These days, visitors to Hanoi are pleasantly surprised to see many women gracefully strolling through the streets in their bright and colorful ao dai or Vietnamese traditional dresses, adding a poetic charm to the city's atmosphere.

Participants in the Quintessence of Ao Dai event enjoy a tour of Hanoi on a double-decker bus. Photo: Hanoi Tourism Department

Hanoi is currently in the midst of its annual three-day Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival, which features a variety of events celebrating the traditional Vietnamese costume. Running from October 4 to 6, the Ao Dai Tourism Festival aims to honor this cultural icon, enhance Hanoi's tourism offerings, and celebrate the significant milestone of the 70th anniversary of Capital Liberation Day on October 10, 1954.

Celebrating the elegance of the Vietnamese Ao Dai

Hanoi Tourism Ao Dai Festival is an annual activity organized by the Hanoi Department of Tourism in cooperation with the City Women's Union and Hanoi Youth Union.

According to Deputy Director of Hanoi Tourism Nguyen Hong Minh, the festival aims to promote the image of Vietnam and ao dai as well as the capital's image as "safe and welcoming, high quality and attractive" for tourists and international visitors.

It also aims to turn the traditional Vietnamese ao dai into a "tourism ambassador" and the annual Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival into a typical travel offer of the city's tourism sector.

"The Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival is held every year at different locations in the city, with various activities to enrich the experience for tourists and delight the capital's residents," he told The Hanoi Times. "This year's event is particularly special as the city prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the capital's liberation," he said.

Deputy Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, Nguyen Hong Minh, guides tourists to the capital's famous historical sites.

To enhance the experience for visitors during this occasion, the Hanoi Department of Tourism has partnered with the Hanoi Transport Corporation to offer a free hop-on hop-off bus service to explore the city. On the opening day of the Hanoi Ao Dai Tourism Festival 2024, today, October 4, 700 tourists wearing ao dai would be able to take a free tour. In addition, another 1,010 free tourist bus tickets will be distributed to celebrate Capital Liberation Day, which falls on October 10 this year," he added.

The unmistakable beauty of Hanoi from above

In the early mornings of October, Hanoi's weather becomes fresher and the bright yellow sun shines warm rays on the streets. This is the perfect time to have an outdoor picnic and enjoy the beauty of Hanoi's autumn.

Our route to explore Hanoi from above starts at 7:30 am at the first pick-up point in front of Highlands Coffee, next to the Hanoi Opera House. Sitting on top of the double-decker open-top bus and enjoying the wonderful view of Hanoi's old streets leaves an unforgettable impression on travelers.

Travelers enjoy exploring Hanoi's streets.

The bus weaves through charming French-style houses with yellow-painted walls and open green windows, nestled among high-rises and modern buildings. Windows dramatically appear and disappear behind lush canopies as Hanoians bustle about, preparing for a new day.

Ngo Thi Bac, a tourist from Hoang Mai District, told The Hanoi Times that she was very excited to attend this special event.

"This is my first time attending the Hanoi Tourism Festival, and I'm excited to explore downtown Hanoi by double-decker bus. It's especially special to see historical landmarks like Hoan Kiem Lake, the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum from above," she said.

In the festive atmosphere of this important holiday, Hanoi's streets are decorated with flags and flowers, making this experience truly memorable," she added.

Route to explore Hanoi's must-see attractions

First introduced to the streets of the capital in 2018, the Hop on - Hop off bus is a flexible and convenient way to visit Hanoi's famous destinations in a relatively organized way, allowing us to save on taxis by exploring the capital in our own way on a double-decker open-top bus. You can get on and off as you please, stay as long as you like, and then hop back on the next bus.

The hop on - hop off bus departs from the Hanoi Opera House.

The buses run from 9am to 5pm, with four-, 24- and 48-hour tickets available (from the time the fist is activated), allowing you to make unlimited trips around the capital. On the weekday 24-hour tour, the hop-on, hop-off buses run every 30 minutes, make 13 stops and pass by 20 famous attractions.

The tour starts from Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square to Hoan Kiem Lake, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi's Flag Tower, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Quan Thanh Temple, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Cua Bac Church, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison Relic, Vietnamese Women's Museum, Hanoi Opera House, Hanoi Post Office and back to Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

The pick-up points of the buses are different depending on the weekday or weekend tour. For the weekday tour, the pick up point is at -Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, while for the weekend tour, it is in front of Hanoi Opera House.

Travelers can also use a complimentary headset that provides tour information in ten languages, including Vietnamese, Chinese, English, Russian and German. Just before each destination, there is a short introduction about its history or the best way to see it, so visitors can decide whether to get off or continue.

The hop on hop off buses follow two different routes, one on weekdays and one on weekends, as some streets become pedestrian zones on Saturdays and Sundays. If travelers decide to buy a 24-hour ticket, it's best to buy it the afternoon before and leave around 9 a.m. the next morning.