Hanoi Train Street: Wandering the Mystic Alleys

Hanoi Train Street: Oh look, that’s a pretty train! That’s a narrow alley for one. Wait, IT’S A STREET?

I’d seen videos of this ‘street’ on social media but never anticipated finding it here. For most of my Vietnam tour, I let my friend, whose family lived there, plan the itinerary.

Expecting no more than lively market streets, theaters, and historical heritage sites from Hanoi, this was quite a surprising find; Decorated rail alleys belting past a good stretch of the Old Quarters.

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Hanoi Train Street Blog

Hanoi is a paradise for history geeks. Be it the wartime days (Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum), thousand-year-old pagodas (Trấn Quốc Pagoda and One Pillar Pagoda), or the stories of ancient creatures like the Hoan Kiem turtle. I spent a good deal of time exploring Ba Đình Square, Hoan Kiem Lake, and even the Water Puppet Show.

In contrast, Hanoi Train Street and Old Quarters create the animated humming of daily life in Hanoi, which adds diversity to the city. Not to mention, Train Street single-handedly brings tourists to Vietnam’s capital.

But visiting it firsthand, I realized there was much more in play than the pretty coffee bars. Strangely, not everyone was welcomed with open arms here (we did find a way around to get in eventually). Here goes my experience, the Hanoi Train Street blog.

Where is Hanoi Train Street?

Hanoi Train Street Location: To experience the Hanoi Train Street, the most popular spots are Le Duan 224 Alley (Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn) and No.5 Tran Phu (Số 5 Trần Phú) in Hoan Kiem area.

Check this section’s footnote for Google Map links.

There are other shophouses by this track but the above spots are livelier. From Old Quarters Hanoi, the 5 Tran Phu isn’t hard to come across via walk.

Be it Le Duan or Tran Phu there are many little alleys you can enter this street between the two ends.

The cheapest way to get to Train Street is via bus. For Le Duan, arrive at either of these stops: Hà Nội 259 Lê Duẩn or Ga Hà Nội – 120 Lê Duẩn (the latter is 10 minutes walk away from Le Duan).

Buses coming through here are: 01, 03A, 08B, 11, 32, 40, and 49

For Tran Phu, the closest stop is this one, Công Viên Lê Nin – 35 Trần Phú which refers to the Lenin City Park which is a 6-minute walk away. Buses for Tran Phu Street are: 01, 18, 36, 36 CT.

Hanoi Train Street tip: Pick the Tran Phu Train Street, it’s a close walk to Phung Hung Mural Street from here – another must-visit spot I’ll mention later in this blog.

To get straight to this spot from afar, use Grab Car or GrabBike. With the language barrier, this was our life savior, even in the commercial Capital of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City.

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I visited the 5 Tran Phu part of the train street and couldn’t even tell upon reaching it. Our taxi came across a railroad crossing and the gates lowered before us. Hanoi’s rackety traffic with bikes, cars, and bicycles huddled together waiting for the gates.

Oddly, tourists popped up with their shades on, and cameras held up at the crossing. Is it a special train, I thought. Before I realized it, the train suddenly emerged – a striking cornell red Diesel Engine with its headlights on!

I was at a loss for words for a second, the next minute we settled the bill and jumped out into the traffic.

Hanoi Train Street Location (use the Vietnamese addresses to get to Train Street):

1. Le Duan 224 Alley (Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn)
2. No.5 Tran Phu (Số 5 Trần Phú)

Hanoi Train Street Schedule: When to Visit?

The train street is pretty. But witnessing the beauty through the little spot is something else. However, the trains here aren’t frequent thus getting a hold of it is something to be planned earlier.

The North (Tran Phu) and South (Le Duan) ends of the train street have slight variations in the timings. Then there are possibilities of delays as well. Below is a rough 5 Tran Phu Train schedule but I highly recommend visiting one of the cafes to check on the timings beforehand. The locals always know it best.

