The Saigon - Cho Lon open top double-decker bus route was officially put into operation on May 29 as part of efforts to transport passengers to a number of famous landmarks, historical sites, and unique architectures around the city, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport.
The open-top double-decker bus service will be operated by the Anh Viet Hop on - Hop off Vietnam Co., Ltd. Trips are due to depart from Saigon Bus Station and Pham Ngu Lao Western Quarter in District 1 and then pass through 25 streets during the course of about two hours, with a frequency of 30 minutes per trip.
According to the planned route, there will be 15 "hop on - hop off" stops which can pick up and drop off passengers.
Visitors will be transported to tourist attractions such as Nghia An Assembly Hall - Ong Pagoda, Tue Thanh Assembly Hall - Ba Thien Hau Pagoda, Minh Huong Gia Thanh Communal House, Quynh Phu Assembly Hall - Ba Hai Nam Pagoda, Hoi An Assembly Hall, Nhi Phu Restaurant - Ong Bon Pagoda, Cha Tam Church, Cho Quan Parish Church, Cho Lon Mosque, and old houses on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street.
Simultaneously, visitors can also pass through clusters of historical relics and landmarks such as Uncle Ho's Memorial House, Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the city's theater, Nguyen Hue Street, the mausoleum and memorial house of Truong Vinh Ky, Tran Phu street painting area, traditional markets, and commercial areas
Nguyen Khoa Luan, director of Anh Viet Hop on - Hop off Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that this bus route has not only contributed to diversifying the southern city's tourism products, but also further promoting the socio-economic development of the Cho Lon market area and surrounding areas.
This route will therefore help international tourists to easily gain access to the ethnic communities residing in the Cho Lon area, as well as offering them the chance to savour scenic views of river landscape in District 6 and District 8, thereby elevating Ho Chi Minh City as a leading tourist destination in the region, Luan stressed.
Previously, Ho Chi Minh City piloted two open-top double-decker bus routes as a way of transporting tourists, with ticket prices ranging between VND100,000 and VND500,000 per person depending on travel time and accompanying services. By the end of the first quarter of the year, these routes have served about 317,000 tourists.