Vietnam Places To Visit

Hanoi Train Street – The Full Travel Guide

3 years ago, you could have asked any tourist about Hanoi Train Street and received nothing but blank looks in return. Now, the track that curves through the centre of the Vietnamese capital is one of the best places to visit in Hanoi and a popular tourist attraction for anyone wanting to see something a little out of the ordinary on their holiday. This full travel guide to Hanoi Train Street, brought to you by one of Vietnam’s leading tour operators – Incredible Asia Journeys - will tell you everything you need to know about the city’s newest tourist attraction.If you’re looking for more things to do in Hanoi after your trip to Hanoi Train Street, feel free to take a look at our full-day Hanoi tour all run by a professional guide from Incredible Asia Journeys.What is Hanoi Train Street?The name gives away the game with Hanoi Train Street. At its most simple, it’s a street for trains in Hanoi. If you’re thinking “isn’t a ‘train street’ called a railway?” you’re absolutely right, but that name doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.The street cuts through the western side of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the bustling ancient heart of the capital where businesses and local houses are literally piled on top of each other. This clamouring for space eventually led to residents settling down next to the train tracks, with the government’s comically lax health and safety laws allowing it to happen.Houses are built high here and are mere inches from the trains when they pass through at multiple times a day. Because the locals of Hanoi Train Street have been putting up with the inconvenience for so long, they are very nonchalant about ceasing their activities, moving their possessions to the side and waiting for the train to pass before carrying on their activities.Life has operated this way for years, since the early 20th century when Hanoi railway station was built and Tonkin (north Vietnam) was connected to Annam (central Vietnam) and Cochinchina (south Vietnam) under French colonial rule. The generations of locals living on the train tracks have seen much, but many are still confused about the fascination in the cramped area of Hanoi they call home.What to do at Hanoi Train Street?While, in the past, visitors to Hanoi Train Street might have been content with simply standing to the side and snapping pictures of the trains and the gorgeous street lined with houses and green foliage, tourists nowadays can expect a lot more. Here’s your guide to Hanoi Train Street and the things you can do by the side of the tracks:• Get the perfect photo – Hanoi is considered a hugely photogenic city and it’s not hard to see why. Hanoi Train Street is one of the best places to take photos in Hanoi, especially when the train is coming around the corner and is framed beautifully by mismatched buildings and trees that lean over the tracks to create a beautiful tunnel. Of course, when the train is not passing through, you can take excellent, Instagram-friendly selfies, though it’s getting increasingly harder to avoid tourists doing the same thing.• Sit down for a coffee – This wouldn’t really be one of the top things to do in Hanoi if there weren’t any cafés here! Fortunately, Hanoi Train Street has you covered in this regard. Many cafés have sprouted up along the tracks as tourism continues to go, all providing an excellent, unobstructed view of the train pass about a metre in front of you. Like any tourist attraction in Vietnam, be prepared to pay a little extra for your coffee, beer or fruit shake here, but still at a price that is very affordable for most international visitors.• Enjoy shots of rice wine – If you want to ramp up the energy a bit, consider going to Hanoi Train Street at night and taking a seat at Ray Quan, a fantastic bar that was one of the first businesses along the tracks. The gimmick here is to take a shot of rice wine every time a train passes in front – so grab some friends, grab a table and grab some local liquor from the wide selection available here.