The Art and Soul of Northern Vietnam with David Julian

Join Dave and his expert guiding partners for a unique photography journey into the art and soul of Northern Vietnam.

Our focus will be to capture the beauty of the land and the spirit of its people in an exciting range of locations. With our patient guidance, photographers will learn new skills in seeing, active composition and connecting with locals. We’ll tour Vietnam’s beguiling and chaotic streets, colorful markets, remote tribal villages, expansive valleys, terraced fields, plus enjoy spontaneous discoveries along the way. Our bilingual guides will help us access and create storytelling photographs of street vendors, artisans, performers and hill tribes.

This tour is for adventurous travelers seeking authentic cultural experiences that expand the mind while opening the heart. Bring any digital camera you are familiar with, or just join us using the simplicity of your smartphone. Non-photographers are welcome to join us— they just have to endure our daily obsession with light!

David “Dave” Julian is a Seattle-based photographer and educator. Dave mentors students from all over the globe and leads online workshops and private tours that include Washington, The Palouse, Oregon, Europe, India, Hawaii, Vietnam and other photogenic destinations. He is lead instructor for University of Washington’s Photography Certificate Program.

Dave loves sharing his knowledge with other travelers and photographers. His articles appear in books and publications including Nikon World, Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Islands, After Capture, SHOTS, Outdoor Photographer, Digital PhotoPro, FujiLove and episodes of Hit the Streets. He is a Fujifilm X/GFX creator.

We recommend that participants arrive 1-2 days beforehand to acclimate, rest up and wander the neighborhood shops. We will hold our orientation meeting and welcome dinner this evening.

Accommodation: L’Signature hotel & Spa

Note: Welcome Dinner, hotel night and airport pickup are included. 

We hit the ground running with our Ultimate Hanoi Photo Tour. Starting at first light, we explore a lesser-known section of Train Street, capturing dramatic scenes as locals begin their day along the tracks. From here, we move to the Thieves Market, a gritty and vibrant maze of vendors selling everything from salvaged electronics to old war relics—perfect for street-style storytelling.

In the afternoon, we will visit the Quang Phu Cau incense village, where bright red incense sticks are laid out in stunning patterns for drying. With guidance from your photographer guides, you’ll learn to work with symmetry, color, and natural light for striking compositions.

After an early dinner, we transfer to Hanoi Railway Station and board the Chapa Express—a comfortable overnight train to Lao Cai in private two-berth cabins. Time to rest and dream of northern highlands.

Overnight Train: Chapa Express soft-sleeper cabin

We will arrive early in Lao Cai and, after breakfast in Sapa, hit the road west, winding through misty valleys and jagged mountains toward Lai Chau province. Along the way, we stop to photograph harvest scenes in the fields—farmers wading through golden rice paddies with sickles in hand—and do impromptu portraits with tribal traders on the roadside in bold traditional dress.

After lunch in Lai Chau city, we take the winding road up to Sin Suoi Ho, passing through beautiful valleys of rose plantations and rice terraces. After checking into our accommodation, we’ll enjoy a gentle photo walk down through this quiet Hmong village. Late afternoon golden light on the rice terraces at the edge of the village provides stunning opportunities for wide-angle landscapes.

Accommodation: Hoa Lan Bungalow, Sin Suoi Ho

We rise early to capture a vast sea of clouds (weather-allowing) stretching out across the valley under our accommodation. Mountain peaks and distant treelines poke out of the white cloud. After breakfast, we’ll take a walk through the village, visiting some local houses along the way. This is a good opportunity to capture images of daily Hmong home life, with signs of the rice harvest - tools, threshing machines and bulging bags of rice - in evidence everywhere.

In the afternoon, we’ll venture out further to an enormous bowl of low-lying paddies, surrounded on all sides by towering peaks. The air is cool and clear, and locals are at work in the fields—offering beautifully lit scenes perfect for capturing motion, symmetry, and interaction with the landscape. This is also a fantastic spot for drone photography, capturing the cell-like patterns of the golden paddies.

Accommodation: Hoa Lan Bungalow, Sin Suoi Ho

We enjoy a relaxed morning to review images or take a final stroll through Sin Suoi Ho before departing for our accommodation in Lai Chau. On the way down, we’ll stop for photo opportunities in the tribal villages and on the many vantage points by the road.

We’ll have a couple of hours to relax at our hotel in Lai Chau before heading out again in the afternoon. This time, we’re following the river valley towards the town of Muong So. We’ll park the minivan and explore this beautiful area on foot as the sun sets, with roadside chess-players, kids cycling home from school, and of course the fertile fields busy with harvesters.

