Double-decker sightseer hits the road in former imperial capital Hue

The Vietnam Tourism Hanoi JSC launched Thursday a double-decker sightseeing service with 12 stops at famous tourism spots in the former imperial capital of Hue in central Vietnam.

The “City Sightseeing Hue" service uses double-decker buses with 54 seats that allow passengers a ringside view of the town’s attractions. The bus also has one seat for the disabled, according to Thua Thien-Hue province’s portal.

Each seat is equipped with a multi-language voiceover system connected to Global Positioning System (GPS). On reaching each destination, visitors are introduced to the beauty, history and cultural stories about the place.

The service offers 15 "City tour - Hue Heritage Journey" trips a day with 12 famous stops including the Dong Ba Market (the biggest market in Hue town), Ky Dai (the Flagpole Hue Citadel), An Hien Garden (a rare surviving old garden house in Hue), Thien Mu Pagoda (ancient pagoda about 5 kilometers west of Hue city center), Khai Dinh Tomb (tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh) and Khiem Mausoleum (tomb of Emperor Tu Duc).

The trips include "Hue night sightseeing route" that allows for night views from the Phu Xuan and Da Vien bridges, apart from other sites.

The service costs VND100,000 ($4.26) per person per trip; an eight-hour ticket for VND150,000; a 24-hour ticket for VND429,000 and a 48-hour ticket for VND599,000.

Previously, on April 22, Hue officially opened a nighttime street zone around the Imperial Citadel of Hue, a UNESCO heritage site.

The Vietnam Tourism Hanoi JSC is a pioneer in the double-decker service, providing it in Hanoi, Ha Long and Ho Chi Minh City. The Hue service is its latest venture.

The double-decker buses in Hanoi have 80 seats that ply a route through 25 streets and famous places including the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) and the Hanoi Opera House.

Tickets for the 90-minute ride cost between VND196,000 and VND650,000 ($27.75) per person.

There are two double-decker bus service providers in the capital city that operate on two different routes. Route 1 is the Hanoi City tour operated by Hanoi Transport Corporation Ltd (Hanoi Transerco). Route 2 is Hanoi-Thang Long City tour operated by Vietnam Tourism Hanoi JSC.

On December 22, 2015, the Anh Viet Media TV & Tourist Co. Ltd launched the City Tour Hop On-Hop Off service, a flexible and convenient city tour of Ho Chi Minh City. It has two routes with 15 stops that allow tourists to explore the city on their own.

The bus departs every day from 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The VND330,000 ($14) ticket is valid for 24 hours.