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Hoang Lien National Park

The park around Fansipan, holding the last substantial temperate forest in Vietnam and a cable car through it.

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Typenational park

WhereLao Cai Province

Nearest citySapa, at the park boundary

Best seasonSeptember to November and March to May

Time to allowA full day, or two to three for a trek

Getting thereFrom Sapa; the cable car runs to Fansipan, and trekking routes start at Tram Ton and elsewhere

EntryPark entry fee; cable car charged

Hoang Lien covers the range that includes Fansipan at 3,143 metres, the highest mountain in Vietnam and in Indochina, and the forest on its slopes is the country's most significant temperate and subalpine habitat - rhododendron, fir and oak with a very high count of endemic plants, and a UNESCO ASEAN heritage park designation. In 2016 a cable car from Sapa opened, running to just below the summit in about fifteen minutes and replacing a two-day trek for most visitors; it made Fansipan accessible and brought development to the summit that has been widely criticised. Trekking routes still exist.

What you actually see

Fansipan at 3,143 metres - the highest peak in Indochina.
Temperate and subalpine forest - the most significant in Vietnam.
A cable car since 2016 - fifteen minutes instead of two days.
Summit development - built with the cable car and much criticised.

When to go

September to November and March to May. A full day, or two to three trekking.

Honest expectations

The summit is heavily built with temples, statues and shops, which many visitors find at odds with the mountain. Cloud covers it most days. Treks need a guide and permits. Cold and wet are the norm at altitude.