Pricing
For this tour, I am trying a split pricing model to see how it works out:
6 people booked: Shared room £3490*, single room £3990
4 or 5 people booked: Shared room £3970*, single room £4490
*If requesting a shared room and you are not a couple or friends, this price can only be offered when another person of same gender also requests a shared room, otherwise we will have to charge the single room price.
Payment Details
There is a minimum 4 booked guests needed for this tour to operate. Do not book any non-cancelable flights or associated services before we confirm the tour will proceed.
Deposit: £500, paid by credit/debit card – book using the form above. Balance paid by bank transfer 90 days before the tour starts.
Whilst I have visited Vietnam before, this is the first photo tour, thus the price offered is reduced – but we will have a local photographer as a guide and fixer.
Vietnam offers photographers unparalleled diversity: mist-wrapped golden rice terraces, ancient lantern-lit streets, dramatic waterfalls, and vibrant local culture. Fishermen work golden nets whilst mountain villages pulse with tradition. Extraordinary light transforms everyday moments into poetry.
Every frame tells a story worth capturing.
The Magic of Vietnam Through Your Lens
Vietnam has a way of stopping photographers in their tracks. Maybe it’s the way Mu Cang Chai’s terraced rice fields are cling to the morning mist, which makes the area seem halfway between reality and fantasy. Or perhaps it’s the way Train Street erupts in a symphony of colour and chaos, where people sip coffee while metal thunder rolls past their doors and life unfolds inches from passing locomotives.
Here’s why Vietnam is a photographer’s dream come true…
Light That Tells Stories
There’s something unique about Vietnamese light that you won’t find anywhere else. The limestone valleys of Cao Bang are gently illuminated by dawn, which paints the karsts in rose and gold hues. Golden hour in Hoi An is transcendent rather than merely golden. The Thu Bon River turns into liquid amber as fishermen cast their nets in silhouettes that could have been painted centuries ago, and the town’s mustard walls appear to glow from within.
While late afternoon light filters through centuries-old laterite houses in the ancient village of Duong Lam, creating shadows that speak of past dynasties, the sun meets the South China Sea along Da Nang’s coastline in explosions of coral and crimson.
This is light that doesn’t just illuminate. It reveals character and tells stories.
The Human Connection
The people are what turn Vietnamese photography from good to memorable. Vietnamese people are friendly and inquisitive, so you’re building relationships rather than just taking pictures. Elders in the village of Duong Lam tell tales of ancestral homes that date back 400 years. Stories flow over cups of ca phe sua da (iced coffee) as farmers in Phong Nam invite you into their fields. Children’s eyes sparkle with mischief and wonder, while wrinkled faces convey tales of joy and resiliency.
See craftsmen tending to ancient vats of soy sauce, women repairing colourful fishing nets in doorways, old fishermen casting their nets in practiced arcs, or villagers spreading out thousands of incense sticks to dry like crimson fields under the sun.
A photo tour here isn’t about stealing moments. It’s about being invited into them.
Culture in Every Frame
Our Vietnam photography tour reveals a country where tradition pulses beneath modern life. In Duong Lam, one of Vietnam’s oldest villages, watch conical-hatted farmers tend their fields as they have for generations, whilst ancient wells and temples stand witness to centuries of daily ritual. Capture women wearing Áo dài glide through Hoi An’s lantern-lit streets, where every doorway frames a story.
The ethnic communities around Cao Bang and Mu Cang Chai offer glimpses into mountain life, where colourful traditional dress marks market days and festivals. Every corner offers authentic moments: incense smoke curling through pagodas, street food vendors swirl in steam, and children’s laughter echoing through village lanes.
Why Join a Vietnam Photography Tour?
Vietnam rewards those who venture beyond the obvious. Local knowledge transforms a good trip into an extraordinary one. Knowing when the terraces of Mu Cang Chai turn golden, how to reach the best viewpoints at Ban Gioc Waterfall, which hours bring the most dramatic light to Cao Bang’s valleys. These insights turn tourist snapshots into amazing portfolio pieces.
From Train Street’s raw urban energy to the timeless beauty of Hoi An’s lantern-lit nights, from Duong Lam’s ancient village lanes to the tea plantations of Long Coc, Vietnam offers photographic opportunities that will challenge and inspire you. This is a country that photographs beautifully from every angle, in every season, at every skill level.
Your best photographs are waiting in Vietnam. The light is perfect, the landscapes are ready, and the stories are unfolding right now.
All that’s missing is you, and your camera.
Drone Photography
Vietnam’s landscapes demand to be shot from above. Aerial perspectives reveal patterns and shapes invisible from ground level. Fishermen’s nets blooming like flowers across mirror-still waters, the contours of rice terraces flow across the mountain, villages nestled in valleys that only reveal their geometry from the sky.
Bringing your own drone opens up extraordinary possibilities. The licence to fly in Vietnam costs £100, a small investment for perspectives that elevate your portfolio beyond the ordinary.
Don’t own a drone? I’ll bring my lightweight drone and happily share raw files with you at no additional cost.
