Bac Ha Market -  Unique tourist destination when coming to Lao Cai

Bac Ha is one of the traditional and famous fairs in Sapa. Bac Ha market attracts many domestic and foreign tourists to visit. So where is this market located? How to get here? And what should you experience when coming to Bac Ha Sapa market? All will be shared by Dong Travel right here!

1. Where is Bac Ha Sapa Market?

Bac Ha Sapa Market is about 65km from Lao Cai city. Bac Ha Market is located in the center of Bac Ha town, Bac Ha district, in the territory of Lao Cai province.

This is a crowded gathering place of people buying and selling, exchanging goods from food, ornamental plants, herbs, souvenirs,...

2. How to get to Bac Ha market?

There are many means of transportation to Bac Ha Sapa market. However, to be safe, you should go by bus. Because the drivers will be familiar with the way, saving you time and avoiding steep, dangerous roads.

Besides, if you want to experience, you can travel by motorbike. From Sapa, you run across Coc Leu bridge and go straight along Highway 70 for about 70km.

You should look at the street name so that when you reach the Bac Ngam junction, you turn left to continue going to Bac Ha market. Normally, it will take you about 4.5 hours to travel by motorbike.

3. On what day does Bac Ha fair meet?

Bac Ha Sapa Market is one of the fairs that attracts many tourists to visit. This market is especially crowded and busier when the Tet season comes to spring.

4. Experience not to be missed when coming to Bac Ha Sapa market

Bac Ha market is now considered one of the largest markets in the Northwest. This market displays cultural features that you cannot see in any other market.

This market is divided into 4 areas with different functions, including: grocery area; food court; the area selling jewelry, brocade and wool; cattle trade. Therefore, the products bought, sold and exchanged are also more diverse and richer.

4.1. Try mountain snacks

Tasting the snacks in the mountains, especially in Bac Ha, you will have a very interesting and unforgettable experience. The dish you should try right in the Sapa food market that is men men.

This dish is cooked into rice from the basic ingredient of corn, one of the main agricultural products of Bac Ha people. The way to make men men is quite simple, just bring the corn to a puree, mix with water and steam until cooked.

4.2. Pho Bac Ha for breakfast

Pho Bac Ha is famous for its delicious, rich flavor, very suitable for breakfast, especially sour pho. This pho is made from red rice, which can only be grown in Lung Phinh and Bac Ha.

When enjoying pho at Bac Ha market, you should eat it with meat, herbs, pickles, and salt to make your bowl of pho more delicious and rich.

4.3. Enjoy corn wine

Corn wine is one of the specialties made by the Dao and H'Mong people in the Bac Ha region. This wine can be enjoyed with thang co or pho.

The area selling corn wine at Bac Ha market focuses mainly on the passageway to the place where brocade products are sold. One point to note when you buy corn wine is to taste it carefully, to avoid buying another type of wine by mistake.

4.4. Buy bonsai, forest orchids

At Bac Ha fair, many stalls sell ornamental plants and forest orchids with beautiful designs, bringing an intense vitality. The cost for ornamental plants and orchids is usually not as expensive as in the lowlands.

If you are a lover of flowers and ornamental plants, do not miss the opportunity to bring them home.

4.5. Buy herbs and precious medicinal plants

Precious herbs and medicinal plants in Bac Ha Sapa market have many nutritional values. If you want to buy gifts for relatives or friends, this will be a great choice.

Some medicinal plants and herbs you can buy as gifts such as shiitake mushrooms, reishi mushrooms,...

4.6. Chat with locals

To get unforgettable memories over time with the cool atmosphere and loving people, you can experience taking pictures with the locals in Bac Ha. You will find somewhere the joy and happiness when talking and taking pictures with the people here.

4.7. Buy brocade as souvenirs

Brocade has long been a typical image for the highlands. And in Bac Ha Sapa market, there are also skillful and colorful brocade products.

This will be the most meaningful gift for friends and relatives. Some brocade products can be mentioned such as: skirts, pants, shirts, bags, hats, scarves,...

4.8. Join the market to sell livestock and poultry

The trade and exchange of goods is a typical feature of Bac Ha, especially the sale of livestock and poultry. It is possible to mention some poultry and livestock that are often exchanged or sold such as chickens, pigs, horses, buffaloes,...

4.9. The dog market is typical of the Northwest market

Bac Ha dog is considered one of the famous dog breeds in the highlands. This dog breed is very loyal, intelligent, obedient to the owner. Coming to the dog market of Bac Ha Sapa market, you will see many different types of dogs such as big dogs, long-haired dogs, poodles, bobtails,...

