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Hue is a national city of Vietnam, and it used to be the capital of Vietnam under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). Today, the city is centered on many aspects of the Central such as culture, politics, health, education, tourism, and science, etc. The prominent sites here are the Perfume River and the legacy of the feudal dynasty.

An overview of Hue

Moreover, the city has five UNESCO heritages in Vietnam: the Hue ancient citadel relic complex (1993), Nha Nhac (Hue royal court music) (2003), Nguyen Dynasty’s wood blocks (2009), Nguyen Dynasty’s Chau ban (2014), and the literature on Hue royal architecture (2016). Hue is one of the three biggest cities in North Central Vietnam and one of the largest cities in Vietnam.

Thuan Hoa - Phu Xuan - Hue has a history of formation and development of about seven centuries (since 1306). Over a long period, the city has integrated the precious material and spiritual values to create a cultural tradition in Hue. Hue culture is created by the special character of the spirit which is diverse in type, rich and unique in content, expressed richly in many fields such as literature, music, art, customs, festivals, behavior, eating - dressing - living, communication style, and lifestyle, etc.

• Hue Imperial City

On the northern bank of the Perfume River is a relic consisting of castles built in a defensive style forming an 11km arc. This precious work consists of more than 100 architectural works, which really reflect the life of the Nguyen Kings. The beautiful tombs of the Nguyen Kings are among the hills on the southern bank of the Perfume River. The four most famous tombs are Gia Long Tomb, Minh Mang Tomb, Tu Duc Tomb, and Khai Dinh Tomb, of which each one is known by the king's personality. 

Hue is also an important center of Buddhism. In Hue and the surrounding areas, there are dozens of pagodas built over 300 years ago and hundreds of temples and pagodas built in the early century. 

Also, Hue is also seen as the origin of royal music and is home to many famous traditional dishes and sophisticated craftsmanship.

As the only city in the country still retains the appearance of a medieval city and the architectural integrity of a monarchy, Hue has become a great and priceless museum. Therefore, the government ranked relics in the ancient capital of Hue as an extremely valuable asset and in December 1993 Hue was ranked by UNESCO as a world cultural relic.

When is the best time to visit Hue?

Thien Mu Pagoda

If the climate of the country is divided into the dry season and the rainy season, then Hue only has two other seasons: rainy season and less rainy season. The rainy season lasts from September to the end of December. Meanwhile, the less rainy season lasts from the end of December until the end of April. In the rest of the time, Hue weather is sunny. Tourists come to Hue at different times. If domestic tourists often visit Hue from the beginning of May until the end of September, then foreign tourists will come to Hue from October until the end of April. 

The ideal weather in Hue is usually in November. You can refer to some reasonable time to go to Hue as follows:

Around March every year, Hue weather is still relatively cool, it is rarely rainy.

On the occasion of April 30, Hue usually organizes festivals with many special cultural activities. 

Where to stay when visiting Hue

Top luxurious hotels .

• Indochine Palace
• Vinpearl Hotel Hue
• Vedana Lagoon Resort & Spa
• Pilgrimage Village Boutique Resort & Spa
• La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa

Imperial Hue Hotel

Top budget hotels

• Hue Serene Palace Hotel
• Orchid Hotel
• Hue Serene Shining Hotel & Spa
• Homeland Hotel Hue
• Hue Nino Hotel

Top attractions to visit in Hue

• Royal Fine Arts Museum
• Truong Tien Bridge
• Perfume River
• Ngu Binh Mountain
• Hue Walking Street
• Pagodas & temples

Hanoi private food tour

Duration: 1 days

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A Walking Tour Through the Hue Citadel, Hue, Vietnam

Tripsavvy / Mike Aquino 

The capital of Vietnam throughout the 19th and early 20th century was Hue, in Central Vietnam . The center of the Nguyen Empire still stands - the Hue citadel palace complex, with its high stone walls and the refined palaces and temples behind them, were the center of Vietnamese governance and politics during the Nguyen Emperors' rule.

The French conquered Vietnam late in the 19th century but decided to leave the Emperors in place as puppet rulers beholden to Paris. Reigning with the consent of the French, the Nguyens ruled as figurehead monarchs at the Hue Citadel till 1945, when Bao Dai turned over the reins of government to the revolutionary government of Ho Chi Minh.

