Multi Day Vietnam Photography Tour

>23

REVIEWS
foculpoint

Vietnam by Rail

>23A

11

 Days  

From: $

3,850

TOUR TYPE:

Private Photography Tour

Departure Date:

April 21, 2022

Group Size:

5 People
RESERVATIONS

or call +84 07 9515 0522

RESERVATIONS

Vietnam in Focus run acclaimed photography tours throughout Vietnam and Indochina.

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Vietnam by Rail

All aboard the Reunification Express!

Discover Vietnam from south to north while learning the art of travel photography. Our journey begins in Saigon, with an exploration of the city’s vibrant backstreets. After a short train trip to coastal Mui Ne and Nui Chua national park, we head to the thriving beach city of Danang. From there, it’s time to cross the Hai Van Pass to Hue, one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys. We then enjoy a couple of days cruising in the azure waters of Ha Long Bay, working on our seascapes. Our final stop is the historic capital of Hanoi, home to ‘train street’, among other unique attractions. Over the course of the tour, with the guidance of our Vietnam in Focus tour leaders, we capture a photographic story of life throughout this diverse country.

This is a premium photographic adventure, and we’ll enjoy the best accommodation available along the way. We’ll also taste the most delicious cuisine in a part of the world already renowned for its culinary excellence. Between short train journeys, we travel by spacious and comfortable minibus, with an extra vehicle to transport our luggage between accommodation. The trip also includes two domestic flights.

Our close connection to the people of this region, local friendships and many years of experience give us unparallelled access to the authentic life of locals and the area’s most stunning vistas. As working photographers and journalists, with many years of teaching experience, we provide you unique insights and knowledge about Vietnam and photographic storytelling.

Tour Brochure

Expectations

This trip involves moderate activity: travelers should be in good health, comfortable walking or standing for extended periods, and prepared for several hours of activity on some days. Excursions may include navigating uneven terrain, and walking on paths with steep ascents/descents. Those who are prone to motion sickness may be uncomfortable on the train or during drives on bumpy roads. We will also spend two days and one night aboard a luxury junk in Ha Long Bay. Although the water here is very calm, those prone to seasickness may feel uncomfortable.

Itinerary

Participants arrive at various times during the day, with complimentary pick-up by private car from the airport and transfer to our boutique hotel in District 1. In the evening we will all meet for a delicious Vietnamese meal at a gourmet restaurant in the heart of Saigon. We have an overview of the tour and introductions before an early night

We have a dawn start, with pick-up from the hotel at 5am, and it’s time to head out for Saigon’s railway tracks. Trains are arriving from the north, and we wander down the railway tracks into the residential area of the city, where houses line the embankment. We work on a photographic story of life along Saigon’s railway, heading to a vibrant market for a local breakfast and coffee, and review of the morning’s shoot. Time to return to our hotel for a rest, and we’ll meet again for lunch. After lunch, we head to the Colony, a bustling area of old apartment blocks, and a big draw for street photographers.
We catch our first train of the trip this morning, to take the short journey for coastal Mui Ne, and arrive before lunch. In the late afternoon we head out to Mui Ne’s spectacular sea of red and gold sand dunes, a mini-Sahara in Vietnam’s south. We’ll be looking at landscapes in this stunning area, but also documenting some of the small fishing communities along the coast. Overnight at our beachside hotel.
At dawn we head for Mui Ne fishing village to capture the boats and fishermen bringing in their overnight haul of tropical seafood. A lively market ensues on the beach, and we’ll be working on portraiture and relationship shots to create a story of a morning at the fishing village. In the afternoon, we head up the coast through Nui Chua national park, an area of austere rocky landscapes. Our flight to Danang departs from Cam Ranh airport that evening, followed by a car transfer to nearby Hoi An.
We’ll have a relaxing morning in Hoi An, hitting the beach, cycling or simply enjoying the tranquility at our accommodation. This is also a great time to select and edit pictures from the trip so far. There will be a sunset boat trip along the river to capture fishermen working with their nets and the lives of people living along the banks. In the evening we’ll explore the beautifully-preserved ancient trading town of Hoi An, which is lit up by colorful lanterns along every small street.

