Hue Imperial city - A to Z Travel guide

Speaking of the ancient capital ofHue, the cultural heritage of the world, people often think of palaces, ancient temples bearing the vivid evidence of the last feudal dynasty also the vibe of a glorious ancient reign. With ancient and romantic beauty, Hue has played a huge role in Vietnamese poetry and literature. To completely explore the beauty of Vietnam, a Hue trip is an unmissable experince for tourists to Vietnam.

1. The most ideal time to travel Hue? When to travel to Hue?

   - Weather in Hue has its own feature which is not ideal to come and visit the city any time throughout the year.The dry season lasts from March to August, characterized by hot weather and high temperatures, sometimes it can be up to 40 degrees Celsius, the hottest in months are from May to August. The rainy season starts from October to January. Heavy rains happen regularly, it’s cold in the winter, the lowest temperature is 9 degrees Celsius. In the spring from January to the end of March, the climate is relatively cool.
    - Autumn time from September to the end of November is considered as the ideal time to travel Hue. At this time the weather is mild, not too hot and not cold, cool climate, just perfect for visiting Hue.

The average weather in Hue

>>>>>Best time to visit Vietnam

2. Transportations to travel to Hue

Airplane to Hue: Daily flights from Saigon and Hanoi to Hue provided by many airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, VietjetAir, Jetstar ticket prices from 900,000 VND ($38.54) / way.
You can choose to travel to Da Nang Airport or Phu Bai Airport (Hue) 15 km away from Hue city center, about 25 minutes on a taxi to get to the city center.
>>>Train: From Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi there are also trains to Hue. For those who want to spend time on experiencing beautiful scenery along the way, then choose this. The ticket price from Hanoi to Hue is from 350.000 VND ($15) to 800.000 VND ($34.25) depending on the type of seats. The traveling takes around 18 hours.
Ticket price from Saigon to Hue from: 400.000 VND ($18) - 1.200.000 VND ($52) depending on the type of seat. The traveling takes one day and one night for the distance of 1088 km.
>>>Bus: You will have to spend one day traveling from Hanoi / Sai Gon to Hue.
Buses to Hue are usually the North-South sleeper buses. Ticket prices and quality are not much different, you can refer to the ticket prices of the Hoang Long, Phuong Trang, TheSinhTourist, ...
In Hanoi you can take the bus to Hue at Giap Bat station or Nuoc Ngam bus station with the ticket price is from 300,000 VND ($12.85).
In Saigon, you buy tickets at Mien Dong (the East) Bus Station, with fares from 450,000 VND($19.27).

3. Traveling in Hue City - Transportations in Hue City:

Motorbike taxi
In Hue, the amount of motorbike taxi is not as much as in Saigon, but enough for you to go home from the train station or bus station or to rent one to go around the city by yourself. The price is not very high and depends on the distance you want to go. It’s about 2000 VND ($0.1) / 1km / person.

Xich lo ( Cyclo)
Xich lo in Hue is extremely attractive to tourists. Unlike xich lo in Hanoi and Saigon, xich lo in Hue is more "graceful" with medium width and medium height. It can be flexible between carrying goods, luggage or tourists by turning the hood up or down.
The prices are usually: 2 USD / 1h / per tourist, 15,000 VND / 1h / 1 local person.

Xich lo in Hue

Motorbikes rental:
There are not many motorbike rentals in Hue City and only in some hotels or private establishments. You can contact Thang Long Hotel, 2 Le Loi, Hoa Hong, Khai Hoan..
Prices range from VND 10,000 - VND 15,000 VND($0.15-$0.64) / hour; VND 60,000 - 70,000VND ($2.57-$3) / day (12 hours)

Boat rentals:
Currently, the dragon boat carrying tourists on the river has become a very popular mean of tourism in Hue.
All types of boat (single boat for only 20 people with the boat bay is 2 meters wide 5-6 meters long or twin boat which can accommodate 50-60 people) are built in the style of a dragon head and splendidly painted on both sides of the boat. Only by boating, floating adrift, enjoying Hue songs, releasing lanterns and praying on the river in Hue City, tourist can gradually absorb the flavor, tone inside of Hue.

If you want to rent a boat to go on the Huong River, you can contact the boat station with the prices depend on which boat you choose. Currently, dragon boat travel on Huong River has the following routes:
- Hue - Linh Mu: 80,000 VND($3.43) / one trip / single boat, 160,000 VND ($6.85) / twin boat
- Hue - Hon Chen Island: 100,000 VND$(4.28) / one trip on a single boat 200,000 VND($8.56) on a twin boat.
- Hue - Minh Mang Tomb: 135,000VND($5.78) / 1 trip / single boat, 170,000VND ($7.28) / one trip / twin double)
- Hue - Bao Vinh: 50,000 VND ($2.14) / 1 hour / 1 single boat.

