Review Author: Aveen van der Hoven

Review Date: 15 jun 2025

Review Body: This tour was amazing! We were a group of 7 and did the two day trek with our guide Mae Xuan - she was amazing! We learnt so much about the local area and the people that live there. The views along the trek were phenomenal and staying in Mae’s home was such a special experience. The food her family cooked for us was amazing. We chose to add on a herbal bath after our first day of walking which was the perfect way to recover for the next day. We didn’t cross paths with any other tourist groups and the whole tour felt like a really authentic experience of the local area. Would highly recommend this trip to anyone! The trek was moderately difficult with some uphill parts which were tough in the heat at times but Mae was very happy for us to stop and take breaks when we needed. The only thing we didn’t bring that we missed was some snacks to have while trekking. Water and soft drinks / beer can be bought from Mae’s house and all main meals are included. Trekking time on the first day was approx 3.5 hours in the morning before lunch then another 1.5 after lunch. Day 2 was approx. 4.5 hours and lunch afterwards before being dropped back to Sapa

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kenneth

Review Date: 04 apr 2026

Review Body: The trek was truly off the beaten path. During the whole trek, we only saw 2 other travellers, giving us the peace and quietness to enjoy the beautiful valley and tea plantations . This was truly a hidden gem, being able to walk through the villages and be able to have a great look into the Red Dao and Hmong lifestyle. May Xuan, our guide, was the best. She is extremely knowledgeable about the region and cultures of the area, being able to share so much about the how the different tribes live and farm within the region. Her homestay was exceptional, extremely clean and functional! Her husband’s cooking was amazing, and I had some of the best pork belly on the trek. Could not recommend more for people to really take this trip off the regular treks in sapa to experience an authentic journey!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kevin

Review Date: 10 nov 2024

Review Body: We had two wonderful days, trekking north of Sapa. Our guide San May was absolutely kind, knowledgable and fun. Throughout the day we came across many beautiful vistas and a few lovely locals. In the afternoon we arrived at our cute homestay, which was exactly as we wanted it to be. Not fancy, very down to earth, we had everything we needed and met wonderful hosts, whith whom we cooked, talked and laughed all evening. Transportation and contact with the Seek Sophie team was perfect, so we can warmly recommend, taking your next trip with them. Thank you!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ivor Kenny

Review Date: 20 apr 2025

Review Body: Amazing hiking through remote mountain villages away from the crowd. Stunning views and a great insight into traditional life. Our guides and homestay were fantastic and this was a truely authentic experience. We learned about the indigenous tribes and saw how they farm using traditional methods working with their animals and the environment. Feel blessed to have had this opportunity to visit these amazing warm friendly and gracious people. I would recommend this trip too anyone with a moderately good level of fitness and a sense of adventure.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Reid

Review Date: 01 apr 2025

Review Body: We thoroughly enjoyed our 2 day trek and home stay. May Xuan is a great guide who looked after us very professionally. And her husband is a great cook. We highly recommend the herbal bath. Beautiful scenery and wonderful to see firsthand about the history culture and lifestyle of the local people. Definitely not a touristy experience. The 2 days were the highlight of our visit to Vietnam.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: James Applewhite

Review Date: 02 nov 2025

Review Body: We loved every second of our Sapa tour. Our guide, Mẩy Xuân, was absolutely fantastic. Her knowledge of Sapa, the various ethnic groups, as well as the floral and fauna, was incredibly impressive and helped to make our tour both fun and informative. The homemade food was delicious and the homestay very comfortable. Thank you for an unforgettable trekking experience!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Bk lim

Review Date: 03 mrt 2026

Review Body: It is an untrodden path.walking in the midst of rice terrace and forest - using paths that are used by local farmer interesting terrains. Along drainage system, with flowing fresh water. Water buffaloes are also a common sight. Farmers harvesting bamboos. Up and down , round the mountain we trek.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Blanche

Review Date: 08 dec 2025

Review Body: May Xuan was a very nice host. Her english is excellent and she gave us a lots of i formation about her village, family life snd the differences about the ethnics living around Sapa. The food was also very tasty! We would recommend to bring a sleeping bad since accomodation is very basic.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Anca

Review Date: 23 dec 2024

Review Body: Trekking in north of Sapa was an experience for me. Su was very attentive and helped me a lot during difficult times. Chuy and Me Xau were very kind to welcome me in their home. Definetly would try again in summer, when the rice fields are green and the weather not so foggy

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rosita

Review Date: 23 sep 2026

Review Body: We loved the 2 day trek, amazing scenery and experience. They were very flexible with us, allowing us to delay and reschedule twice due to weather. Our guide Su was very friendly and knowledgeable, and our host family very friendly and accomodating. Highly recommended.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Boris

