Hue

What is Hue, and why go?

Hue is the former imperial capital of Vietnam, on the Perfume River in the centre of the country. The Nguyen dynasty ruled from here until 1945, and what they left, a walled citadel, a palace complex, tombs in pine forest and a handful of pagodas, was listed by UNESCO in 1993. Since 2025 the city is administered as one of Vietnam’s centrally governed cities, merged with the old Thua Thien Hue province, though everyone still says Hue.

It’s a small, quiet city for its history. The Imperial City is on the north bank, the newer hotels and restaurants are on the south, and the tombs are scattered through the countryside south of town.

Hue or Hoi An?

Many travellers choose between them. Hue is the better stop if you’d rather walk around a palace than a lantern-lit old town, and if the food matters to you. Hoi An is prettier at night and has the beach and the tailors, but it’s also the one that feels like a tourist town. They are about 3 hours apart by road, and the stretch between them over the Hai Van Pass is one of the best drives in the country. See Hoi An and Da Nang for the other end.

The Imperial City

The Imperial City, the Citadel, is the main sight and takes half a day. A moat and thick brick walls enclose the Forbidden Purple City, the ceremonial halls, the temples to the emperors and the old courtyards. Much of it was damaged in 1968, and some areas are still restoration sites, so expect a mix of the restored and the half-ruined.

In 2026 admission is about 200,000₫ for adults and the grounds open from about 6:30 to 17:30 in summer and 7:00 to 17:00 in winter. Go early: there’s very little shade between the palaces, and by midday it’s hot.

The royal tombs

The tombs are the best reason to stay a second day. Each emperor planned his own, and they differ a lot.

Khai Dinh

The smallest and the strangest, finished in the 1920s. The concrete is covered with mosaics of broken porcelain and glass, and the interior is a blaze of colour. It’s the quickest to see.

Minh Mang

The most formal: a long axis of courtyards, bridges and pavilions across lakes, in a pine forest. It’s calm and a good place to walk.

Tu Duc

A garden as much as a tomb, built by an emperor who used it as a retreat while he was alive. It has lotus ponds, pavilions and the quietest paths of the three.

Entry is about 150,000₫ each (2026 listings). A combined ticket for the Imperial City and three tombs, valid for two days, was about 530,000₫ in the same listings, which is the better value if you’ll do all four. Booths take cash.

The old advice still holds for reaching them: the countryside around Hue is at its best from a motorbike or a car with a driver who knows the back lanes, and you pass more old buildings among the paddy fields on the way than at the tombs themselves. Hire a car with a driver, or an e-bike if you’re confident in traffic.

The Perfume River and Thien Mu Pagoda

The Perfume River splits the city in two, and the dragon boats that run along it are the traditional way to reach Thien Mu Pagoda, the seven-storey tower on a bluff upstream. Boat trips usually stop at a tomb or two on the way. They’re slow and a little touristy, but a relaxed way to spend a morning, and the pagoda is free to enter.

You can also walk or cycle to Thien Mu along the north bank in about 30-45 minutes.

What to eat in Hue

Hue’s cooking was shaped by the imperial court, which wanted many small, delicate dishes rather than one big one, and it still shows. The dish to order is bun bo Hue, rice noodles in a lemongrass and chilli beef broth, with a little more heat than the Saigon version. Banh khoai (a crisp, folded pancake), the small steamed rice cakes (banh beo, banh nam, banh loc) and the cold vegetarian dishes served around the pagodas are all worth trying. Hue is also one of the best cities in Vietnam to eat well cheaply: most of the good places are family shops with a few dishes.

Getting to Hue

• By air: Phu Bai Airport, about 15 km south of the city, has daily flights from Hanoi and Saigon. A taxi into town takes about 25-40 minutes.
• By train: Hue is on the north-south line. Da Nang to Hue takes about 2½-3½ hours, with the track climbing the coast around the Hai Van Pass; there’s also a daytime heritage train on this stretch. Hanoi to Hue is an overnight journey of around 12-14 hours.
• By road: about 100 km from Da Nang and about 125 km from Hoi An, 2½-3½ hours depending on whether you stop at the Hai Van Pass viewpoint.
• Flying on to Saigon? The flight is about 1½ hours, and a private car from Tan Son Nhat airport waits for you at arrivals.

For the rest of the country, start from the Vietnam destinations page, or see Hanoi, the other end of the line.

When to go

February to May is the best window: dry and warm without the heat of summer. June to August is hot. The rainy season runs from September to December, with about 70% of the year’s rain, and October and November are the likeliest months for typhoons and flooding. A wet day in Hue is a good one for the museums, the covered markets and a long lunch, but check the forecast before you commit to the tombs.

Festival Hue is now a series of events through the year rather than one festival, with summer events in May and June and an autumn programme in September (18 to 25 September in 2026). Hotels fill up for the larger weekends.

Where to stay in Hue

Choose an area, not a hotel, and book the hotel last.

• South bank, around Le Loi and Pham Ngu Lao: the main hotel and restaurant district, with the widest choice, a short walk from the river and about 25 minutes on foot from the Imperial City. The best choice for most people.
• North bank, near the Citadel: quieter and closer to the walls, with guesthouses and a few small hotels, fewer restaurants after dark.
• Riverside, along the Perfume River: pricier hotels with river views, and the easiest place for the evening boat trips.
• Countryside, near the tombs: a handful of resort-style stays and homestays, good for a night of quiet, but you’ll need transport for every meal.

Further afield from Hue

Bach Ma National Park, in the hills south-east of the city, is the usual day trip for walkers, with cooler air and forest trails. North of Hue the old DMZ along the Ben Hai River has the war sites, including the Vinh Moc tunnels, on a long day out. Both are easier with a car and driver than by bus.