Explore Vietnam, one of southeast Asia's most beautiful countries, on this 15-day cultural, landscape and travel photography tour. Brimming with natural beauty and cultural complexities, this wonderful destination at the edge of the Mekong Delta holds a treasure trove of photographic opportunities that will delight any travel photographer. Aside from lush mountains, bustling cities, vast rice paddies, fascinating history and tasty food, Vietnam explodes with a vibrant energy that will awaken all of your senses.

Total price: 5950 USD

A shared experience

Our Vietnam travel and photography tour is open to photographers of all skill levels, as well as partners, friends and family who aren't even into photography at all! We guarantee that they'll have an amazing time as they share in this wonderful experience with you, exploring one of the most extraordinary jewels of southeast Asia. There will be something to delight everyone, from delicious local cuisine to fascinating sights, as well as bustling markets and exciting cultural experiences!

Day 1 – Arrival to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon)

You'll arrive at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, where you'll be met by your guides. From there, you'll be transferred to your hotel in the energetic city centre. This famous city, best known for the pivotal role that it played during the Vietnam war, is a whirlwind of history and culture. There'll be some time for you to relax and to explore the city that never sleeps, before we meet in the evening as a group for a delicious welcome dinner. You'll be able to get to know your fellow travellers a little better as our guides go over the itinerary for the next few days.

Day 2 – Ho Chi Minh City

We'll have breakfast at the hotel, before checking out and going for an exhilarating motorcycle ride around the city accompanied by local Vietnamese women dressed in their traditional national garment, the áo dài. These colourful silk tunics are deeply impressive and are a symbol of Vietnamese feminine beauty. We'll have a private photo session for portraits as our models wander about the city in the soft morning light.

Thereafter, we'll head to lunch, before commencing our journey to the city of Can Tho along the banks of the Hau River in southern Vietnam's Mekong Delta region. Best known for its floating markets and fascinating canals, this waterfront city is a veritable delight when its floating restaurants, bars and hotels are lit up during the blue hour.

In the evening, we'll check in to our hotel before meeting as a group for a delicious dinner in the adjoining restaurant.

Day 3 – Mekong Delta

On day three, we'll rise very early for a 5am start, wherein we'll check out of our hotel and make our way to the Phong Điền floating market. Situated 20km southwest of Can Tho, this is one of the 7 busiest floating markets in the Mekong River Delta. We'll capture the liveliness of the local vendors as they shop, sell and exchange goods with boats loaded full of fresh produce. For our trip to the markets, we will be accompanied by local Vietnamese women dressed in traditional áo dài, who will make for the perfect subjects amidst the floating fruit and vegetables.

After our sunrise photography session, we'll have a lovely breakfast at the Thom Rom fishing village, before exploring the O Mon village which is well known for making fishing tackles. From there, we'll make our way to the An Giang province on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia, a region famous for its mulberry growing, silkworm raising and silk weaving. We'll have lunch at the city of Châu Đốc along the banks of the Hau Giang River, before checking in to our hotel in the rural district of Tịnh Biên.

In the afternoon, there will be some time for you to rest and freshen up, before we meet again as a group for a photography session at Ro, where a Khmer temple makes for stunning photographic opportunities. We'll capture the sun setting over sugar palm tree fields before returning to the hotel for a hearty dinner.

Day 4 – An Giang Province

On day four, we'll rise especially early at around 4am for an exciting sunrise shoot amidst the palm trees. We'll then head over to the nearby Khmer temple for portraits with the novice monks. Dressed in vibrant orange, they make their way about the ancient courtyards of the temple for their morning alms, before awaiting rice and other offerings from the locals.

In the afternoon, we'll enjoy a delicious lunch at Chau Doc, before making our journey back to Ho Chi Minh city. The drive may take a while but there will be plenty to shoot along the way. We'll have dinner in the city and stay there overnight.

Day 5 – Da Nang and Hoi An

We'll check out of our hotel early on day five for a morning flight to Da Nang – a coastal city that is well-known for its glorious sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. There is so much to photograph here, from centuries-old pagodas to French colonial buildings and tranquil beaches with crystal clear blue water.

We'll have breakfast at the airport, before making our way down to the beach at Hội An. Our focus in the evening will be the colourful lanterns that light up the city during the monthly Lantern Festival. We'll capture the extraordinary sight of thousands of hanging lanterns over the Ancient Town as people mingle and gather near the water, savouring delicious street food as the sun begins to set.

Day 6 – Hoi An

We'll continue day six in the beautiful city of Hoi An for an atmospheric sunrise over the Thu Bồn River. Flowing from an altitude of 2,598m high up in the Ngoc Linh Mountain, this is one of the most exquisite waterways in all of Vietnam.

Thereafter, we'll embark upon a boat ride to a nearby fishing village on the river, photographing the fascinating styles of fishing demonstrated by the local fishermen. We'll then return to the hotel for a hearty, well-earned breakfast.

After lunch, we'll make our way to the relaxing ambience of the Thanh Ha Pottery Village by the Thu Bồn River, meandering about the alleyways as we mingle with the locals and capture them in the throes of their traditional method of making pottery. There will even be the chance to get hands-on in your own pottery class, should you so desire!

After sunset, we'll return to Hoi An for dinner.

Day 7 – Hue

On day seven, we'll begin the morning with a sunrise session over the Hoi An Ancient Town, capturing beautiful shots of the locals starting their day in the early morning light. Thereafter, we'll return to the hotel for breakfast before packing our belongings and checking out.

We'll then continue our adventure into the heart of Vietnam, towards the charming town of Huế. Situated on the banks of the aptly named Perfume River, this ancient city provides many stunning photographic opportunities. We'll stop by the 21km long Hải Vân Pass, a mountain pass that winds through the Annamite Range above the South China Sea. It offers spectacular panoramic views over the mountains as well as Da Nang City below. Once we arrive in Huế, we'll enjoy a delicious lunch of local cuisine, before checking into our hotel.