Review Date: 11 jan 2026

Review Body: I had a really great experience with May Xuan, my fantastic guide. She is incredibly friendly, speaks perfect english and is very knowledgeable about almost everything. The interactions were absolutely genuine. I highly recommend the medicinal herb bath as well!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Abigail Goosen

Review Date: 10 mrt 2024

Review Body: This was a wonderful experience! This trek allows you not only to see and experience the beauty of the highlands, but also to seek to understand the culture and people. Would recommend!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Gianmarco Caracci

Review Date: 30 apr 2025

Review Body: We loved May and our Off beaten track tour with Sapa O'Chau. We had a great time and everything about this experience was truly unique. I will definitely reccomend.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Anna

Review Date: 24 mei 2026

Review Body: Really authentic experience- May Xuan was so knowledgeable and we had many memorable conversations. Good food and comfy beds- really recommend!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Valerie Blijdenstein

Review Date: 05 feb 2026

Review Body: Su was an amazing guide. He was kind, thoughtful and taught us a lot! It was a real authentic experience! Very special to be so close with a Vietnamese family and their day to day lives. Unfortunately the weather was really bad, no views and very cold. The homestay wasn’t really accommodated for the cold weather (despite warm blankets at night).

Review rating: 4

Review Author: Sonia Serrano

Review Date: 16 okt 2025

Review Body: Lo que más me ha gustado ha sido la hospitalidad de la guía y su familia. Me ha decepcionado un poco que lo contratado no sé ajusta a la experiencia real.

Review rating: 4

Review Author: JZ

Review Date: 11 aug 2024

Review Body: At the start, our guide gave us 2 options — an easier route or the adventurous route. We picked adventurous and had 0 regrets. She wasn’t joking when she said it’s off the beaten track: we had to cross streams by hopping from rock to rock, we walked on muddy terrain (it started raining mid hike) and certain parts of the (not really a) path was super slippery. And yes we both fell at least once but it was still very enjoyable and fun. 
Our guide San May was AMAZING: she pointed out various veggies and plants throughout the journey, farming practices in the region and gave us insight into the daily lives of the Hmong and their culture. She even taught us some common phrases in her language! I have so much respect for her and you can really see how she loves her job of bringing people around her home region.
 Pictures speak for themselves — the views on this hike was AMAZING. Honestly took my breath away and there were multiple times throughout the hike where I looked up and couldn’t help but exclaim “wow!” 
 As for lunch, we INHALED it. It was so so so good. As I mentioned, we had a hike the day before and it paled in comparison (actually it was so bad on day 1 — just 1 plate of fried rice that was doused in msg) but on THIS hike, there was tofu, cabbage (i usually hate cabbage but this was so fresh, fried spring rolls and chicken) Fair warning, if it rains (like for our trek) you might want to bring an umbrella or a raincoat. Makes sure you wear good hiking shoes as it can get very slippery.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: L Dern

Review Date: 17 mei 2019

Review Body: I wish I could give more than 5 stars because our tour guide Hu was absolutely phenomenal. We did the 1-day motorbike tour in Sapa and surrounding areas. My boyfriend drove himself (he knows how to drive a motorbike) and I sat on the back of Hu's bike. He drove safely and cared for us so well on the trip. We saw incredible things and so many in just 1 day. Saw 2 waterfalls, heaven's gate, went to a Hmong village had lunch with the most beautiful view (and the food was amazing), learned how to do traditional handcrafts (we made a batic and got to pick it up the next day and take it home with us), saw amazing landscapes and so many rice fields. Hu told us many interesting facts about the things we saw and we also were happy to talk to him about the differences between Vietnam and our country and what it's like to be from a local community in Sapa. He also stopped whenever we wanted to take pictures and he took some great photos of us. Also we were very lucky with the weather. We booked the tour 1 day in advance in their office in Sapa. The price is a bit on the higher side, but it was SO worth it. Also knowing that this company does so much good by helping the local communities, makes me happy to pay a little more to support this. Very long review, I know, we were just so excited about this amazing experience. Thank you Sapa O'chau and especially Hu for being such a great guide!!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Susan

Review Date: 24 apr 2026

Review Body: I recommend this trek and guide to everyone! My guide was May (pronounced as “Mai”) and she was AMAZING! She is very experienced (more than 10 years), spoke very good English and shared a lot on the land, crops and cultures during trekking. She was also very attentive and provided assistance whenever I needed : my knee was weak so I walked very slowly in the forest or difficult paths/parts. She would slow down and allow me to hold her hand to walk firmly. She also found me a walking stick! I feel like I was spoiled by her! She also made it very clear about the options (easy path through the village or difficult path through the forest) and the time allocation. I felt very safe to walk with her! Despite my bad knee I chose the difficult path before lunch. Turned out we only saw one other group on the trek. Definitely not a path bombarded by tourists! I felt very glad about it! She also suggested good photo spots. The Dao herbal bath was awesome and I recommend it to everyone. During the car ride back to Sapa town centre, she helped to communicate with the driver and stopped for a few minutes at the French Sanctuary ruin on the other side of Ta Phin. Super grateful to have May as the guide! Definitely recommend her and the path. The only disappointment? I didn’t sign up for a longer trek ! I should have signed up for the 2D1N path or the even longer one !

