Vietnam Photo Tour
October 13 - 23, 2025
Vietnam, a land of breathtaking contrasts and timeless charm, captivates with its natural beauty and rich cultural tapestry. Join Jim for an extraordinary visual journey in one of Asia's most beautiful countries. Drones are welcome on this photography tour! (No drone license is required). Whether you are taking pictures from ground-level or from an elevated perspective, you will love Vietnam's stunning landscapes, warm and welcoming people, and super saturated color. The countryside is a patchwork of lush green fields interspersed with towering limestone karsts and meandering rivers. In villages like Hoi An, traditional stilt houses and ancient temples evoke a sense of timeless tranquility. This is a photo tour not to be missed!
What you will learn on this photo tour:
-- Using HDR at twilight
-- Focus stacking with telephotos for landscapes
-- Advantages of panos instead of wide angle lenses
-- How you can avoid using histograms all the time
-- How to use ND filters to eliminate people
-- Advantages of using manual exposure mode
-- Identifying S curves for strong compositions
-- Working with foreign models
ITINERARY
Day 1, October 13, Monday
Arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam (airport code HAN) on this day, and after clearing customs and immigration, you'll be promptly transferred to our 5-star hotel. Our adventure begins with a visit to the enchanting incense village. You'll have two amazing hours to capture its beauty through your lens. The dazzling and super saturated magenta, green, yellow, and red bundles of incense make outstanding images. This is an awesome drone shot as well. Excited over our first taste of award-winning photography, we return to the hotel to enjoy a welcome dinner and to get to know the other members in the tour. Jim recommends arriving one day early to recover from jet lag and to start the tour on the 13th refreshed and rested. Overnight Hanoi.
Day 2, October 14, Tuesday
After breakfast we explore the rich heritage of the Hung Yen's soy sauce village. We'll capture the traditional craftsmanship and time-honored techniques that define this culinary cornerstone. As we immerse ourselves in the village, the air will be filled with the savory aroma of soy, enhancing the sensory experience and enriching our visual narrative. This is a good place to look for strong graphic design, leading lines, and striking patterns either from the ground or using a drone.
In the afternoon, our journey takes us to the bamboo fishing trap village. We'll witness the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the local communities as they weave intricate traps to catch fish. Overnight Hanoi.
Day 3, October 15, Wednesday
Setting out from Hanoi very early this morning -- at 2am -- we journey to the beautiful Long Cod tea hills to photograph the first light illuminating this majestic landscape. The scene is surreal in its shades of gold and green. From here, we drive to Mu Gang Chai where terraced rice fields create a breathtaking mosaic of natural wonder.
We pause in the enchanting embrace of Tu Le valley, capturing the day’s end with the warmth of a sunset. When we've captured more amazing landscapes of rice terraces that took centuries to build, we continue on to our premier resort. Overnight Mu Cang Chai.
Day 4, October 16, Thursday
We begin this day at the spectacular Mam Koi viewpoint in Mu Sang Chai, where the sunrise bathes the rolling landscape in golden hues. We spend the day exploring Mu Cang Chai which offers a picturesque view of vibrant green fields framed by majestic mountains. We will also have the opportunity to do some portraits of the local H'mong people in their unique ethnic attire. In the afternoon, our journey continues as we uncover more rice terraces, each step revealing a patchwork of natural beauty. This is some of the best landscape photography in Asia. Overnight Mu Cang Chai.
Day 5, October 17, Friday
This morning we capture the dramatic sunrise over the Lao Chai rice terraces as the first light paints a mesmerizing scene across the cascading fields.
Explore the heart of a H’Mong house, adorned with golden corn, offering a rustic glimpse into daily life amidst the lush landscapes. After lunch, we visit another breathtaking vista of rice terraces of Mu Cang Chai.
As the day comes to an end, we immerse ourselves in the warm hues of sunset illuminating the “Horse-shoe” shaped rice terraces. Each picture reveals a harmonious blend of sunrise beauty, H’Mong cultural traditions, and the enduring allure of the rice terraces.
Day 6, October 18, Saturday
After breakfast we drive back to Hanoi and take a flight to Da Nang. We drive to the beautiful port city of Hoi An and photograph sunset and twilight before retiring to our 5-star hotel. Overnight Hoi An.
Day 7, October 19, Sunday
After breakfast we begin the day early by immersing ourselves in the unforgettable experience of photographing the timeless artistry of local fisherman skillfully casting their nets. At sunrise, the silhouette of this Ro Cho fishing is stunning. This captivating portrayal is deeply rooted in Vietnam's cultural heritage.
In the afternoon we visit a place that hand-makes colorful grass mats. The colors and patterns make wonderful graphic images. Following this, we take a scenic ride to capture the iconic coracle boats, again capturing the essence of Vietnam's rich cultural tapestry. Overnight Hoi An.
Day 8, October 20, Monday
Our day begins with a visit to a vibrant fish market in the soft light of dawn. There are phenomenal opportunities for portraits in the perfect light; everywhere you look there are amazing shots. Later in the day we drive to Hue and photograph fishermen casting their nets in the centuries-old manner in the beautiful light of sunset. This is followed by a serene lantern ceremony along the river during the enchanting blue hour. What a great day of photography! Overnight in a 5-star in Hue.
Day 9, October 21, Tuesday
Hue is a beautiful and historic city with a great many wonderful places to explore and photograph. We start with a stunning sunrise at the lagoon on the outskirts of the city. We then visit the majestic
Imperial City with Vietnamese models dressed in traditional attire. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the grandeur and symmetry make great images. Later in the day, we fly to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, where we check into our 5-star hotel in the heart of this bustling metropolis. Overnight Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 10, October 22, Wednesday
After breakfast we drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Long An Province in the Mekong Delta to capture the amazingly beautiful water lily farming. From the ground, the images are stunning. From a drone, they are mesmerizing. Female farmers gracefully tend to the vibrant blooms, and the early morning sun bathes the scene with attractive light. This is the
essence of rural life, and with your camera you'll transform a timeless scene into a work of art.
From here we return to Ho Chi Minh City and arrive at our hotel around 2pm. The afternoon is at leisure, and in the early evening we'll enjoy a farewell dinner.
Day 11, October 23, Thursday
We transfer to the international (SGN) airport this morning for our return flight home, knowing we took some of the best travel pictures ever. A week or two after the conclusion of the tour, Jim will host an online sharing/critique session so we can see and appreciate the images everyone took on the trip as well as learn from Jim how photos can be improved with the help of post-processing techniques.
Tour cost: $7990. Includes 10 nights lodging based on double occupancy in superior hotels, all ground transportation, two domestic flights, all meals, airport transfers, site entry fees, model fees, non-alcoholic beverages daily, services of an English-speaking local guide, photo instruction, and critiques on demand.
Single supplement fee (to have your own room): $990
Not included: International airfare, trip cancellation insurance, medical evacuation insurance, alcohol, visa, tips for guide and drivers.