The Hue Citadel is about 520 hectares in size, sitting close to the banks of the Perfume River . The inner sanctum is still open to the public as it undergoes continuous renovation. Most of the buildings were obliterated during the Tet Offensive in 1967, as American bombs helped push the invading North Vietnamese troops back to Hanoi .

Begin at the Ngo Mon Gate, the entry point into the Citadel across from the Flag Tower. You'll pay the entrance fee of VND 55,000 (about US$3) at the gate.

The Hue Citadel is easily accessible via taxi and cyclo. They can take you straight to the Hue Citadel from your hotel.

The tour will take about two hours and involves a fair amount of walking. To fully enjoy your trip, you'll need:

• Entry fee to the Hue Citadel: VND 150,000 (about US$6.65) - read about money in Vietnam
• comfortable shoes
• bottled water; alternatively, you can also buy water along some of the many refreshment stands within the Citadel Grounds.

Ngo Mon Gate - First Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

The Ngo Mon Gate is a massive structure in front of the Hue Citadel that also served as a royal viewing platform for court ceremonies. The Gate has a few interesting architectural components, each one playing an important part in court ceremonial:

The gates: Two of the five entrances that cut through the thick stone ramparts serve as entry and exit points for tourists. The largest, middle gate is barred - it was reserved for the Emperor's use. The two entrances flanking the Emperor's gate were reserved for mandarins and court officials, while the outermost entrances were reserved for soldiers and war materiel.

The viewing platform: the "Belvedere of the Five Phoenixes", the Emperor's private viewing platform on top of the gate, hosted the emperor and his retinue during important court ceremonies. No women were allowed at this level; from this vantage point, the Emperor and his mandarins observed military exercises and awarded examination passers.

The flag tower: Opposite the Ngo Mon Gate, across the Ngo Mon Square, you can see the Vietnamese national flag flapping from the Flag Tower. The three terraces that comprise the Flag Tower's platform was built in 1807, during the reign of Gia Long.

Palace of Supreme Harmony - Second Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

Directly in line with the Ngo Mon Gate along the Hue Citadel's central axis, The Throne Palace can be reached after walking 330 feet across a bridge known as the Trung Dao (Central Path) which crosses a pond known as the Thai Dich (Grand Liquid Lake).

Immediately after crossing the bridge, you'll step onto the Great Rites Court , where mandarins assembled to pay homage to the emperor. The lower half, further away from the Throne Palace, was reserved for village elders and lower-ranking ministers. The upper half of the court was reserved for high-ranking mandarins.

The Throne Palace , also known as the Palace of Supreme Harmony, was the nerve center for the Emperor's court during its heyday. Built in 1805 by Emperor Gia Long, the Throne Palace was first used in 1806 for the emperor's coronation.

Over the years, the Throne Palace became the preferred setting for the Empire's most important ceremonies, like the Coronations of Emperors and Crown Princes, and receiving foreign ambassadors. 

The Throne Palace was built to accommodate such pomp and circumstance: the building is 144 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 38 feet tall, supported by lacquered-red columns entwined with gilded dragons. Over the throne hangs a carved board bearing Chinese characters reading "Palace of Supreme Harmony".

The insulation and acoustics of the Throne Palace are amazing for a building its age. The Throne Palace enjoyed cool temperatures in the summer and warm temperatures during the winter season. And anyone standing at the exact center of the Palace - where the throne was Emperor placed - could hear sounds from any point in the palace.

The Throne Palace has been diminished by time and the ravages of war: rains and floods common to Central Vietnam have damaged some parts of the palace, and serious damage was done by American bombs during the Vietnam War .

Left and Right Mandarin Buildings - Third Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

Immediately behind the Throne Palace, visitors can walk past a giant replica of the Emperor's Great Seal, and enter the plaza flanked by two Mandarin's Buildings . These buildings were annexed to the Throne Palace; they served as administrative offices for the cream of the Imperial civil service, and preparation areas for important meetings with the Emperor.