• Find fantastic and unique souvenirs – One shop stands out amongst the tourist-hoarding cafés on Hanoi Train Street – The Zó Project. This is a shop that specialises in traditional paper made by ethnic minorities, which was a piece of heritage almost lost until the Zo Project stepped in. Now you can buy postcards, sketchbooks, paintings and fans made of zó paper, with much of the proceeds going to the ethnic minorities in Mai Chau that produce them. Incredible Asia Journeys runs day tours from Hanoi to Mai Chau where you can see the beautifully simple lives of the valley’s ethnic minorities and their gorgeous green home.When to go to Hanoi Train Street?If you’re looking to get some great snaps, you’ll likely want to know the Hanoi Train Street schedule. Trains pass by here regularly, far more common than many other sources, who only report two passings per day, would have you believe.Weekdays+ Afternoon: 3.30pm + Evening: 7pm, 7.45pm, 8.30pm, 10pm Weekends+ Morning: 6am, 9am, 11.20am+ Afternoon: 3.20pm, 5.30pm, 6pm+ Evening: 7pm, 7.45pm, 8.30pm, 9pm, 11pmAs you can see by the table, the best time to go to Hanoi Train Street is on the weekend, as trains are more common and more evenly spaced throughout the day. Naturally, coming at either 6am or 11pm will mean you’ll run into far fewer tourists than at the peak times of the day in the afternoon and early evening.It should be noted that the train times at Hanoi Train Street can be rather approximate, given that Hanoi’s public transport system can be pretty unreliable. Trains can be held up at road crossings because of Vietnamese motorists who refuse to obey the traffic lights (no surprises there!) and delays are common. Get to the street early and stay there for a while – your train will be with you at some point.Is it Safe to Visit Hanoi Train Street?Totally. Other sources might have you believe that the trains that run along the cramped tracks do so in a ‘hurtling’, ‘whizzing’ or ‘speeding’ manner, but this simply isn’t the case. All trains putter along the tracks very slowly and make their arrival known by a loud whistle beforehand. Business owners and other locals will ensure that everyone is safely to the side of the track before the train makes its passing. In fact, with all of the chaos of Hanoi’s overflowing pavements and its crowded roads, walking down Hanoi Train Street might even be the safest way to explore the city!Where is Hanoi Train Street?Unsurprisingly, if you follow the train tracks in Hanoi for long enough, you’ll find Hanoi Train Street. It’s located to the west of the Old Quarter, around 167 Phung Hung Street; or this is at least where many of the tourists gather. This is the corner where the train looks the most impressive in its arrival, though the street carries on for longer in both directions.If you want to get away from the tourists, we advise following the tracks down to the train station on Le Duan Street or heading further up Phung Hung Street, where the cafés and shops give way to residential houses.Nearby Attractions to Hanoi Train StreetHanoi Train Street is an excellent stopping-off point on your explorations of the Vietnamese capital. It lies in between the Old Quarter and Ba Dinh district, meaning that some of the city’s most attractive things to see can be found on either side of it:• St Joseph’s Cathedral (850m away) – This is Hanoi’s most famous cathedral and serves as an excellent, if slightly out of place, background to photos.• Hoan Kiem Lake (1km away) – The true centre of Hanoi is Hoan Kiem Lake, where walkers, joggers, tourists and locals meet at all hours of the day. Come here on weekend evenings when the surrounding road is closed off to motorists.• Temple of Literature (1km away) – Vietnam’s oldest university is also one of the most ancient buildings still standing in Hanoi, with a 1000-year-old history and some gorgeous architecture and grounds to show for it.• Ba Dinh Square (1.3km away) – This is the political heart of Hanoi and the place where Ho Chi Minh gave his famous independence speech after breaking free of French colonial rule. The revered leader’s mausoleum is also here along with the Presidential Palace and One-Pillar Pagoda.Visit these attractions and more on a full-day Hanoi city tour with Incredible Asia Journeys. We are committed to showing you the best of our capital through safe and professional guidance. When you are in Hanoi you may wish to visit Halong Bay as it is the MUST destination in Vietnam to visit. There are a lot of cruises in Halong Bay for you to choose. You can choose the 1 day itinerary, 2 day 1 night cruise itinerary or even 3 day 2 night itinerary.For 1 day cruise to Halong Bay you may check Halong Bay Tour with Incredible Cruise or Lan Ha Bay Luxury Escape Sails for more information.For 2 day or 3 day cruise itinerary please check Halong Bay Cruises or Lan Ha Bay Cruises for different options for different budget and style of the cruise to pick up the best cruise and itinerary for your group. Thanks for reading this full travel guide to Hanoi Train Street!

