Hanoi’s first “Hop on – Hop off” buses were launched on May 30 to serve tourists in exploring the capital city, aiming to create a highlight in local tourism in this summer.

After the central coastal city of Da Nang, Hanoi has become the second locality to operate the double-storey buses.

According to Deputy Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Transportation Service Corporation Nguyen Cong Nhat, the Hanoi city tour Hop on – Hop off using the roofless buses gives visitors a view of the city from the above.

The “Hop on-Hop off” bus service designed by Hanoitourist travel company aims to offer tourists a new and more convenient way to explore Hanoi’s tourist attractions.

Each bus has 80 seats and is equipped with modern technology, including the GPS system, free Wifi, USB gates, refrigerator, a TV screen and safety cameras.

An automatic narration system in various languages such as English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean is also installed in the buses, giving visitors an overall insight of over 30 most typical tourist attractions of the city.

As one of the first visitor using the service, Dac Luong from Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi said that the service gives visitors a convenient tour through various streets.

Route 01 departs from the Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square near Hoan Kiem Lake, passing Le Thai To – Trang Thi- Dien Bien Phu – Doc Lap – Hoang Van Thu – Hung Vuong – Thanh Nien – Yen Phu – Thanh Nien – Hung Vuong – Phan Dinh Phung - Hoang Dieu – Le Hong Phong – Hung Vuong – Nguyen Thai Hoc – Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam – Ton Duc Thang – Nguyen Thai Hoc – Cua Nam - Phan Boi Chau – Ly Thuong Kiet – Phan Chu Trinh – Hai Ba Trung – Le Thanh Tong – Trang Tien - Dinh Tien Hoang and ends at the bus station (starting point).

In the weekend, as the pedestrian streets open, the route changes to Hanoi Opera House – Trang Tien – Ngo Quyen – Ly Thuong Kiet – Quang Trung – Trang Thi – Dien Bien Phu – Doc Lap – Hoang Van Thu – Hung Vuong – Thanh Nien – Yen Phu – Thanh Nien - Hung Vuong – Phan Dinh Phung  - Hoang Dieu – Le Hong Phong – Hung Vuong – Nguyen Thai Hoc – Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam – Ton Duc Thang – Nguyen Thai Hoc – Cua Nam-Phan Boi Chau – Ly Thuong Kiet – Phan Chu Trinh – Hai Ba Trung – Le Thanh Tong – Hanoi Opera House.

The operation time of the service is from 9:00 to 18:10. One bus will depart in every 30 minutes. Ticket price is 300,000 VND (13.2 USD) for a four-hour tour, 450,000 VND (19.8 USD) for 24 hours and 650,000 (28.6) for 48 hours.

According to Nguyen The Hung, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, last year, Hanoi served nearly 24 million visitors, up 9 percent over 2016. The municipal Department of Tourism predicted that in the first half of 2018, the growth in the number of tourist to the city will reached 24 percent. 

As a regional and global attractive destination, Hanoi eyes to welcome 25.4 million tourists, including 5.5 million foreigners, this year.-VNA