Lao Cai to Hanoi

Lao Cai to Hanoi

Lao Cai
Hanoi
Wed, Sep 24
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Lao Cai to Hanoi Destination Reviews

SD
Great experience
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train VIP Cabin with twin beds, King Sapa Train, Sep 21, 2025
TC
Terrible beds, 12go offer VIP 4 berth cabins but these do not exist and vietnam railsways will essentially tell you too bad and just offer a standard room even though you paid double. Don’t get the pricier tickets as it is a scam, get standard and be prepared for rock hard beds
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP4 Deluxe Cabin 4x, Fanxipan Express, Sep 20, 2025
NR
The woman in Hanoi giving us the tickets tried to get more money from us and others for an "upgrade" for 1 million vnd. She could have given us better berths from the get go but witheld them consciously for a bribe in return! (Also she stole the water and chips from the cabin, although other passengers later joined us!!)This is why we switched to the cheaper baolu! I can definitely recommend them!!! You can even chose a seat! Very transparent and professional, no need for physical tickets!!!! Yay!!
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train Cabin 4x, Damitrans, Sep 19, 2025
ML
So nice do do that trip in that train !
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP8 Cabin 2x, NewLivitrans Express, Sep 18, 2025
SJ
We took a Livitrans sleeper train from sapa to hanoi and the experience was… mixed, to say the least. While the cabin looked decent at first, things quickly turned strange. At the station, a woman without any uniform approached us offering a cabin upgrade for a lower price. She led us onto the train and showed us the room — which we ultimately declined. Oddly enough, we were placed in the upgraded cabin anyway, for free. Seemed like a hustle that didn’t fully go as planned. Later, a conductor came by trying to sell us the upper two bunks for cash. It felt sketchy, like an unofficial transaction. On top of that, we could literally smell the toilet from our room — not exactly what you'd expect from a “premium” experience. Overall, the train got us from A to B, but the constant hustling and lack of transparency were tiring. If you're expecting Western-style service or cleanliness, you’ll likely be disappointed. *Rating: 2/5 Would only recommend if you manage expectations and don’t mind a bit of chaos.
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP8 Deluxe Shared 4x, NewLivitrans Express, Sep 18, 2025
MO
The air conditioning was very cold and no conductor to help get off 15 people waiting and the cleaner said we must exit at the other end of the carage.On the trip to sapa I had more snacks in the suite. Over all love being on the train. Highly recommend it.
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP8 Cabin 2x, NewLivitrans Express, Sep 18, 2025
RK
Person responded fast but i didn't exactly receive the information i needed
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP4 Premium Cabin 2x, Chapa Express, Sep 17, 2025
SV
We enjoyed the both train trips from Hanoi to Sapa and Sapa back to Hanoi. The linen was clean and WC acceptable. The staff were friendly and kind and the day train trip back to Sapa, was beautiful.
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP8 Cabin 2x, NewLivitrans Express, Sep 16, 2025
NM
Very comfortable and efficient
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train #SP4 Deluxe Cabin 4x, Fanxipan Express, Sep 12, 2025
MC
We booked four individual beds to ensure that we, a couple, would have a private cabin experience. We had to collect our tickets not at the station from the carriage operator, but from a lady in a restaurant who initially would only offer us a photograph of two tickets, which we were told to take photos of ourself. This was concerning as we thought it unlikely these would be accepted. We managed to secure paper tickets from the lady an hour later, but on arriving at the train ultimately found that we were in a carriage not affiliated with the operator we had booked with, and that we would be sharing with another couple. Clearly our beds had been sold on and we were told we would need to pay 2 million dong further to secure a private cabin. Very stressful and disappointing. The cabin itself was good but not what we had paid for.
Lao Cai to Hanoi, Train Cabin 4x, Damitrans, Sep 10, 2025
4.4
236 customer reviews
5
42%
4
31%
3
16%
2
10%
1
1%

Lao Cai to Hanoi Schedule

TypeOperatorClassDeparture TimeArrival TimePriceRating
Bus
Asian Bus Travel
Royal Cabin
00:00
05:00
$18.95
  5.0
Bus
Phong Khanh
Limousine 34
00:20
05:20
$11.37
Bus
Sao Viet
VIP Cabin
00:40
05:20
$11.37
Bus
Futa Ha Son
Limousine 34
01:00
05:40
$10.99
Bus
Phuc Lam Limousine
Limousine 11
02:30
06:15
$15.16
Bus
Sao Viet
Sleeper
04:30
10:25
$9.48
  3.5
Bus
Sao Viet
VIP Cabin
04:55
09:55
$12.51
Bus
Futa Ha Son
Limousine 24
05:15
11:25
$15.92
  2.0
Bus
Sao Viet
Sleeper
05:37
09:40
$9.48
Bus
Sao Viet
VIP Cabin
05:55
10:55
$12.51
Bus
Sao Viet
VIP Cabin
06:15
11:40
$12.51
Bus
Sao Viet
Sleeper
06:37
10:40
$9.48
Bus
HK Sapa Open Tour
Lower Single Cabin
06:55
12:40
$14.02
Bus
Techbus VN JSC
VIP 22
07:15
13:00
$17.81
  3.0
Bus
Sao Viet
Sleeper
07:37
11:40
$9.48
Bus
April Adventure
VIP16 Express
07:55
13:25
$20.16
Bus
Sao Viet
Sleeper
08:14
12:40
$8.34
Bus
Inter Bus Lines
Sleeper 44
08:30
14:00
$6.82
Van
Phuc Lam Limousine
Van 9pax
08:50
12:35
$15.16
Bus
Techbus VN JSC
VIP 22
09:15
15:00
$17.81
  3.0