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Leah Crews

Review Date: 16 dec 2018

Review Body: My boyfriend and I went on the "off the beaten track" 2 day trek. This was such an amazing experience and our favourite part of our entire trip to Vietnam. Sapa O'Chau originally told us that it would be just us and our guide as no one else had signed up, but asked us if we were open to other people joining. We were okay with that and on the day of our hike two other people were placed with us and Sapa O'Chau staff easily refunded our money since it was a lower price for a group of four than we had paid for just the two of us. We all really enjoyed our guide Cho (sorry if I am misspelling his name). He was easy to talk with and happily answered our many questions about the area and locals. The sights on this hike were unbelievable! It was foggy in some parts, but this didn't hinder the beauty of the scenery. We had another group from Sapa O'Chau join us at the homestay and there were nine of us in total who stayed the night. We had fun getting to know other travellers and the family we stayed with were lovely and welcoming. We were taught how to make rice paper rolls. We were very happy to learn about the many ways Sapa O'Chau benefits local communities and glad that we experienced Sapa with such a responsible and ethical company.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Bezoek de gemeente Ta Phin, wandel door de heuvels, geniet van een lokale lunch en overnacht bij Red Dao-gastheren (17 km)

Itinerary Description: De tour begint om 9.00 uur vanuit Sapa Town. Een auto brengt je naar de gemeente Ta Phin, waar de Red Dao en Black Hmong wonen. Terwijl je over de wandelpaden loopt, krijg je een authentieke indruk van het dagelijks leven van de lokale bevolking. Ondertussen geniet je ook van de schoonheid van de omgeving. Na ongeveer een half uur begin je aan een klim en kom je dicht bij de natuurwonderen van Sapa. Deze tocht van 2,5 uur voert je door bergen, valleien, bossen en terrasvormige rijstvelden. Je bereikt het dorp Phin Ho, dat op de grens ligt van de gemeenten Ta Phin en Ban Khoang. Het dorp biedt je een panoramisch uitzicht over de vallei van Ban Khoang. Je kunt van de omgeving genieten terwijl je samen met een lokale familie van een heerlijke lunch geniet. Na de lunch wandel je bergafwaarts door de rijstvelden naar het dorp Lu Khau, waar je hartelijk wordt verwelkomd door de Red Dao en Blue Hmong. Daar is ook een zalmkwekerij, waar je zalm van dichtbij kunt zien. Laat in de middag gaat je trekking via een wandelpad verder naar het dorp Suoi Thau. Hier check je rond 15.30 uur in bij je Red Dao-gastheer voor een overnachting. Je kunt kennismaken met je Red Dao-gastheer, meehelpen met koken en genieten van het smakelijke lokale eten. Na het diner kun je uitrusten voor de nacht.

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Ontdek dorpen, rijstvelden, lokale tradities, mooie uitzichtpunten en keer terug naar Sapa (12 km)

Itinerary Description: ’s Ochtends word je wakker met een kop thee of koffie en een lokaal ontbijt, zodat je genoeg energie hebt om aan je trekking te beginnen. In de ochtend maak je een korte tocht rond het dorp Suoi Thau, waar je het dagelijks leven van de Rode Dao kunt zien. Daarna komen we langs het dorp Gia Thau om de uitgestrekte rijstterrassen te bekijken. Vervolgens bereik je het dorp Kim Ngan. Hier geniet je van een picknick met een lokale familie, met de spectaculaire natuur als decor. Na de lunch volg je een kort stijgend pad naar het dorp Ta Giang Phinh om rijstvelden en de Buddha’s Hand-berg te zien. Na nog een uur trekking bereik je het centrum van het dorp Ta Giang Phinh. Hier bezoek je het huis van een lokale Blauwe Hmong om meer te leren over de verschillen in traditionele gebruiken en kleding vergeleken met de Rode Dao en Zwarte Hmong. Rond 15.00 uur brengt een auto je terug naar de stad Sapa. Onderweg kun je foto’s maken van Silver Waterfall en het kabelbaanstation van de Fansipan. Je trekking eindigt bij ons kantoor.