The national examinations (inspired by those in China ) were also conducted here for students hoping to enter the Imperial civil service. The Emperor took a personal interest in the examinations - he himself awarded plum posts to the passers of the imperial examinations, in a grand ceremonial in front of the Ngo Mon Gate.

Today, the buildings hold souvenir shops; the right Mandarin Building hosts a museum of Imperial knick-knacks. 

Royal Reading Room - Fourth Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

The Royal Forbidden City used to stand on the grassy field immediately following the Mandarin Buildings; the Emperor's private quarters stood here before American bombs finished them off in the 1960s.

The Royal Reading Room (Thai Binh Lau) was the only building to survive the ravages of the 20th century. The French reoccupation failed to destroy it; American bombs failed to bring it down.

Thai Binh Lau was first built by the Emperor Thieu Tri between 1841 and 1847. The Emperor Khai Dinh later restored the temple in 1921, and civil authorities continued restoration efforts in the early 1990s. In the old days, the Emperors used to retire to Thai Binh Lau to read books and write letters.

Apart from the fascinating ceramic ornamentation, the surrounding structures also make the Reading Room a cool stop along the tour - a square-shaped pond and accompanying rock garden; the Pavilion of No Worry to its left, the Gallery of the Nourishing Sun to its right; and assorted galleries connecting to the building over bridges spanning artificial lakes.

Dien Tho Palace - Fifth Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

From the grassy field that used to be the Emperors' private quarters, turn to the southwest and you'll find a truong lang , or long, roofed corridor, that leads to a compound housing the Queen Mother's mansion: the Dien Tho Residence.

The Dien Tho Residence has several important buildings within its walls: the Dien Tho Palace, the Phuoc Tho Temple, and the Tinh Minh Building.

Dien Tho Palace: built in 1804 as the Queen Mother's home and audience hall, the importance of the building grew in proportion with the Queen Mother's growing influence in Vietnamese affairs. The palace was partially damaged during the wars of the 20th century but experienced significant renovation between 1998 and 2001.

Dien Tho Palace's present look approximates its condition during the last Emperor Bao Dai's reign. The front apartment looks the way it did when Queen Mother Tu Cuong lived there in the first half of the 20th century, a sumptuous living area finished in dark lacquer and gold. Most of the other objects in the apartment were actual possessions of the Queen Mother's household.

Phuoc Tho Temple: Located behind the Dien Tho residence this temple served as the Queen Mother's personal Buddhist temple and shrine. Here, the Queen Mother celebrated religious anniversaries and performed rituals on auspicious days of the lunar month. The upper floor is called the Khuong Ninh Pavilion.

Tinh Minh Building: standing to the side of the Dien Tho residence this relatively modern-looking building stands on the site of a wooden building named Thong Minh Duong.

The To Mieu Temple - Sixth Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

The large, ornate gate across from the Dien Tho building exits the compound; turn right and follow the road for about 240 feet, then turn right at the corner and walk about 300 feet until you come to another beautifully decorated gate to your left - Chuong Duc - which serves as the entrance into the The Mieu and Hung Mieu Compound.

Two temples still stand within the compound's walls: The To Mieu , where the Nguyen Emperors are honored, and Hung To Mieu , built to enshrine the memory of Emperor Gia Long's parents.

On the death anniversaries of the emperors, the reigning emperor and his retinue would perform the appropriate ceremonies at The To Mieu. The lacquered altars in the main gallery each honor one of the Nguyen Emperors.

The altars originally numbered only seven - the French overlords prevented the Nguyen emperors from installing altars to honor anti-French emperors Ham Nghi, Thanh Thai, and Duy Tan. The three missing altars were included in 1959, after the departure of the French.

Take note of the yellow enameled roof tiles and the red lacquered pillars within the main temple chamber. Visitors are permitted to enter the main chamber but must leave their shoes at the door. Once inside, you won't be permitted to take photos.

Hien Lam Pavilion - Last Stop of Hue Citadel Walking Tour

In front of the Hien Lam Pavilion stand nine urns - Dynasty Urns honoring the emperors who completed their reigns.

The Nine Dynastic Urns were cast in the 1830s. As they represent the reigns of successive Nguyen Emperors, the urns were designed with massive proportions: each urn weighs between 1.8 to 2.9 tons, and the smallest urn is 6.2 feet high. Traditional designs representing the reign of each Emperor were chiseled onto each urn.

