Long Bien Bridge (Cau Long Bien)

The Basics

The historical significance of Long Bien Bridge means that it features on several Hanoi sightseeing tours. Visitors can get off the beaten path and explore a part of the Vietnamese capital that few tourists see on a tour of the railway that stretches between Hanoi’s Old Town and Long Bien. Alternatively, motorbike tours combine a stop at Long Bien Bridge with a visit to Hanoi Quarter and can be tailored to focus on street food or history.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Architecture buffs will delight in seeing part of Gustave Eiffel’s legacy.

• The pedestrianized part of the bridge runs parallel to the train tracks, making for excellent photo opportunities.

• While Long Bien Bridge has a footpath, pedestrians should still be careful of the often congested motorbike traffic crossing the bridge.

• During the evening, street-food vendors line the pedestrian route and offer some of the tastiest street food in Hanoi.

How to Get There

From Hanoi Old Quarter, Long Bien Bridge is a 30-minute walk or a 10-minute drive depending on traffic. Vietnam’s free-for-all approach to driving means that crossing roads can often be a time-consuming and anxiety-inducing feat. Most first-time visitors opt to visit the bridge as part of a tour by car or motorbike in order to avoid navigational stresses.

When to Get There

You can access Long Bien Bridge at any time of day or night, but the bridge is at its best from early evening. Visitors can watch the sun setting over the river and sample local delicacies from vendors that appear in the evening.

Hanoi’s Famous Train Street

Tightly packed between Le Duan and Kham Tien street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a lane better known as train street. The street, which is crowded on either side by houses and businesses, goes from a bustling hive of activity to completely empty several times a day as the train rumbles through. The spectacle has risen in popularity and is now included on several Hanoi sightseeing tours.