When you make it up to Sapa, one of the first things you’ll likely hear about – or be pushed towards – is the local village of Cat Cat. You might have heard some good things about it, maybe some bad, but there’s no question it’s a mighty popular spot. So to help you out, this is our essentially honest guide to Cat Cat Village in Sapa, where we recently spent the day…
To make it a little easier, we’ve broken down our thoughts on Cat Cat Village into easy, bite-size sections…
How do I get to Cat Cat Village?
You can reach Cat Cat village from Sapa in a number of ways.
First up, you can walk it. It will take you around 30-35 minutes if you come from the center of Sapa – just follow the road towards Fansipan mountain for around 3 km (check out the map below for an idea of the route).
If you’ve rented a motorbike in Sapa, you can park it at the entrance to the village, and then hike around the village on foot.
You could also hire a tour guide from Sapa to suit your own pace and preference. It will, of course, be more expensive, but if there’s a group of you, or some of your group are on the mature end of the age barometer, it could be an excellent choice. But choose wisely, as we mentioned in our guide to Sapa.
Bear in mind that if you walk from Sapa, you’ll face an uphill walk on the way back. After trekking through the village for a few hours, it could be a long way home for some. However, there are usually plenty of motorbike taxis willing to take weary travellers back into Sapa, if you need them!
How much does it cost to enter?
Yes, it’s a village, but it’s managed as a tourist attraction, so you’ll have to pay to enter. Currently, the entrance fees are:
- Adults: 150,000 VND (a little under $6)
- Children between 1 and 1.3 meters tall: 70,000 VND (around $2.80)
- Children under 1 meter: Free to enter
Cat Cat Village is open from 6am to 9pm, but these hours may vary when there are Vietnamese holidays happening. Check with the locals, if you can, before heading down to the village.
A little bit of history
Cat Cat Village got its name from the French, who came across this delightful village some 100 years ago (and actually named it after a local waterfall, Catscat – the Vietnamese referred to it as Cat Cat). They decided that it was the perfect vacation site for some of their top officers.
When the dastardly French left in 1954 (some would argue that their weak colonial rule had expired long before then), the locals renamed the village Cat Cat.
Things you’re gonna LOVE about Cat Cat Village
There’s a lot to love…
Cat Cat is home to the H’mong ethnic group, and when you visit the village, you’ll get a real insight into how they live, with traditional houses, chances to really experience some local culture, and all accompanied by some gorgeous views.
If you’re an Instagrammer or TikToker, you’ll find plenty of content and selfie opportunities. Probably a little too many. But you can easily spend a few hours in Cat Cat Village, if you take the time to check out some of the local handicrafts, drink some local cafe sua da, and peek into some of the local houses – watch out for Trinh Tuong House (free to enter) further down the stone path you entered on, it’s a great chance to grab an insight into Hmong life!
Many Vietnamese love to hire out the local, traditional clothing, so you’ll probably see many locals dressed up. They do look rather stunning, it has to be said, and if you fancy joining them, you’ll likely have to pay around $10 for the pleasure.
Cat Cat waterfall is probably the main site you won’t want to miss. It’s probably THE photo opp spot in Cat Cat Village, so if you’re going in peak season, expect crowds here! The village center is also located here, with plenty of cute little things to see, including a couple of bridges, some coffee shops, waterwheels, and usually a number of local kids running around, charming your socks off!
Once you’ve had your fill of the village center, the path through the village will take you through some more beautiful scenery, with the odd (and last) chance to grab some local handicrafts. Once you’ve crossed Cat Cat bridge, you’ll head back towards the main entrance. We chose the main road back to the entrance, which also meant some encounters with local buffalos and little old ladies weighed down with various cargo on their backs…
Things you’re gonna HATE about Cat Cat Village
To some, Cat Cat Village seems very man-made, and not authentic. There is certainly an element of that, but remember, this is Vietnam. The home of copy and paste consumerism.
There are plenty of stories that Cat Cat village hosts a number of actors, dressed up as locals, so how authentic the scenes of local life you’ll come across actually are, we can’t really tell.
If you’re also looking for some great local handicraft to purchase, be prepared to dig deep into your wallet. Things aren’t cheap. And, to be honest, there’s not a lot of choice. And nothing you can’t purchase elsewhere in the region.
Is it really full of tourists?
It can be, depending on the season. At peak season (sometime in the Spring is always going to be busy with the glorious bloom of the local flowers, and September-October too) it has a reputation for being extremely busy, with hardly room to move on the steps down into the village, just after you’ve paid your entrance fee…
But we went in early November. The weather was gorgeous, the sun was out, but the crowds definitely weren’t out! It was fairly relaxed, and we found plenty of spots along the route through the village that were empty, or occupied by only a small group of tourists.
If you’re a tall Western guy, watch out for the groups of Vietnamese ladies out for a day trip – they’ll want group selfies with you, so put your best smile on and pretend to understand their giggling Vietnamese commands!
In summary…
If you’re looking for the hard-core local culture, traditional crafts, and off-the-beaten-track adventure that Vietnam can offer in so many places, then Cat Cat Village is likely to disappoint… it might be more rewarding to hire yourself a local guide, or just rent out a motorbike in Sapa and head out into the nearby villages (such as Ta Van or Lao Cai).
However, if you don’t mind the touristy crowds (and as we mentioned above, you can avoid them at the right time of the season), you can have yourself a charming trek through one of northern Vietnam’s gems! It might not be super-authentic, but it has its magic. And don’t forget, you’re a tourist in Vietnam, what you might see as less authentic, others might see as cute, charming, and yes, rather pretty. For us, it’s a recommended stop when in Sapa – but a quick pit-stop!
