Fansipan at 3,143 metres is the highest peak in Vietnam and in the entire Indochina Peninsula — the "Roof of Indochina" — and it dominates the skyline from Sapa on clear days. The summit is often in cloud, which adds to the drama on the days when it isn't.
There are two ways up. The cable car (opened 2016) rises from the valley below town to a station near the summit in about fifteen minutes, passing through remarkable cloud forest. From the top station a series of steps climbs to the actual summit. Crowds can be large at weekends. The trek up the old route takes two to three days, passing through primary forest, bamboo groves, and alpine meadows above the treeline. This longer route requires a guide and camping gear; the path is well-established but the weather is genuinely challenging. The cable car gives a taste of the summit; the trek gives you the mountain.