Conquest Fansipan Mountain & Cat Cat Route

At 3143m, Mt. Fansipan is the highest peak in Vietnam and the entire Indochina peninsula. This remote trek offers a lot of things to explore, from the scattered rocks inscribed with drawings and designs of unknown origin to the French influenced hill retreat town of Sapa with its minority groups, beautiful villas and cherry forests. When we ascend through the lower reaches of Fansipan, we will pass terraced rice paddies and villages of the H'mong- one of Vietnam's many ethnic minorities. Giant, centuries old pine trees and expanses of yellow bamboo mark the higher reaches of our climb and we may sight mountain goats and languor monkeys along the way. Our trek to the top of Mt. Fansipan is challenging and will be fully supported every step of the way by our guides, porters and cooks who are locals. They have deep knowledge about the different hill-tribe cultures. We pass along the way will add to the uniqueness of this exhilarating journey.

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Duration: 5 days/6 nights

Tour Code: MVAT16

Tour Valid: Until December 30th, 2013

Highlights: Awesome scenery - Great view from the summit - Challenging trails & Fully supported: Hanoi - Sapa - Fansipan Mt. - Sapa - Hanoi. A 6-day tour with 3-day climbing Mt. Fansipan.

• Night 1 - Night train to Lao Cai

  Place Transport: Train 
  Meals:

  Transfer from your hotel to Hanoi Railway Station for the night train to Lao Cai. Stay overnight in AC soft sleeper cabin.

  Day 1 - Lao Cai – Sapa Town

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast

  Arrive in Lao Cai around 5.30 am. We will take 1hr bus ride uphill to the beautiful town of Sapa. The ride give you a glimpse of the stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces. Upon arrival in Sapa Town, we have breakfast in local restaurant. Free time for the rest of the day to explore the town. Stay overnight in Sapa.

  Day 2 - Trek to the first campsite

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

  After breakfast in the hotel, we will meet our support crew, who will carry all equipment, foods and our clothing. We will carry our day pack with water, jacket and camera only. Today, we will begin the first part of our ascent with a trek through terraced rice paddies and some of the hill tribe villages. Setting out from Sapa, we descend into the nearby village of Cat Cat and cross Muong Hoa River. Past the river, we start our upward trek to reach an elevation of 1,700m where we will have lunch break. In the afternoon, we will continue trek to the first base camp at an elevation of 2,300 m. The terrain in the afternoon becomes steeper and more difficult as we trek through massive Arrowroot plantations and up steeper slopes surrounded by bamboo. Our camp for the evening will be in a very small clearing on the mountain enclosed by bamboo. Sleep in bamboo hut or tent.

  Day 3 - Trek to the second campsite

  Place Transport: 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

  Today, we set out for a full day trek to the second base camp. Then we will pass through primary forest containing giant, century old pine trees and expanses of bamboo. Our trek will take us to an altitude of 2,900m from this elevation so that we have a spectacular view across to the peak of Mt. Fansipan. After lunch, we start climb down to an elevation of 2,700m. Our decent will be over large boulders, down a fairly steep slope. Our camp is on the mountain slope facing west, near a mountain stream. Dinner and overnight at the base camp.

  Day 4 - Trek to the summit and descend to the third campsite

  Place Transport: 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

  Today is the summit day. We climb to the roof of Indochina- the peak of Mt. Fansipan. The final climb will takes around three hours though dense bamboo forest .Once at the summit, we will spend sometime soaking up the best panorama in Vietnam. We then descend 2,700m for lunch. In the afternoon, we will descend to the third base camp where we spend the last night on mountain.

  Day 5 - Back to Sapa. Night train to Hanoi

  Place Transport: Train 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Today, we trek downhill all the way. We will reach Sapa around lunch time. In the afternoon, we will then be free to take shower and relax after the climb, In the late afternoon, we will be transferred to the railway station for night train to back Hanoi.

  The Tour Inclusion:

  - 05 Nights Accommodation and home- stay with daily BKF.

  - Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above (Please note: pick-ups will be by a guide and driver or, where a guide is not necessary, a driver only. All unaccompanied drivers will be briefed in advance, and will carry a mobile phone to ensure smooth transfer arrangements)

  - Sleeper cabin on train for two ways

  - The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary (please note: guides will be on hand from pick-up until guests' return to their hotel or reaching their destination). Free days or part days will not include the services of a guide unless requested and included in the final itinerary.

  - Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the program

  - Meals (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available.

  The Tour Exclusion:

  - International flight tickets and airport tax.Visas.

  - Dinners, except as specified above.

  - Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses.

  - Surcharge for peak season (if any) & Other not mentioned in the above detail program.

  Additional Information

  Importance note

  - The itinerary is just a sample of our Vietnam tours; we'll be pleased to design similar programs with dates and itinerary customized to your personal preferences in Tailor Made Tours section. Rates may vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.

  
  

  What to bring ?

  - Sun Block, Wide brim hat, Camera + Film, Comfortable shoes, Rain gear, Warm clothes, original Passport...

  
  

  How to start ?

  - MinMax Travel is a fully escorted tour and best-available all year round; the only thing you need to prepare in advance is the international air-ticket from/to your country.

  
  

  - If you don’t have enough time to complete visa before your departure, we will help you to obtain Vietnam Visa on arrival easily (getting visa at the airport, on your arrival).