The best comprehensive birding tours in North Central and South Vietnam

This is the best comprehensive Vietnam birding tours, it will show you all most special birds in our country. We will start from the North going through Central to South Vietnam. Which 25 days of birding trip will past all most famous birding spot in Vietnam via many National parks which lot of different type of natural habitat and also many of wonderful cultural landscape

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.

Itinerary: 25-day birding tours in South and Central Vietnam

Day 1: (L D) Pick up in the morning from Hotel or Noi Bai Airport and then drive to Sapa for start birding tours.

Day 2: (B L D) Full day birding tours in Sapa

Day 3: (B L D) Full day birding tours in Sapa

Day 4: (B L D) Morning birding tours in Sapa and then drive to Tam Dao for Night

Day 5: (B L D) Full day birding tours in Tam Dao national park

Day 6: (B L D) Morning birding in Tam Dao and then drive to Cuc Phuong national park for later afternoon bird watching there.

Day 7: (B L D) Full day birding in Cuc Phuong National park

Day 8: (B L D) Full day birding in Cuc Phuong National park

Day 9: (B L D) Short morning birding in Cuc Phuong and have a long drive to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Day 10: (B L D) Full day birding in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Day 11: (B L D) Short morning birding in Phong Nha and then drive to Shamu pass for later afternoon birding.

Day 12: (B L D) Morning birding in Shamu pass and then drive to Bach Ma National Park for birding.

Day 13: (B L D) Full day birding in Bach Ma

Day 14: (B L D) Morning birding in Bach Ma and then drive to Ngoc Linh National Park

Day 15: (B L D) Birding in Ngoc Linh National Park

Day 16: (B L D) Drive to Mang Den for the afternoon birding in Mang Canh forest.

Day 17: (B L D) Full day birding in Mang Canh forest

Day 18: (B L D) Morning birding tours in Mang Canh forest and the drive to York Don National Park

Day 19: (B L D) Morning birding in Yor Don National park and the drive to Dalat

Day 20: (B L D) Full day birding in Dalat

Day 21: (B L D) Full day birding in Dalat

Day 22: (B L D) Morning birding in Dalat and drive to Di Linh

Day 23: (B L D) Morning birding in Di Linh and drive to Cat Tien national park

Day 24: (B L D) Full day birding in Cat Tien National Park

Day 25: (B L) Morning birding in Cat Tien national park and then drive to Sai Gon (Ho Chi Minh) city for flight or for rest at Hotel.

Including accommodation, bird guide, private car with driver, meals and entrance fee, jeeps. Providing birding spotting scope, bird book.

This is hardcore birding tours itinerary for serious birder so for your comfort, Please let’ us know more about your think for detail customized itinerary which will be best fit for you.

The detailed description of each birding location:

North Vietnam Birding sites:

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam located in the central of 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 north-west Vietnam. It is the famous place for birding in North Vietnam which many birding sites as Ham Rong Orchid Garden, Fansipan Mountain, 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 capital. 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, 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 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 new birding spot near Laos which Ho Chi Minh trails across this site, it is home for 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 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 recently recognized as an EBA (Endemic Birds Area) of the World. Kom Tum EBA 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 permit 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 has the natural evergreen-forest and coniferous forest where is home for six endemic birds 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.