How to get to Vietnam’s Golden Bridge

Vietnam Golden Bridge is one of a must in any Vietnam Holiday Packages.It says a lot about the newly built Golden Bridge in Da Nang, that international tourists are travelling from far and wide to witness this perfect blend of ground-breaking architecture and resplendent nature. What was designed to be a small part of the Sun World Ba Na Hills Theme Park, just outside of Da Nang, has exploded in popularity, inspired by viral videos of the gorgeous bridge and the ultimate Instagram-friendly pictures that it creates. As soon as they arrive, visitors to Vietnam are asking how to get to the Golden Bridge, and put it high up on their list of priorities in the country.The Golden Bridge is a 150-metre curved walkway hovering over the top of the descending mountains in the Ba Na Hills. The bridge is coated in gold and has two large, faux-stone hands that seemingly support it from underneath, pulling it out of the adjacent hills and cradling it before a magnificent, cloud-flecked view. Da Nang’s Golden Bridge may not be the most cultural or spiritual things to do in Vietnam, but it has quickly become of the coolest. This guide will help you get from many of Vietnam’s major hubs to the Golden Bridge in a variety of ways.How to get to the Golden Bridge from Da NangDa Nang is one of the best destination when you join in any Vietnam Tours besides the most popular destination of Vietnam - Halong Bay for taking a Halong Bay Cruises.The first hurdle, once in Da Nang, is to get to the Ba Na Hills that lie just outside it. You can expect about a 1-hour journey to get to the Golden Bridge from Da Nang city centre, requiring a drive, a cable car and a walk. Here’s a little step-by-step guide on how to get from Da Nang to the Golden Bridge.Step 1 – Get to the Ba Na FoothillsOnce you’re ready to head out, there are a number of options for getting to the bottom of the Ba Na Hills from Da Nang. There are several cable car stations that service the enormous area of the Ba Na Hills; the one you need to aim for is the Hoi An Station, which takes you directly to the Golden Bridge. The following options all cover the 25km between Da Nang and the Ba Na Hills, and should get you there in under an hour.Option 1 – TaxiAll of the taxis in Da Nang are now legally set at the same price per kilometre (though actual application of this is not total). Taxis are the most convenient option as this is a personalised service and can go at any time, but the price increase reflects that. By comparison, motorbike taxis remain unregulated, meaning that some bargaining must happen and quite a bit of trust must be placed before jumping on the back.Of the most reliable companies, Mai Linh, Dichungtaxi and Vinasun Taxi are among the best. You will see many of these on the streets of Da Nang, so either flag one down or request your hotel reception to arrange one on your behalf. Getting from Da Nang to the Golden Bridge is much more of a breeze this way, with a slightly quicker travel time but a heavily increased price. Expect to pay 300,000 – 350,000 VND ($13 - $15 USD) each way from the city centre in a normal 4-seater taxi, or around 400,000 – 450,000 VND ($17.25 – $19.50 USD) for a 6-seater SUV. Taxis will wait for you at the bottom of the hill and return you to your hotel afterwards if you can negotiate a higher price for them to do so. Minibuses can be booked for bigger groups, but bookings must be made prior to the date of travel and costs can vary more.Option 2 – Private Car or Self-DriveFor the most freedom on your way from Da Nang to the Golden Bridge, you can contact one of Da Nang’s many car rental companies and arrive at the Ba Na foothills in style. Alternatively, if you feel like travelling the Vietnamese way, you can rent a motorbike within the city and take the scenic drive yourself. Motorbike rental companies like Da Nang Bikes and Hidden Land Travel abound in Da Nang because of the popularity of taking a hog along the Hai Van Pass, so options are plentiful and great deals can certainly be found.Option 3 – Join a tourThe comfort and convenience of an organised daytrip to the Ba Na Hills from Da Nang makes this option a great one for families. These sorts of tours cover everything involved in the return trip to the Golden Bridge from Da Nang, including transport from your hotel to the Ba Na Hills, entrance fee, lunch and a guided tour of some of the Ba Na Hills’ most sought-after attractions, before the return to your hotel in the afternoon.  