Under new regulations, large contract buses are banned from the inner city between 6 am - 9 am and 4 pm - 7.30 pm, affecting transport services widely used by international tour groups.
On March 7, a foreign tour group travelling from central Hanoi to Halong Bay had to delay departure after their 45-seat bus was barred from entering the city centre until 9am.
The delay forced the group to skip a stop and postpone lunch.
“Because of the tight schedule, the guests could not rest comfortably. Stops that normally last 15-20 minutes had to be shortened to about 10 minutes,” tour guide Ngoc Long said.
The restrictions have also disrupted city tours.
Nguyen Thao, a tour operator in Hoan Kiem ward, said a German group finishing a walking tour at 5.30 pm wanted to head straight to dinner, but their 45-seat bus could not pick them up during restricted hours.
“We had to urgently hire two 16-seat vehicles to take them to dinner,” she said, adding that the company had to absorb an additional cost of about VND 1.4 million (about USD 53.23).
Large buses with more than 28 seats are the main vehicles used to transport international tour groups, leaving many tourism companies struggling to adapt to the new rules.
European tourists arriving on early morning flights may also face inconvenience, as buses cannot enter the city centre during restricted hours, forcing visitors to wait several hours before travelling to hotels or attractions.
Splitting a group from a 45-seat bus into smaller vehicles would raise costs and require additional staff to manage guides and luggage, Long said.
To keep itineraries on schedule, some tour groups have shortened daily city tours from 8 am-5 pm to around 9 am-4 pm, while others have been forced to depart as early as 5.30 am to leave the city before peak hours.
Tourism businesses warned that without more flexible arrangements, Hanoi risks becoming a bottleneck for travellers heading to northern destinations such as Halong Bay, Sapa, Ha Giang and Ninh Binh.
Some operators said tourists might bypass Hanoi entirely, travelling directly from the airport to neighbouring provinces, which could affect restaurants, hotels and other tourism services in the capital.
Companies also expressed concern that large meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions groups, which often travel by 45-seat buses, could choose alternative destinations such as Haiphong, Danang or Ho Chi Minh City if transport arrangements in Hanoi become too complicated.
Tourism firms acknowledged that restricting large vehicles in central areas during peak hours helps ease traffic congestion but said the sector needs more flexible solutions given the tight schedules of international tour groups.
Some businesses proposed shortening the restricted periods or establishing dedicated routes and transfer hubs outside Ring Road 3, supported by shuttle services bringing visitors into the city centre.
Hanoi aims to welcome 8.6 million international visitors in 2026.
