Sapa - Golden Hour - Vietnam
That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset
No Golden Hour opportunities in the next 14 days
Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.
Currently
Real-time conditionsUpcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
No opportunities in the next 10 days
See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.
What this forecast looks for
Plain-language explanation from the ruleThis forecast identifies optimal golden hour conditions for Vietnam's diverse landscapes, from limestone karsts emerging from emerald waters to ancient trading ports lit by thousands of lanterns. We track cloud cover, visibility, and atmospheric conditions to predict when warm directional light enhances Vietnam's distinctive natural and cultural features.
Vietnam's geography—stretching over 1,000 miles from north to south—offers extraordinary variety. Northern limestone karsts at Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh glow ethereally in early and late light, while central ancient towns like Hoi An come alive as sunset transitions to lantern-lit evening. Mountain landscapes at Sapa and Mu Cang Chai showcase terraced rice paddies that shift color dramatically through the seasons under golden light.
What makes Vietnam golden-hour photography distinctive:
- Limestone karst magic - Ha Long Bay's 2,000 limestone islands and Ninh Binh's inland karsts appear to float when bathed in warm sunrise light
- Rice terrace gradients - Sapa and Mu Cang Chai's cascading terraces glow golden during harvest season (September-October) or reflect sky colors when flooded (May-June)
- Ancient town transitions - Hoi An's yellow buildings and lanterns create magical compositions as natural sunset light gives way to artificial illumination
- Imperial architecture - Hue's citadel and royal tombs take on regal quality under warm directional light along the Perfume River
Ha Long Bay at sunrise provides Vietnam's iconic image—limestone karsts silhouetted against pastel skies with mirror-calm emerald waters, best December through February during dry season. Hoi An requires precise timing—arrive 30 minutes before sunset to capture yellow buildings in warm natural light, then stay as lanterns illuminate the Thu Bon River. Ninh Binh's karsts work magnificently at both sunrise and sunset, with flooded rice paddies providing reflections. At Sapa, golden hour during harvest season (late September-early October) transforms green terraces to gold.
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72-hour requirements breakdown
What passed or failed, hour by hourTime Asia/Bangkok | Golden Hour Any | Golden Hour Potential ≥ 80.0% | Precipitation Chance ≤ 5.0% | Visibility ≥ 1000.0m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jul 8 | ||||
| 12:00 | ✕ | 20% | 100% | 4503m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 18% | 100% | 12719m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 21% | 80% | 12240m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 21% | 63% | 24135m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 18% | 46% | 24134m |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 21% | 52% | 24134m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 55% | 58% | 24134m |
| 19:00 | ✓ | 55% | 64% | 17487m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 21% | 57% | 17384m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 23% | 50% | 17370m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 18% | 43% | 17348m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 18% | 49% | 17307m |
| Thu, Jul 9 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 21% | 55% | 9549m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 21% | 61% | 5529m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 18% | 72% | 358m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 18% | 83% | 224m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 20% | 94% | 201m |
| 05:00 | ✓ | 36% | 96% | 160m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 25% | 98% | 144m |
