A new bus city tour will take tourists on a journey through the Old Quarter and along West Lake. (Photo courtesy of Hanoi Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company) The hop on and hop off sightseeing tour,entitled Thang Long Thang Canh (The Scenic Spots of ThăngLong) and operated by the Hanoi Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company, willtake tourists on a journey through the Old Quarter and along West Lake. Thesingle-deck open-top buses can accommodate 20 people and are equipped withaudio guides in five languages: Vietnamese, English, Japanese, Chinese, andKorean.
The tour service starts at 9am and ends at 6:30pm at Ho Guom (Sword Lake) fromTuesdays to Saturdays, and at Hanoi Opera House on Sundays. The buses operatewith a frequency of every 30 minutes.
Travellers can get off and explore at 13 famous attractions along the route,including Dong Xuan Market, Long Bien Bridge, Tran Quoc Pagoda, HydroplaneDock, Vong Thi Temple, Tao Sach Pagoda, Kim Lien Pagoda, Imperial Citadel, HoChi Minh Mausoleum, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, and Hanoi Opera House.At each location, they can catch the next bus to continue their journey.
Tickets could be bought directly at boothsnearby either Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square or Hanoi Opera House, or via thewebsite hncitytour.vn. Prices range from 100,000 to 250,000 VND (4-11USD). Tickets are free for children under six years old.
One of the first tourists joining The Scenic Spots ofThang Long tour, Nguyen Ngoc Tien from the northern province of BacNinh was impressed with the new experience.
"Hanoi boasts its Old Quarter with small narrow streets. The newbus city tour passes through Hang Ngang, Hang Dao, Long Bien Bridge and WestLake that are famous landmarks with ancient craft villages, temples, and pagodas.The journey is very interesting,” he said.
The two other bus city tours use two big double deckers that mainly passthrough major streets./.
VNA