The Hien Lam Pavilion , also known as the Pavilion of Glorious Coming, commemorates the lives and accomplishments of significant commoners who helped the Nguyens rule their empire.

The gate that leads out of the temple compound stands immediately across from the Hien Lam Pavilion. Turn left, walk about 700 feet, and you will arrive where you started, at the Ngo Mon Gate.

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Walking Tour of Huế

Huế (hereinafter Hue) was the second city that we visited in Vietnam and much more easily manageable than Hanoi. I signed up for a walking tour one morning to get to know a little bit about the history and culture of the former imperial capital. Since Jon was feeling under the weather, I joined a small group and followed our young Vietnamese guides around the city. For two and a half hours, we alternated short walks in the heat with stops under shaded trees and pagodas to see different buildings, statues, and landmarks. Later in the evening, once Jon was feeling better, I took him on a shortened version of the tour so that he wouldn’t miss out on seeing the city.

The main bridge in Hue, designed by Gustav Eiffel, connects the two sides of the city across the Perfume River.

BeeBee Travel is a local tour company that offers a free walking tour each morning, along with a variety of other themed, paid tours. Despite our small group of five, we had two guides to accompany us who would explain what we were looking at and answer any questions we had about Hue or Vietnam. Although their English was not perfect (they were recent graduates, after all), they were enthusiastic and dedicated to ensuring that we had a good time while in Hue. They offered us suggestions on what to eat, where to go, and how much we should pay for typical items (since tourists are frequently charged more than locals). Jon and I have taken our share of tours while on this trip, but this walking tour was one of my favorites based on the passion our guides demonstrated about their city.

Our guide took us into the Dong Ba market and explained the meaning and usage behind the conical hits that are worn throughout Vietnam.

Hue is located in central Vietnam, about three hours drive north of well-known Hoi An. In 1802, Nguyễn Phúc Ánh was declared Emperor of Vietnam, uniting rule over the entire country. He established the capital in Hue, which remained so until the French colonial period began. The Imperial City was the seat of rule until Emperor Bảo Ðại abdicated in 1945. It was at this time that the country was split, with Hanoi becoming capital of northern communist Vietnam and Saigon becoming capital in the south. During the Vietnam War (or American War as it is known in Vietnam), Hue was in a vulnerable position, near to the border between the two sides. In 1968, the Battle of Hue took place, which was one of the longest and bloodiest of the entire conflict. Much of the city was bombed and many people massacred as each side tried to take control. In the years following, Hue was viewed as a throwback to imperial times and there was not much interest in trying to preserve the few remaining historic buildings. Moving forward to modern times, renovations are underway to restore important structures and effort is taken to remember and protect the history of the city.

There is evidence of the Vietnam/American War throughout the city, like this bunker left on the edge of a park.

We learned all of this information and more while on our tour. Oddly enough, one of the highlights for me was to see and walk across the Truờng Tiền Bridge. The bridge spans the Perfume River and contains walkways on either side of the road for pedestrians. Construction was completed in 1899, making it the oldest bridge in Hue and one of the oldest in Vietnam. It was designed and built by Gustav Eiffel, famous for the Eiffel Tower in Paris. While we were there, hot pink lotus flowers were hanging from the supports, giving it a fun atmosphere.

The pink flowers provided a festive decoration for the steel bridge.

While on my version of the walking tour with Jon in the evening, we were walking through the gardens in front of the Imperial City gates and were stopped by a young woman and teenager. Initially cautious, as most people who stop us on the streets wanted to sell us something, we quickly realized that they wanted to know if we spoke English so they could practice their language skills. We spent an enjoyable half hour with the teacher and her student, asking questions about each other’s culture and learning a little bit about their daily lives.

While not the most in-focus picture, this shows the fun we had getting to know the English teacher and her student in Hue! (including the symbol we are all making, which means that something is really good or really fun)

I would be remiss if my article about Hue didn’t mention the friendliness of the people we encountered. While people weren’t necessarily unfriendly in Hanoi, the locals in Hue who we encountered were happy to see us and willing to help. From the cheerful staff at our guesthouse to my enthusiastic tour guides to the smiling teacher and student we met, everyone wanted to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and having a good time in their city. They were proud of where they lived and eager to pass along their knowledge and love of their city. After Saigon, Hue was my second favorite place in Vietnam due simply to the friendliness of the people we met.