Transportation from Lao Cai to Hanoi

Facts about the transport from Lao Cai to Hanoi

Cheapest Transport$9
Fastest Transport3h 45m
Earliest Departure12:00 AM
Latest Departure11:30 PM
Departures per day182
Distance188 kilometers
Transport CompaniesAsian Bus Travel, Chapa Express, Charmy Express, Cuong Phat Limousine, Daily Limousine, Damitrans, Dichung, Et Pumpkin, Family Express, Fanxipan Express, Futa Ha Son, Grouptour, Ha Son Ha Tinh Sapa, Hanoi VIP Transfer, Inter Bus Lines, King Express Bus, King Sapa Train, Laman Express, Linh Chau Transport, NewLivitrans Express, OUROS Travel, Saigon DMC, Sao Vang, Sapa Dragon Express, Sapa Ethnic Travel, Sapaking Limousine, Taxigo vn, Vicsapa Train, Viet Technologies Travel, Vietnam Rail, Vietnam Transportation Service, Violette Trains

How to get from Lao Cai to Hanoi

When you want to get from Lao Cai to Hanoi, you have a few options to consider. Traveling between these destinations is possible by different means of transport:

  • Bus
  • Train
  • Van
  • Taxi

If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Bus. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Train ticket.

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A Train ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about USD 177.39. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus as a bus ticket costs as low as USD 8.41.

How far is Lao Cai from Hanoi?

If you’re traveling by land, it’s important to know the distance from Lao Cai to Hanoi. Your trip will be a total of 117 miles (188 km). The flying distance is 117 miles (188 km).

How long does it take to get from Lao Cai to Hanoi?

The travel time from Lao Cai to Hanoi can vary depending on the mode of transportation you choose. All things considered, the whole journey should take from 4 to 9 hours.

How much does it cost to get from Lao Cai to Hanoi?

The cost of the trip from Lao Cai to Hanoi varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is King Express Bus: travelling by bus expect to pay as low as USD 8.41 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a Train - a one-way Train ticket can cost as much as USD 177.39.

Here is a chart of the average ticket prices and transportation options available from Lao Cai to Hanoi:

  • Bus tickets - USD 8.41 to USD 20.80;
  • Bus+taxi price: USD 9.95. From Lao Cai to Hanoi starting from 15:30 645 Dien Bien Phu until 15:30 645 Dien Bien Phu
  • Train tickets - USD 12.03 to USD 177.39;
  • Van price : USD 18.77;
  • Bus+Van price: USD 20.67. From Lao Cai to Hanoi starting from 08:40 Lao Cai international border gate until 08:40 Lao Cai international border gate

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from USD 91.69 to USD 379.04.

How many trips per day are there between Lao Cai and Hanoi?

Depending on your choice of transportation, the number of daily trips varies.

  • Buses start plying the route from 00:00 - you can also take a bus as late as 23:30. There are 123 available bus trips every day.
  • Trains always run on a set schedule - there are 57 trains per day.
  • 2 by Bus+Van from Lao Cai to Hanoi starting from 08:40 Lao Cai international border gate until 08:40 Lao Cai international border gate

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Buses

Taking a bus from Lao Cai to Hanoi is cheaper than flying. Quite often, a long-distance bus is the cheapest transportation option. Buses normally make bathroom and/or lunch stops along the way.

Things to remember before opting for a bus ride:

  • If possible, make sure to choose higher-class buses for a more comfortable travel experience. Such buses often have an air conditioning system, soft reclining seats, Wi-Fi, bathrooms, etc.
  • As with plane tickets, buses are better booked in advance so that you can secure a good seat.
  • While booking a bus, keep in mind that delays are possible. Yet it still pays to get to the bus station at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Lao Cai to Hanoi. It allows you to tailor-make your trip, plan all the detours and see all the places you want. You can choose the type and the size of your car as well to be as comfortable as you'd like to.

Depending on the route, it might cost as much as USD 91.69.

Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.

Trains

Things to remember while choosing a train ticket:
Consider everything carefully while choosing the class of your train travel. In most cases, the second class is comfortable enough – it features 2 or 4 berths in each compartment and is often air-conditioned.

If you’re in for a premium experience, consider getting a first class ticket. The price of first class tickets may include Wifi, and a choice of snacks and drinks.

Vans

A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Lao Cai to Hanoi. As far as travel time is concerned, it’s basically equal to a taxi ride, while price-wise it’s way more affordable. The majority of tourists book a van online in advance.

Sometimes, when trains or buses aren’t available, a van is your only way to get from Lao Cai to Hanoi.

Things to remember: while traveling by van, you might not have as much space for luggage as you would on a train or a plane. It’s a good idea to pack only the most useful things for a van trip and put them in a backpack that will be easy to carry around..

The most popular transport from Lao Cai to Hanoi

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Lao Cai to Hanoi? In order to make your choice of transportation easier, we asked 1000 users to range their preferences for this route. Here are the results of the poll:

  • 98% users enjoyed a train ride.
  • 1% Other