Review Author: Merry Tan

Review Date: 26 sep 2025

Review Body: Trekking from Sapa to Ta Phin Village – A Memorable Experience! Despite the rain, we had a fantastic trekking experience from Sapa (starting at the Pistachio Hotel) to Ta Phin Village, guided by an excellent local guide, Sung Ah Su. The journey took us through breathtaking landscapes—lush rice terraces, quiet paths, and small ethnic minority villages that offered a real sense of Northern Vietnam's rural life. Su was knowledgeable, kind and patient throughout the trek. The pace was well-suited to our group, with plenty of time for photos, breaks and interaction with local villagers, especially the children. Their faces lit up when candies and chocolates were offered to them. The trek ended with a Red Dao herbal bath in Ta Phin Village—an absolute must after a day of walking! It was relaxing, authentic, and a perfect cultural touch to wrap up the day. I highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Sapa. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or a casual walker, this easy trek offers a great balance of nature, culture and relaxation. A big thank you to Su for making it so memorable!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ciarra

Review Date: 29 sep 2026

Review Body: Our guide was May and she was such an amazing guide. She told us the history of the area and the differences between the different groups - particularly Red Dao. She pointed out different plants, their uses, and which ones were used in the herbal baths (that we soaked in later!). Another plant she pointed out was the rice which was currently being harvested (she even showed us how to harvest and let us try to harvest some rice ourselves). She also showed us the plants used to dye the clothes they wear. She picked some leaves and we rubbed them on our hands with some water and watched as our hands turned blue from the indigo. She really helped to show us the beauty of her country and the traditions still kept by the people there. She helped us over rough terrain and even helped clean the shoes of one of our group when they fell in the mud. If you are in Sapa, this is such a good experience - the beauty of the area, the traditions and knowledge of the plants, the kindness and generosity shown by May. And the herbal baths were so regenerative.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jena

Review Date: 21 mrt 2026

Review Body: We could have not known Sapa more if not for this trekking experience. Just make sure your group is physically capable of walking for hours (~13 km) before booking this. Our local guide, San May, has been wonderful. She shared a lot about the villages/tribes and answered our questions well (she converses well in English). My friends and I are not exactly used to being active but San May has been bery considerate to match our pace and take breaks when any one of us need it. We also enjoyed our lunch at Ochau Cafe - good food and coffee while overlooking the rice terraces. Then finished off the trek by a hot relaxing herbal bath 🩵

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Monique

Review Date: 27 mei 2026

Review Body: This trek was a highlight of my entire visit to Vietnam. San May was absolutely incredible. She truely gave us the local tour taking us through rice fields, rice farms and into the mountains through trail paths. She even got local farmers to let us have a go at planting rice. She is so intelligent and kind. She gave us incredible insight into the Red Dao people and culture and the way she could just find herbs and fruits on the side of the road that they use for medicine was remarkable. The herbal bath was an amazing experience as well but meeting San May was the highlight.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ina

Review Date: 13 aug 2026

Review Body: I had a wonderful day with my guide Ta Me. She asked me in the beginning if I prefer the longer or shorter route and explained the difference in scenery. We took the longer trek, it was absolutely beautiful. It was adventurous, crossing rivers, walking through the bamboo forest and of course walking through the rice fields. The herbal bath at the end of the trek was so special, I‘ve never experienced anything like it. The amenities were pretty and I felt so relaxed after the bath. Thank you Ta Me for this unforgettable day.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ina

Review Date: 14 mrt 2025

Review Body: We did a lovely trekk in the ricefields in Sapa with our amazing guide May. May told us about her life in the village around Sapa and took us through a lovely 6 hour trip through rice fields, villages and a bamboo forest, with a nice scenic lunch and a soothing herbal bath to end of the day. Sapa is such a nice and calm city in vietnam, where you can truly experience the calmer side of vietnam.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Cath

Review Date: 26 sep 2026

Review Body: San May was exceptional and made my last day in Sa Pa so memorable. she speaks English so well and is extremely knowledgeable and chatty! you will learn a lot about the region’s culture, and the scenery is stunning. lunch was also very good. Red Dao herbal bath at the end of the trek is a must :) I will definitely be looking for San May again next time I come to Vietnam..

