Sapa Paragliding, Step by Step: Landing Office, Take-off Counter and Launch Site in Real Photos
Where you book, check in, wait, take off and land on a Sapa Paragliding flight — the Lao Chai landing office, the Take off zone counter, the covered waiting area and the 1,500 m launch, in real photos
Many guests ask the same things before booking: who do we meet, where do we wait, where do we pay, what happens after landing. This post walks through a flying session at Sapa Paragliding with real photos, from the office at the Lao Chai landing field, up to the counter and waiting area on the take-off, to the moment you touch down in the rice fields
Shared by Dang Van My — Vietnamese paragliding pilot, chief pilot at Sapa Paragliding
🗺 The two ends of a flight
A tandem flight in Sapa has two fixed points. The take-off is at Hang Da village, Hau Thao commune, about 1,500 m up, looking straight down into Muong Hoa Valley. The landing field is the rice paddies of Lao Chai village on the valley floor, around 1,000 m. Each end has a counter run by the flying team, and the team's cars link the two
| Place | Altitude | What you find there |
| Hang Da take-off | ~1,500 m | "Take off zone" counter, covered waiting area, grass launch |
| Lao Chai landing | ~1,000 m | Wide rice fields, the team's office in the village |
🏠 The landing office in Lao Chai village
Trekking through Lao Chai, you will pass a timber-roofed house with PARAGLIDINGSAPA.COM across the front. This is the team's office at the landing end. You do not need to book online first: walk in, ask about today's flying slots and the wind, and book on the spot
- Book in person — no deposit, ever
- Ask about fog, cloud and wind before you fix a time
- Staff speak Vietnamese and English
🚐 Getting up to the take-off
With the Standard and Premium packages, the team's car picks you up from your hotel or homestay in Sapa town, Lao Chai or Ta Van, about 30 minutes before your flying time. Please be ready 15–30 minutes before pick-up. With the Basic package you make your own way to the site
🎫 The "Take off zone" counter at the launch
Off the car, the first stop is the yellow "Take off zone" counter. This is where you check in, give your weight and insurance details, and pay on arrival at the site — cash or card. Guests who have not booked can scan the QR code on the counter and book right there
⛺ The "Eat, Sleep, Fly, Repeat" waiting area
Right behind the grass launch is a long covered shelter with wooden tables and benches, hung with red flags. This is where you wait for your turn, have a drink (drinks at the site are included in the price), leave your bags and meet your pilot. Friends and family who are not flying can sit here and watch you take off
How long you wait depends on the wind and how many guests share your slot. Early mornings in Sapa often bring fog over the take-off, usually clearing between 9 and 11am once the sun is up. Pilots only launch when they can clearly see the Lao Chai landing field below, so sometimes you sit here a little longer than planned
🪢 Harness, helmet and briefing
When it is your turn, your pilot takes you onto the grass, puts on your harness and helmet and checks every buckle. The briefing only takes a few minutes: how to run at take-off, when to sit back into the harness, where to put your hands, and to stretch your legs forward for landing. Ask again about anything you are unsure of
🪂 The 1,500 m launch
The triangular "Du luon Sapa 1500m" marker at the edge of the launch is every group's photo spot. From here you see the whole of Muong Hoa Valley and the Hoang Lien Son range. Take-off is just a few running steps on your pilot's call — keep running until your feet leave the ground, then sit back
The flight lasts 8–15 minutes, longer when the air is good. The 500 m between take-off and landing is the altitude budget for the whole flight; your pilot uses the wind on the mountain to keep you up as long as possible. A GoPro films the whole flight, included in the price
🌾 Landing in the Lao Chai rice fields
The landing field is a stretch of wide paddies on the valley floor. Your pilot brings you down gently, you stretch your legs forward and step out with the momentum. The field changes colour with the seasons: flooded paddies in May–June, green rice in July–August, golden rice in September; from October the harvest is done and autumn skies are clear
After landing the team packs the wing and takes you back to your drop-off point. The whole session, from pick-up to drop-off, takes about 90 minutes. If you are trekking Muong Hoa, you can stay in Lao Chai, have lunch in the village and walk on to Ta Van
💰 Prices and what is included
| Package | Price | Includes |
| Basic | 2,090,000 VND | 8–15 minute flight, GoPro, insurance, drinks at the site, certificate |
| Standard | 2,190,000 VND | As Basic, plus hotel pick-up and drop-off |
| Premium | 2,990,000 VND | As Standard, plus drone and 360° camera |
- No deposit; pay when you arrive at the site, cash or card
- Cancelling a few hours before pick-up is free
- If the weather stops the flight, you reschedule or get a refund
- From 3 years old, no upper age limit; under-18s need a parent or legal guardian present
- Maximum weight 110 kg; above 95 kg please tell us in advance