[25 Days] Birding Tour Around Vietnam: The best comprehensive

This is the best comprehensive birding tour around Vietnam, it will show you all the most special birds in our country. We will start from the North going through Central to South Vietnam. Which 25-day  birding tour will pass all the most famous birding spots in Vietnam via many National parks with many different types of natural habitats and also many wonderful cultural landscapes!

Depart from Hanoi – Sapa – Tam Dao National Park – Cuc Phuong National Park – Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park – Shamu Pass – Bach Ma National Park – Ngoc Linh National Park – Mang Canh Forest – Yok Don National Park – Da lat Plateau (Bi Dup-Nui Ba National Park) – Cat Tien national park – and finish trip at Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) city.

Overview destination of birding tour around Vietnam

North Vietnam Birding Sites:

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam located in the center of the Red River delta and Noi Bai is the international airport.

Sa Pa is a frontier township and capital of Sa Pa District in Lào Cai Province in northwest Vietnam. It is a famous place for birding in North Vietnam which many birding sites such as Ham Rong Orchid Garden, Fansipan Mountain, and Love Waterfall.

Most Wanted Birds in Sapa

Beautiful Nuthatch; Red-tailed, White-browed, and Black-faced Laughingthrushes; Streaked and Spectacled Barwings; Blue-winged, Chestnut-tailed, and Red-tailed Minlas; Black-headed Sibia; Vinous-throated, Ashy-throated, and Golden Parrotbills; Gould’s Sunbird and Black-headed Greenfinch.

Tam Dao National Park is located in Vinh Phuc Province, 70km north of Hanoi city. It qualifies as an Important Bird Area because of its importance for the conservation of biome-restricted bird species. About 100 species have been recorded at Tam Dao. In particular, the site supports a number of biome-restricted species that are known from a few other sites in Vietnam.

Most Wanted birds in Tam Dao national park

Grey Laughingthrush; Black-throated Laughingthrush; Green and Purple Cochoa; Short-tailed Parrotbill; Pale-footed Bush Warbler; Blue-naped Pitta; Chestnut-headed Tesia.

Cuc Phuong National Park is located in Ninh Binh province, a 3.5-hour drive from Hanoi. Cuc Phuong was the first protected area to be established in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Most Wanted birds in Cuc Phuong National Park

Red-collared Woodpecker, Pied Falconet, Ratchet-tailed Treepie, Bar-bellied, Blue-rumped and Eared Pittas, White-winged Magpie, Limestone Wren Babbler, White-tailed flycatcher, Fujian Niltava, Silver-breasted Broadbill.

Central Vietnam birding sites:

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is located in Quang Binh province, Central Vietnam, close to the international border with Laos. This is situated in one of the largest areas of contiguous limestone karst in Indochina, which also includes the Hin Namno National Protected Area in Laos. The limestone massif is located in a transitional zone between the northern and central Annamite Mountains.

Most Wanted birds in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park:

Chestnut-necklaced Partridge; Red-collared Woodpecker; Brown Hornbill; Sooty Babbler; Indochinese wren-babbler…

Shamu pass is a new birding spot near Laos which Ho Chi Minh trails across this site, it is home to Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush (near-endemic bird)

Most Wanted birds in Shamu pass:

Rufous-cheeked Laughingthrush; Indochinese Wren Babbler; Moustached Barbet; Yellow-billed Warbler…

Bach Ma National Park is located in Hue province, Central Vietnam which is situated in the central Annamite Mountains, 2 hour-diver from Hue city. The national park lies at the southern extent of the Annamese Lowlands Endemic Bird Area and is known to support populations of at least four of the restricted range species found in this EBA: Annam Partridge, Crested Argus, Indochinese Wren Babbler, and Grey-faced Tit-Babbler. In addition, the national park supports a population of an endemic subspecies of Silver Pheasant.

Most Wanted birds in Bach Ma National Park

Rufous-throated Partridge; Annam Partridge; Silver Pheasant; Red-collared Woodpecker; Blyth’s Kingfisher; Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo; Silver-breasted Broadbill; Indochinese Green Magpie; Siberian Thrush; Japanese Thrush; Sultan Tit; Masked Laughingthrush; Lesser-necklaced Laughingthrush; Black-throated Laughingthrush; Short-tailed Scimitar Babbler; Grey-throated Babbler; Spot-necked Babbler; Grey-faced Tit-Babbler; Black-browed Fulvetta…

Mang Canh forest and Ngoc Linh National Park are also located in Kom Tum Province, Central Highland Vietnam, it is one of the recently recognized EBA (Endemic Birds Area) in the World. Kom Tum EBA is perhaps the least known avifauna to both scientists and birders. As it is located in a “politically sensitive” area, most people who want to visit here have to obtain complicated permits to access the remote forests.

Most Wanted birds in Mang Canh forest and Ngoc Linh National Park

Pale-capped Pigeon; Northern Brown Hornbill; Stripe-breasted Woodpecker; White-winged Magpie; Ratchet-tailed Treepie; Pale Blue Flycatcher; Grey-crowned Tit; Rufous-faced Warbler; Grey-headed Parrotbill; Indochinese Wren-babbler; Grey-faced Warbler; Himalayan Cutia; Green Shrike-Babbler; Black-crowned Barwing; Chestnut-eared Laughingthrush; Golden-winged Laughingthrush, Red-tailed Laughingthrush.

