Vietnam Adventure
16 Days
Travel Photo Workshop

Highlights: Hanoi

This is not official tour day but we recommend arriving at least one day earlier due to expected jet-lag and time difference. We do not recommend starting the tour tired. More importantly, if there are any problems with the travel, connecting flights or luggage. Note that even if we recommend this, extra nights are not included.
Transportation to hotel is included.

Highlights: Ha Noi city life
Transportation: Bus

Upon arrival at the airport you´ll find a driver waiting to bring you to the hotel.
After checking into our hotel in Ha Noi, we meet in the lobby in the afternoon for a group introduction and a presentation insights into the adventures awaiting us. Afterwards we enjoy a beautiful welcoming dinner.

Ha Noi is the current capital of Vietnam and one of the most populated cities in the country with around 8 million inhabitants. The narrow streets are thus packed with scooters, tour buses, animals and people all around. Ha Noi is incredibly rich culturally with influences from all over in South Asia, France and China, preserving history and honouring nature as well as welcoming the new architecture and modern ways of life. The city is filled with pagodas, temples, markets and lakes with the very distinct Old Quarter at the top of Lake Hoam Kien. The Old Quarter is the very heart of the city and still the core of everyday life for most locals with cafés, outdoor bars and everyday trading, especially with souvenirs, silk and other textiles. A touch more serene part of the Old Quarter is Lake Hoam Kien, where early morning Tai Chi sessions take place at sunrise. Of course we will carry our cameras with us and do some street photography on the way

Highlights: Hanoi – Ha Giang
Transportation: Bus

The day begins with morning street photography in the bustling heart of Hanoi. Here, the vivid tapestry of city life offers a plethora of moments to capture, blending ancient traditions with the lively pace of modern life. After soaking in the urban atmosphere, we check out of our hotel and set off for the picturesque Hà Giang.
Perched in the far north of Vietnam and bordering China, Hà Giang is a treasure trove for photographers. The region is marked by its stunning mountainous landscape, including the mesmerizing Đồng Văn Karst Plateau Geopark and the majestic Ma Pi Leng Pass. Rich in cultural diversity, Hà Giang is home to ethnic groups such as the H’Mông, Tày, and Dao, each adding their unique colors to the province’s vibrant markets, festivals, and traditional attire. The province also offers scenic vistas of farmers on terraced rice fields, age-old wooden houses, and the spring bloom of peach and plum trees, presenting endless opportunities for captivating photography.
Choosing Hà Giang over the more popular Sapa, we focus on this location for its superior photographic landscapes and its relative seclusion from the tourist trail.
The itinerary includes capturing the daily activities of the Dao, Lo Lo, and Tay ethnic people in the villages of Ha Jiang against the backdrop of the Dong Van stone plateau. The tour also visits the brocade-weaving village of the Dao ethnic group in Dong Van, showcasing their intricate and colorful crafts. A highlight is photographing the Tham Ma pass during the serene blue hour, offering a perfect end to a day full of exploration and photography.

Highlights: Ha Giang – Hanoi
Transportation: Bus

Morning shoot at the Lung Cu Flag Tower and with the Lo Lo ethnic minorities in Lo Lo Chai village. After capturing the morning scenes on Hà Giang’s terraced mountain ranges, we’ll check out and make our way back to Hanoi for the evening. On the way, we’ll photograph the Ma Pi Leng Pass, the most impressive mountain pass in Vietnam.

Highlights: Hanoi – Long Coc
Transportation: Bus

We’ll check out from our hotel in Hanoi and travel to Quang Phu Cau village in the Ung Hoa district. This locale is termed the “incense village,” where the age-old tradition of incense-making is preserved and practiced. The sight of incense sticks being spread out to dry under the midday sun is a captivating scene for photographers. Generations of families here have been preserving this craft for over a century. After documenting the vibrant life of the incense village and enjoying a local lunch, our journey will take us to the mesmerising Long Coc tea hills. Hailed as one of Vietnam’s most picturesque tea landscapes, Long Coc boasts undulating tea-covered hillocks, evoking feelings of stepping into an adventure tale. Our day culminates with capturing the sunset over these serene tea hills.
At Long Coc, we’ll be staying in a charming homestay, hosted by a gracious local family whose warmth and hospitality greatly enrich our experience.

Highlights: Long Coc – Hanoi
Transportation: Bus

The beauty of Long Coc truly shines in the early morning as thick fog envelopes the area. The prime time to capture these tea hills is at dawn when the initial sunbeams illuminate the landscape while a gentle mist remains. This creates a magical, enchanting view. We’ll also photograph young local girls skilfully picking tea leaves in the fields. Following our morning session and check-out, we’ll journey back to Hanoi.

