Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus
Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus was a Hong Kong open-top sightseeing-bus brand later rebranded as HK City Sightseeing.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus was a Hong Kong sightseeing transportation brand operated first by New World First Bus and later incorporated into Citybus. It was introduced on 18 October 2009 as an open-top bus experience designed to present Hong Kong's historic atmosphere and major urban attractions to visitors and local residents. The name evoked the rickshaw, a transport form associated with the city's earlier commercial and tourist history, while the service itself used modern buses adapted for panoramic sightseeing. The service was developed for the growing independent-traveller market and offered thematic routes rather than ordinary point-to-point urban transportation. Its original network included the H1 Heritage Tour and H2 Metropolis Tour. These routes connected visitors with central Hong Kong, the harbourfront, heritage areas and major tourist districts, using commentary-oriented sightseeing operations and open-top vehicles. Before 13 December 2014, the two principal routes were identified as H1 and H2; later service arrangements included variants such as H2K. The fleet changed over time as the operator converted buses from regular franchised-service fleets for sightseeing use. In 2015, five 12-metre Dennis Trident buses were converted into partially open-top vehicles and began replacing older Volvo Olympian sightseeing buses. One of the first converted Tridents entered service on 16 May 2015, with additional vehicles entering service during May and June. The fleet also included older open-top Olympians and other buses temporarily used while conversions were being completed. From February 2020, Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses joined the operation and replaced the Dennis Tridents as the principal vehicle type. Operational responsibility changed as Hong Kong's franchised bus-company structure evolved. New World First Bus operated the Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus service before its operations were merged into Citybus on 1 July 2023. Citybus subsequently rebranded the sightseeing operation as HK City Sightseeing in 2024. The rebranding included refurbishment and conversion work on open-top buses previously associated with the Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus identity. Following the change, the service continued as a Citybus sightseeing product rather than as a standalone Rickshaw-branded operation. The brand's principal value proposition was experiential rather than purely functional: open-air views, themed routing and access to Hong Kong's built heritage, commercial districts and waterfront scenery. Its historical identity was tied to the visual character of Hong Kong and to the idea of showing the city in a way distinct from conventional franchised bus travel. Because the brand was rebranded in 2024, Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus is best treated as a discontinued or superseded brand, while HK City Sightseeing represents the continuing successor service.
History
Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus was launched in Hong Kong on 18 October 2009 by New World First Bus as a dedicated tourist transportation brand. Its concept combined open-top bus travel with thematic route design intended to evoke Hong Kong's earlier history while giving visitors a convenient view of the city's heritage districts, commercial areas and harbour scenery. The service also addressed the expanding demand from independent travellers who wanted flexible sightseeing without joining a conventional group tour. The early network centered on two named routes: H1 Heritage Tour and H2 Metropolis Tour. These routes distinguished the service from ordinary franchised buses by emphasizing the journey as an attraction in itself. Open-top buses provided elevated views and a more direct connection with the streetscape, while the route names communicated two complementary aspects of Hong Kong: historic and cultural heritage on one hand, and the modern metropolitan city on the other. The original two-route arrangement remained in place until at least 13 December 2014, after which the route structure evolved and included the H2K variant. Fleet development was an important part of the brand's history. The operation initially relied on open-top buses derived from the operator's wider fleet, including Volvo Olympians. Beginning in February 2015, five 2002 Dennis Trident 12-metre buses were converted into partially open-top sightseeing vehicles. The first, fleet number 1215, entered service on 16 May 2015, followed by further vehicles in May and June. These conversions allowed the operator to replace older sightseeing buses while retaining a vehicle format suited to Hong Kong's tourist routes. During the transition, standard buses and other vehicles were used as temporary substitutes. Some older vehicles were later transferred within the Citybus family and adapted for other roles. In February 2020, Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses began joining the sightseeing fleet and replaced the Dennis Tridents as the newer principal vehicle type. The fleet continued to be formed largely from buses converted from regular Citybus or New World First Bus operations rather than from a completely separate purpose-built fleet. This approach connected the sightseeing product to Hong Kong's broader franchised-bus operating system and enabled the operator to redeploy existing vehicles. A major organizational change occurred on 1 July 2023, when New World First Bus operations were merged into Citybus. The sightseeing service consequently came under Citybus's operating structure. In 2024, Citybus rebranded Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus as HK City Sightseeing. The successor identity retained the open-top sightseeing concept but presented it as part of the Citybus portfolio. Citybus also began refurbishing and converting buses that had previously been associated with the Rickshaw brand. The Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus name therefore describes a completed phase of an ongoing Hong Kong sightseeing operation. Its historical significance lies less in corporate independence than in its creation of a recognizable tourist-facing product within the city's franchised bus network. The brand used heritage-oriented naming, open-top vehicles and dedicated sightseeing routes to turn scheduled bus travel into a visitor experience. After the 2024 rebrand, the Rickshaw identity ceased to be the principal public-facing name, while the service concept continued under HK City Sightseeing.