5 Tran Phu Train Schedule (as of August 2024)

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Again, these timings change. The train schedule is plastered across the train street and cafes. Note and plan your visit accordingly to avoid missing it.

It’s best to visit in the evenings as Vietnam’s heat is simply painful in the afternoons.

We settled in a cafe here with cold coffee that came with the cafe’s train schedule pamphlet. Having that train pass just as we arrived, we realized the next one was 3 hours away (3:20 pm). There wasn’t a chance we would wait in the heat… so we missed it :(

Another post for you to read: Da Nang Guide: A Low-key City in Central Vietnam

Bittersweet History of Hanoi’s Train Street

Sorry but being a sucker for history, this part is quite long, skip ahead if you’d like :)

Stepping on the rail sleepers through the humid yet calm street, I could sense some story behind this magical spot. For one, Wikipedia talks of builds dating back to French Colonization in 1902. The railway stretches across the S-shaped country (I secretly believe it’s rather seahorse-shaped) for 2652 km from North to South.

But the ‘train street’ refers to only two small parts no more than a couple hundred meters long at the heart of Hanoi, by Old Quarters.

But that didn’t explain the recent sudden rise in popularity. Some blogs only mention how Train Street was officially closed when tourism began bothering rail transport. Instances caused several close calls and even to a point where the train had to take a different route due to tourist crowds.

However, the question still stood – how did it get popular in the first place? That’s when I came across what I was looking for in a post by Vietnam in Focus. These folks built Train Street tourism brick by brick.

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They saw Hanoi’s rail alleys over a decade ago when they were no more than peaceful shortcuts for locals. Times when it was surprising to find a foreigner passing through. Poorer families lived by the tracks. People sat here to cook or read a newspaper.

As the word spread of the hidden beauty of Hanoi, the scenario has changed drastically with expensive cafes and massage centers here. The article on Vietnam in Focus was quite an interesting story with fantastic photos – do give it a read!

Here are some authentic food and walking tours around Hanoi Walking Street that I wish I’d handpicked for myself on Klook.com. Also, being a partner our readers get better deals, don’t miss out!

Klook.com

Another post for you to read (Medium): A Local Gifted Us a 6-Pack Beer on a Beach — Vietnam

Is the Famous Train Street Open? (The funny bit)

The Street closed in 2019 but 2 years later post-pandemic, it has been somewhat reopened. When I visited in 2023, there was a lot of play around the place. Grab a chair, let me explain.

Getting off that taxi at the jammed railroad crossing, we tried entering the train street alley beyond the barrier. Strangely, we were stopped by a policewoman at the tiny barrier who signaled, you can’t go past this.

Right behind her were literally a dozen other tourists strolling the tracks and cafes serving drinks to people. My friend and I glanced at each other in confusion. Racism, probably?

We walked away from the crossing in search of another way when a local who appeared to be a restaurant staff came up from behind and asked, “You want… buy… coffee… inside? ” We weren’t sure at first but soon, she led us past the police barrier and into a cafe.

Tired of the heat, we settled with a cold coffee at Cafe 90 Tran Phu and forgot about the strange event. After cooling down a bit, wandering the tracks, and taking pictures, we decided to head out for lunch.

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We walked out back to the road only for our stupid asses to realize there were restaurants down on the Train Street. So we tried getting back to the same alley when a bulked-up lady blocked us.

“Sorry you can’t come in,” she spoke in English.

I persuaded: “We came through here earlier. We wanted to find a restaurant-”

But she cut me off, “THIS IS MY HOME! You can’t come here”

My friend and I exchanged quiet glances. Noted. We left quickly to find another restaurant staff, someone walking under Hanoi’s summer heat. Soon enough, we were led back to another restaurant by the tracks. As our order was being prepared, we witnessed it again; two white dudes being pushed off the tracks.

This time it was by a gang of shirtless local guys – toned arms covered with tattoos and cigarettes gripped between fingertips.

