ll be encased in forest, but there are a few clearings where you’ll be treated to some pretty incredible views.

Once you make it up the ridge, you’ll again reach a divergence. There’s a continuation of the trail, and a path up to the right marked ‘Ngu Chi Son II’. Not our path. Continue straight.

The Upper Trail- Where It Gets Serious

If you thought the path up the ridge was intense, you’re about to be in for a fun surprise.

You’ll soon arrive at the base of a path that takes you steeply up through the middle of two mountain faces. It’s a pretty remarkable part of the hike, and should take between 30 and 45 minutes.

Eventually, you crest the mountain and are rewarded with sweeping views over the other side of the peaks.

This is a great spot for a short break and snack.

For my friends, it was also a good spot to turn back, meaning that I had to finish up on my own.

Probably a mistake. If there’s any part of the hike that’s treacherous, it’s the final ascent to the summit.

If you have a good pace, it’s only one more hour to the top. A challenging hour. You ascend a lot in a short amount of time, meaning steep paths and a lot of ropes and ladders.

Caution is necessary, especially with a tired body after hours of hiking. Definitely also recommend to not follow my lead and have company just in case things go a little wrong. Broken legs, split open head on a rock and such.

Eventually (hopefully), you’ll reach the top. Depending on the weather, you’ll either have clear skies and sweeping views, be over the clouds, or be in the clouds.

I was in the clouds. Not ideal, but pretty cool in its own way.

Ngu Chi Son Tour Options

There are a couple of good tour options that provide transport to and from the mountain, as well as guides that will prevent you from having to keep double-checking my dubious instructions.

If you can’t ride a motorbike and can’t find a group to go with, sign up for one of the options below.

There are also guides that offer a two-day trek up Ngu Chi Son.

While hiking the last part of Ngu Chi Son, I noticed several green structures on the cliffside that you can see in the photo- luckily, I met a group on the way down and they explained that the tour groups stayed in them overnight.

The problem is that the tour is quite expensive, and costs $172/person. However, this includes a sleeper bus to and from Hanoi.

I don’t know enough to say for certain, but if you’re in Sapa and interested, try and contact them here and ask what the price would be without the sleeper bus.

If you find out, leave a comment so I can update this.

It’s pricey, but a night on Ngu Chi Son would be incredible. And according to their site, meals are included (with a hotpot dinner), as is some sort of hot tub and thermal bath.

But regardless of whether you do a tour or go on your own, one thing remains the same: Ngu Chi Son is the best hike in Sapa.