If you want to listen to Hue songs, it must be leased separately: 270.000VND ($11.56) / 1 person in 1 hour and 30 minutes for groups of less than 20 people, 370.000 VND ($15.84) / 1 person in 1 hour 30 minutes for groups of less than 60 people).

                                            
                                                                                        Ca tru Hue
Taxi:
Currently, there are many taxi companies operating in Hue city. You can choose among the following brands:

City bus

Hue has five main bus routes:
1. National Highway 49, An Cuu - Ba Trieu - Ly Thuong Kiet Secondary School - Industrial and Commercial Bank - Hoa Mai Nursery - Labor Confederation - Hospital of Medical University - Ben Ngu - Quoc Hoc - Hue Central Hospital - Thuong Bac - Dong Ba - Doors - Quang Duc Doors - Doors - Bach Ho - Cua Huu - Chanh Tay - An Hoa - North Bus Station
2. Cong Bac - Thuy Duong market - Phu Le junction - Than Phu market - Mai market - Gas station 15 - TT Phu Bai market - Phu Thu junction - Phu Bai airport junction - Phu Bai industrial zone - The crossroads - Phu Bai Market.
3. National Road 49, An Cuu - 15B Ha Noi - Print Trade - Dong Ba - TT Festival - Kham Temple - Trade Union Hotel - Vy Da Market - Huda Brewery - Mai Market - Phan Dang Luu High School - My An hot water - Tan An market - Huong Vy hotel - Thuan An high school - Thuan An port - Thuan An market.
4. National Road QL49, An Cuu - 15B Ha Noi - Print Shop - Bac Ba - Cua Dan - Do Quang Duc - Doi Do - Bach Ho - Cua Huu - Cua Chanh Tay - An Hoa - North - Trieu Son - Tuyen - Huong Xuan - Van Xa - Huong Van - Tu Ha - Tu Ha Post Office - Tu Ha - Phu Oc - An Lo.
5. National Road 49, An Cuu - 15B Ha Noi - Print - Bac Ba - Hue Central Hospital - Quoc Hoc - Hue Railway Station - Bao Quoc Pagoda - Tu Dam Pagoda - Bien Phong Camp - Nam Giao - Lim Bridge - Cu Chanh - Thien An junction - Thuy Bang Commune - Khai Dinh Tomb - Tuan Market.

4. What to visit in Hue

>>>>INSIDE THE CITY:

Citadel: Imperial Citadel located inside Hue Citadel is the first place you should visit when traveling Hue. After more than 100 years, the massive architecture in the Citadel now is only less than half of the original figure, but still carry the majestic vibe of a once feudal age. The Citadel is quite large, you should spend about 1 morning or even a day to explore the place.

Truong Tien Bridge
Truong Tien bridge is another unmissable destination when visiting Hue. The romantic and poetic scenes will surely bring you impressive pictures about the history of Hue. It’s a highlight for tourists when listening to Ca Tru on the Huong River.

Hue Imperial Museum of Fine Arts:
Located in Long An Electric Palace, the most beautiful palace in the Nguyen Dynasty palace system) is a place to display ancient collections of necklaces, crowns, and belongings of the reign under the Nguyen.

>>>THE NEARBY OF HUE CITY:

The tombs: The tombs have their own characteristics and interesting historical stories about the kings once ruled the country. However, the mausoleums are far apart and are not located in the center of the city. You should take time to rent a taxi or a car which costs around 300.000 VND ($13) for a tour of the mausoleums such as Tu Duc Tomb, Minh Mang Tomb or Khai Dinh Tomb.
Hon Chen Temple: Hon Chen Temple plays an important role in the spiritual life of Hue people, the only sanctuary in Hue is a combination of the royal court and folk beliefs. This is also the place where fine art decoration reached its peak in the late 19th century.
Thien Mu Pagoda: The attraction that can not be ignored in your Hue trip. Built in the year 1,600 and preserved over many times, Thien Mu pagoda still attracts many visitors by the magnificent but equally pure, poetic beauty. To go to Thien Mu Pagoda, you can go boating along the Perfume River to have an extremely romantic experience.

Thien Mu Pagoda

Vong Canh Hill: The hill locates about 7 km from the city. From here you can see the whole Hue city, a great spot to admire the tombs of the Nguyen Kings and the Huong River
Ngu Binh Mountain: Along with the Huong River, Ngu Binh Mountain is the highlight to create the charming nature of Hue tourism. Long ago, this beautiful mountain along with the Perfume River has become a symbol of Hue nature. From the mountain can view the landscape of famous landmarks and natural scenery around.

