Artisan Thanh Lịch plays a traditional Mông flute aboard the new tourist train linking Hà Nội and Thái Nguyên. — Photo courtesy of the organising board

HÀ NỘI — A new tourist train linking Hà Nội and Thái Nguyên will offer visitors a chance to experience local culture, tea products and heritage sites ahead of the Thái Nguyên International Tea Festival 2026, scheduled for October 30 to November 7.

Six services are planned for October 30 and 31, November 1 and November 5 to 7, each carrying about 250 passengers. Round-trip tickets are priced at VNĐ200,000 (US$7.70) for individual travellers and VNĐ160,000 ($6.20) per person for groups.

The six-carriage train will depart from Hà Nội Station at 6.25am and stop at Long Biên Station for passengers to take photos before continuing to Lưu Xá Station in Thái Nguyên. The journey will take about two hours, with urban views giving way to open fields along the railway.

One carriage is reserved for cultural performances and exchanges, while the other five will accommodate passengers. Activities will include traditional music and dance performances, featuring then singing and the đàn tính string instrument of the Tày, Nùng and Thái, and the Mông flute.

The cultural carriage will also introduce visitors to local tea products, including those rated three or four stars under the national One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme, as well as processed products made by local cooperatives, such as green tea peanut candy.

The train journey is designed as a starting point for tours exploring Thái Nguyên's tea-growing areas, historical sites and community-based tourism destinations. From Lưu Xá Station, visitors can travel by road to attractions across the province.

Nguyễn Hữu Cường, vice chairman of the Thái Nguyên Tourism Association, said five tour programmes have been developed around the railway route, combining tea culture with historical heritage, natural landscapes and local community life.

The "Tân Cương Essence and Thái Hải Village Colours" tour will take visitors to the Tân Cương tea-growing area to learn about tea production and enjoy tea tasting, followed by a visit to the Thái Hải Ethnic Stilt House Conservation Area.

Members of a traditional performing arts troupe will welcome visitors aboard a new tourist train linking Hà Nội and Thái Nguyên.— Photo courtesy of the organising board

Another programme will link the Cầu Đá and La Bằng tea-growing areas with Núi Cốc Lake, offering opportunities to explore the landscape and learn about tea cultivation. The "Đuổm Temple Legends and Khê Cốc Tea Fragrance" tour will combine a visit to Đuổm Temple, associated with historical figure Dương Tự Minh, with an introduction to local tea culture.

Two longer itineraries will broaden the experience. "Shan Tuyết Clouds and Ba Bể Lake Waters" is a two-day trip connecting the Shan Tuyết Bằng Phúc tea-growing area with Ba Bể Lake, Hua Mạ Cave and community tourism destinations. Meanwhile, the "Heritage Colours and Trại Cài Tea Fragrance" tour will combine historical sites and tea production with a visit to the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology and activities during the festival.

One-day tours are expected to cost VNĐ790,000 ($30) per person, including return train tickets, a VNĐ200,000 ($7.70) main meal, entrance fees, transfers, a guide and travel insurance. Two-day, one-night packages will cost between $69 and $77 per person.

Vũ Thị Thu Hường, deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the new product aimed to promote Thái Nguyên’s tourism potential, destinations, cuisine and cultural heritage.

The province has about 22,200 hectares of tea plantations and 204 OCOP tea products rated three to five stars, including six nationally rated five-star products.

After the festival, relevant agencies will consider maintaining the service, with a target of operating three to five services a week, depending on market demand and operational performance. — VNS