Hanoi City Bus

Hanoi Bus

Hanoi public buses drop passengers in the stationary points on the streets, and fortunately many of them are located near or even in front of the famous and attractive tourism destinations in Hanoi such as Hoan Kiem Lake, The Old Quarter, Hanoi Train station (Ga Hanoi), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and The Literature Temple.

Here are some important bus routes in Hanoi:

#07 and #17

These two are the public buses that stop at Noi Bai International Airport, the most important gateway in the North of Vietnam. The #7 bus will cross the Thang Long Bridge and head to Cau Giay, while #17 buses go to the Old Quarter via Chuong Duong Bridge.

#33 or #02

These buses will bring you to the area near Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and from those areas, you can wander along the tree-filled boulevards like Dien Bien Phu or Le Hong Phong, before heading to Ho Chi Minh Complex.

#09

This bus will drop you at Hoan Kiem Lake and from that point, you can explore the lake’s areas and the Old Quarter on the downtown. These buses also stop at some checkpoint in Le Hong Phong and Dien Bien Phu Str., so that you can visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the areas nearby.

However, the problem you might encounter while get on a bus is that it is very crowded at peak hours. You should always keep one hand to cover your purses or place your backpack at the front, since crowded bus in Vietnam is an ideal place for pickpockets.

Blue bus approaching bus stop (blue post on left side)

Also, as the bus approaches your intended destination, try your best to make the way to the back door, take a deep breath and prepare for a fast move because bus drivers in Hanoi are notorious for stopping at a stop for a very short time. You will need to be prepared to get out of the bus as fast as you can if you don’t want to miss the point. If you are unsure when to get off, ask either the driver, the ticket collector or the fellow passengers. As intimidating as it sounds, travelling by bus in Hanoi is a truly local experience.