This morning we make an early start for a special Danang On the Waterfront photo tour, catching the fishing coracles as they bring their catch into shore. Trawlers lay at anchor on the horizon as the sun rises, and fishermen arrive as a beach fish market gets into full sway. We then head up to Danang’s city harbor to capture shots of boatbuilders, iceloaders and dockers in the midst of their working lives. After breakfast it’s time to catch the passenger train over the Hai Van Pass. We climb up into the jungle-clad mountains overlooking the East Sea, the carriages snaking slowly around each ridge. A chance now to capture some spectacular pictures of one of the world’s great railway trips. We arrive in Hue, and head to our hotel.

Hue Railway Station, like those of Hanoi and Haiphong, was built during the French colonial period, and is considered one of Vietnam’s best-preserved and most beautiful colonial buildings. We’ll spend some time capturing images of the station as trains arrive and depart in the morning. After a delicious lunch sampling some of Hue’s famous Imperial cuisine, we’ll head out toward Lang Co Lagoon. The road follows the railway line to the Hai Van Pass, and we’ll stop at various points to capture workers on the tracks and landscapes including the tracks. We’ll also catch some of the trains passing by on their way both north and south. The line travels around the beautiful lagoon, and we’ll spend time here towards sunset focusing on life at the water’s edge. We return to Hue for dinner before our flight to Haiphong and transfer to Ha Long.

It’s an early morning start to photograph the bustling market at Ha Long seafood port. We then board our luxury Ha Long Bay junk in mid-morning and have lunch as we cruise into the bay. The afternoon is spent relaxing on the junk as we float among Ha Long’s forested karst islands, with a visit to caves and beaches. We have a sunset shoot from the deck of our junk, and a delicious seafood dinner.

After breakfast, we visit a floating village, and capture fishermen at work in the bay. We’ll have a group review of photos on deck before returning to port for lunch. Time to head back to historic Haiphong station for a short train journey, arriving in the capital Hanoi in early evening. We check into our boutique hotel and enjoy a last group dinner together.

On our final morning, we’ll take a photographic wander along Hanoi’s railway tracks as trains arrive and pass between the houses. Locals here carry on with their daily lives, cooking, washing, working and playing, interrupted only by the occasional train passing through. After breakfast, it’s time to finalize our photographic stories of the tour, with a workshop and presentation at our hotel. After a celebratory lunch, we have free time to explore Hanoi and do any final shopping. Flights depart at various times of day.
Tour Brochure

Guiding Team

Our photographers are no ordinary guides. We’re adventurers, teachers and assistants, as well as experienced shooters.  We’re up at dawn to catch the best light, and always looking out for unexpected moments and details that make for great photography. Our guides are committed to making sure you enjoy exploring Vietnam through photography as much as we do. Your pictures and your experience are always the priority.

Recommended Equipment

  • Digital Camera or Film Camera
  • Selections of lens
  • Cable release
  • Tripod
  • Memory cards
  • ND Graduated filters
  • Laptop/tablet
  • Storage device

Accommodation

Throughout the trip, we stay in comfortable and stylish hotels and resorts with many amenities.  All have been carefully chosen based on personal research and experience, and offer top quality service. During our two nights on the train, we travel in comfortable shared 4 bunk compartments. You may book a private compartment for a surcharge.

Alagon Saigon Hotel & Spa
Alagon Saigon Hotel & Spa
Mui Ne – Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort & Spa
Mui Ne – Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort & Spa
Hoi An Coco River Resort & Spa
Hoi An Coco River Resort & Spa
Hue Riverside Boutique Resort & Spa
Hue Riverside Boutique Resort & Spa
Indochina Junk
Indochina Junk
Hanoi – Hotel de l’Opera
Hanoi – Hotel de l’Opera
Previous
Next

Saigon – Alagon Saigon Hotel & Spa (optional upgrade to Park Hyatt)

Mui Ne – Victoria Phan Thiet Beach Resort & Spa

Hoi An – Hoi An Coco River Resort & Spa

Hue – Hue Riverside Boutique Resort & Spa

Ha Long Bay – Private Junks with Indochina Junk

Hanoi – Hotel de l’Opera

Transportation

The re-unification express trains are in good, clean condition, and we will be traveling by the best class available. There are clean toilets and washing facilities onboard, and the carriages are air-conditioned. The railway tracks are single gauge, meaning that trains travel at relatively slow speed. There are dining facilities onboard, although we have timed our journeys so we have all of our meals at quality restaurants
Vietnam by Rail VbyR re unification

Pricing and Dates

YearDatePrice
202321st April$3850
2023 4th September$3850
202421st April$3850
20242nd September$3850
202521st April$3850
20258th September$3850
202621st April$3850
20267th September$3850
202721st April$3850
20276th September$3850

Prices are per person based on double occupancy and do not include international airfare to/from your destination or internal flights during the tour. Single supplement is available at $300 per person.