In the afternoon, we'll have a portrait session in Huế at the Royal Tombs. There are seven known royal tombs in the town, all of them opulent and surrounded by marvellous architecture. These beautifully designed complexes make for an incredible backdrop for our portraits. We'll shoot until the sun sets, after which we'll have dinner and settle in for a relaxing evening.

Day 8 – Hue, Hanoi (the capital of Vietnam)

In the morning of day eight, we'll catch a glimpse into the lives of the local fishermen, as the sun rises over the countryside in Hue. We'll then return to the hotel for breakfast, before heading back out to the Royal Tombs for another amazing portrait session.

After lunch, there will be some time to relax at your leisure, before we check out of our hotel for an evening flight to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. There is much to shoot here, with centuries-old architecture lining the streets amidst a melting pot of culture. At the heart of the city is the extraordinary Old Quarter, where narrow streets give way to market stalls, small temples and the mouthwatering aroma of street food. We'll wander about the city, capturing vendors selling fresh fruit from their bicycles in the bustling, authentic old-world atmosphere that only Hanoi could exude.

We'll have dinner in Hanoi before retiring to our hotel for the night.

Day 9 – Hanoi Capital, Sa Pa Village

A lot goes on in Hanoi, so we'll rise and shine early in the morning to make sure that we'll capture it all! The city is renowned for its vibrant markets. We'll venture into the gritty heart of it all before the break of dawn, when truckloads of fruit and vegetables arrive to the hundreds of stalls in the Red River Delta region.

After a hearty breakfast, we'll make our way to the town of Sa Pa in the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains of northwestern Vietnam. Overlooking the spectacular emerald-green rice terraces of Muong Hoa Valley, this small mountain commune offers unparalleled photographic opportunities of the surrounding area covered by a sea of clouds, fog and mist. We'll capture the beauty of this remote and wonderful town with its impressive terraced rice fields cascading into the lowlands as the sun sets on the horizon, with golden light shimmering upon the watery fields.

Day 10 – Sa Pa village

There will be some time for some much-needed rest on day ten, as we indulge in a sleep-in in the morning. After breakfast, we'll head back out into the rice fields of Sa Pa for a full day of photography.

Many hill tribe ethnic minorities call Sa Pa home. We'll spend our time exploring the tribal villages in this rugged landscape as we discover their culture and local way of life. There will be some excellent portrait opportunities with the children of the tribes, dressed in colourful traditional wear.

We'll have dinner and stay overnight in the Sa Pa village.

Day 11 – Bac Ha

We'll have breakfast and another wonderful morning capturing the many sights of Sa Pa before checking out of our hotel around lunchtime. From there, we'll make our way to the rural district of Bac Ha in northwestern Vietnam, near the border with China.

Our highlight of the day will be exploring the ethnic markets of the Flower Hmong tribe. These popular markets are a symphony of colours, sights and sounds with a lively and fun atmosphere. There will be excellent photo opportunities for portraits with young Flower Hmong girls, arms full of blooms as they flit about the market in traditional dress.

We'll have dinner at Bac Ha before retiring for the night.

Day 12 – Bac Ha, Ninh Binh

On Sundays, the sleepy town of Bắc Hà awakens for a festival of colour during their weekly Sunday market. We'll be immersed in the midst of it all, as we capture the villagers arriving on scooters, horses and buffalo carts to commence an exciting day of trade. We'll sit down to a delicious lunch of local cuisine that will be exploding with yummy flavours. Thereafter, we'll make our way to Ninh Binh where we'll base ourselves for the next night.

On arrival, we'll photograph lush green rice paddies, pagodas and goats before the sun sets over this diverse city on the shores of the Red River Delta.

Day 13 – Ninh Binh, Hanoi

We'll spend all day at Ninh Bình, a small city situated at the edge of the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. This city is both stunning and diverse, famous for its surrounding scenery of mountainous and coastal areas. There is a lot to photograph and many compositions to be explored amongst the limestone hills as the sun rises overhead. We'll visit the Trang An Complex for an unforgettable morning capturing the numerous hidden caves, steep karst peaks and spectacular mountains that this UNESCO World Heritage site is best known for.

In the afternoon, we'll explore the peaceful Cuc Phung National Park and take a stroll up to Van Long Mua Cave, which offers a fantastic vista over Tam Coc. We'll then head back to Hanoi where we'll have dinner and settle in for the night.

Day 14 – Hanoi

This will be our last full day of shooting. In the morning, we'll rise early and head towards Duong Lam village to explore the architecture of this ancient town. The traditional houses here are typical of the old Vietnamese way of life. We'll take our time capturing the daily ins and outs of the local people of Hanoi as they make their way about the narrow alleyways, within the village's gate, banyan tree and lotus pond.

This agricultural commune is as rich in history as it is in culture. We'll be treated to a delicious lunch of local cuisine in the village before we make our way back to the city of Hanoi for a relaxing afternoon in the Old Town. There will be some time to explore the area at your leisure and perhaps to do some last minute souvenir shopping at the bustling markets, flash boutiques, stores and shopping malls before we meet together as a group once again in the evening for a farewell dinner.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

We strongly recommend you to get a Trip Cancellation & Travel Insurance after booking your trip. If you cancel and the Workshop is otherwise filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $300 service charge. If you cancel and the Workshop does not fill, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of the Workshop:

Greater than 90 days from the start date of the Workshop: full refund minus $300 service fee.

75 days or more: 75% refund

60 days or more: 50% refund

Less than 60 days: no refund

Refunds will be paid by the same method that the original payment was made.