>>>THE AREA FARAWAY FROM THE CITY CENTRE:

Bach Ma Mountain:  Located 60km from Hue City, Bach Ma Mountain is famous for its streams and many spectacular waterfalls. Standing on top of Bach Ma Mountain, visitors can also take in the panoramic views of Hai Van Pass, Tuy Van Mountain, Cau Hai Lagoon and the shimmering light of Hue City at night.
Dam Chuon (12 km from Hue), or Lap An lagoon (about 70 km from Hue) are poetic landscapes that help you immerse yourself in the picturesque river and learn about the life of the people in the vicinity.

Hue beaches
The peaceful beaches in Hue are always in the top of the most beautiful beaches in the Central of Vietnam, where attracts many tourists to Hue. Although Lang Co is far from the city (about 70km from the center of Hue city), it’s widely known as one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
Not far from Lang Co, there are some other beaches like Thuan An (12km from Hue), Vinh Thanh (30km), Ham Rong (50km) being worth a try.

Lang Co beach - Hue

>>> One day in Hue
Discover Hue cuisine
Going to Hue without eating different kinds of Hue cakes is a serious shortage. There are dozens of delicious cakes you should try, such as the crispy golden “banh xeo” or thin pudding on a tray with fried shrimp and grease of “banh beo”, red shrimp and grease in “banh bot loc” , or the green leaf eye-catching delicious “banh nam”.
Hue cuisine is well known for its exquisite taste, including beef noodle soup, wet rice noodle with grilled pork or grilled Vietnamese roll.

                                                  
                                                                                                  Banh bot loc Hue

>>>7 famous foods in Hue
       Vietnamese soup, the miracle in a bowl of “Bún Bò Huế”

5. Where to stay in Hue

Hotels in Hue are very diverse. Depending on the conditions of the individual you can easily choose a suitable hotel. You can also easily find the hotel by the name of the street to facilitate your location such as Ba Trieu Street Hotel, hotel near Dong Ba Market, Hung Vuong Street Hotel …

1. Hue Charming Hotel
- Located in the heart of Hue City, it takes a 10-minute walk to reach Huong River - Trang Tien Bridge, Hue Charming Hotel is always the first hotel recommended when visiting Hue.
This is a hotel with modern design, luxury catch up the new trend.

     - Rooms are all types from the dorm room to luxury rooms, cozy space, homely Hue. Each room is equipped with amenities such as wardrobe, fan, television, air conditioning, private bathroom, ... Some of the premium rooms also have a minibar, kettle, hairdryer, bathrobe, street view. The interior is made of natural materials and the floors are tiled to provide a great rest to visitors.
     - Hue Charming Hotel offers a restaurant serving Hue and Western dishes, bicycle and motorbike rentals, entertainment activities, and more.
     - The hotel is also close to the city center, Lang Co Bay, Huong River - Ngu Mountain, Thuan An Beach, Nhi Ho Waterfall, Voi Stream ... You can rent a bike to explore these famous tourist spots by yourself.
     - Facilities of Hue Charming Hotel
         + Airport shuttle
         + Family's room
         + Non-smoking
         + Free parking
         + Restaurant, bar
         + Room service
         + Bicycle rental
         + Daily News
         + Languages: Vietnamese, French, English
     - Policies
          + Check in: 12:30 - 00:00
          + Check out: 06:00 - 12:00
    - Review of Hue Charming Hotel
          + Score 8.9 out of 10 in 607 reviewers
    - More about Hue Charming Hotel:
          + Address: 17, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue
          + Tel: 054 3812 555
          + Review on Trip Advisor: here
    - Room price: Lowest: 104,000 VND ($4.45) / person / room / night, highest: 9.223.000 VND ($395) / room Deluxe luxury / night.

2. Ngoc Binh Hotel

- Do not have the charming name of Hue Charming Hotel but it is in a convenient location, comfortable and good price.
Ngoc Binh Hotel's bedroom also has a double bedroom, fully equipped with cable TV, wardrobe, airy window with elegant curtain, tea & coffee table and bathroom. Private, nice clean bed, air conditioner etc
- The hotel also offers a restaurant serving Asian food, luggage storage, tour desk, motorbike rental, bicycle for guests to freely go exploring the nearby area, etc. The friendly staff will always be happy to help you during your stay.
This hotel is also located in the city center and close to Phu Bai Airport, Hue Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, Tu Duc Tomb, Thuan An Beach, ...

- Ngoc Binh Hotel facilities
      + Free Wi-Fi
      + Airport shuttle
      + Family's room
      + Parking
      + Laundry service
      + Bicycle rental
      + Tour service, tour desk
      + Restaurant
      + Languages: Vietnamese, English
  - Ngoc Binh Hotel policy
     + Check in: 14:00 - 00:00
      + Check out: 06:00 - 12:00
      + Review of Ngoc Binh Hotel
     + Score 8.3 / 10 of 674 evaluations
- More about Ngoc Binh Hotel
     + Address: 6A / 34, Nguyen Tri Phuong, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue
     + Tel: 054 3819 860
    + Review on Trip Advisor: here
- Room price: lowest: 93,000 VND ($4) / person / room / night, highest: 401,000 VND ($17.17) / room 2 large double bed / night.

