If you ever wish to come to Sapa in the harvest season but miss the chance, then coming to sapa in December is another one of a kind experience as you will have a chance to admire snow. Sapa is one of the only places in Vietnam that has snowfall.

Follow our article to see things to do, what to expect and tips to travel to Sapa in December. 

How is the weather in Sapa in December

“How is Sapa weather in December?” is a common question that visitors wonder to visit Sapa at that time. There are two types of weather that you can easily recognize when coming to Sapa in December, which is fog and snow. 

In early December, the weather in Sapa was cold, but not yet snowy. The whole town was shrouded in mist in the early morning and late at night. The fog and clouds were so dense that you couldn’t see anything from only 1-meter away. However, during the day, when the sun appears, Sapa is heavenly beautiful with clouds flying around.

In late December, the temperature in Sapa starts to decrease deeper, there are days that the temperature is under 0 degrees, Sapa wears a new coat with the color of the first snow of the season. Snowfall also depends on each year. There are years that snow comes early, and there are years that come late. Snow-covered everywhere, the whole town of Sapa immersed in snow rain makes travel more difficult.

Coming to Sapa in December, remember to prepare very warm thick clothes, boots,socks, hats, towels, gloves and do not forget to bring umbrellas because snow rain will wet your cloth if you go for a long time. Pay attention to the weather forecast to arrange your Sapa itinerary accordingly. 

Things to do in Sapa in December

• Watch the snow on Fansipan peak

When visiting Sapa in December, Fansipan is the most favorable destination to watch snowfall. 

Known as the “ top of Indochina”, Fansipan is the highest peak in Indochina. In order to get to the top, you can get to Fansipan Cable Car – the easiest and fastest way to Fansipan. Many people admit that the Sapa trip is way more interesting with the Fansipan Cable Car ride. You can book the Fansipan Cable Car here to save up to 15% of the ticket price. 

Although the modern cable cars and monorail take you to Fansipan, you still have to walk a bit to reach the mountain peak. Therefore, if you want to go to Fansipan on snowy days, you cannot avoid muddy or slippery roads. 

It is also great to join a tour with an escorted professional guide who understands the weather situation and explain to you the history and culture in Sapa. 

• Trekking in Sapa in December

Sapa, nestled amidst the Hoang Lien Son mountain range, offers an unparalleled trekking experience. With its breathtaking landscapes, diverse ethnic minorities, and challenging yet rewarding trails, it’s a paradise for adventure seekers.Popular Trekking Routes are

• Sapa – Cat Cat – Sin Chai: This is a classic route, perfect for beginners. It takes you through picturesque rice terraces, waterfalls, and the charming Hmong village of Cat Cat.

• Tram Ton Pass – Mount Fansipan: For those seeking a challenge, this trek leads to the roof of Indochina. While demanding, the rewards are immense, with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
• Sapa – Love Waterfall – Silver Waterfall – Y Linh Ho – Ta Van: This route offers a mix of nature and culture. You’ll encounter stunning waterfalls, lush forests, and the vibrant Hmong and Dao villages.
• Sapa – Ta Phin – Ta Giang Phinh: This trek takes you deep into the heart of Black Hmong territory. Expect to witness traditional weaving techniques and immerse yourself in local life. Enjoy 12 kilometers of breathtaking scenery, culminating in even more spectacular views at your destination.

• Admire stunning terraced fields while sipping a cup of coffee

There is an undeniable fact that there are more and more beautiful coffee houses in Sapa with amazing views of terraced rice fields. The areas with many beautiful cafes here can be mentioned as Cau May in the central area or Cat Cat village with views overlooking the majestic Hoang Lien Son range.

At these cozy cafes, you can treat yourself with a warm cup of coffee, while admiring the sky and nature here. That is really a way to enjoy Sapa in a peaceful and cozy way, especially in the cold weather of Sapa in the winter.

• Visit Sapa Markets

Visit the markets in Sapa town when you come here like the Sapa market, night market, Sapa love market. Each market has a different distinctive feature. If you want to buy Sapa specialties as a gift, don’t forget to visit the Sapa market. Here sell a lot of different specialties such as dry buffalo meat, brocade, shoes, souvenir. 

• Sapa Barbecue

In addition to enjoying the tropical snow when traveling to Sapa in December, you can enjoy Sapa barbecue. Nothing is better than having barbecue in the cold foggy weather and Sapa Barbecue has its own charm. 

People do not put into dishes or bowls but skewered into small sticks. Each skewer is a different kind of food such as beef with mushrooms, vegetables, seasoned bacon, and so on. 

• Ham Rong Mountain

Ham Rong is home to numerous kinds of flowers and orchard gardens. Wandering stone paths leads tourists to wild peach forest, then orchid gardens with more than 6000 orchid plants belonging to 194 kinds. Besides, there are a lot of indigenous and exotic flowers grown along the paths like Lily of the Nile, hydrangea, geraniums, ox-eyed daisy and cheery blossom. Mountain fruits like peach, plum, and pear are also found here. The scenery is hidden in the fog and echo sound from bamboo flute of Mong minority boy change this place into a heaven on the earth.

Being shaped like a dragon’s head dimly looming in the thin veil of the early morning, Ham Rong (Dragon Jaw) Mountain that is fine combination of man-made and natural landscape is an attractive tourist area in the center of Sapa town.

See more: What to do in Sapa for 3 days with detailed itinerary

•  Festivals in Sapa in December

Sapa in December features many diverse activities such as Sapa winter festival, Sapa ethnic minority cultural festival, fire dance festival of the Red Dao ethnic people, Christmas &  New Year celebration … Come to Sapa in December and experience many entertainment activities. There are many parade and performance activities introducing the beauty of the unique cultural costumes of ethnic groups combining lion dance, dragon dance …

Tips to go to Sapa in December

Transportation: The snow in Sapa is very beautiful and very comfortable but it also makes the road more difficult to move. On snowy days, the road surface is frozen, motorcyclists are very easy to slip and fall. From our experience, traveling to Sapa train will be much safer.

You can book tour combo round trip bus tickets + motels or take a bus straight to Sapa town. Going on a tour or by other means besides motorbikes will make your trip safer and more convenient. Traveling Sapa self-sufficient from Hanoi, get in the car, sleep a nap and the next morning you were in Sapa.

Clothing: Winter comes, Sapa is very cold, especially in times of snow, the temperature can be down to minus C. So if you come to Sapa in December, you need to bring a lot of coats, mittens hands, socks, scarves, heating bags to keep the body warm. In addition, you should prepare more waterproof shoes so you can enjoy playing with the snow.

Cosmetics: Sapa in December ( or Winter in general) is not only cold but also very dry, so you should bring a tube of moisturizer, lipstick to protect your skin.

Medications: You should prepare more medicines for cough, cold, hot oil, high heat, ginger tea to ensure health in the cold weather.

Accommodation: Sapa in winter has a lot of tourists, so you need to book a hotel or homestay in advance to ensure a resting place for the trip. In Sapa there are quite a lot of beautiful accommodations, which can be Sapa Jade Hill Resort, is Amazing Sapa Hotel or you can look for more strange feelings at Gem Valley Sapa, Phom’s House or The Haven Sapa Camp Site. Each place has a unique look and style, but they all bring an indescribable peace to make the moments of relaxation become more complete.