This town is very small. You can walk from one side to the other within 30 min.
To go to hill tribe villages, you had better to rent a bike or take a bike taxi.
Rental bike 80,000D/day

Transportation in Sapa - Lao Cai

Sa Pa is 36km away from Lao Cai by road, the mountain road is in excellent condition. There are lots of buses and shared and private taxis, especially outside the railway station at arrival time of trains from Hanoi. Allow 2$ for the bus ride and 5$ for a private taxi.