Segment times are from my own track — my pace, not advice. Every station's position and name was checked one by one.Route is for reference only.This route wasn't planned — it's a record of a hike I did myself in November 2025, GPS-tracked: two days up to Fansipan, the highest point in Indochina (3143 m per the summit marker). Actual distance 9.6 km, total ascent 1419 m. A few things to note:
- Sapa, Vietnam is quite humid in mid-November, so Fansipan is damp-cold — the wind cuts right through you. Bring proper windproof, waterproof and warm gear.
- Running water is abundant and the trail is slippery — mossy rocks, mud, and wet roots are everywhere. Hikers who need a lot of water can bring extra water filters and never run short.
- Shortly after Love Waterfall you reach the first campsite; besides the slippery trail, the climb is a gentle, steady rise. Watch for holes in the bridge planks. I stopped here for lunch before continuing.
- Past the first campsite the climb turns steep, with metal stairs and metal handrails the whole way. The trail through the vegetation is narrow, and views are scarce except at a few rest spots. It finally reaches Fansipan Base Camp, where we spent the night.
- Leaving base camp the trail contours upward, gentler than Day 1's afternoon leg. Still watch your footing on the slippery trail — footholds include wooden planks and metal pipes, with a few sections of metal stairs and handrails. Walking slowly with no breaks, you can reach the rest center with toilets within 2 hours. From there, stairs lead up to the temple, and the triangulation point sits at the temple's highest point.
- From the temple all the way up to the triangulation point the views are excellent — the summit platform gives a full panorama, perfect for a sea of clouds. If you have time, set off early and catch sunrise at the top.
- At the cable car ticket office you can pay about 35 USD to ride straight down.
- This GPX only covers the ascent, not the descent — I stopped recording at the triangulation point and rode the cable car down (see "Afterward" below the card).
- The trail is slippery the whole way — mossy rocks, mud and wet roots are everywhere, so pick your footing carefully, and watch for holes in the bridge planks.
- Running water is very abundant — bring a water filter if you need a lot of water and you won't run short.
- Past the first campsite the climb turns steep, with metal stairs and handrails along the way. The trail through the vegetation is narrow with few views, opening up only once you're past the temple.
- On Day 02, about 250 m wasn't recorded because tracking stopped partway — that stretch was genuinely walked and the path is clear; it has been filled in using OSM routing data and is labeled as such.
- This GPX keeps the original timestamps — that's a record of my own pace, not a recommended pace. Judge your own pace by your own condition and the weather. The points without timestamps are the stretch that wasn't recorded and was filled in from the road/trail network — the file itself makes the distinction, no explanation needed.
Follow actual on-site conditions and your guide's instructions when hiking.