The map shows an approximate route only,
not the precise paths we’ll travel.
Schedule and Logistics
An overnight flight arriving into Hanoi on the morning of Sunday 13th September 2026 works perectly, allowing you to step straight into the tour. If you’d prefer to arrive the day before and begin a little more rested, we can arrange extra nights at the hotel.
Vietnam Airlines offers direct flights from Heathrow to Hanoi. Other carriers include brief stopovers, which some travellers prefer for breaking the journey – and they can sometimes be a little cheaper.
For your return, ideally book a flight departing Hanoi after midday on Saturday 26th September. Should you wish to stay longer, we can extend your hotel stay for an additional cost.
Staged Images
This tour offers opportunities to photograph carefully arranged scenes of genuine cultural activities. We call them staged because we have control over composition, placement, and interaction: Fishermen casting nets at ideal angles, artisans working where the light falls perfectly, villagers in traditional dress positioned to create compelling narratives.
These aren’t fabrications. They’re authentic moments given structure and intention. Balanced with spontaneous street photography and pure landscape work, they ensure you return home with a diverse, inspiring portfolio.
Transport
We travel in a comfortable, air-conditioned minivan with a skilled local driver and experienced photographer guide. The vehicle becomes our mobile base, with bottled water always available and room for equipment.
Food and Drink
Twenty-nine meals are included throughout the tour. Amazing Vietnamese cuisine, from steaming pho to fresh spring rolls is all part of the experience. Please see the daily schedule below for specific details.
Day 1 | Sept 13 2026 | Arrival in Hanoi – Old Quarter Streets & Sunset Cityscapes
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, your driver will transfer you 40 km to your hotel in Hanoi. After check-in and rest, meet in the lobby at 3:30 PM.
Afternoon Session: Explore Hanoi’s historic Old Quarter through your lens, capturing the energy of narrow alleys, street vendors, and vibrant local life.
Evening Session: Journey to West Lake for sunset and blue-hour cityscape photography, then celebrate with a welcome dinner featuring authentic Vietnamese cuisine.
Meals: Welcome Dinner
Accommodation: The Chi Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 2 | Sept 14 | Incense Village – Da Nang – Hoi An Old Town
Morning Session: Photograph Hanoi’s remarkable incense-making village, where artisans produce thousands of vivid red incense sticks in mesmerising patterns. Access to elevated vantage points provides stunning wide-angle opportunities, with excellent conditions for drone photography.
Midday: Transfer to Hanoi Airport for your flight to Da Nang, then continue by road to Hoi An.
Afternoon/Evening: Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hoi An’s Old Town, once the busiest port on the South China Sea during 14 centuries of the Champa Dynasty rule. Capture the town’s timeless architecture and daily rhythms before enjoying riverside dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hoian Historic Hotel (Superior Room)
Day 3 | Sept 15 | Hoi An Traditional Fishermen & Blue Net Mending
Pre-Dawn Session: Photograph local fishermen on the Thu Bon River as they work traditional giant fishing nets (“Rớ chồ”) from wooden stilt platforms, capturing silvery catches glinting in morning light.
Early Morning: Stop at the bustling fresh food market – a feast of colour and character ideal for documentary-style photography.
Return to hotel for breakfast and rest.
Afternoon Session: Visit a rural family workshop where local women mend endless expanses of blue-green fishing nets – exceptional opportunities for environmental portraits.
Evening Session: Return to Hoi An’s Old Town to photograph its charm during the golden hour and magical blue hour.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Hoian Historic Hotel (Superior Room)
Day 4 | Sept 16 | Coastal Fish Market – Scenic Drive to Hue – Imperial City & River Lanterns
Pre-Dawn Session: Capture the beachside fish market at first light, photographing fishermen in traditional round boats silhouetted against the rising sun. This dynamic scene offers excellent opportunities for documentary photography and aerial perspectives (drone conditions permitting).
Morning: Check out and embark on the spectacular coastal drive to Hue, stopping at Lap An Lagoon for minimalist landscape compositions.
Afternoon Session: Photograph professional Ao Dai models among the ancient walls of Hue Imperial City in golden afternoon light – an extraordinary setting blending travel and fashion photography.
Evening Session: Capture lanterns floating on the Perfume River at dusk, their warm glow illuminating both water and faces.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Eldora Hotel Hue (Deluxe Panorama Room)
Day 5 | Sept 17 | Morning Flight to Hanoi – Duong Lam Village – Long Coc Tea Plantations
Morning: Fly back to Hanoi, then journey to Duong Lam Ancient Village to photograph locals engaged in traditional crafts, including the iconic conical hat-making (nón lá).
Afternoon Session: Continue to Long Coc’s breathtaking tea plantations, where surreal rolling landscapes are enhanced by local workers providing scale and human connection to your compositions.
Evening: Settle into your Muong village homestay and enjoy authentic home-cooked dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Muong Tribe Homestay (Basic Room with AC, shared bathroom)
Day 6 | Sept 18 | Long Coc Sunrise – Journey to Mu Cang Chai
Pre-Dawn Session: Photograph sunrise over Long Coc’s rolling tea hills, ideally enhanced by morning mist.
