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Saigon - Sundown in the Colony in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Get off the tourist trail and explore one of Saigon’s most fascinating local neighbourhoods - an area of vintage apartment blocks and vibrant street markets known as ‘the colony’.

Cancellation policy

Review the supplier policy below before booking.

Duration 4 hours

Duration supplied by the experience provider.

Languages

English, Arabic, German, cn, French, Spanish, Turkish

Group size

1–5 travelers

Full description

Tucked away in District 3 is one of Saigon’s best-kept local secrets, a throwback to the Vietnam of thirty or forty years ago. Old school apartment blocks huddle together amidst the modern city, where a bustling community of markets and street traders thrives. We head out to this area, known as ‘the colony’ in late afternoon, just as the streets liven up for the evening’s action. We’ll start by shooting life in and around the apartment blocks, capturing daily activity amidst the fascinating retro architecture, and then move onto the local flower market, picturesquely sheltered overhead by hundreds of umbrellas. Our focus is on street photography, portraiture and of course low-light photography once the sun goes down. We’ll also have a chance to try out some of Saigon’s signature street food dishes in an area renowned for culinary excellence. 

Itinerary

The Colony.  We start out exploring the fascinating apartment blocks that lie at the center of the area. Venturing up several of the stairwells, we capture unique shots of life in this vintage accommodation. We’ll be looking at how to use leading lines, angles and moments of sudden movement to shoot geometric, urban exploration-type imagery. 

Flower Market. The sun is beginning to go down, and it’s time to walk over to the flower market, which is illuminated with fluorescent lights, and a hive of action. As well as many types of flowers, the nearby food stalls sell a variety of Saigon specialities. We’ll have a quick snack (or several) and a milk tea or coffee while reviewing the pictures taken so far. 

Portraits of the street vendors.  Now it’s time to wander the stalls of this area in search of portraits of the vendors and other images of local life. We’ll be looking at how to approach people for photos, different types of composition and optional settings for these types of situations. 

Rooftop Nightscapes. We now move to our last stop of the tour, a rooftop high above the city streets. We’ll set up our tripods here to shoot long exposure images of the view, including street night life and a traditional pagoda. 

Photo Review and Critique.  We have a last drink in the cafe below and review our shots, before taking you back to the hotel. 

What’s included

Included

  • Guide
  • Transfer
  • Hotel Pick up & Drop Off
  • Professional Photographer Guide

Important information

Meeting point

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Don’t forget

DSLR Camera / Film Camera Smartphone Memory Cards Fully Charged Batteries Wide Angle or Zoom Lens Tripod

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation.

Your host

VE

Verified Local Host

With GetExperience since 2026

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From€159.97 / group