The tour will cost about ($60 to $75) with added extras around Da Nang varying between different tour options. Step 2 – Board the Cable Car Once arrived at the bottom of the Ba Na Hills, proceed through the entrance to purchase a ticket for the park. Tickets are 750,000 VND ($33 USD) for an adult and 600,000 VND ($26.50 USD) for a child between 1m and 1.3m in height. Children taller than these specifications are charged the same as adults and children shorter cost nothing to enter. Walk through to the Hoi An Station, where the longest cable car in the world awaits.Queue for the pod and step in when it arrives. The cable car ride from Da Nang to the Golden Bridge is about 17 minutes and arrives at the ‘Marseilles Station’. Along the way, its passes above gorgeous verdant scenery and provides excellent views down below to Da Nang’s My Khe Beach and the urban expanse of the city. Also along the way, it shatters many of the previously held Guinness World Records for cable cars, such as the greatest elevation change from floor to top and the greatest distance between two cable pylons.Step 3 – Head out onto the Bridge From the circlular arrival room of the Marseilles Station, you can exit directly onto the Golden Bridge and begin your walk along its 150 metres of wooden walkways, flanked by lavender and coated from the bottom and the handrails in a royal gold. After getting your pictures of the fabulous bridge, its magnificent hands and the uncompromised view of Da Nang with its beach and mountains from high above, you can take in the rest of the Ba Na Hills at your leisure. There are a multitude of activities for you to enjoy before you take a cable car back from any of the stations to the entrance of the park, and onwards to Da Nang via your return transport.How to get to the Golden Bridge from Hoi AnDa Nang and its southern neighbour of Hoi An are very well connected and a drive between the two only takes about half an hour. This means that getting from Hoi An to the Golden Bridge is only a slightly longer journey than going from Da Nang. The drive will take about 70 minutes if going by car and slightly longer by motorbike. From the bottom of the Ba Na Hills, take the cable car up to reach the Golden Bridge. Here are some of the options if coming from Hoi An:Option 1 – Shuttle BusFewer shuttle buses operate this route, but you will still be able to find a great deal at the travel agents around Hoi An. The increased distances mean that the shuttle bus will not only follow a different schedule, but will cost a little more. Expect around 200,000 to 250,000 VND ($8.50 to $10.90 USD) per person for a return trip from Hoi An to the Ba Na Hills.Option 2 – TaxiThe same reliable travel companies of Mai Linh, Dichungtaxi and Vinasun Taxi all operate from Hoi An as well as Da Nang. Prices are a little more expensive to reflect the extra mileage required in getting from the Ancient Town to the Ba Na Hills. Expect prices of about 575,000 to 725,000 VND ($22.80 to $31.50 USD) for a regular 4-seater that you can book through your hotel or by waving one down outside the pedestrianised Ancient Town.Option 3 – Private Car or Self-DriveAs in Da Nang, many car rental companies in Hoi An sell the services of their experienced drivers. Of these, Travelocity is one of the more trusted ones, while thrill-seekers looking to incorporate the beautiful coastal road connecting Hoi An and Da Nang can do so on a self-driven motorbike. Option 4 – Join a TourFor an all-inclusive and stress-free day trip from Hoi An to the Ba Na Hills, the premier option would be a guided tour. These are one-day tours that cover all transportation, entrance fees and meals, with a English language tour of all of the theme park’s attractions, including the Golden Bridge. From Hoi An, you can join our Vietnam Golden Bridge One Day Group Tour with the best-offered price.How to get to the Golden Bridge from HueThough they were segregated for thousands of years by the Truong Son mountains between them, modern engineering has now meant that crossing between Hue and Da Nang is an immensely popular thing to do and one of the top unmissable Vietnam experiences. This is entirely because of the beauty of the Hai Van Pass, a 21km road snaking through the mountains that livens up immensely any trip from Hue to the Golden