If you look closely, you can see one of the women from our guesthouse in the doorway waving goodbye to us (in our taxi on the way to the train station). This just proves how nice they were!

We ate dinner both evenings at the night market, located conveniently under the bridge down the street from our guesthouse. (This picture has nothing to do with this article; I just like it and wanted to share!)

*Note: The use of accent marks is inconsistent for a reason. I found it easier to refer to the cities by the Anglicized version, since this is what most of you will recognize. For the lesser-known places, food, or people, I’ve kept with the accent marks since this is what we got used to while traveling.

• ← Hungry in Hà Nội (Or, My Ode to Bún Chả)
• Getting Settled in Hội An →

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Hue Imperial City Walking Tour (2.5 Hours)

Hue city, Vietnam

from/per person

$  20

Description

If you stay in Hue and don’t have enough time for a Hue City Tour full day or Hue city half day tour , but still would like to visit the must-visit attraction in Hue. The Hue Imperial City Walking Tour is the best option for you.

Booking our Hue Imperial City Tour, you will have 2.5 hours exploring the complex of Hue Imperial Citadel (Hue Citadel, Hue Royal City & Forbidden City). Our excellent local guide will tell you a lot of stories and interesting information about the royal life of 13 Emperors, concubines, and eunuchs.

HUE IMPERIAL CITY WALKING TOUR

What will you get from this tour.

• Walking around the complex of Hue Imperial Citadel with beautiful monuments.
• Understand deeply about the Nguyen Dynasty via untold stories.
• Our excellent English-speaking tour guide will give you a lot of information about the Vietnam War.
• Learn deeply about the Fengshui setting, and architecture of Hue Imperial City.
• Our local guide will give you interesting information about the royal life of 13 Emperors, concubines, and eunuchs.
• Learn more about the main differences between the Nguyen Dynasty compared with others in Vietnam and China.
• Learn more about the function of each part of the Citadel, single monuments in the complex.
• Understand the formation and the disintegration of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945.

Hue Imperial Citadel Walking Tour Details

At 8:00 am or 14:00, we will meet our local guide at ” Lac Thien Restaurant ” at Thuong Tu Gate- Hue Citadel at 06 Dinh Tien Hoang Street. After the greetings, our local guide will give you an overview of the Fengshui setting of the Hue Imperial Citadel complex and the function of each part.

Our excellent tour guide will take you to admire the first section of the complex- the Hue Citadel.  It is the protecting area with the highlights that you must visit including the Nine Holy Cannons , The Noon Gate ( Ngo Mon Gate ), The Flag Tower , and the Kim Thuy moat.

Keep doing the Hue Imperial City walking tour, we will explore the second section of the Hue Imperial Citadel complex- the Royal City, the former working section of the Nguyen Dynasty. Our local guide will take you up to Ngu Phung Palace- the place the Emperors announced the most important policies to the country and people.

We will explore the Thai Hoa Palace   – the most important working office of the Emperor and high-ranking servants. The Hue Royal Family Temple, the worshiping temple of the Nguyen Dynasty . Our experienced local guide will tell you the worshiping order as well as guide you on how to pray, and burn the incense to offer to the emperors.

Last but not least in our Hue Imperial City Walking Tour is the Forbidden City- the private residence of 13 Emperors, concubines, and eunuchs. In this part, we will admire the residence of the Emperor’s mother, the Royal Library, the Royal Lake, the Royal Garden as well as Royal Theater .

Our tour guide will tell you a lot of stories, and information about the Royal Life of the 13 Emperors, concubines, and eunuchs. Some of the stories are not easy to find on the internet or guide books.

After 2.5 hours of exploring to learn about the Hue culture, traditions, and Hue Imperial Citadel complex architecture. You will be free to visit on your own and we finish the Hue Imperial Citadel walking tour.

• Excellent English-speaking guide.
• Bottled water.
• Entrance Fee (The Citadel: 200.000 VND).
• Personal Expense and Tip.

