Vietnam
Photo Tour
10 days deep in the highlands: tribal markets at dawn, golden rice terraces at harvest, and village life most photographers never reach.
I'm Liam
Giuliani
I'm a travel and documentary photographer, also known as 7th.era, who has spent 10+ years documenting cultures all around the world. My work focuses on capturing the candid moment — the real culture of a place, not the version staged for cameras.
This tour is designed around the photographs I actually want to take. Not the tourist trail. Tribal markets at dawn, remote river valleys, traditional villages. A small group, capturing the real of Vietnamese culture.
@7th.eraPartnering with Vietnam in Focus to make this the real thing
I'm not doing this alone. I've partnered with Vietnam in Focus, one of Vietnam's leading photography tour operators, to run this properly. Their team has spent years on motorbikes exploring rural villages across the northwest, building relationships with communities that most photographers never reach.
No setup shots. No staged moments. They scout these locations the hard way, and what they've found over a decade of work is what ends up in your lens. World-class local operation, English-speaking guides, all logistics handled end to end.
vietnaminfocus.com ↗
Designed for
Photographers
Every location, lodge, and route was chosen by me and the Vietnam in Focus team, who know these highlands better than anyone. If you want to go deep with your photography, this is the trip.
Maximum 6 Participants
Small enough that everyone gets my full attention, flexible enough to move fast when the light demands it.
Curated Minority Markets
San Thang and Sin Ho markets: remote high-altitude gatherings where Hmong, Dao, Tay, and Lu peoples arrive in full traditional dress. Not tourist markets.
Golden Harvest Timing
October is rice harvest season at Mu Cang Chai. The trip is timed specifically for the golden terraces, the most photographed two weeks of the year.
Learn My Process
Daily shoots, evening image reviews, editing breakdowns. You go home with a body of work, not just holiday snaps.
Hand-Picked Lodges
Ecolodges and homestays chosen for atmosphere. Mu Cang Chai Ecolodge overlooks the terraces. Sin Suoi Ho bungalows sit inside a working Hmong village.
Pay in Installments
Lock in your spot with just a $500 deposit. The remaining balance is split across three installments leading up to departure.
Day-by-Day
Itinerary
11 days across Hanoi, the far northwest highlands, and Mu Cang Chai's iconic terrace valleys. Click any day to expand.
Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport. Transfer to Old Quarter accommodation. Evening introductory photography session: a first walk through the streets to shake off the flight and calibrate your eye for the week ahead.
Morning: Rice paper workshops along the Red River banks at Tho Ha village. Light through the drying sheets is extraordinary. Afternoon: Hung Yen craft villages: Ban Yen Soy Sauce Village and traditional fish-trap makers.
Evening: Board the Vietnam Railways soft-sleeper overnight train to Lao Cai, a classic journey in itself.
Journey through Lai Chau province: harvest photography and roadside tribal trader portraits as we wind into the highlands. Rose plantations and rice terraces at Sin Suoi Ho. Golden-hour landscape work as the valley falls into shadow.
Pre-dawn wake-up for cloud-filled valley photography (weather permitting; October brings extraordinary mist). Village walks capturing daily Hmong life in the morning light.
Afternoon: expansive rice paddy bowls surrounded by peaks. Drone photography windows throughout the day.
Relaxed morning with an optional image review session with me. Road stops for tribal village and landscape photography en route south.
Afternoon: on-foot exploration of the Muong So river valley. Evening: daily life photography: chess players, school children, field harvesters at dusk.
High-altitude mountain landscapes on the road to Sin Ho. Tribal market photography: Dao, Tay, and Hmong peoples at one of the most remote markets in the northwest.
Afternoon: Pa Tan rice valley with conical-hatted farmers harvesting in the golden fields. Evening: Lai Chau night market: low-light and neon.
Sunday: San Thang market. Multiple ethnic groups arriving in full traditional regalia. Portrait, interaction, and documentary series photography. This is one of the highlights of the entire trip. An hour here feels like an hour inside a photography book.
Afternoon: journey toward Dao San through rice terrace landscapes as the valley light softens.
Drive south. Stop at a Hmong blacksmith workshop: fire, sparks, and forge portraits. Detour through a remote mountain valley with river and volcanic rock formations.
Arrive Mu Cang Chai in time for sunset over the famous stepped terraces. Golden hour over a UNESCO-recognised landscape.
Dawn photography of the golden rice fields at harvest peak. Village breakfast at the ecolodge with views over the valley.
Family portrait session and lunch at a local Hmong home. Afternoon: valley village photography as the light softens. Dinner with local hosts overlooking the paddies, one of those meals you remember.
Morning: relaxed breakfast and final group image review with me. We go through your selects, talk through edits and approach.
Noon checkout and return drive to Hanoi. Evening: farewell dinner in the Old Quarter.
Full free day in Hanoi: explore, eat, shoot, shop. Airport transfers provided as flights depart throughout the day.
Included & Not
The $4,900 covers everything you need on the ground. You just need to get yourself to Hanoi.
✓ Included
- ✓ Photography guidance & daily coaching from me, every day
- ✓ Evening image review sessions
- ✓ Double-occupancy accommodation (hotels, ecolodge, homestays)
- ✓ Meals as noted in the itinerary
- ✓ Private minivan & driver throughout
- ✓ Local Vietnamese tour guide & fixer, 24/7
- ✓ Overnight train tickets (Day 1, soft-sleeper cabin)
- ✓ Airport pickup on arrival & departure transfer
- ✓ All village and workshop entrance fees
- ✓ Mineral water throughout the trip
✗ Not Included
- ✗ International flights to/from Hanoi
- ✗ Travel insurance (required for all participants)
- ✗ Single room supplement (+$300)
- ✗ Vietnam visa
- ✗ Personal expenses & shopping
| Payment | When | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | To secure your spot today | $500 |
| First instalment | 3 months before departure (July 5) | 50% of total |
| Second instalment | 1 month before departure (Sep 5) | 30% of total |
| Final payment | 7 days before departure (Sep 28) | Remaining balance |
Single room supplement: +$300. Travel insurance covering medical & trip cancellation is required for all participants, not included in the price above.
What People
Are Saying
From photographers who've travelled with me before.
This week has been the most impactful week I've had in many years. I got a new taste for photography. Something I thought I liked, but now I think it's something I really can do and want to strive for doing full time.
Being with experienced photographers like Liam, you learn so much. He pushed me a lot, especially to post more, because I really hadn't posted anything before I came here. Since starting posting, I've noticed my follower count and the feedback on my work has become a lot more frequent.
What I was hoping for when I booked the tour was the feeling of it being worth it, and it totally exceeded that. I not only got to see beautiful places in the world, but also properly take my time and document them.
Now I have great memories documented for the rest of my life, and also work that can benefit my career as well.
If you're doubting coming, you should just book and come. If you don't do it, you're going to miss out on a lot of stuff.
Watch the
2025 Trip
A short film from the inaugural run — the markets, the landscapes, and the moments in between.
Common
Questions
2 Spots Left. Oct 5–15 2026.
Are You In?
Book a quick call with me to ask anything, or lock in your place now with the $500 deposit. Two spots remaining.