Highlights: Ban sauce-making village – Hue
Transportation: Bus

In the morning, we’ll visit the Ban sauce-making village in Hung Yen province, capturing the traditional essence of Vietnamese culinary craftsmanship. After photographing the village’s unique activities, we’ll head back to Hanoi by noon to catch our flight to the historic city of Hue

Highlights: Hue, The Royal Tombs of Hue, Hoi An – Lanterns
Transportation: Bus

Hue is best known for its embracing citadel wherein lies another citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, a protected haven for the emperor alone and chosen servants. Charged with imperial history and historical sites, many designated as Unesco World Heritage, the city of Hue pays its charm to the Perfume River flowing through, named by the aroma infused water in the autumn when flowers from nearby orchards fall into the river.
We spend the day shooting at some of The Royal Tombs of Hue with live models known as the Ao dai ladies. Aodai (Ao Dai) is the name for traditional Vietnamese silk garments worn by both men and women, however more so the latter in modern times, representing the ‘national spirit’ of traditional beauty.
Most of The Royal Tombs are from the 19th century and although Hue suffered severe destruction during war, some of the tombs are in fairly good condition and accessible today.
We spend another night in this wonderful city. The second morning there we shoot the early birds´ lives on the river in Hue with fishermen laying their fishing nets. We head down the coastline to the atmospheric, ancient town of Hoi An, a former major port, where we enjoy lunch, dinner and spend the night.

Highlights: Hue, Hoi An

After a morning shoot in Hue where we will be photographing fishermen throwing their nets we move on to one of many Vietnams gems… Hoi An.
Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most historic and gracefully preserved town, often referred to as the City of Lanterns and is in fact listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The population is about 120.000 people and somehow the town remains free of the 21st century pollution, traffic and stress and thus perhaps consistently thrones the lists of the best cities around the world to visit. In this beautifully peaceful yet buoyant town we focus our camera time on shooting the lanterns over the sun setting city river.

Highlights: Hoi An – Saigon

Early morning shoot of fishermen on a river in Hoi An, photographing street life in beautiful Hoi An and in the afternoon we head to Da Nang airport where we will catch a flight to Saigon where we will check into a hotel for the night.

Water Lily Harvest, Khmer people, Cow Race
Transportation: Bus

Early morning in Saigon, we head to Long An for the beautiful Water Lily Harvest, where rural women gracefully wade through the water, arranging water lilies into stunning patterns. While a drone can provide impressive aerial shots, it’s far from essential… these women work close to us, offering countless creative angles. Whether you’re shooting from above or capturing more intimate perspectives from the water’s edge, there’s no shortage of dynamic compositions to explore beyond the usual top-down shots.

In the afternoon we will start our shooting session in An Giang, at the Khmer temple, one of many temples and pagodas still serving the Khmer people, the beautiful minority group of 1.3 millions living in the southern provinces, originating from Cambodia. The Khmer people have many special cultural festivities, among them cow racing is a special culture.

Highlights: Khmer monks, Banh Xeo pagoda
Transportation: Bus

Morning shoot in An Giang’s picturesque landscape, where we’ll visit several Cambodian-style pagodas, capturing the serene daily life of Khmer monks. One highlight will be the Banh Xeo pagoda, where volunteers bake traditional pancakes to serve lunch to the less fortunate. This offers a wonderful opportunity to photograph not only the monks but also the selfless acts of the community. Afterward, we’ll make our way to Saigon and check into our hotel, ending the day in the bustling city after a morning full of cultural richness and storytelling shots.

Highlights: Phan Rang, shepherds, Cham People
Transportation: Bus, domestic Flight

Early morning street photography in the vibrant streets of Saigon, followed by checkout and a flight to Phan Rang. Once we arrive, we’ll witness and capture the stunning sight of local shepherds herding their sheep from the dry fields back to the farm. The scene is a visual feast, with dust rising from the earth as the sheep move, and the colorfully dressed herders adding dynamic contrast to the arid landscape—an incredible opportunity for photographers seeking movement, texture, and cultural vibrancy in their shots.

Highlights: Cham People
Transportation: Bus

Early morning we will visit and photograph the Phan Rang’s Cham People.
Located in Ninh Thuận province, Phan Rang is a cultural hub of the Cham ethnic group, descendants of the ancient Champa Kingdom. Influenced by Indian culture, the Cham in Phan Rang practice both Hinduism and Islam. Notable is the Po Klong Garai Temple, a testament to their rich architectural legacy. The Cham are renowned for their traditional dances, vibrant “Cham brocade” weaving, and the annual Kate Festival, which celebrates their deities and heroes. For photographers, Phan Rang offers a unique blend of ancient traditions and modern life, set against the backdrop of Vietnam’s diverse cultural tapestry.

We will also have the opportunity to photograph ladies mending nets, drying fish and other things we might come across on the way.

Spanning vast expanses in Ninh Hoa town of Khanh Hoa province, Hon Khoi stands as one of Vietnam’s most expansive salt fields. Our visit is timed for early morning to capture a breathtaking sunrise over this iconic salt field. The reflective salt ponds of Khanh Hoa provide a picturesque setting, further amplified by the diligent workers tending to the fields.

Then we will head back to Saigon where we will check in to a Hotel and have a farewell dinner, its always bittersweet to end the tour, people are tired but with a lot of photos and memories to last a lifetime.

Departure day.
Breakfast at the hotel is included, check out is expected at noon. As we bid farewell, participants can choose to extend their stay independently or embark on their journey home, carrying with them a trove of photographs and memories that will last a lifetime.