| 07:00 | ✕ | 17% | 100% | 106m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 18% | 100% | 120m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 23% | 100% | 3593m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 22% | 100% | 765m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 22% | 100% | 262m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 22% | 100% | 3406m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 14% | 100% | 7963m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 14% | 89% | 8080m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 20% | 78% | 16493m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 18% | 67% | 24135m |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 23% | 68% | 24134m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 84% | 68% | 19506m |
| 19:00 | ✓ | 91% | 68% | 20236m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 18% | 54% | 9546m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 18% | 40% | 9401m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 18% | 26% | 11646m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 20% | 26% | 12955m |
| Fri, Jul 10 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 21% | 27% | 9361m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 21% | 27% | 310m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 21% | 27% | 142m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 20% | 26% | 94m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 18% | 26% | 72m |
| 05:00 | ✓ | 36% | 36% | 57m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 23% | 46% | 52m |
| 07:00 | ✕ | 20% | 56% | 48m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 18% | 64% | 44m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 21% | 71% | 46m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 20% | 79% | 50m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 18% | 82% | 59m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 18% | 85% | 69m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 14% | 88% | 106m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 15% | 75% | 176m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 15% | 62% | 5680m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 14% | 49% | 1126m |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 14% | 53% | 9299m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 35% | 57% | 1252m |
| 19:00 | ✓ | 39% | 62% | 395m |
| 20:00 | ✕ | 18% | 54% | 331m |
| 21:00 | ✕ | 18% | 46% | 187m |
| 22:00 | ✕ | 20% | 38% | 146m |
| 23:00 | ✕ | 20% | 38% | 127m |
| Sat, Jul 11 | ||||
| 24:00 | ✕ | 20% | 37% | 110m |
| 01:00 | ✕ | 21% | 37% | 108m |
| 02:00 | ✕ | 0% | 34% | 8117m |
| 03:00 | ✕ | 0% | 31% | 16126m |
| 04:00 | ✕ | 0% | 28% | 24135m |
| 05:00 | ✓ | 100% | 46% | 22554m |
| 06:00 | ✕ | 33% | 64% | 20974m |
| 07:00 | ✕ | 0% | 82% | 19393m |
| 08:00 | ✕ | 0% | 84% | 20974m |
| 09:00 | ✕ | 0% | 86% | 22554m |
| 10:00 | ✕ | 0% | 88% | 24135m |
| 11:00 | ✕ | 0% | 91% | 22030m |
| 12:00 | ✕ | 0% | 93% | 19924m |
| 13:00 | ✕ | 0% | 96% | 17819m |
| 14:00 | ✕ | 0% | 91% | 19480m |
| 15:00 | ✕ | 0% | 86% | 21141m |
| 16:00 | ✕ | 0% | 82% | 22803m |
| 17:00 | ✕ | 0% | 86% | 23247m |
| 18:00 | ✓ | 49% | 91% | 23691m |
| 19:00 | ✓ | 49% | 96% | 24135m |
What does Golden Hour Potential mean?
Inputs that drive the scoreThis derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.
| Time Asia/Bangkok | Golden Hour | High Clouds % | Low Clouds % | Mid-Level Clouds % | Relative Humidity % | Solar Elevation ° | Total Cloud Coverage % | Wind Speed m/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Jul 8
Sunrise 05:26
Sunset 18:52 | ||||||||
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 49% | 25% | 84% | 99% | -26° | 84% | 0.31m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 33% | 25% | 95% | 98% | -35° | 95% | 0.43m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 94% | 46% | 100% | 99% | -42° | 100% | 0.66m/s |
| Thu, Jul 9
Sunrise 05:26
Sunset 18:52 | ||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 14% | 56% | 88% | 99% | -45° | 93% | 0.51m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 79% | 57% | 48% | 99% | -44° | 82% | 0.61m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 96% | 69% | 77% | 99% | -38° | 99% | 0.64m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 82% | 73% | 100% | 99% | -29° | 100% | 0.56m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 93% | 76% | 66% | 99% | -18° | 100% | 0.62m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 14% | 82% | 100% | 100% | -6.4° | 100% | 0.59m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 4% | 80% | 95% | 99% | 6.3° | 96% | 0.56m/s |
| 07:00 | - | 3% | 86% | 82% | 99% | 19° | 87% | 0.87m/s |
| 08:00 | - | 5% | 84% | 78% | 98% | 33° | 92% | 1.1m/s |