Accommodation: Hoang Nham Luxury Hotel, Lai Chau

This morning, we will head into the mountains to Sin Ho, capturing many incredible high-altitude landscapes along the way. In Sin Ho we’ll visit the small minority market, a gathering of Dao, Tay and Hmong people. You’ll work on environmental portraits, motion, and expressive detail. Look out for the tribal traders selling herbs for traditional medicine via smartphone and the wonders of e-commerce.

In the afternoon, we visit Pa Tan, a valley filled with rice paddies, where farmers in conical hats move like brushstrokes across the fields. As the sun drops, we’ll get in amongst the action, capturing images of the locals bringing in their crop.

Accommodation: Hoang Nham Luxury Hotel

Sunday means Dao San market, an authentic tribal market nestled in the borderlands. It’s a kaleidoscope of color and culture—Hmong, Ha Nhi, Dzao, and Lu ethnic groups in full regalia. Make sure to explore all corners of this bustling bazaar, including the smoky food alley, backstreets packed with gossiping grandmas, and the local pub of friendly connoisseurs enjoying a cup or two. This is a photographer’s dream for capturing portraits, interaction, light and shadow, and documentary series.

We then travel back to our hotel, where we’ll have lunch, then an afternoon to review images and relax.

Accommodation: Hoang Nham Luxury Hotel, Lai Chau

We’ll enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the hotel before hitting the road south. On the way, we stop by a Hmong blacksmith’s workshop to capture images of the craftsmen fashioning knives in their forge. After lunch among the tea hills of Tan Uyen, we climb higher into the mountains, taking a detour to a remote valley offering jaw-dropping views. A river tumbles down the mountainside, through volcanic rock formations and scattered villages, and we’ll get as far as we can by car to capture images of Hmong life among the crags.

We arrive in Mu Cang Chai in the late afternoon and relax for the evening.

Accommodation: Mu Cang Chai Ecolodge

Dawn finds us high among the stepped terraces—views synonymous with Vietnam’s northern rice harvest. Some spots have become victims of their own popularity, but still afford breathtaking landscape opportunities. Breakfast is back at the ecolodge before we head out again for a visit and portrait shoot with a Hmong family. We’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at their home too.

In late afternoon, we'll be capturing that golden sunset light in another arena of beautiful stepped terraces.

Accommodation: Mu Cang Chai EcoLodge

Today we continue south to Tu Le, a peaceful valley rich with culture and natural beauty. We’ll check in to our gorgeous accommodation overlooking the valley and have time for a dip in the resort’s hot springs.

Don’t get too comfortable! It’s time for another late afternoon shoot in a village deep in the valley. Along the way, we stop for spontaneous portraits and field scenes in the golden light. We’ll have a truly delicious home cooked dinner with our local friends in their house overlooking the paddies.

Accommodation: Le Champ Tu Le Resort Hot Spring & Spa

Enjoy the buffet breakfast at the resort! After a relaxed morning and group photo review session, we focus on building out your harvest season story—refining selections, receiving feedback.

We are then free to enjoy the resort’s natural hot springs. We'll have an optional sunset photowalk through a nearby village.

Accommodation: Le Champ Tu Le Resort Hot Spring & Spa

We depart Tu Le and head to Xoi Farmstay, located in a valley surrounded by forest and fields. Along the way we’ll come across busy plywood producing factories, an interesting subject for documentary and people photography.

In the afternoon, we photograph local forest workers and farmers, building a series of environmental portraits and candid scenes. We may also venture up to a secluded forest waterfall on foot.

Accommodation: Xoi Farmstay

Time for an early morning photo walk. The area is blessed with beautiful rice paddies, and we'll spend today exploring the area on foot and by bicycle, enjoying and photographing classical Vietnamese rural life.

This afternoon and evening is a great opportunity for a group photo review session at the lodge.

Accommodation: Xoi Farmstay

This morning we'll enjoy our final tribal market of the trip, in the nearby town of Lam Thuong. Last chance to capture all the beguiling color and chaos with our cameras. We set off back to Hanoi after breakfast, arriving in the capital in late afternoon.

After checking into our hotel, we'll enjoy a farewell group dinner in the Old Quarter.

Accommodation: L'Signature

Guests joining the Coastal Traditions extension will leave this morning. For those remaining, we'll have a laid back morning,. Hotel check-out time is 12 noon. Late check out and extra nights' accommodation can be arranged through Vietnam in Focus.

Accommodation: not included.