Getting to know a city when you only have limited time can be tricky. Especially a city the size of Beijing. Now, in keeping up with international trends visitors to the capital can hop on a bus and get an hour-long ride.

From July 20, Beijing opened two city tour bus routes, making it more convenient for Olympics visitors, but also by remaining in operation after the Olympics the service aims to provide Beijing residents with the chance to get to know their own city better.

The two routes combine the ancient and modern features of Beijing, passing the most important historic and cultural sites along with some modern architecture that includes Olympic venues. And the best thing about the initiative is the cost. At 3 yuan ($0.4) for a single trip it's impossible to beat.

With a total distance of 18.1 km, the Line 1 route focuses on the history of Beijing, starting at the newly constructed South Railway Station and ending at the Beiguanting, the very tip of the northeastern corner of the second ring road of the city. Many well-known sites such as the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City and the Lama Temple are situated on this south-to-north route.

Line 2 route takes visitors to the northern part of the city for a look at modern Beijing. Starting from the Huizhongli, in the northeastern part of the city, and heading south, Line 2 is 16.25 km long and includes the major Olympic venues, gyms and facilities, such as the Olympic Green, the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube.

A single trip of these two bus lines will last around an hour, (longer in rush hour), and the bus intervals is between five and 10 minutes. The buses on Line 1 operate between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, while Line 2 times are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. However, the operating times of these buses will be adjusted according to the seasons. Currently 20 buses are operational, hoping to serve both local and international visitors.

Each of these luxury double-decker buses can seat 58 passengers. They are fitted with cushioned seats, air-conditioners, video players, and ensure good views due to the extra large windows.

There is also an area containing fold-up tables, allowing passengers to eat snacks, chat, have a drink or use laptops while enjoying the passing scenery.

An on board guide will give a five-minute description of each important site that the bus passes in both English and Chinese. With an average age of 24, these guides are all young girls who were selected from about 100,000 employees of the bus companies in Beijing.

If a visitor has a particular interest in one of the sites, they can hop off, take their time to look around and then catch a later bus to continue the route. (A new ticket is needed). And if visitors do not want to get off at every stop in the humid weather during the Olympics, no problem, a detailed video introduction about the site will be provided on bus.