Vietnam Incense Village Travel Guide: A Photographer's Paradise

The Hanoi region of Vietnam boasts numerous fascinating destinations for short trips outside the city, and one of the most suitable spots for photographers is the Hong Fu Chiu Incense Village, renowned for its colorful incense production.

This Vietnamese village has been crafting incense sticks for over a century, with daily displays of multicolored incense sticks drying under the sun, creating an intriguing and photogenic scene.

Hong Fu Chiu is easily accessible from Hanoi within half a day, and the locals warmly welcome tourists and photographers alike. The place has gradually emerged as a popular attraction for visitors.

This travel guide will provide information on how to reach the Vietnam Incense Village (with or without a tour group), the best time for photography, and everything else you need to know before departing!

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Best Travel Tips for Vietnam Incense Village

GetYourGuide offers highly-rated tours of the Incense Village, including pick-up and drop-off services from hotels in Hanoi's Old Quarter.

This 5-hour tour also includes a visit to the picturesque Hanoi Train Street, with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transportation, and all entrance fees to Hong Fu Chiu Incense Village. They offer both group and private tours.

We have arranged many tours and activities around the world with GetYourGuide, and they have been fantastic. Highly recommended!

What to Expect at Hong Fu Chiu Incense Village

Hong Fu Bridge's Incense Village is an intriguing site where bamboo incense sticks are dyed in various colors and laid out to dry every morning.

As this is Vietnam, red is the most commonly used color, but you can also see many other bright hues like green, yellow, purple, maroon, or turquoise.

The scene, filled with hundreds of bushels of incense, resembles a garden! Sometimes, they arrange the incense in interesting patterns, resembling the stars on the Vietnamese flag or the geographical shape of Vietnam.

Tours to Hong Fu Chiu Incense Village from Hanoi

A Splendid Display of Colors at Hong Fu Chiu Incense Village

Pattern Resembling the Stars on the Vietnamese Flag

Local Workers at Hong Fu Chiu Incense Village

The locals in the Incense Village are very welcoming and will happily let you explore and take photos. There are even elevated platforms where you can capture the incense from above, which I found to be the best vantage point.

Drones are also allowed at Hong Fu Bridge, and I saw a tourist using one to shoot a video, although it's not necessary for capturing stunning photos as the platforms offer a similar perspective.

Hong Fu Bridge has several different incense stoves, but the most worth visiting is the one marked as "Lang lam huong do" on Google Maps. This stove is very photogenic, and most of the photos in this blog post were taken here!

Some tours also take you to workshops and show you the incense-making process, including cutting bamboo, dipping incense sticks in dye, and making incense paste. Overall, it's a very cool experience!

Entrance Fees

The entrance fee to the Incense Village is between 50,000 and 100,000 Vietnamese dong (USD 2 to 4) per person. After paying, you are free to walk around all the platforms and take as many photos as you like. Bring some cash to cover the entrance fee.

If you book a tour to the Incense Village, the entrance fee is included in the total price, so you won't need to pay when you arrive.

Some photographers at Hong Fu Chiu pay locals to pose as traditional Vietnamese workers wearing rice field hats in their photos. The friendly locals are happy to oblige, as it seems to be a common request! They charge an additional 100,000 Vietnamese dong (USD 4) for this service.

They also have traditional Vietnamese costumes (Ao Dai) and hats that you can rent to wear yourself, but I didn't ask about the price. Last but not least, the village has beverages and snacks available if you need them.

Best Time to Visit the Incense Village

The best time to visit the Incense Village is anytime when it's not raining, as the incense is only displayed when the weather is dry.

If it rains, the incense may need to be covered to protect them. There are some indoor incense displays in the village (like this one), but they are not as photogenic as the outdoor displays.

Any time of day is suitable for a visit, but mornings are generally best because it's less hot. The incense burns throughout the day, so you can go in the afternoon if you prefer.