3. Hue Boutique Hotel
- Next, Authentik Travel will guide you to a simple yet convenient place to look when looking for a good, comfortable hotel, near center in Hue: Hue Boutique Hotel.
- This hotel offers both bunk beds and family rooms. Facilities include free wifi, free internet, 24-hour front desk, nice clean bedroom with window, dressing table, wardrobe, TV, private bathroom, free personal belongings to ensure peace of mind when resting.
- Services, Hue Boutique Hotel provides luggage storage, laundry, babysitting, bicycle rental, car rental, restaurant service ... with dynamic staff ready to serve guests when needed.
- It is also in the center of Hue City and near places worth visiting such as: Dong Ba Market, Chieu Ung Pagoda, Trang Tien Bridge, Thien Mu Pagoda, Thuan An Beach.

- Facilities of Hue Boutique Hotel
     + Free Wi-Fi
     + Airport shuttle
     + Non-smoking
     + Free parking
     + Pets allowed
     + Room service
     + Bicycle rental
     + Use language: Vietnamese, English
- Policies Hue Boutique Hotel
     + Check in: 14:00 - 23:00
     + Check out: 06:00 - 12:00
- Review of Hue Boutique Hotel
     + Score 8.4 / 10 out of 632 reviewers
- More information on Hue Boutique Hotel
     + Address: 124, Le Loi Street, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue Province
     + Tel: 054 3933 455
     + Review on Trip Advisor: here
- Room price: lowest: 104,000 VND ($4.45) / person / room / night, highest: 560,000 VND ($23.98) / family room / night.

4. Oasis Bar and Hostel

- You will be interested because the Oasis Bar and Hostel is situated in a pretty garden on the sand.
Specifically, the accommodation is a building with French architecture in the 1900s extremely beautiful, luxurious located in the soft white sand. Oasis Bar and Hostel offers bunk beds for tour groups, groups, rooms are also comfortable enough such as air conditioning, fan, nice beds, free wifi ... Rooms here are mainly dorm rooms
- Coming to this western-style accommodation, you can also play billiards, chat with friends in the playground, lounge, bike rental, luggage storage, food service, etc. Locations near Oasis Bar such as Trang Tien Bridge, Thien Mu Pagoda, Thuan An Beach, Tu Duc Tomb, Hue City Center.

- Facilities of Oasis Bar and Hostel
     + Free Wi-Fi
     + Non-smoking
     + Free parking
     + Restaurant
     + Pets accepted (may be charged)
     + Bicycle rental
     + Billiards room
     + Languages: Vietnamese, English
- Policies Oasis Bar and Hostel
     + Check in: 14:00 - 23:30
     + Check-out: 12:00
- Review of Oasis Bar and Hostel
     + Score 7.4 out of 157 people evaluated
-  More about Oasis Bar and Hostel
     + Address: 42/4, Le Loi, Phu Hoi, Hue City, Thua Thien Hue
     + Phone: 093 399 12 36
    + Review on Trip Advisor: here
- Room price: Lowest: 104,000 VND ($4.45) / person / room for 6 persons / night, highest: 160,000 VND ($6.85) / room for 4 persons / night.

5. Tai Hai Guesthouse
- This is the last address you should see when you want to find a good hotel in
The rooms here are well-furnished with air condition, tea table, TV, airy window with nice curtain, tiled floor clean, luxury bed, private bathroom.
- Tai Hai Guesthouse also offers many facilities to enrich your stay in Hue. For the comfort and convenience of the guests, the hotel offers tours, car park, concierge, Wi-Fi in public areas.

- Facilities of Tai Hai Guesthouse
       + Free Wi-Fi
       + Airport shuttle
       + Family's room
       + Non-smoking
       + Free parking
       + Pets allowed
       + Car rental
       + Honeymoon Room
       + Languages: Vietnamese, Japanese and English
- Phu Hai Guesthouse policy
       + Check in: 12:30 - 23:30
       + Check out: 08:00 - 11:30
- Reviews of Tai Hai Guesthouse
       + Score 6.9 / 10 in 157 evaluators
- More about Tai Hai Guesthouse
       + Address: 28/16 Hai Ba Vien, Hue, Thua Thien Hue
       + Phone: 093 594 32 22
+ Official website: here
- Room price: lowest: 122,000 VND ($5.22) / person / room / night, highest: 208,000 VND ($8.91) / room 2 large double bed / night.

Hope you find this article useful for your trip to Hue!