An imperial capital on the Perfume River
Hue is Vietnam's most formal city and its most home-cooked one at the same time. We pair the Citadel and the tombs with a lunch in a garden house in Kim Long, and we take the Perfume River by boat in the late afternoon when the light is right and the tour groups are at dinner.
For 143 years the Nguyen emperors governed from here, and the traces of that are unusually concentrated: a Citadel behind its walls, the Forbidden Purple City inside it, and royal tombs standing in pine woods along the Perfume River. Nowhere else in the centre of the country packs that much history into one stop.
Most people drive up from Da Nang in two and a half to three hours, crossing the Hai Van Pass, a coastal mountain road that fills more camera rolls than almost anywhere else in the country. There is also Phu Bai (HUI), the city's own airport, if you would rather leave Da Nang out.
The kitchen here has a reputation to match the monuments. An elaborate court cuisine grew up in the city, and it sits alongside everyday cooking such as bun bo Hue, the spicy beef noodle soup named after the place. Half a day on a food tour is time well spent if eating is part of how you travel.
What fills the days here
Imperial Citadel
The walled royal enclosure, loosely modelled on the Forbidden City in Beijing, with the Forbidden Purple City at its heart.
Royal tombs
Three emperors — Khai Dinh, Tu Duc and Minh Mang — each buried in a tomb built to a different architectural taste.
Thien Mu Pagoda
Seven storeys rising above the Perfume River, and one of the country's most photographed religious sites.
Perfume River boat cruise
An unhurried way to reach the pagoda and watch the riverbanks go by, often combined with dinner aboard a dragon boat.
Dong Ba Market
The city's main local market for food, textiles and souvenirs.
Hai Van Pass drive
The mountain road between the two cities, usually done as a private-car excursion for the views.
The practical bits
| When to come | March to August is drier; September to January is Vietnam's wettest stretch anywhere |
| Getting in | Phu Bai airport, or 2.5 to 3 hours by road from Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass |
| Getting about | Car and driver for the tombs, boat on the river, on foot inside the Citadel |
| What to eat | Bun bo Hue, banh khoai and the small royal-style dishes — best in family kitchens |
| Money | Vietnamese Dong |
Our trips that pass through Hue
13D/12N Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Da Nang & more
A longer, multi-region itinerary that includes Hue's imperial sites.
Reorder the Hue days around Da Nang and Hoi An, or push the trip north to take in Ha Long Bay and Hanoi. Send your dates and party size and a day-by-day plan with hotel choices comes back to you.