Vietnam - South to North Tour - full itinerary

Day 1:
Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City
We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel in District 1. Nathan runs the optional pre-tour technical and aesthetic workshop from around 2-5pm for those new to travel photography or who feel they would benefit from a refresher course (please confirm your interest). There will be a pre-tour meet ‘n’ greet with Nathan at the hotel starting at around 6pm.

Day 2:
Ho Chi Minh City — Ben Tre — Can Tho
This morning we head towards Ben Tre and enjoy a boat cruise along one of the branches of the Mekong river. We wind through a coconut jungle and see small cottage industries built in and around the Mekong Delta’s waterways, from brick factories to coconut candies. We then continue by a smaller boat through more photogenic waterways and then stop for lunch at a riverside restaurant.

Later, we meet our driver again and head to our hotel in Can Tho. We arrive at our landmark hotel in Can Tho, perfectly placed to take advantage of the sun setting over the Mekong river as we walk along its charismatic promenade, including an atmospheric Chinese Temple where the sheer number of incense coils is overwhelming and makes for great photos.

Day 3:
Can Tho — Danang — Hoi An
Early this morning, we board a local boat to visit Cai Rang, the most famous floating market in the Mekong Delta. We enjoy the beautiful scenery and the bustling activity, as vendors sell fruit, vegetables, rice noodles and coffee. From the boat, we head straight to the airport for our flight to Danang. On arrival, we meet our guide and driver at the exit gate and head towards our hotel in Hoi An for check-in. 

This afternoon, we take a walking tour through Hoi An’s old town with its historic houses, congregation halls, pagodas and other notable buildings that led to the city becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Along the way, we can try some local street food, including Vietnamese coffee, the best “banh mi” in Vietnam, shrimp and pork dumplings, sticky rice dumplings, savoury coconut pancakes and much more.

Day 4:
Hoi An
Today we have an early start with a 4:30am collection from the hotel. We board a local boat and cruise to the mouth of the river where it meets the Cua Dai sea. At sunrise, we watch the daily ritual of the local fishing fleet returning, after which we visit a local fishing market selling the morning’s catch. Back on board our boat, we enjoy a coffee and a traditional fisherman’s breakfast then return to our hotel.

Later in the morning, we take another walking tour through Hoi An’s old town. A key trading port from the 15th to 19th century, the old town’s wide range of architectural styles reflects its indigenous and foreign influences. There is plenty to see, such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Pottery Museum, the 200-year-old Tan Ky House, Chua Ong Pagoda and the vibrant local market.

We have some free time to review some Lightroom Room techniques after lunch, then at around 4pm we head back out on the streets with a model where we can control a few shots and practice a few camera skills. We finish our day with an authentic dinner at a local restaurant before returning to our hotel by rickshaw.

Day 5:
Hoi An — Lang Co
After breakfast, we check out from our hotel and meet our guide and driver for the journey to Long Co. We travel through spectacular scenery along the breathtaking Hai Van Pass, which once formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Dai Viet and Champa. It’s the highest and longest pass in Vietnam, with the highway zigzagging through it for almost 20 km.

After lunch, we can visit peaceful fishing villages, before looking for pictures along Lang Co beach, and its spectacular lagoon which provides some wonderful sunset photo opprtunities.

Day 6:
Lang Co — Hue
At sunrise we visit a local fishing village looking for action as the overnight catch reaches the shore. After breakfast we start driving to Hue but looking out for vibrant lotus ponds.

In the afternoon, we visit the tomb of Tu Duc, Vietnam’s fourth emperor who lived from 1829 until 1883, during which period the country lost its independence to France. We then take a late afternoon Perfume River Cruise past several pagodas. When we have our feet back on the ground, we can set up our tripods to take long exposures of the same river’s many neon bridges.

Day 7:
Hue — Hanoi
Early this morning, we visit the Imperial (Forbidden Purple) City, which was constructed under Emperor Gia Long in the early 19th century. We then head to Thuy Xuan Village, where incense in many colours is arranged and displayed like bouquets of flowers.

This afternoon, we transfer to the airport for our flight to Hanoi. On arrival, we meet our guide and driver and head to our hotel for check-in. We have the rest of the day free at our leisure.

Day 8:
Ha Noi
This morning, we head to Quang Phu Cau Incense Village, the perfect place for those who want to understand more about the traditional craft of incense-making for over 100 years. With our local guides' help, we can help set up some spectacular shots here. We then return to Ha Noi.

In the afternoon, we take a model with us to the historic Temple of Literature, which was built in 1076. We then take a short walk along Hanoi’s famous railway line, weaving its way through narrow residential streets. We finish our day with some shots of the sunset over the beautiful Hoan Kiem lake.