Surcharges may apply to certain travel dates based upon international or local holidays, as well as local events and festivals. All prices and fares are quoted in U.S. dollars and subject to change. See the terms and conditions for this trip for more information.

Early Bird Bookings

We offer an early bird discount of 5% if  tour bookings are made at least 12 months in advance of departure. 

Payment Process

We take an initial holding deposit of $500 per person, which is non-refundable. The remainder is due three months in advance of the departure date. We also confirm tour departure at this point, and people can go ahead and book flights.

Cancellation Policy

Tour cancellations incur a fee based on your time of notice before the tour commences.

The time frame and fees for cancellations are as follows – 

90 to 61 days before departure is 25% of the trip price.
60 to 46 days before departure is 50% of the trip price.
45-0 days prior to departure is 100% of the trip price.

Group Size

We take a maximum number of five guests per tour leader.  With larger groups we will split between two tour leaders.

Departures

Tour departures will be confirmed three months in advance, and depend on a minimum number of guests.  Guests should not book flights until they receive confirmation of the tour departure.

Seasonality

Our Vietnam by Rail tour is available during the months of March to June and August to November.  We officially run this tour on our designated dates (April and September) but the tour can be booked privately at any stage during the available months. If requested the tour can also be run in reverse from North (Hanoi) to South (Saigon)

What's included
  • Transfers upon arrival and departure
  • Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
  • All transportation
  • Meals as indicated in the itinerary
  • Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
  • All gratuities
  • local guides and government permits
What's not included
  • Airfare to and from destination, as well as internal airfare where applicable
  • Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
  • Visas
  • Alcoholic beverages

Reviews

Steven
California
Read More
My wife and I recently returned from a twenty-day tour with Vietnam in Focus where we participated in their Vietnam by Rail and Golden Harvest tours. We are thrilled to share that we had a fabulous time. The photography guides were excellent and thoroughly knew the region that they were covering. They were able to unobtrusively place us in natural and interesting settings to photograph the people, customs and regions of Vietnam. We both came back with a portfolio of images that show this and are proud of. The accommodations, drivers and coordination were also excellent. Alex and Yen were very helpful during the planning phase, modifying parts of the trip for our requests and photography style. The meals were wonderful and we think they should add the words “food tour” to their descriptions. We hope to come back in a year or so to participate in a few other of their tours.

FAQ

Yes. We offer a 10% early bird discount on all featured tours if bookings are received 6 months in advance of departure.

We take an initial holding deposit of $500 per person, which is non-refundable (unless we call off the trip for some reason). The remainder is due 3 months in advance of the departure date. We also confirm tour departure at this point, and people can go ahead and book flights.

Our Cancellation policy includes the following fees and cut of periods:

90 to 61 days before departure is 25% of the trip price.

60 to 46 days before departure is 50% of the trip price.

45-0 days prior to departure is 100% of the trip price.

We take a maximum number of 5 guests per 1 tour leader.  With larger groups we will split between 2 tour leaders.

Yes, you do.  You will be asked to sign a legally-binding liability disclaimer before tour departure

Yes, they are most welcome.

Please see the What to Bring list included in each itinerary

It’s a good idea to do this, as you’ll have a chance to get over the jetlag and do a bit of exploring before the action begins.  We can help you arrange accommodation and adventures.

Yes, apart from your own shopping and alcohol (but we’ll cover some wine and beer along the way, don’t worry)

As early as possible – tours book up fast

Please see terms and conditions included on each tour page

TOUR BROCHURE
ViF Catalog
Tour Photos
Vietnam by Rail
Vietnam by Rail

All photos are taken on tour by previous guests and tour guides

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