17 Days Northeast Vietnam Photography Tour

We start the day early with a photographic exploration of the Old Quarter, Long Bien market and the railway tracks running right through the city. Then, come back to the hotel for breakfast. After that, drive out of the city to the rural and visit Tho Ha Rice Noodle village and Bat Trang ceramic village. Overnight in Hanoi.

Starting from your hotel in Hanoi for scenic drive to Ba Be Lake (7 hour driving - 260 km from Hanoi), famous for its immense crystal water which will be unforgettable for your Vietnam photo package tour. Stop en route to visit a tea plantation and a sugar factory.
Arrive at Ba Be Lake. The atmosphere here was something magical and fantastic, perfect retreat for the soul. In the late afternoon, visit surrounding villages, home to a number of ethnic groups: Tay, Nung, San Chi… where you will experience and photograph an incredible variety of landscapes, lives and people. You may join your hands preparing dinner with your host. Overnight at homestay in Pac Ngoi village.

Start our interesting photo tour in Vietnam with a bike ride. We drop by Pac Ngoi and Peng village.
We devote our full afternoon of photography by embarking a little boat to cruise the emerald Ba Be Lake and soak in its sublime serenity and beauty. The surrounding mountains are covered with lush vegetation, home to diverse flora and fauna. We continue our cruise towards the scenic Dau Dang waterfall, on the way visiting some ethnic minorities. Overnight at homestay in Pac Ngoi village.

Take morning drive on the spectacular mountain roads from Bao Lac to Cao Bang town. Meeting the ethnic group of Tho (Tay) and Dzao Tien on the way. We arrive Cao Bang in early afternoon. The rest of the day is free for relax.
Overnight in the hotel in Cao Bang.

Cao Bang is home to the most beautiful waterfall in Vietnam - Ban Gioc - an un-missed destination for photo tours to Vietnam. Situated nears the Sino-Vietnamese border, this is an attractive spot create a poetic, fresh, quiet beauty of water, forest and cloud area mixed with the colorful mountainous ethnic minorities. Afternoon we will drive back to Cao Bang where we will stay the night.

Dong Van is our destination today – the most desired destinations for all Vietnam photo vacations. The road winds it's way 200kms from Cao Bang to Meo Vac passing en-route photogenic mountains, villages and rice paddies. We arrive in Meo Vac in the late afternoon, check in and overnight in Meo Vac.

After breakfast, then leave for to centre of Dong Van karst plateau geo-park. Our drive winds its way up over one of Vietnam's most beautiful passes, Ma Pi Leng overlooking the valley where the emerald Nho Que River meanders. The river is hemmed in on both banks by karst peaks. Ma Pi Long is one of the four highest passes in Vietnam with an altitude of around 2000 meters above the sea level.
Afternoon, you will have trekking tour to the villages around Dong Van rocky highland. Overnight in Dong Van.

From Dong Van, we drive to Ha Giang which has only recently opened up to foreign travelers. It is home to spectacular scenery, towering mountains with rivers along way below. The mountains around Ha Giang are chock full of interesting hill tribe groups and colorful weekly markets. It will be the most un-touristic destinations in your Vietnam image tour. Overnight in Ha Giang.

A long but stunning scenery along the zigzag road from Ha Giang to Bac Ha will make today a little busier, some parts of the road might be difficult to travel so make sure that you depart early this day from Ha Giang to arrive to Bac Ha in time before dark. Overnight in Bac Ha town.

Morning, join in the colorful market of the tribal people in this region. View locals in their colorful dresses happy on their way to Bac Ha market – the biggest market of local ethnics in the highland. Have a morning taking part in this market for a great sense of local tribal communities, viewing their typical items that locals sell in this trade fair : vegetables, clothes… chickens & buffaloes in its full play. After the market visit, take short walking to visit Pho Village which is homeland of flower Hmong. Then, take the 3 hours drive to Sapa. Overnight in Sapa town.

After breakfast, you have a morning Sapa trekking tour to visit Lao Chai & Ta Van villages located in vast & green Muong Hoa valley. This trek offers us a wonderful captivation of Sapa landscapes of mountains, rivers & Muong Hoa valley, where are dotted with beautiful layers of rice terraces, local villages of Black Hmong & Zay tribes. Getting to know their unique lifestyles, tradditional dress weaving & farming activities.

Back to Sapa at noon. Then, early afternoon, transfer to Mu Cang Chai. On the way, you have chances to view Silver Waterfall, O Qui Ho Pass (heaven gate) & stops between for impressive outlooks of beautiful mountains & valleys. Overnight in Mu Cang Chai.

Morning trekking of 8kms  up & down along the mountain slopes to visit remote villages in Cu Che Nha communes & have wonderful overview of different layers of stepped rice fields, local farming activities & local daily life.

Afternoon, then continue another trek to La Pan Tan commune for the most picturesque photos of rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai ( Mam Xoi rice terrace – the symbol photos of Mu Cang Chai tourism)

Then, drive past Khau Pha Pass- the four most imposing passes in Northeast Vietnam to Nghia Lo town. Overnight in Nghia Lo.

Morning visit to Suoi Giang Eco-Park - a part of Hoang Lien national park, where you can find gardens of aged-old green tea trees and learn how the best green tea of Vietnam is made. Then meet our driver for a long transfer back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi in early evening, check in hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

We will then take a beautiful drive by the cruise company’s shuttle bus on national roads with abundant rice fields on both sides to Halong bay – the most famous natural & cultural World Heritage Sites in Vietnam which should not be missed in any Vietnam photo vacation. 

Upon your arrival at the wharf, embark your luxury cruise and check in your cabin. You will enjoy your fantastic lunch with fresh seafood on board while cruising around the bay with thousands of majestic islands and islets. The perfect combination of the water, the sky and the limestone mountain satisfy all avid photographers.

In the late afternoon, follow our tour guide’s instruction and kayak to amazing cave to immerse yourself into the bay’s sunset. Overnight on board.

After having breakfast, climb up to visit the most beautiful cave named Sung Sot which means surprising grotto. Getting inside the cave with cool and mid air, there are many huge stalactites hanging posed and stalagmites growing majestically upwards which provoke your imagination. 

At around noon, your cruise backs to the harbor where your transportation is waiting for transferring back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi around 17pm, check in hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.