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

The cultural train tour The “Hanoi Five City Gates” Train (The Hanoi Train) offers a distinctive and culturally rich tourism product.

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 “Hanoi Five City Gates” Train (The Hanoi Train) was officially launched, offering a distinctive and culturally rich tourism product.

From September 3, the train has been running on the Thang Long–Kinh Bac route, connecting Hanoi with the Quan ho (love duet) folk music region of Bac Ninh.

On board, visitors can enjoy traditional "xam" (blind wanderers' music) and "cheo" (Vietnamese traditional opera) singing alongside contemporary music, and sample iconic Hanoi delicacies such as green rice and lotus tea.

Each carriage is decorated to reflect the city’s history and identity: one evokes Hanoi’s subsidy-era lifestyle, another features the iconic Long Bien Bridge, while others recreate images of old collective housing blocks.

The journey also introduces the cultural heritage of Bac Ninh, from Quan ho singing to Dong Ho folk painting. Tickets quickly sold out after the first commercial trips on September 6.

Earlier, in August, the Hanoi Department of Tourism and Hanoi Metro launched another tourism product on Metro Line 2A (Cat Linh–Yen Nghia).

Stretching 13km with 12 stations, the line connects to major attractions such as President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, the National Cinema Center, Royal City shopping mall, Van Phuc Silk Village, and Van Quan Lake. Visitors can even tour the control centre, take photos, and try out a train-driving simulator.

Alongside the rail system, Hanoi 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 Bat Trang Pottery Village.

During the ongoing national exhibition celebrating Vietnam’s 80-year journey of independence, 20 free electric bus routes have carried large numbers of visitors.

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

Nguyen Van Ngoc, Deputy General Director of Hanoi 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, Hanoi must develop long-term strategies to sustain their appeal.

Chairman of the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club Truong Quoc Hung 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 Hanoi Tourism Association Nguyen Tien Dat 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.

Hanoi’s tourism strategy prioritises sustainable development and a green, modern urban environment.

According to Director of the city’s Department of Tourism Dang Huong 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.

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