5. Suggested Bac Ha travel schedule

Here are some travel itineraries to visit Bac Ha Sapa market for your reference and plan accordingly. This schedule is combined with some famous destinations such as Moc Chau, Sapa, Y Ty, Mu Cang Chai.

Ha Noi - Bac Ha - Ha Noi

• Day 0: Hanoi - Bac Ha: Depart from Hanoi to Bac Ha by bus in the evening.
• Day 1: Bac Ha - Si Ma Cai: Go to Si Ma Cai by rented motorbike. Here, you can see firsthand the largest Can Cau buffalo market in the North, held every Saturday morning. Afternoon visit Bac Ha temple, Hoang A Tuong palace.
• Day 2: Experience in Bac Ha: Go to Bac Ha market in the early morning. Then, rent a motorbike to check-in in the Valley of Flowers or villages in the season of buckwheat or plum blossoms.

Hanoi - Bac Ha - Sapa - Mu Cang Chai - Hanoi

• Day 1: Hanoi - Bac Ha: Take a motorbike to Bac Ha on Saturday morning along Highway 70 until you see Bac Ngam fork, then turn left onto road 153.
• Day 2: Bac Ha - Sapa: You should wake up early to go to the market in Bac Ha. In addition, you can visit Hoang A Tuong palace and places with buckwheat flowers, peach blossoms, plum flowers to take pictures. However, depending on the season, these flowers will bloom at different times. At noon, from Bac Ha go to Lao Cai and back to Sapa.
• Day 3: Sapa - O Quy Ho - Mu Cang Chai: Get up early in the morning, have some breakfast, drink coffee in Sapa and then depart to visit O Quy Ho pass and move to Mu Cang Chai. In the evening, you will sleep in Mu Cang Chai.
• Day 4: Mu Cang Chai - Khau Pha - Tu Le - Hanoi: In the morning, visit and explore Mu Cang Chai and go back to Hanoi on route 32. On the way to see rice along the way in Khau Pha and Tu Le.

Hanoi - Bac Ha - Sapa - Y Ty - Hanoi

With this schedule, you should go around September of the year and it is best to go by motorbike.

• Day 1: Hanoi - Bac Ha: To Bac Ha by motorbike, you should go on Saturday morning so you can visit Bac Ha market on Sunday.
• Day 2: Bac Ha - Sapa: Visiting Bac Ha Sapa market in the early morning, you will see busy trading activities here. Besides, you can also explore more places of Hoang A Tuong palace or plum flowers, buckwheat, ... in full bloom. After that, move back to Sapa and sleep in Sapa at night.
• Day 3: Sapa - Muong Hum - Y Ty: Departing from Sapa, you run in the direction of O Quy Ho pass to enter Muong Hum, go a little further to Y Ty. If you go to Y Ty on Sunday, you will discover Muong Hum market. Overnight in Y Ty.
• Day 4: Y Ty - Lung Po - Lao Cai - Hanoi: From Y Ty, you will go back in the direction of Bat Xat, run through A Lu to see the green rice fields. Then, on the way back to Lao Cai, you can stop at landmark 92, Lung Po to discover where the Red River flows into Vietnam. To Lao Cai, you send your motorbike on the train and take the night train to Hanoi.

Hanoi - Bac Ha - Sapa - Sin Ho - Moc Chau - Mai Chau

• Day 1: Hanoi - Bac Ha: From Hanoi to Bac Ha about 300km, so go on Saturday so that Sunday can participate in the market in Bac Ha.
• Day 2: Bac Ha - Sin Ho: Get up early to experience interesting things at Bac Ha market. After that, you depart for Sin Ho, Lai Chau, about 220km from Bac Ha. Overnight in Sin Ho.
• Day 3: Sin Ho - Pha Din - Son La: From Sin Ho, go towards Muong Lay, turn along Highway 6 to cross Pha Din pass. This pass is called one of the four very famous peaks in the North. After visiting Pha Din pass, you depart for Son La city.
• Day 4: Son La - Moc Chau - Mai Chau: From Son La city, you just need to go straight in the direction of National Highway 6 to Moc Chau. Explore here until 3pm, then move to Mai Chau about 70km. Overnight in Mai Chau.
• Day 5: Mai Chau - Hanoi: Discover and experience in Mai Chau. Then, depart for Hanoi. Travel time is about 4 hours.

6. Experience when going to Bac Ha Sapa market

Some experiences you can make notes to have an interesting Bac Ha tour.

• Choose a suitable time to explore: it should be Sunday because Bac Ha market only opens at this time. Besides, you can also go to Bac Ha fair in spring and holidays. By that time, the market was very crowded and bustling.
• Buy goods, should pay the price: there are also some merchants who give high prices to tourists, so you need to be soft to pay the price that is satisfied by both sides.