Children’ policies

• The kid from 0 – 2 years old : free of charge
• The kid from 3 – 10 years old: 15 USD
• The kid from 11 years old and older as Adult.
• 475,000 VND/ person from 2 pax
• 700,000 VND/ person for 1 pax

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What to Do in Huế, Vietnam on a Budget

Huế can be a great stop for travelers on a central Vietnam itinerary . In this post, we’ll cover the best things to do in Hue, where to stay, and what to eat on a budget.

Visiting Hue, Vietnam

Once the national capitol and home to the royal Nguyen family, much of the Imperial City was destroyed during the Vietnam-American War but it has since become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We spent two full weekend days exploring this relatively small city, which seemed like the right amount of time for us.

Hue Vietnam Map of Things to Do

This post shares some cheap things you can see, do, and eat in Huế, Vietnam. The video above is a quick recap of our two-day stay. The map below shows the places we visited and have recommended in the blog post below. (The purple line is a suggested biking route. Click on any blue icon to see a picture for that location.)

Going to Huế? Take this article with you as your guide! Upload the article for free to your phone with the GPSmyCity app . You can also upgrade to get an offline GPS map that guides you to each location we mention. Or subscribe to access all articles and maps for a full year.

* Get access to our Vietnam Destinations guide here *  

Cheap Things to See and Do in Huế

There are several possible tours, museums, and attractions you can visit in Huế. Souvenir and clothes shopping is also a pretty big draw. But for independent budget travelers like us, you can still get a lot out of the city’s free or inexpensive activities.

Huế Walking Tour

Update 2019: The free walking tour we did with ESL students is no longer offered. However, we still highly recommend the lead tour guide, Thu, who continues to give tours in the city.

Hue City Walking Tours  provides group and private tours.

On our tour, we were led by one of the co-founders of the group, Thu, who was a knowledgeable guide and engaging leader. We were also accompanied by two of her “apprentices” who each led a portion of the tour and conversed with us along the way in English.

We learned about the general history of Vietnam and Indochina, toured the Đông Ba market, and stopped at a few important monuments within the walled Citadel.

We treated the two students to lunch afterward as a thank you, and they introduced us to a dish called nem lụi and to the region’s famous savory pancakes, which were both delicious (Nhà Hàng Quán Rom restaurant can be found on the map above). Lunch for the four of us was about $7.20.

Biking Around the Sights of Huế

Once we had some background info under our belts, our guides-now-friends confirmed that biking to Thien Mu Pagoda and around the Citadel would be a great next step.

We had rented bikes through our Airbnb host (30,000 vnd, about $1.35 for a day) and navigated by way of Google Maps. We used data from our Viettel sim card but you can also download any area from Google Maps in advance which allows you to see your GPS location offline as well.

We first followed the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda. Bike and motorcycle parking along the roadside is monitored for a small fee but, otherwise, entrance is free and open to the public.

The pagoda is a well-known symbol of the city and is one of the closest visit-worthy monuments outside of the Citadel that you can reach by bicycle (or boat). Though the road to the pagoda is pretty flat and wide, riders should always be alert and have a good sense of Vietnam’s “rules of the road” – which may seem chaotic at first.

The Huế Citadel is another foundational part of the city that is great to explore by bike. Four citadels and a moat were constructed around what was once the Imperial City, enclosing the royal family’s homes, shrines, and palaces. Some of these impressive buildings still exist today, alongside every-day neighborhoods and commercial districts.

If you stay just inside the city walls, which make a large square, you’ll have a nice route that avoids some of the busy traffic in the interior (see route in purple on the map above).

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Half the benefit of travel in Vietnam is all the fresh, affordable food. While Huế has its fair share of Western and air-conditioned, sit-down restaurants, these tend to come with “foreigner prices.”

Some of the open air, local places will charge different prices to tourists, so we learned to confirm prices before ordering. Better yet, find local restaurants that publish their prices and have picture menus so you know exactly what you’re getting into.

Nhà Hàng Quán Rom  on Điện Biên Phủ, near the train station, is where our local guides took us for nem lụi and bánh xèo.