Morning: Begin your expedition into the legendary rice terrace regions, stopping at Khau Pha Pass for photography.
Afternoon Session: Arrive in Mu Cang Chai for your first mountain rice-scape session. After check-in at the region’s first and only 5-star property, capture the spectacular terraced landscapes before and during sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Garrya Mu Cang Chai Hotel (Grand Deluxe Room)
Day 7 | Sept 19 | Full Day in Mu Cang Chai
All Day: Dedicate the entire day to exploring multiple locations featuring spectacular rice terraces and encounters with Hmong tribes in their traditional villages. Flexible schedule to maximize photographic opportunities based on light and weather conditions.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Garrya Mu Cang Chai Hotel (Grand Deluxe Room)
Day 8 | Sept 20 | Mu Cang Chai – Scenic Drive to Sapa
Morning Session: Capture the iconic rice-terrace landscapes of Mu Cang Chai, with local ethnic people adding scale and life to your images.
Afternoon: Journey along scenic mountain roads toward Sapa – the heart of Northern Vietnam’s mountains – with numerous landscape photography opportunities en route.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Pistachio Sapa Hotel (Deluxe Mountain View Room)
Day 9 | Sept 21 | Sapa Cultural Experience – Return to Hanoi
Morning Session: Visit the Red Dzao tribe, one of Vietnam’s 54 ethnic minorities, for portrait and daily-life photography capturing their unique culture and traditions.
Afternoon: Begin the journey back to Hanoi. Upon arrival, check in and rest.
Evening Session: Photograph Train Street, one of Hanoi’s most iconic and visually fascinating locations, followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: The Chi Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 10 | Sept 22 | Hanoi to Cao Bang – God’s Eye Mountain – Ban Gioc
Morning: After breakfast, depart for Cao Bang with a brief stop to process frontier area permits.
Afternoon: Continue to Nui Mat Than (God’s Eye Mountain), renowned for its rolling rocky peaks nestled among lush grasslands – a poetic landscape reminiscent of an idyllic valley.
Evening Session: Photograph at sunset before continuing to your accommodation near Ban Gioc Waterfall.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Saigon Ban Gioc Resort (Deluxe Room)
Day 11 | Sept 23 | Trung Khanh – Phong Nam & Ngoc Con Valleys
Morning: Flexible schedule – rest after yesterday’s long journey or pursue an optional sunrise shoot depending on weather conditions. Final decision made on location.
Afternoon/Evening Session: Transfer to Trung Khanh to photograph the breathtaking landscapes of Phong Nam Valley in golden afternoon light and at sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Saigon Ban Gioc Resort (Deluxe Room)
Day 12 | Sept 24 | Phong Nam Valley Sunrise – Trung Khanh Landscapes – Ban Gioc Waterfall
Pre-Dawn Session: Photograph sunrise in Phong Nam Valley, home to the Tay tribe. Capture rice paddies cultivated along the Quay Son River – especially stunning during autumn harvest season.
Day Session: Continue with landscape photography throughout Trung Khanh’s frontier area.
Evening Session: Visit the magnificent Ban Gioc Waterfall at dusk.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Saigon Ban Gioc Resort (Deluxe Room)
Day 13 | Sept 25 | Ban Gioc Waterfall Sunrise – Return to Hanoi
Morning Session: Final sunrise shoot at the spectacular Ban Gioc Waterfall at dawn.
Midday: Begin the journey back to Hanoi, arriving in late afternoon.
Evening: Check in, rest, then gather for a farewell dinner celebrating your photographic journey through Vietnam.
Meals: Breakfast, Farewell Dinner
Accommodation: The Chi Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 14 | Sept 26 | Departure
Enjoy free time for leisure or independent exploration until your airport transfer. Depart with extraordinary images and unforgettable memories of Vietnam.
Note: Late check-out not included; available upon request for additional fee.
Meals: Breakfast
Important Note: All locations visited will be determined on the fly as weather and accessibility determine our shoots. Some images may show locations we cannot visit and we may visit locations that are not shown.
Photography Learnings
- Working with available light
- Composition techniques
- Appropriate camera settings
- Exposure and use of the histogram
- Depth of field and focusing
- Shooting at sunrise and sunset
- Street photography techniques
- ICM and multiple exposures
- Use of filters
- Use of tripod
- Long exposure
- Landscape techniques
- Seascape techniques
- Architectural techniques
- Portraits techniques
Workshop highlights…
- Photograph many of the highlights of Vietnam
- Vast local knowledge gives you access to little known locations
- Daily tuition from a professional photographer
- Photo reviews and critique
- Social time with other like minded photographers
- Experienced landscape and travel photographer, knows the best spots to shoot
Our workshop is for you if…
- You’re an amateur photographer of any ability who wants to improve your technical and creative skills
- You’re an advanced or Pro photographer looking to expand your portfolio with new and different images
- You’re a competitive camera club member and looking to create amazing winning images
- You want to spend a week with like minded photographers