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kirsty & Tim Rolph

Review Date: 10 mrt 2026

Review Body: Our guide, San May, was fantastic. She arrived on time to pick us up and explained our route options. She was chatty and knowledgeable and funny. Her English was excellent. Everything about the day was great - the route, the food and view at the lunch stop and the herbal bath at the end. À really great experience made better by the lovely San May! Thoroughly recommend.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: R X Wang

Review Date: 18 apr 2026

Review Body: San May took us along for a beautiful hike along the many villages and was always eager to share insights about her everyday life (even small survival details like edibles and poisonous plants)! The day was gloomy but she was always bright and positive, and made us feel safe throughout the 12km journey. Thank you San May :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Priscilla

Review Date: 29 jul 2024

Review Body: Our guide, Sue, was very knowledgeable. He would explain the different crops and seasons for growing. Even though it was raining lightly throughout the trek, we still got good views. It was gorgeous just being in nature. I also added on the bath option which was so good after all our walking. Good meditative experience!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Tara

Review Date: 18 mrt 2026

Review Body: We did a 9km trekking tour and finished with a herbal bath. Su was a great guide who explained us a lot about the history and politics of Vietnam and the hmong and red dao ethnic groups. The scenery was beautiful and we were almost completely alone on the track. The herbal bath is a special, but really hot experience.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Yian

Review Date: 25 sep 2026

Review Body: May was wonderful. She’s friendly and always made sure to include everyone throughout the tour. She also showed us a lot of plants and herbs that are used as medicines by the Red Dao people. The trek was really fun and well-paced. The herbal bath at the end was the cherry on top.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Chris

Review Date: 30 nov 2024

Review Body: We came during a week that Sa Pa was shrouded with clouds but it cleared up just in time for our trek and it was the highlight of our trip. We had a great time trekking through the fields and seeing the villages outside of Sa Pa with May. Thanks for the memorable experience!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: João Amaral

Review Date: 09 okt 2025

Review Body: Everything. The tour was very complete, we had a lot of different experiences such as hiking through different types of grounds, lots of sightseeing, lots of knowledge sharing regarding local cultures, a bamboo forest and in the end the Red Dao bath was chefs kiss. Amazing.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: CSF

Review Date: 22 dec 2025

Review Body: Our host was terrific. She spent several hours with us describing the daily lives of the community in the area. Excellent English and we really were thrilled to meet folks in a village, enjoy a really great meal, and have an herbal bath. A fun and educational day overall.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Yoshi

Review Date: 28 apr 2025

Review Body: Easy communication and great guide! The hike itself was quite long, and I wouldn't recommend choosing the hard route on a rainy day - it can get pretty muddy and slippery! But despite that, the views were gorgeous and the food and red dao bath were both great.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Angelina

Review Date: 30 mei 2024

Review Body: Discover the secrets of the Red Dao + herbal bath: We had a fun day walking from Sapa to Suoi Ho and Ta Phin. The lunch stop was good and the views amazing! The herbal bath was a neat experience even on a hot sunny day. Thank you Su for a great day :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Chee Soon

Review Date: 03 jan 2026

Review Body: Su was a very good guide. He was very knowledgeable and was able to provide personal context about life in the village in Sapa, and the broader historical and political background of Vietnam. The included lunch was simple, and delicious.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Marie

Review Date: 26 jul 2024

Review Body: We had a great trekking experience with Su :) the booking process was super easy, Su contacted us via SMS, during the trail he told us a lot about the region, history, traditions and culture. The herbal bath was our little highlight :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Julie

Review Date: 10 mrt 2025

Review Body: May was a great guide. We had a wonderful time trekking through nature and the different villages. Saw a ton of animals and beautiful landscapes. Learned a lot. Great meal included as well. Can’t wait to come back with others.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Rice fields, village exploration, herbal traditions, and cave visit in Sapa.

Itinerary Description: 9:00 AM: Meet up at Sapa town. We will leave the town on a small path to Suoi Ho village. Suoi Ho hides behind the mountain with a small stream and beautiful rice paddies. We will slowly descend into the valley and continue our way on the edges of the rice fields and walk to Ma Tra, a Black H'mong Village. 13:00: We will get to a tiny village called Cang Ngai, one of the Black H'mong villages. You will have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch and taking a short rest at the restaurant, you continue on the way to Ta Phin Village - home to the Red Dao tribe. Our guide will show you around this beautiful village and tell you everything about the culture of the Red Dao people, including their herbal bath traditions and how they are known for their knowledge of herbal medicines. You can choose to take an herbal bath if you wish. Before going back to Sapa, you can choose to pass by a cave. Or else, we will start heading back. 15:00: You'll be back in Sapa.