Cafe Phương Nam at 38 Trần Cao Vân is a Vietnamese shop we found on TripAdvisor. They have an extensive picture menu with local specialties and really good fresh fruit smoothies. We’d definitely recommend this family-run eatery if you’re looking for a cheap, local place that’s approachable. Two noodle dishes and three smoothies cost us about $3.40 US.

Cơm Ông Chủ , at the corner of Đội Cung and Võ Thị Sáu, is where we tried Bún bò Huế, a beef and vermicelli soup that originated with the city’s former royal court. The staff were patient with us to decipher meal items and menu prices, which took some time. Two noodle bowls and a beer came to about $3.50 US.

T’ House Cafe at 2 Phạm Ngũ Lão   is a really cute coffee shop in the tourist area where we stopped for refreshments a couple times. We love the decor and the delicious egg coffee that comes with a cookie! It seems that they may also have a few meal items available, in addition to coffee drinks. Our two drinks cost a total of $2.85 US.

For a range of meal options, from American bar food to Italian to sit-down Vietnamese, start at  Phạm Ngũ Lão street. This is a bit of a tourist/shopping area but has a high concentration of restaurant choices and many have their menus on display outside.

Where to Stay in Huế

There are tons of hotels in Huế, especially on the south bank of the river. We found a great homestay just outside of the tourist center, where we could walk to restaurants and bike to the main attractions.

We paid $20 per night, which included a Vietnamese-style breakfast, AC, and good wifi. The bedroom and private bathroom were spacious – the only downside, being next to the river after the rains, was quite a few mosquitos in the evening.

Book a family-run homestay near the tourist center >

Getting To and From Huế

You can get to Huế from Hanoi in the North or Ho Chi Minh City in the South by overnight bus or train, or by a short flight into Da Nang.

We opted for the “soft sleeper” overnight train car and booked online. It was about $36 each, departing from Hanoi train station around 8pm and arriving to Huế around 9:45am the next day.

Book private and public transit across Vietnam through BookAway >

We shared a car with a German couple, who got off about three hours before us, and then we were joined by two Vietnamese ladies. It was a good value for budget travelers like us, although you do have to tolerate smelly train bathrooms (and we also spotted two baby cockroaches in the car). We brought our own baked goods for breakfast, but there are vendors walking through and selling food in the hallways around meal times.

For our onward travel to Hoi An, we splurged a bit and booked a day-long motorbike tour .

Some Peace Corps friends of ours had highly recommended Mr. Phu , a motorbike tour guide that had taken them out into the rural villages from Hoi An. He and another guide picked us up from our Airbnb in Huế at 8am and we adventured together to several different sights until about 5:30pm, when we were dropped off at our Airbnb in Hoi An.

Since our backpacks were small enough, they simply strapped them to the back of the bike, giving us a nice back rest. It was an incredible experience. Costs for these kinds of day trips are around $65 per person.

Hue Vietnam Travel Resources

• Compare and book Vietnam transit tickets on BookAway here >
• Browse Experiences in Hue Vietnam here >
• Book a local tour experience with Backstreet Academy here >

✈️ Protect your Hue, Vietnam trip with Travel Insurance – We’ve started using Nomad Insurance by Safety Wing for affordable evacuation, international medical, and trip coverage.

What travel restrictions and rules are in place in Vietnam? Find post-pandemic travel updates for Vietnam here: What you need to know about Vietnam travel right now

Should you go to Huế?

We definitely enjoyed it and our visit helped us understand more of Vietnam’s past. While it may not be the best stand-alone destination, Huế makes a great stop-over for travelers who are already visiting Central Vietnam. You could technically see “enough” of Huế in one day, however, we found two full days to be an ideal amount of time.

If you have any question or recommendations to share about Huế, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

Read more on Vietnam travel:

– Best Central Vietnam Destinations – 3 Day Hoi An Itinerary and Self-Guided Walking Tour Map – Hue to Hoi An Motorbike Tour/Transfer – Best food in Hoi An: Our favorite restaurants – Where to stay in Hoi An – 5 Best day trips from Hoi An – Suggested Vietnam Itineraries: 10+ Days in Vietnam – A budget guide to Ninh Binh – A budget guide to Hanoi – A budget guide to Mai Chau Vietnam

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