Hanoi Long Bien Sunrise Photo Tour

I arrived from Seattle, Washington, and participated in four half-day tours. I have been published in magazines, newspapers and wire services and won awards for some of my work. But it became clear I needed to go back to some basics and Vietnam in Focus' guides helped me rebuild a foundation with tips on positioning, settings and composition. There is so much to learn and the guides provided critical insights and encouragement. I came away with memorable photos reflecting daily life and culture.

I joined the Long Bien Sunrise Tour and it was honestly the best experience I’ve had in Vietnam. My guide Tung picked me up at 4:30 am from my hotel, and we took a taxi to Long Bien Market while it was still dark. To ease into the intense atmosphere, we first started on the bridge, where I could observe the market from above. Tung prepared me really well for what to expect inside the market: it’s loud, crowded, and full of movement, with motorbikes, carts and trucks constantly weaving through the narrow paths. As we entered the market, the sun began to rise and the light was absolutely beautiful. I was able to catch some really special moments. Afterwards, we returned to the bridge to photograph the morning traffic heading into the city. We ended the tour with a delicious breakfast and coffee at a nearby café. Despite the early wake-up and the intense heat, this tour was 100% worth it. I would have never gone to the market alone at that hour, but Tung gave me a real sense of security and brought me to the best spots for photography. It was a wonderful experience, and I’m so grateful for the treasure of images I got to take home.

This tour was amazing 10/10 Boris our guide picked us up at 04.30 in the morning to start the photo tour, immediately we felt comfortable with him and he was an absolute pleasure to spend the time with. He gave us many tips advice and information that we will always take with us. Boris took us to Long Bien bridge to photograph the train and the photos turned out amazing, beyond our expectations. We then entered the market and took photos of the people going about their daily lives. He showed us where to take the photo, how to take them and when to take them. He gave great advice to Jayne as she didn’t know her way around the camera only on auto mode, but to her surprise found with Boris’s advise she could move on and take great photos without using auto. He has great patience. we walked to old quarter after the market and took more shots, visited train street as well, we were well impressed with the information and advice we were given I can’t recommend Boris enough. without him our photos would have been just good photos but with him they were truly great. We will be super proud to show off our morning photo tour photographs to all who want to see them. On viewing photos later, we have some fantastic ones. Thanks Boris 😁 Once again a big shout out to Boris and a big thank you for all your help, advice and friendship. hope if you book this tour you are as lucky as us to have Boris take you 👍

we were picked up by Boris at 04.30am in the morning for the photo tour of Long Bien market Right from the start Boris was friendly and made us feel comfortable. He was an absolute pleasure to be with. He gave us lots of tips and advise which we will take with us, He showed us what photos to take, where to take them from and how to take them, We can’t thank him enough and he definitely went the extra mile. At the end of the tour when we looked at the photos we had taken, I can honestly say we had some great ones, and this would not have been possible without him, we would never have found the market and the photos exceeded our expectations. If you book this tour, I only hope you are as lucky as we were and get Boris to take you. Once again Thank you Boris it was beyond all our expectations. Paul and Jayne Machin

We had a great photo tour with Lavonne. The advice and photography tips were really good and we got some fabulous images. Lavonne is great company. We’d highly recommend the tour, Lavonne and Vietnam in Focus. Thanks for a fabulous tour!

Hanoi Awakes (well it never really sleeps) is the title given to my photo album after a fabulous walk around some very interesting areas in the early morning light with Jeff from Vietnam in Focus. I loved that the activity level was scaled by him to suit my lack of mobility and my elderly eyesight. He took care of my physical safety among the traffic and found safe spots for me to stand while gently advising on better angles and camera settings to get the most out of the activities around us. It was a great morning and the photos far exceed my usual level of basic competence. Thank you Vietnam in Focus for a tour which exceeded my expectations.

My wife and I took the tour on the 20/11/18 , our guide was Duc , he didn't need to teach us anything about photography. It was useful to have Duc with us to help us communicate with the people. The market is full on and you just don't know what to photograph next . Thanks guys for a great experience.

DucLinh was my guide for the morning and provided one of the best learning experiences I've had with my photography. From the impressive sights on the bridge to the bustling market, I was captivated and overawed. Must do if you are looking for something unique in Hanoi.

While in Hanoi for a few days waiting for the start of a major photo tour of Vietnam, I decided to sign up for both this tour and the Hanoi by night tour. Both photographers I worked with were excellent, taking me places I couldn't have found on my own and suggesting a variety of angles and techniques designed to make sure I went home happy. Kudos to both Duc (Sunrise tour) and Matthieu (Hanoi at Night); I also enjoyed talking with them about life in Vietnam and Hanoi in particular. Vietnam in Focus also offers longer-range trips if you're interested. Do give them a try!

What a great tour! From the morning market, the train and some back streets which I would never have found on my own! Boris was very open and happy to give tips and suggestions both on my photography and general life in Hanoi! The morning went super fast and I would certainly recommend to anyone!