Silver Waterfall and Love Waterfall – two falls on the road to O Quy Ho

Overview

Silver Waterfall (Thac Bac) drops more than 200 m down a rock face right beside QL4D, at the foot of O Quy Ho Pass, and feeds the Muong Hoa stream. The site has separate stairways up and down: you climb on the right, cross an iron footbridge halfway up the falls, and come down the other side.

Love Waterfall (Thac Tinh Yeu) is close to 100 m high, on the Golden Stream (Suoi Vang) that flows down from the Fansipan side, inside the core zone of Hoang Lien National Park (established in 2002). From a distance the water fans out like a conical hat. No road reaches it, so it is far quieter.

Names and legend

Silver Waterfall is named for how it looks: white foam against dark rock. On a clear day the white streak can be seen from the top of Ham Rong Mountain in town.

Love Waterfall comes with a folk tale. Fairies used to bathe here, and the seventh fairy fell in love with O Quy Ho, a woodcutter and son of the mountain god. The love was not allowed; people say the plaintive bird call heard on the pass at dusk is that same longing, and the origin of the name O Quy Ho.

Getting there

From Sun Plaza, follow QL4D towards Lai Chau. It is a scenic mountain road with many bends and frequent fog; allow roughly half an hour at an easy pace.

• Silver Waterfall: about 14.4 km, right by the road, with parking and food stalls.
• Love Waterfall: about 2 km further (16.4 km from Sun Plaza); park at the gate and walk about 30 minutes on a forest trail.
• Taxi / private car: agree in advance that the driver waits, as rides back are very hard to find up here.

Photo spots and things to do

• Foot of Silver Waterfall: the full white cascade seen from road level.
• The iron bridge halfway up: the classic shot, with the water falling right behind you.
• The Golden Stream trail: the walk under the Hoang Lien forest canopy, including stepping stones across the stream.
• Foot of Love Waterfall: the falls drop into a wide pool in the forest.
• Rhododendron season: around March–April wild rhododendrons bloom along the trail to Love Waterfall.

When to go

• May–August: rainy season, the falls are at their fullest – and the steps at their most slippery.
• October–December: sunny, dry and clear; easier walking and photos, less water.
• December–March: cloud-hunting season; this area is very cold and often misty. Silver Waterfall is one of the spots that gets the heaviest snow in Sapa during rare cold snaps.

Costs (reference only)

Both waterfalls sell tickets at the gate. The figures below are for reference only – check before you go.

• Silver Waterfall: about 20,000 VND adults, 10,000 VND children; open roughly 7:00–18:00 (source dated May 2026).
• Love Waterfall: about 70,000 VND adults, 30,000 VND children (source dated September 2024).

Tips and safety

• Wear shoes with grip – stone steps and trails are slippery when wet; stay off the boulders next to the water.
• It is higher and colder here than in town: bring a jacket and a light raincoat.
• Allow 30–45 minutes for Silver Waterfall and 1.5–2 hours for Love Waterfall including the walk.

Combine in one day

On the same road, just past Love Waterfall, are Tram Ton and Heaven's Gate on O Quy Ho Pass (about 1 km further), and beyond them Rong May Glass Bridge (about 20.4 km from Sun Plaza). A tidy plan: both waterfalls in the early afternoon, then sunset at Heaven's Gate. If you want Rong May too, give the road a full half-day.

Pairing with paragliding

The waterfalls are north-west of town, while the flying site is in Muong Hoa Valley on the opposite side (take-off at Hang Da village, about 6 km from Sun Plaza). A good plan is to fly in the morning, when the air is usually smoother – the whole tour takes about 90 minutes, hotel to hotel – and drive the waterfall road in the afternoon. For flight slots, message Sapa Paragliding on hotline/WhatsApp/Zalo +84 386 887 489.