| 09:00 | - | 7% | 75% | 56% | 95% | 46° | 75% | 1.2m/s |
| 10:00 | - | 18% | 85% | 76% | 96% | 60° | 85% | 1.6m/s |
| 11:00 | - | 5% | 70% | 61% | 97% | 74° | 79% | 1.6m/s |
| 12:00 | - | 6% | 71% | 30% | 95% | 88° | 71% | 1.9m/s |
| 13:00 | - | 6% | 65% | 13% | 94% | 78° | 65% | 1.9m/s |
| 14:00 | - | 6% | 80% | 62% | 92% | 65° | 80% | 1.9m/s |
| 15:00 | - | 5% | 46% | 48% | 94% | 51° | 58% | 1.8m/s |
| 16:00 | - | 5% | 50% | 10% | 90% | 37° | 50% | 1.7m/s |
| 17:00 | - | 6% | 53% | 5% | 86% | 24° | 53% | 1.7m/s |
| 18:00 | - | 5% | 36% | 5% | 92% | 11° | 36% | 1.5m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 5% | 41% | 5% | 99% | -2.2° | 41% | 1.2m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 34% | 45% | 5% | 99% | -15° | 52% | 0.79m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 98% | 55% | 21% | 99% | -26° | 98% | 0.63m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 54% | 20% | 99% | -35° | 100% | 0.67m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 79% | 72% | 9% | 99% | -42° | 86% | 0.71m/s |
| Fri, Jul 10
Sunrise 05:27
Sunset 18:52 | ||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 85% | 83% | 5% | 99% | -45° | 95% | 0.75m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 83% | 17% | 100% | -44° | 100% | 0.96m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 90% | 14% | 100% | -38° | 100% | 1m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 97% | 21% | 100% | -29° | 100% | 1m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 98% | 48% | 100% | -18° | 100% | 1.1m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 98% | 35% | 100% | -6.4° | 100% | 1.1m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 99% | 30% | 100% | 6.3° | 100% | 1.2m/s |
| 07:00 | - | 95% | 99% | 20% | 99% | 19° | 100% | 1.2m/s |
| 08:00 | - | 100% | 99% | 8% | 99% | 33° | 100% | 1.4m/s |
| 09:00 | - | 100% | 98% | 9% | 99% | 46° | 100% | 1.4m/s |
| 10:00 | - | 100% | 97% | 7% | 99% | 60° | 100% | 1.6m/s |
| 11:00 | - | 100% | 97% | 5% | 98% | 74° | 100% | 1.6m/s |
| 12:00 | - | 100% | 95% | 5% | 98% | 88° | 100% | 1.6m/s |
| 13:00 | - | 85% | 93% | 5% | 97% | 78° | 95% | 1.6m/s |
| 14:00 | - | 36% | 83% | 6% | 96% | 65° | 85% | 1.9m/s |
| 15:00 | - | 73% | 80% | 14% | 95% | 51° | 87% | 2m/s |
| 16:00 | - | 100% | 83% | 14% | 97% | 37° | 100% | 1.9m/s |
| 17:00 | - | 100% | 85% | 5% | 98% | 24° | 100% | 1.7m/s |
| 18:00 | - | 100% | 84% | 5% | 99% | 11° | 100% | 1.4m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 64% | 5% | 100% | -2.2° | 100% | 1.1m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 68% | 9% | 100% | -15° | 100% | 0.93m/s |
| 21:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 77% | 29% | 100% | -26° | 100% | 0.76m/s |
| 22:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 79% | 8% | 100% | -35° | 100% | 0.88m/s |
| 23:00 ☾ | - | 95% | 80% | 24% | 100% | -42° | 97% | 0.58m/s |
| Sat, Jul 11
Sunrise 05:27
Sunset 18:52 | ||||||||
| 24:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 82% | 8% | 100% | -45° | 100% | 0.75m/s |
| 01:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 85% | 5% | 100% | -44° | 100% | 0.81m/s |
| 02:00 ☾ | - | 67% | 58% | 5% | 86% | -38° | 69% | 0.85m/s |
| 03:00 ☾ | - | 35% | 31% | 5% | 72% | -29° | 38% | 0.89m/s |
| 04:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 4% | 5% | 58% | -18° | 7% | 0.93m/s |
| 05:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 11% | 5% | 54% | -6.5° | 12% | 0.87m/s |
| 06:00 ☾ | - | 2% | 17% | 5% | 51% | 6.2° | 17% | 0.81m/s |
| 07:00 | - | 2% | 23% | 5% | 48% | 19° | 23% | 0.75m/s |
| 08:00 | - | 15% | 36% | 10% | 49% | 33° | 37% | 1.1m/s |
| 09:00 | - | 28% | 48% | 16% | 51% | 46° | 52% | 1.4m/s |
| 10:00 | - | 41% | 61% | 21% | 53% | 60° | 67% | 1.8m/s |
| 11:00 | - | 60% | 54% | 39% | 61% | 74° | 77% | 1.5m/s |
| 12:00 | - | 78% | 46% | 57% | 69% | 88° | 87% | 1.2m/s |
| 13:00 | - | 97% | 38% | 75% | 77% | 78° | 97% | 0.95m/s |
| 14:00 | - | 98% | 30% | 80% | 83% | 65° | 98% | 1m/s |
| 15:00 | - | 99% | 21% | 86% | 90% | 51° | 99% | 1.1m/s |
| 16:00 | - | 100% | 12% | 92% | 97% | 37° | 100% | 1.3m/s |
| 17:00 | - | 100% | 13% | 92% | 97% | 24° | 100% | 1.2m/s |
| 18:00 | - | 100% | 14% | 92% | 97% | 11° | 100% | 1.1m/s |
| 19:00 ☾ | - | 100% | 14% | 92% | 98% | -2.3° | 100% | 1m/s |
| 20:00 ☾ | - | 99% | 12% | 86% | 97% | -15° | 100% | 0.99m/s |
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