The Hanoi region of Vietnam has many interesting places that you can visit on a short trip outside the city, and one of the best for photographers is the incense village of Quang Phu Cau, where colorful incense sticks are made.
This Vietnamese village has apparently been making incense sticks for over 100 years, and every day different colored bushes are laid out in the sun to dry, a fun and photogenic sight to watch.
Quang Phu Cau is an easy half-day trip from Hanoi, and the locals welcome visitors and photographers.
This travel guide will explain how to get to Vietnam’s Frankincense Village (with or without a tour), when to visit, the best photos, and everything else you need to know before you go.
Best tour for Vietnam Incense Village
GetYourGuide has a highly rated Incense Village Tour that includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Vietnam.
This is a 5-hour tour that also includes a visit to Hanoi’s photogenic train street with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transfers, and all entrance fees to Quang Phu Cau incense village.They have join-in or private tours.
We have used GetYourGuide for many tours and activities around the world and they are great.Highly recommended.
Book now. Incense Village Tour from Hanoi
What to expect in Quang Phu Cau Incense Village?
In Quang Phu Cau, the incense village is a fun sight.Bamboo incense sticks are dyed in different colors and then spread out to dry each morning.
Since this is Vietnam, red is the most common color they use, but you can also see many other bright colors like green, yellow, purple, brown or turquoise.
With hundreds of bushels of incense sticks, this place almost looks like a flower garden.Sometimes they arrange the incense in funny patterns that look like the star of the Vietnamese flag or the geographical shape of Vietnam.
A sea of bright colors in Vietnam’s incense village of Quang Phu Cau
A star pattern like the flag of Vietnam
Local employee
The locals in the incense village are very welcoming and happy to let you look around and take as many pictures as you like.There are even some elevated platforms so you can take pictures of the incense from above, which I found was the best angle.
Drones are also allowed in Quang Phu Cau and I saw a tourist using a drone for video, although it’s not really necessary to take great photos as the platforms give you almost the same perspective anyway. what drone
There are several different yards where they dry incense sticks in Quang Phu Cau, but the best one to visit is listed on Google Maps as “Lang lam huong do.” This one is very photogenic and is where these were made most pictures in the blog post.
Some tours will also give you a look at the workshops and the process of making incense, which involves cutting the bamboo, dipping the sticks in paint, and creating the incense paste.
Close-up of incense sticks
Entrance fees
Incense Village charges an entrance fee of VND 50,000 to 100,000 (USD 2 to 4) per person, and once you pay this, you can walk around all the platforms and take as many photos as you want to pay for tickets in cash bring money
If you book a tour of the incense village, the entrance fees are already included in the total price, so you don’t have to pay them when you get there.
Some photographers in Quang Phu Cau were paying locals to wear their traditional rice hats in their photos (US$4).
They also have some traditional Vietnamese dresses (ao dai) and hats that you can rent to wear yourself, but I didn’t ask the price.Last but not least, there are drinks and snacks in the village if you need them.
Vietnam Frankincense Village – Quang Phu Cau
The best time to visit the incense village
The best time to visit the incense village is anytime it is not raining, as the incense sticks are only placed when the weather is dry.
If it rains, the incense sticks may be covered to protect them. There are some indoor incense displays in the village (such as this one), but they are not nearly as photogenic as the outdoor displays.
Anytime of the day is fine to visit, although morning is usually best as it’s not too hot.The incense is placed throughout the day, so you can go in the afternoon if you like.
I started from the old quarter of Hanoi at about 8am so I was in the incense village from 9:30am to noon and then back to Hanoi.
A rainbow of incense colors
How to get to Khnki Village from Hanoi?
Vietnam’s Frankincense Village is located in Quang Phu Cau, part of Ung Hoa District, about 40 kilometers south of Hanoi city center.
You can get there by car or motorbike, taxi, bus or tour.
• By car / motorcycle
If you are driving from Hanoi, you can reach Quang Phu Cau via DCT Ha Noi – Ninh Binh/DCT Phap Van – Cau Gie/CT01.Alternatively, you can go via QL1A and D. 429.
Download an offline map and navigate to “Lang lam huong do” on Google Maps, then walk down the alley. It’s the most photogenic spot in the incense village.
The drive usually takes about 1.5 hours or a little less if the roads are not too busy.Traffic is absolutely crazy in Hanoi, so I really don’t recommend driving here unless you have a lot of experience driving in Vietnam.
• By taxi
Taxis are more expensive but are a safer, easier and more flexible way to visit the incense village and can also be economical if you are traveling with friends.
Your hotel in Hanoi can help arrange a taxi for you. All hotels now know about the incense village and you can ask the driver to wait for you for a few hours while you take photos in the village.
Remember to download a translator app and an offline map of the area, then make sure your taxi driver brings you to “Lang lam huong do” on Google Maps. It’s the most photogenic place in the incense village.
• By Grab / GoJek
You can get to the Frankincense Village with the ride-hailing apps Grab or GoJek, and the price is slightly lower than a regular taxi, but getting back to Hanoi can be a hassle.
Grab and GoJek drivers are not widely available in the Quang Phu Cau area and the phone reception is also weak there, so it can be difficult to book a driver to Hanoi.
• By bus
There is a bus connection from Hanoi to the incense village and it is the cheapest way to get there, but it takes more time and trouble.
First, you need a bus or taxi to take you to Yen Nghia bus station southwest of Hanoi. Next, take bus line 91 for about 1.5 hours to Quang Phu Cau.
• On tour
One of the fastest and easiest ways to get to the incense village is by tour. GetYourGuide has a highly rated Quang Phu Cau tour that includes an English-speaking guide and transportation from Hanoi’s old quarter. We’ve always had a good experience with this company.
Inside one of the workshops
Incense sticks
More Hanoi tours
More Vietnam travel guides
Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoyed this guide to visiting Quang Phu Cau incense village on a half day trip from Hanoi, Vietnam.
If you’re wondering, this isn’t the only incense village Vietnam has to offer. There’s also a Thuy Xuan incense village in Hue, Vietnam. You can book a tour for that one here.
Don’t forget to check out my Vietnam travel guide for more tips, information and photos.