Day 9:
Ha Noi — Pu Luong
Today we catch all manner of early morning exercises that are practiced enthusiastically by the locals at sunrise around Hoan Kiem Lake followed by breakfast at the hotel. We then drive to Pu Luong Nature Reserve, taking a local lunch en route. We finally arrive at our breathtaking mountain pass and tranquil setting, with a panoramic view of the whole valley.

In the afternoon, we get close to village life and interact with locals living in the hills above the retreat. We glimpse daily life, walk around the working farmland and rice fields, and learn more about the local culture. At sunset, we head to a vantage point above the rice terraces.

Day 10:
Pu Luong — Uoi — Lan — Hieu villages — Pu Luong

You don’t need to walk far for great sunrise photos this morning. Many will have great opportunities from their bedroom balconies, whilst a few might need to walk down to the hotel terraces but you will witness the stunning mountains rising standing higher than the blanket of mist that usually sits on the valley floor.

After breakfast, we take a short ride from the retreat to Dong Dieng village, heading down into the most beautiful valley in Pu Luong. Along the way, we follow scenic trails and enjoy the beautiful terraced rice fields and gorgeous mountains. We pass some homes on the way and have a chance to visit some local families - a great chance to learn more about their lifestyle and culture.

We stop for a picnic lunch along the way, visit a waterfall and end the day’s activity with a sunset shoot of the local hills with hill tribe ladies from the local village.

Day 11:
Pu Luong — Ninh Binh
After breakfast, we check out and take a scenic drive to Ninh Binh. En route, we stop at Guong Nuoc village famous for its water wheels feeding natural river water deep into the lush paddy fields.

We should arrive at our hotel in time for a healthy lunch. Later we get ready for the boat trip to Van Long Nature Reserve. On the trip we visit the Van Long flooded area, where we will find locals used to working the area’s harvest by boat. Needless to say, we will be out until sunset.

Day 12:
Ninh Binh — Hanoi
After breakfast, we take a sampan and row downstream on the small canal of the Ben Dang River, a floating habitat for a variety of floras and faunas. Next, we walk on the 500-metre stone road to reach the entrance gate of the Galaxy (Thien Ha) Grotto, with its variety of floras and fauna.

Continuing our rowing trip, we witness the alluring beauty of colourful stalactites which give the grotto its name. We then row our sampans back to a stilt house in Tho Ha Village and take a break for lunch, before driving for a couple of hours back to Hanoi, where we hope to have time for a short back street walk before dinner.

Day 13:
Departure from Ha Noi
You have free time today until our guide and driver pick you up and transfer you to Noi Bai airport 3 hours before your flight back home. Alternatively, you may wish to join the optional extension to Halong Bay (see details below).

…or join our optional Halong Bay extension
We drive directly for two hours to reach to departure point for Halong Bay, one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas and the world’s largest marine limestone ‘karts’ landscape. At Hon Gai harbour, we embark on our cruise boat, where we start with a welcome drink and gather in the dining room for a safety orientation briefing followed by an overview of the journey.

After the briefing and check-in, we take photos leaving port until a sumptuous lunch is served. At the same time, we cruise into the untouched Bai Tu Long Bay with its thousands of extraordinarily shaped limestone islands, considered heaven on earth by the Vietnamese.

In the afternoon, we explore the Lom Bo area and be charmed by this outstanding masterpiece of Mother Nature. We visit Me Cung Cave, one of the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay, and climb up to see the panoramic view of the Bay from above. There you can also enjoy some swimming in the peaceful, crystal water of the bay (optional).

We then return to our boat to line up the best angles as the sun sets over this unique seascape. Coffee, tea, and fruit are available on the sundeck, or we can order a drink while the boat cruises to the Cong Dong area, where we anchor overnight. After dark, we watch a cooking demonstration in the evening and enjoy a traditional Vietnamese dinner. Later, we can enjoy the still of the night from the top deck.

Day 14:
Halong Bay — Ha Noi
We start our day with sunrise photos from the sundeck, after which we enjoy the views of the Bay and surrounding islands while enjoying a continental breakfast. From there, we visit Vung Vieng Fishing Village to discover the daily life of the fishing communities by bamboo boat, with the option of kayaking if the group feels up to it.

We then return to the boat to enjoy the last Halong Bay scenery over lunch as the boat cruises back to shore. We transfer to the pier by tender at noon and then drive for three hours back to Hanoi. The afternoon is free for you to explore Hanoi on your own until you transfer to the airport for your flight home, or let us know if you would like any additional nights’ stay in our Hanoi boutique hotel.

We hope you will have had an enjoyable and memorable experience, and look forward to seeing you again on another photographic adventure!