Popular with trekkers, it overlooks the terraced rice fields of the Muong Hoa Valley, and is near the 3,143m-tall Fan Si Pan peak, climbable via a steep, multiday guided walk. H’mong, Tay and Dao hill tribes make up much of the local population.
The old French hill station of Sapa is set amongst the picturesque Hoang Lien Son Mountain range, which is the highest in Vietnam, and is inhabited by many colourful hill tribe minorities.