The tourists’ efforts to explain they’d pay at a restaurant were in vain. At least now we were sure it wasn’t a racism thing. All of a sudden it hit me; what the commotion was about.

So is Hanoi Train Street open? The train street seems open now but the answer is unclear. Police barricades keep out visitors from either end yet tourists get to stroll the street invited by the cafes inside.

The only possible explanation is Hanoi doesn’t want people on its public tracks. Nonetheless, it doesn’t want to lose tourism. So it denies tourists when confronted upfront but closes an eye to the train street cafes when it invites people inside.

Ultimately, it meant better-controlled tourist crowds at the cost of handing the cafe folks full power over who is let inside.

Another post for you to read: Ultimate Halong Bay Blog: 1 Delightful Day by Emerald Islets

Is Hanoi Train Street Safe to Visit?

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Yes! As frightening as the proximity seems, Hanoi Train Street is quite safe to visit. Trains slow down on this urban route and honk through the Train Street.

Damn, I missed the chance to witness this myself.

Anyhow, take precautions and stay well behind the safety lines. Before that perfect shot, be safety conscious – a responsible traveler. Obey the cafe staff, their livelihoods are at stake when they trust you. Sit back (or stand) and relax while the train goes choo choo before your nose!

Hanoi Train Street Day Tour

Unlike a spot like Halong Bay, Hanoi Train Street takes no more than a couple of hours of your day. If you see a tour package that says “Hanoi Train Street Day Tour” or “Train Street Walking Tour”, walk away.

On the contrary, those “Old Quarters” food tours are noteworthy. Nevertheless, I realized there are more things one can do at Hanoi’s railways than just one street.

First, grab a bite at the Train Street Destinations, Le Duan 224 Alley, or 5 Tran Phu – they aren’t very different. But something not to miss is the Phung Hung Mural Street (27 P. Phùng Hưng, Hàng Mã, Hà Nội)

The 200-meter Phung Hung Mural Street, a part of the Hoan Kiem area, that runs along the railway under arch-shaped bridges is a recent addition to Hanoi’s beauties.

With Vietnam’s rich heritage and traditions splashed onto the archways by the city’s brilliant craftsmen and the train passing right over, it immerses us into the country’s early days.

Spending most of my time in Hanoi wandering Hoan Kiem, I hadn’t idea of this spot (I regret not visiting it). Thus I can’t express it in vivid detail, but here’s another blog of the same, don’t miss it!

Other things to do around Train Street are the Old Quarters (go food hopping on Vietnam’s delicacies!) and Hoan Kiem Lake. While I wouldn’t recommend a “Train Street Tour”, I wouldn’t mind picking a guided walking tour through the markets of Old Quarters.

Here are some handpicked tours from Klook.com for exploring Hanoi’s alleys. As a partner of Klook, our readers get discounted rates. Grab your deal today!

Klook.com

Another post for you to read: 13 Jewels to Explore in Ba Na Hills – Guide and Review

Hanoi Train Street Blog: Tailpiece

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I daresay I skipped a big part of this Hanoi Train Street blog; The Hanoi Train Street cafes. I don’t think it’s significant at all. *Gasps… I’ll explain why you shouldn’t bother too.

Hanoi Train Station today screams “Pay for our coffee to walk on our tracks”. Picking your cafe when you can’t window shop isn’t… ahem… convenient. The upside? The cafes weren’t super different from one another in terms of quality.

Moreover, the prices, no doubt bloated, weren’t super expensive.

Most serve cold coffee and fruit drinks. Some offer heavier cuisines like seafood fried rice and noodles. There’s no authentic cuisine to look for. But if you’re looking to settle down with a beer by the tiny tables (so tiny that the train wheels are the view), search for the right restaurant staff.

Apart from that, Train Street is all about those Instagrammable pictures and breathing in the enigmatic view. And it won’t disappoint you! Take a deep breath, enjoy your Hanoi Train Street stroll, and tell me how it went below.

Happy traveling :)