Northern Vietnam Photography Tour to Remote Landscapes (11 Days)

Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, our guide and driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for check-in and some rest. In the afternoon, we head out for a street photography session through the Hanoi Old Quarter, exploring its iconic 36 Streets and vibrant daily life.

We then continue to Long Bien Bridge, a historic architectural landmark and once a symbol of French Indochina engineering in the Far East. As dusk falls, we set up for high-angle twilight shots, using tripods to capture motion blur and dynamic street scenes. The day concludes with a delicious Vietnamese welcome dinner.

After breakfast, we visit a colorful incense-making village on the outskirts of Hanoi, offering striking visuals and cultural insight. We return to the city for lunch before driving to the breathtaking Long Coc Tea Hills.

Here, we photograph rolling green plantations and, if desired, local workers in the fields. In the evening, we arrive at a charming Muong village homestay, where we enjoy a home-cooked dinner and a peaceful overnight stay.

We begin early to capture sunrise over the Long Coc tea hills, often shrouded in mist during the right season—ideal conditions for atmospheric photography. After the shoot, we travel to Lam Binh (Tuyen Quang Province), home to the Pa Then and Tay ethnic groups.

Though the drive is long, it rewards us with scenic stops along the way. Upon arrival, we immerse ourselves in village life, photograph local scenes, and experience the warm hospitality of the community before settling in for the night at a Tay ethnic homestay.

After breakfast, we take a boat trip across Na Hang Lake, capturing dramatic landscapes and visiting the beautiful Nam Me Waterfall. We then bid farewell to Lam Binh and continue our journey to Ha Giang.

Rather than focusing on the well-known Ma Pi Leng Pass, today we explore the quieter region of Quan Ba, home to ethnic hill tribes and the iconic Twin Mountains (Nui Doi). This area offers excellent opportunities for both landscape and portrait photography.

Today’s journey from Quan Ba to Pho Bang is a photographer’s dream, with multiple scenic stops along the way. We combine landscape photography with cultural documentation, including traditional H’mong textile weaving in Lung Tam Village.

Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups, some of which are rapidly disappearing. Today, we visit two of the rarest: the Bo Y people, with around 3,000 remaining, and the Pu Peo community, with fewer than 1,000 individuals left in Vietnam—an intimate and meaningful cultural encounter.

Before departing, we spend time exploring the forgotten town of Pho Bang and its distinctive tribal market, held only on auspicious “Rat & Horse” days according to the Lunar Calendar.

En route to Lung Cu, we pause for karst landscape photography and visit the White H’mong and Flower Lo Lo (Lô Lô) communities in the picturesque Sung La Valley. By afternoon, we arrive at Lung Cu, the northernmost point of Vietnam. Our final photographic session of the day focuses on the Black Lo Lo people before continuing to Dong Van for an overnight stay.

Though widely known among motorbike enthusiasts, the legendary Ma Pi Leng Pass is equally spectacular for landscape photography. Towering cliffs and dramatic abysses create a powerful and unforgettable backdrop.

We then take a boat trip along the emerald waters of the Nho Que River, cruising through the magnificent Tu San Abyss Alley, often described as the most impressive canyon in Southeast Asia. Along the way, we photograph remote hill-tribe villages nestled deep within the limestone mountains. Overnight in Bao Lac.

Leaving Ha Giang behind, we journey to Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province, home to one of the world’s largest waterfalls and the biggest in Southeast Asia.

Beyond the majestic Ban Gioc Waterfall, the region is a haven for landscape photographers, with expansive rice paddies stretching alongside the poetic Quay Son River, which originates in Guangxi, China and flows through the Po Peo border. Before settling into a Nung ethnic homestay, we capture the sunset over the serene Phong Nam Valley.

We begin the day at sunrise in Phong Nam and Ngoc Con Valley, home to the Tay ethnic group, whose generations of agricultural craftsmanship shaped the valley’s iconic rice terraces along the Quay Son River.

During the autumn harvest season (September to early October), the landscape reaches its most striking beauty, drawing visitors with golden fields, untamed scenery, and tranquil rural life. The day continues with frontier-area landscape photography in Trung Khanh and concludes at Ban Gioc Waterfall.

Rise early to photograph sunrise at Ban Gioc Waterfall, with time to explore and select the best vantage points. After breakfast at the homestay, we begin our return journey to Hanoi, marking the final chapter of our northern adventure.

At the appropriate time, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure. While you may be ready for rest, a part of you will surely miss the early mornings and the rhythm of each new photographic shoot.