The hop on and hop off sightseeing tour, entitled Thang Long Thang Canh (The Scenic Spots of Thăng Long) and operated by the Hanoi Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company, will take tourists on a journey through the Old Quarter and along West Lake. The single-deck open-top buses can accommodate 20 people and are equipped with audio guides in five languages: Vietnamese, English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

The tour service starts at 9am and ends at 6:30pm at Ho Guom (Sword Lake) from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and at Hanoi Opera House on Sundays. The buses operate with a frequency of every 30 minutes.

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)

Travellers can get off and explore at 13 famous attractions along the route, including Dong Xuan Market, Long Bien Bridge, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Hydroplane Dock, Vong Thi Temple, Tao Sach Pagoda, Kim Lien Pagoda, Imperial Citadel, Ho Chi 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 booths nearby either Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square or Hanoi Opera House, or via the website hncitytour.vn. Prices range from 100,000 to 250,000 VND (4-11 USD). Tickets are free for children under six years old.

One of the first tourists joining The Scenic Spots of Thang Long tour, Nguyen Ngoc Tien from the northern province of Bac Ninh was impressed with the new experience.

"Hanoi boasts its Old Quarter with small narrow streets. The new bus city tour passes through Hang Ngang, Hang Dao, Long Bien Bridge and West Lake 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 pass through major streets.