Ho Chi Minh Railway Village 1 Day Photography Tour
A snapshot from bygone Saigon – as the train rumbles through Explore Saigon’s railway village on this exhilarating sunrise photo tour.
We capture life along the tracks as trains roll in from the north, photographing street traders, markets, railway workers and locals going about their daily life.
This quiet part of the city, surprisingly close to the centre, is like a snapshot from bygone times, with narrow, sleepy alleyways, vintage coffeeshops and Saigonese showing their traditional smiles and hospitality.
Along the way, we’ll work on composition techniques and use of various settings to take your images to the next level.
Discover the real Saigon while learning the art of great street photography.
Highlights
During the day you will be visiting some amazing areas of Saigon and some very special locations including:
- Saigon Railway Station
- Saigon’s Railway Village
- Traditional Saigonese Alleyways
- Local Morning Market Commuter Trains arriving at rush hour
Equipment
Please bring equipment that is readily available to you and that you are comfortable with. Training and photography tips will be provided on tour by our professional photographers based on the locations, lighting and the type of shots you would like to capture. Our photographers will tailor their knowledge to your skill level or interests. Please bring:
- DSLR Camera / Film Camera
- Smart phone
- Memory Cards
- Wide Angle or Zoom Lens
- Fully Charged Battery (spare batteries if available)
Itinerary
We start at Saigon Railway Station at about 5.30am with an introduction to the tour, camera settings review and a look at how to create a picture story.
Our first subject is the old steam locomotive parked at the station entrance, which stands as a testament to the century-long history of Vietnam’s railway. We’ll explore the vast network of old Saigonese streets and alleys, already busy with commuters and market-goers. We’ll be capturing atmospheric portraits and relationship shots of all kinds of local characters among these narrow railside alleyways.
It’s fascinating to see the neighbourhood waking up, and with some of the shop shutters still down, there’s a minimalist vibe to the scene. We’ll work on isolating passersby against these backgrounds for striking pictures of daily life.
The narrow alleyways suddenly open up into a vibrant local market, a fantastic place to capture shots of busy local life. We’ll interact with the traders and shoppers for intimate portraits, and look at composition tips. With the market getting busier by the minute, it’s important to tidy up our shots and make some sense of the chaos.
Exiting the market, we find ourselves parallel the railway tracks, it’s rush hour and traffic is pouring over a nearby junction. You’ll encounter railway workers manning the track points, as well as traders selling their goods to passing commuters. And of course, many trains are rolling in from the north, passing right across the junctions and towards Saigon station.
We now join a very quiet trackside alleyway, with houses and cafes that hark back to old Saigon. There’s plenty to photograph down here, and we continue our picture story of life in Saigon’s own ‘railway village’. It’s breakfast time, and we’ll enjoy a classic Saigonese start to the day, with a delicious local breakfast.
We finish up at a fantastic little trackside cafe, full of vintage cameras and other memorabilia from old Saigon – and most importantly serving delicious coffee!
Inclusions
- Hotel Pickup ( Hotel pickups commence approximately 15 minutes prior to this time.)
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- Breakfast
- Professional Photographer Guide
Book Now
From $79 per person
Bambang Susanto –
Every moment was filled with photographic opportunities. The professional photographers guided us in composition techniques and brought out the best in our images. Indeed this tour gave us many beautiful photos and an authentic glimpse into the real Saigon.
Tomas Novak –
This tour was not only for those who love photography. The sunrise photo tour through Saigon’s railway village was indeed an incredible experience. You should try it!
Liu Wei –
We were impressive the Saigon railway village sunrise photo trip. The bustling market and antique cafes were suitable for taking beautiful pictures. The photographer guide was friendly, and we had a fantastic journey.