Bridge in Da Nang.Option 1: Self-DriveMany Vietnam group tours feature the stunning drive of the Hai Van Pass in their itineraries, but taking the road under your own power is another experience altogether. This is one of the best ways to get to the Golden Bridge, as at least half an hour of the drive will be over the Hai Van Pass. Even before this, the road from Hue is flanked by many moments of beauty, created by lagoon-side roads and views of Bach Ma National Park and the Truong Son mountains.Given the beauty of the Hai Van Pass and the destinations that it leads to. On the way, a stop-off at the Golden Bridge is actively encouraged and helps to justify the 625,000 VND ($27.10 USD) price tag. Of course, there are various other sites between Hue and Hoi An, such as Bach Ma National Park, Tra Son Peninsula and the Marble Mountains, to make the trip worthwhile.Option 2: Private CarA professional and personal driver is another way to see both the beauty of the Hai Van Pass and the Golden Bridge. Car Rental companies provide the service for around 1,350,000 VND ($58.60 USD), meaning that you can sit back and enjoy the plethora of soaring mountains, hidden beaches, gushing waterfalls and the never-ending ocean on the way from Hue to the Golden Bridge.Option 3: TrainAt just 3.5 hours, a train trip between Hue and Da Nang is a perfectly viable option to visit Vietnam’s Golden Bridge. The Reunification Express runs five services daily for about $17 and all of which will cut across the beautiful Hai Van Pass, still affording you those fantastic views of Mother Nature at her best.How to get to the Golden Bridge from HanoiAlmost 800km separate Hanoi from Da Nang, meaning that anything other than a flight would be a fairly arduous journey. Flights between the two cities occur very frequently, which means that getting from Hanoi to the Golden Bridge can certainly be easier than Vietnam’s geography would suggest.Option 1: FlightEasily the most convenient and cheapest option to visit the Golden Bridge from Hanoi, flying via any of the budget airlines can see you land in Da Nang just one hour after leaving the capital. Jetstar and VietJet provide many daily services from Hanoi for as little as 700,000 VND ($30 USD), while flights on Vietnam Airlines can set you back about 1,380,000 VND (60 USD). Of course, prices vary a lot with flights so check them regularly, but they usually remain surprisingly low, meaning that you are never far from Vietnam’s Golden Bridge, anywhere in the country. A taxi from Da Nang airport will complete the journey in about half an hour.Option 2: Sleeper TrainThe Reunification Express service connects the entire country with a reasonably reliable network of trains. With a much longer travel time of around 16 hours, and a higher cost of about $62 for a soft bed in a 4-bed cabin, there aren’t many reasons to choose the train from Hanoi to the Golden Bridge over a flight, but some people enjoy the experience, not matter how long or pricey.How to get to the Golden Bridge from Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh City is further away from Vietnam’s Golden Bridge than Hanoi, but the two are still well-connected, such is the impressive state of Vietnam’s cross-country transportation system. True thrill-seekers can take a bike up from Ho Chi Minh City to the Golden Bridge, but with an itinerary plan of a couple of weeks, you would be forgiven for wanting to get there with a bit less of the effort, time and money requirements.Option 1: FlightAgain, a no-brainer when it comes to going to the Golden Bridge from Ho Chi Minh City is via plane. Costs are not much different than from Hanoi despite the extra 800km of flying, and prices can easily be found for as cheap as 1000,000 VND ($45 USD) to Da Nang for budget airlines and about double for Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier. The journey takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to Da Nang airport, from where a 30-minute taxi ride will take you straight to the base of the Ba Na Hills.Option 2: Sleeper TrainThe Reunification Express from the capital of the south takes about 17.5 hours and covers about 950km to Da Nang Railway Station. From here, the 25km journey via taxi to the bottom of the Ba Na Hills will take the overall cost to about 1,850,000 VND ($80 USD).When you are in Vietnam you may wish to join in more tours. Check it out at Vietnam Group Tours.