Hop on Hop off Hanoi: Best Way to Discover Hanoi City

On May 30, 2018, the first Hop on Hop off bus released in Hanoi created a new trend among the travel communities as well as Hanoi citizens. Each of the buses is designed to have 63 seats and two decks, with the upper one open so that travelers can have a better view of the city during the journey. A Vietnam hop-on, hop-off tour gives you the liberty to customize your own sightseeing itinerary. Let's see detail hop on hop off bus detail below.

Hop on Hop off Hanoi

The bus is not new in many other countries in the world, but for Vietnamese people, it gives us a chance to see the beloved city with picturesque pagodas, mouth-watering street food on every corner and chaotic markets from a different perspective. Hop on Hop off Vietnam is a highly recommended transportation for you to visit Hanoi city.

Hanoi Hop on Hop off bus schedule & price 

Schedule is designed for both domestic and international tourists, it is very convenient for you to consider your time of traveling. Hours of operation are 9am - 6:15pm at Start Bus Station at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square – Hoan Kiem Lake, the last bus in the morning departs at 12pm and the first bus in the afternoon departs at 1pm. The last bus of the day departs at 5:15pm from Start Bus Station at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square – Hoan Kiem Lake.

Buses depart every 30 minutes and the entire loop lasts approximately 1 hour 30 min. The Hop on Hop off bus in Hanoi operates in most weather conditions. Depending on different Hop-on Hop-off bus companies, there are normally 6-12 audio commentary languages available onboard, most popular in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French and Vietnamese. 

Hop on hop off Hanoi

You can choose from three validity options – 2 hours, 4 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours as per your sightseeing needs and the price range is from around 5-30 USD as the table below, it can be slightly different depending on different length of time and service providers. Children under 5 years old are free of charge in all providers.

Hop on Hop off bus itinerary

With 13 stops on the itinerary, the Hop on Hop off bus takes you to 20 most iconic attractions of Hanoi city, the one thousand years capital of Vietnam that allows travelers to explore and experience the city in their own way. With a high frequency of buses, you could simply hop off at a stop, spend time at one attraction and then board a bus to reach your next destination. 

For more detailed information, here’s the itinerary of the Hanoi Hop on Hop off bus. The buses will depart every half hour, so you can take your time to visit any place you love.

1. Hanoi old quarter – Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc square – Hoan Kiem lake. (setting off)
2. St.Joseph’s Cathedral Hanoi.
3. The flag tower of Hanoi, Military Vietnam History Museum.
4. Ho Chi Minh mausoleum – Ho Chi Minh museum – One-pillar pagoda – National Assembly House.
5. West lake – Truc Bach lake – Quan Thanh temple
6. West lake – Tran Quoc pagoda.
7. Northern Gate Church.
8. The imperial citadel of Thang Long.
9. The Temple of Literature.
10. Hoa Lo prison – Quan Su pagoda.
11. Museum of Vietnamese Women.
12. Hanoi opera house.
13. Hanoi post office.
14. Hanoi old quarter – Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc square – Hoan Kiem lake (last stop)

Hop on hop off pass west lake Hanoi

Local tips to do Hop on Hop off bus

• The winter of Hanoi is actually colder than most foreigners think, so don’t forget to wear warm clothes if you want to sit on the top deck discovering Hanoi in winter.
• In summer, it’s really hot and humid, so sunscreen and handy fans are really useful. Equip yourself with a cone hat is highly recommended.
• If you time is budgeted, take a full round on the bus and listen to the commentary to determine what are your favorite places first, then hop back on to go directly to your targeted destinations can help you save a bunch of time.
• Never forget to bring your camera, phone, gopro or anything else that can take pictures and record some videos because you will surely regret not saving the breathtaking moment of Hanoi city that only can be seen on this bus.
• The bus will depart every 30 minutes, remember to follow the schedule to not miss your plan.

Hop on hop off bus travel

In a nutshell, Hop on Hop off bus is a good way for everyone who loves to discover Hanoi by themselves. The bus with several commentary language options gives you detailed information of all destinations it goes through and you can flex your itinerary whatever you want. However, if a Hanoi trip with a local guide and a lot more interesting information and local uniqueness sounds  better for you, a Hanoi City tour with Bestprice Travel will be one of the best choices in your Vietnam journey.

Hue Pham

Image source: Internet