Open-top buses rev up to cruise Hanoi's top tourist sites

Hanoi's first double-decker bus will be hitting the streets on a trial run this Friday to take tourists on a scenic route around the city where they can enjoy the Opera House, Temple of Literature, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the capital's famous Old Quarter.

If the trial proves a success, Hanoi Transport Corporation (Transerco), the capital's main bus operator, will officially put the service into operation in the next two months.

An open-top tour bus in Hanoi. Photo by Tuan Anh

In late 2016, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc gave permission to Hanoi and six other towns and cities to launch open-top tour buses on a trial basis.

The buses can seat up to 45 passengers.

Open-top tour buses are popular in major cities around the world, including London, New York and Singapore.

Vietnam has set a target of welcoming 17-20 million foreign visitors and serving 82 million domestic travelers per year by 2020. If that target is hit, tourism should contribute over 10 percent to the country’s gross domestic product.

This year, Vietnam aims to welcome 11.5 million foreign visitors and serve 66 million domestic travelers, pocketing VND460 trillion ($20.6 billion) in tourism revenue, said the National Administration of Tourism.