- 2024
Rebranded as HK City Sightseeing
[1]Citybus rebranded Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus as HK City Sightseeing and began refurbishing associated open-top buses.
- 2023
Operations transferred to Citybus
[1]New World First Bus operations were merged into Citybus on 1 July 2023, bringing the sightseeing service into Citybus's operating structure.
- 2020
Enviro500 fleet transition begins
[1]Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses began replacing Dennis Trident vehicles in the sightseeing fleet.
- 2015
Converted Dennis Tridents enter service
[1]Five Dennis Trident buses were converted into partially open-top sightseeing vehicles. The first entered service on 16 May 2015, with additional vehicles following in May and June.
- 2014
Original route arrangement changes
[1]The original H1 Heritage Tour and H2 Metropolis Tour arrangement was in place until 13 December 2014, after which the route structure evolved.
- 2009
Brand introduced
[1]New World First Bus introduced Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus in Hong Kong on 18 October as an open-top, themed sightseeing service.
Products and positioning
A heritage-themed, open-top city sightseeing service offering visitors and residents a panoramic way to experience Hong Kong's historic areas, urban districts and waterfront attractions.
Sightseeing route · 2009
H1 Heritage Tour
A heritage-oriented open-top sightseeing route created as one of the brand's original principal services. H1 was designed to help passengers experience Hong Kong's historic character and cultural attractions through a dedicated tourist route rather than an ordinary local bus journey.
Sightseeing route · 2009
H2 Metropolis Tour
The second original principal route, focused on Hong Kong as a modern metropolitan destination. The route complemented the heritage emphasis of H1 and formed part of the brand's initial two-route sightseeing offer.
Tourist transportation · 2009
Open-top sightseeing buses
The brand's core physical offering consisted of open-top or partially open-top buses converted from regular franchised-service vehicles. Fleet types used over time included Volvo Olympians, Dennis Tridents and Alexander Dennis Enviro500s, providing elevated views of Hong Kong's streets and attractions.
Brand decisions
2024
Rebrand the sightseeing operationStrategyBackground
Following the transfer of operations to Citybus, the operator aligned the sightseeing product with its own brand portfolio.
Action taken
Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus was rebranded as HK City Sightseeing, accompanied by refurbishment and conversion of existing open-top buses.
Aftermath
The Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus name ceased to be the principal operating brand, while the open-top sightseeing service continued under HK City Sightseeing.
2023
Merge New World First Bus operations into CitybusM&ABackground
The Hong Kong franchised-bus operating structure changed, with New World First Bus operations being combined with Citybus.
Action taken
The sightseeing operation moved into Citybus on 1 July 2023.
Aftermath
The Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus service continued under Citybus and was subsequently presented under the HK City Sightseeing identity.
2020
Introduce Alexander Dennis Enviro500 busesGeneration changeBackground
The sightseeing fleet required a further vehicle renewal after the Dennis Trident phase.
Action taken
Alexander Dennis Enviro500 buses began joining the operation in February 2020 and replaced Dennis Tridents.
Aftermath
The Enviro500 became the newer principal vehicle type associated with the operation before and after its transition into the Citybus structure.
2015
Replace older sightseeing buses with converted Dennis TridentsGeneration changeBackground
The operator needed to renew the sightseeing fleet and replace older Volvo Olympian vehicles used for open-top service.
Action taken
Five 2002 Dennis Trident 12-metre buses were converted into partially open-top sightseeing buses and introduced progressively from May 2015.
Aftermath
The converted Tridents became the newer replacement vehicles for the service, while some older buses were transferred or repurposed within the Citybus system.
Sources2 sources
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