Tourists can explore northern Vietnam heritage by train for just $7.7

The ‘Journey to the Land of Tea’ train service is a new tourism product being piloted as part of the 2026 Thai Nguyen International Tea Festival, which is set to take place from October 30 to November 7.

Traveling from Hanoi to Thai Nguyen by rail offers more than a means of transportation.

The journey provides an opportunity to explore picturesque landscapes, passing lush green fields and peaceful rural villages along the way.

The experience is expected to appeal to a wide range of visitors, from older travelers to young people, as well as international tourists seeking to discover Vietnam’s cultural heritage.

A train departed Hanoi Railway Station at around 6:00 am on Friday, carrying its first group of passengers toward Thai Nguyen, a province renowned for its tea culture.

The six-carriage train comprised five passenger carriages and one community carriage dedicated to cultural activities, including Then singing, gourd lute performances, tea appreciation and tastings of Thai Nguyen’s local specialities.

Cultural performances took place throughout the two-hour journey.

Artisans also moved between carriages to serve guests tea, refreshments and local cakes, while performing traditional music and singing Then songs.

As the train left the urban landscape behind, fragrant rice fields gradually appeared outside the windows, creating a peaceful and picturesque scene.

The train traveled slowly past rural settlements before arriving at Luu Xa Station in Tich Luong Ward, Thai Nguyen Province.

As part of the train journey, visitors can explore the province’s attractions, including Tan Cuong tea hills, Nui Coc Lake, Cua Tu Stream and Thai Hai, a community tourism destination where visitors can experience the cultural traditions of the Tay ethnic group.

Although she was born in Thai Nguyen, Hai Anh, born in 2006, said this was her first time returning to her hometown aboard a heritage train, an experience that allowed her to rediscover the flavors and atmosphere of home.

“Thai Nguyen green tea is already familiar to me, but enjoying it aboard a heritage train from Hanoi Station to Luu Xa Station was a completely different experience,” Anh said.

“What impressed me most was the community carriage, where people had the opportunity to connect with one another.”

Connecting cultural heritage through railway journeys

Vu Thi Thu Huong, deputy director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the train service was introduced to diversify tourism products linked to tea culture and the Hanoi-Thai Nguyen railway route.

The initiative is also intended to strengthen tourism promotion, encourage investment cooperation and improve connections between the tourism markets of Hanoi and Thai Nguyen.

By linking railway journeys with local cultural heritage, trains can become more than a means of transport: they can serve as attractive tourism products in their own right.

The value of a tourism train lies not only in passenger transportation but also in its ability to attract visitors, stimulate local tourism and commerce, and strengthen regional connectivity.

Given its proximity to the capital, natural scenery, historical and cultural attractions, and particularly its distinctive tea culture, Thai Nguyen has considerable potential to develop unique railway tourism products, said Pham Van Dung, deputy head of the planning and business unit at Vietnam National Railway Group.

The expected round-trip fare for the ‘Journey to the Land of Tea’ service is around VND200,000 per passenger.

Visitors can also choose a one-day package tour, including train tickets, sightseeing and meals, priced at VND790,000 ($30.5) per person.

The province currently has 400 officially recognized historical and cultural relic sites, 45 nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage items, and numerous destinations for ecological, historical and community-based tourism, local media reported.

Tea culture is among its most distinctive assets.

Thai Nguyen has some 22,200 hectares of tea plantations and 204 One Commune One Product (OCOP) tea products rated from three to five stars.

Six special train services planned for Tea Fest

During the Thai Nguyen International Tea Festival, the province plans to launch six tourist train journeys between Hanoi and Thai Nguyen.

The services are expected to give visitors opportunities to participate in festival activities, explore renowned tea-growing areas, visit historical sites and scenic attractions, and discover the cultural traditions of the tea-growing region.

On this occasion, the Thai Nguyen Tourism Association will also introduce five tour programs designed around the Hanoi-Thai Nguyen railway route.

The programs offer flexible schedules, including one-day tours and two-day, one-night tours.

Tour operators began promoting the itineraries and accepting bookings on Saturday.

Visitors can book the tours directly through travel firms.

One-day tours are priced at VND790,000 per person, while two-day, one-night packages cost from VND1.55 million ($60) per person, depending on the itinerary and accommodation standards.

Whether the train service can operate regularly over the long term will depend on actual demand, the quality of the travel experience and operational efficiency, said a local official.

Closer cooperation with tour operators, a reliable flow of passengers, improved connections to local attractions and stronger coordination among destinations will be critical to its continued operation.