Tourists explore Hà Nội in the cultural train tour The “Hà Nội Five City Gates” Train. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — As cultural industries grow rapidly, Hà Nội is opening a new direction for tourism by combining sightseeing with modern public transport such as metro lines and buses.

It is expected to provide convenient and unique journeys and create innovative tourism products that can give the capital’s tourism sector a fresh boost.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution, the cultural train tour The “Hà Nội Five City Gates” Train (The Hà Nội Train) was officially launched, offering a distinctive and culturally rich tourism product. From September 3, the train has been running on the Thăng Long–Kinh Bắc route, connecting Hà Nội with the quan họ (love duet) folk music region of Bắc Ninh.

On board, visitors can enjoy traditional xẩm (blind wanderers' music) and chèo (Vietnamese traditional opera) singing alongside contemporary music, and sample iconic Hà Nội delicacies such as green rice and lotus tea. Each carriage is decorated to reflect the city’s history and identity: one evokes Hà Nội's subsidy-era lifestyle, another features the iconic Long Biên Bridge, while others recreate images of old collective housing blocks. The journey also introduces the cultural heritage of Bắc Ninh, from quan họ singing to Đông Hồ folk painting. Tickets quickly sold out after the first commercial trips on September 6.

Earlier, in August, the Hà Nội Department of Tourism and Hà Nội Metro launched another tourism product on Metro Line 2A (Cát Linh–Yên Nghĩa). Stretching 13km with 12 stations, the line connects to major attractions such as President Hồ Chí Minh’s Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, the National Cinema Centre, Royal City shopping mall, Vạn Phúc Silk Village, and Văn Quán Lake. Visitors can even tour the control centre, take photos, and try out a train-driving simulator.

Alongside the rail system, Hà Nội has expanded bus routes to tourism sites. Beyond the popular double-decker city tour, electric buses now link the city centre with destinations such as Bát Tràng Pottery Village. During the ongoing national exhibition celebrating Việt Nam's 80-year journey of independence, 20 free electric bus routes have carried large numbers of visitors.

According to Deputy Director of the Hà Nội Department of Tourism Trầ n Trung Hiếu, the operation of the cultural train, Metro Line 2A, and bus routes not only eases traffic congestion but also opens new opportunities to explore Hà Nội in a modern, eco-friendly way.

Nguyễn Văn Ngọc, Deputy General Director of Hà Nội Metro, said that transforming transport infrastructure into cultural tourism products is a creative step that expands the city’s potential for urban tourism. This approach also represents a “creative reuse” of urban assets, linking them with cultural and economic development. 

Tourism experts noted that while these products are attracting strong attention, Hà Nội must develop long-term strategies to sustain their appeal. Chairman of the Hà Nội UNESCO Travel Club Trương Quốc Hùng stressed that cultural and experiential activities need to be expanded so that each train or bus ride becomes a genuine cultural journey. For rail-based products, he suggested offering package tours that combine tickets with accommodation and sightseeing.

Similarly, Vice Chairman of the Hà Nội Tourism Association Nguyễn Tiến Đạt called for stronger partnerships with localities and businesses to diversify destinations, enhance culinary and shopping experiences at stops, and build on successful international models of public-transport-based tourism.

Hà Nội's tourism strategy prioritises sustainable development and a green, modern urban environment.

According to Director of the city’s Department of Tourism Đặng Hương Giang, more surveys and pilot programmes will be implemented to design and perfect tourism products linked to public transport, with the goal of making the capital more attractive to visitors in the years ahead. — VNA/VNS