On The Tracks
Hanoi's famous train street!.
We were the first tour company to bring guests to Hanoi’s now famous ‘train street’. Back in 2012, we’d just encounter the locals who lived alongside the tracks, and of course the trains that rumbled through every once in a while.
Our little tour made such a splash that we ended up talking about it on Discovery and the Travel Channel, and some of our guests even had their pictures published in international media. Now, of course, peak times find this special little corner of Hanoi crammed with foreign travellers, and most of the local homes have been converted into cafes and bars.
However, experience is everything: we’re still more than able to bring you to the right parts of ‘train street’, at the right time of day, to experience the real local atmosphere and snap those classic shots. And yes, you’ll catch that train rolling between the houses!
Along the way, you’ll learn how to create a photographic story using different types of image and how to manipulate the settings on your camera depending on the kind of picture you want to take, the light, and how fast your subject (ie the train) is moving.
The tour runs from 5:30 to 9:30am beginning under Long Bien Bridge, Yen Phu Street. The price includes pick-up from your hotel, starting at 5am.
Learn the art of street photography while exploring 'train street'
Itinerary
5:00am – Hotel pick-up
5:30am – We start the tour on Long Bien Bridge, overlooking Long Bien market. There is an introduction to the tour and overview of camera settings. We focus on the ‘context’ shot, capturing trains coming into Long Bien station.
6:30am – We wander through the alleyways leading into the Old Quarter and underneath the railway line to Phung Hung Street. Here the photographic emphasis is on capturing life around and under the tracks, the businesses and activities that spring up on the embankments and bridges that support the railway.
7:45am – We have a quick tea break and review of shots taken so far.
8:00am – The group continue along the tracks to Dien Bien Phu Street and beyond, into the residential areas that lie along the tracks in this part of town. There is a focus now on capturing daily life in relation to the railway – different ways to build a
photographic story.
9:00am – We arrive at our café / gallery for breakfast and coffee, followed by a review of pictures taken on the tour.
9:30am – Farewell.
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