Yok-don National Park is located in Dak Lak province, Central Highland Vietnam. It is dominated by a mosaic of deciduous forest and semi-evergreen (mixed deciduous) forest (Dry open forest).

Most Wanted birds in Yok Don National park:

Mekong Wagtail; White-rumped Falcon; Collared Falconet; Black-hooded Woodpecker and other woodpeckers; Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch; Alexandrine, Grey-headed, Blossom-headed Parrakeets; Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

South Vietnam birding sites:

Dalat Plateau is located in the Central highland (C Annam), it is an EBA that has a natural evergreen forest and coniferous forest that is home to six endemic bird species and also supports several subspecies.

Most Wanted birds in Dalat:

Black-hooded, White-cheeked, Orange-breasted, and Collared Laughingthrush; Bar-backed Partridge; Silver Pheasant; Red-vented Barbet; Black-browed Barbet; Red-headed Trogon; Long-tailed Broadbill; Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon; Mountain Imperial Pigeon; Black Eagle; Rufous-bellied Eagle; Jerdon’s Baza; Rusty-naped and Blue Pitta; Burmese Shrike; Indochinese Green Magpie; Eurasian Jay; Slender-billed and Maroon Oriole;  White-throated Rock Thrush; Green Cochoa; Rufous-browed, Blue-and-White, Mugimaki , Snowy-browed and Little Pied Flycatcher; Large Niltava; Lesser Shortwing;  White-tailed Robin; Spotted Forktail; Yellow-billed Nuthatch; Yellow-cheeked and Grey-crowned Tit, Grey-bellied Tesia;  White-spectacled, Chestnut-crowned  Warbler; White-browed Scimitar Babbler; Streaked , Eye-browed, Pygmy  Wren-Babbler; Rufous-capped Babbler; Vietnamese Cutia; Clicking shrike-babbler; Blue-winged Minla; Black-crowned, Indochinese Fulvetta; Grey-crowned Crocias; Rufous-backed, Black-headed Sibia, Black-headed Parrotbill; Gould’s Sunbird; Streaked Spiderhunter; Vietnamese Greenfinch.

Cat Tien national park is located in South Vietnam; it is one of the best birding sites with the most accessible site in South Annam for Orange-necked Partridge and lots of birder’s wanted birds.

Most Wanted birds in Cat Tien

Orange-necked Partridge; Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant; Green Peafowl; Great Slaty, Pale-headed, Black-and-buff, Heart-spotted and White-bellied Woodpecker; Wreathed Hornbill; Great Hornbill; Orange-breasted Trogon; Blue-bearded Bee-eater; Stork-billed Kingfisher; Banded Kingfisher; Blyth’s Frogmouth; Great-eared Nightjar; Grey-headed Fish-eagle; Lesser Fish-eagle; Woolly-necked Stork; Lesser Adjutant; Blue-rumped, Bar-bellied and Blue-winged Pitta; Black-and-red, Dusky and Banded Broadbill; Golden-crested Myna; Grey-faced Tit-babbler.

Learn more about the Vietnam Bird list DOWNLOAD HERE

Summary Itinerary: [25 Days] The best comprehensive Birding Tour in Vietnam

Experience the best of birding in South and Central Vietnam with this 25-day comprehensive tour. Starting in Hanoi, we will take you on an exciting journey through some of the most famous birding spots in Vietnam, passing through many national parks with diverse natural habitats and cultural landscapes.

Day 1: (L D) Begin your adventure with a pick up from your hotel or Noi Bai Airport and drive to Sapa for your first birding experience.

Day 2-3: (B L D) Spend two full days birding in Sapa to observe a variety of bird species.

Day 4: (B L D) After a morning birding in Sapa, we will drive to Tam Dao for the night.

Day 5-6: (B L D) Enjoy a full day birding in Tam Dao national park and a morning birding before we drive to Cuc Phuong national park for an afternoon bird watching session.

Day 7-8: (B L D) Spend two full days birding in Cuc Phuong National park.

Day 9-11: (B L D) After a short morning birding in Cuc Phuong, we will have a long drive to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, where we will spend a full day birding. The following day, we will have a short morning birding in Phong Nha before driving to Shamu pass for an afternoon birding session.

Day 12-13: (B L D) Spend a morning birding in Shamu pass before driving to Bach Ma National Park for birding for the next two days.

Day 14-15: (B L D) Spend two full days birding in Bach Ma.

Day 16-18: (B L D) Drive to Mang Den for an afternoon birding in Mang Canh forest, followed by a full day birding the next day. After a morning birding, we will drive to Yok Don National Park and spend the next day birding there.

Day 19-21: (B L D) Spend a morning birding in Yok Don National Park before driving to Da Lat Plateau (Bi Doup-Nui Ba National Park) for two full days of birding.

Day 22-23: (B L D) Spend a morning birding in Da Lat before driving to Di Linh for another morning birding, then drive to Cat Tien national park for birding for the next two days.

Day 24: (B L D) Spend a full day birding in Cat Tien National Park.

Day 25: (B L) Enjoy a final morning birding session in Cat Tien National Park before driving to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) city, where the tour ends. You can either catch your flight or rest at the hotel.

With this tour, you’ll get to see all the most special birds in Vietnam and explore many different types of natural habitats and wonderful cultural landscapes. Join us on this amazing journey to discover the rich birdlife of Vietnam!

This is a hardcore birding tour itinerary for serious birders so for your comfort, please let us know more about your think for a detailed customized itinerary that will be the best fit for you.