Hue ancient capital is a heritage city and famous tourist destination in Central Vietnam. Hue travel itinerary promises to be a worthwhile trip with countless fascinating experiences waiting for you. The Hue travel guide shared below will help you easily plan and prepare the most thoughtfully.
1. Summary of useful Hue travel experiences.
1.1 When is the best season to travel to Hue?
Hue tourist season takes place from November to April next year and the best time is the first 3 months of the year with cool weather, little rain. In addition, June, July, and August are also ideal travel times, suitable for fun activities, swimming and admiring the blooming flowers.
1.2 The means of transportation you need to know when traveling to Hue ?
Starting from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh City or other provinces, you can travel to Hue by plane, train, or bus depending on your time, budget and preferences. Each vehicle has different characteristics and costs, specifically as follows:
Airplane: The route to Phu Bai airport, Hue is currently operated by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways with flight time of about 1 hour and 15 minutes, round-trip fare is about 1,600,000 VND (from Hanoi) and 1 hour 30 minutes, round trip ticket price 1,300,000 VND (from HCMC).
Train: North-South train has many trips for you to stop at Hue station. You can choose hard seats, soft seats, and sleeper beds to make the journey with a ticket price of about 400,000 – 900,000 VND. Travel time takes about 18 hours 24 minutes from Saigon station and about 12 hours 32 minutes for the train departing from Hanoi.
Bus, car: From neighboring provinces, you can take a sleeper bus to Hue at a cost of about 250,000 – 300,000 VND/person/ticket.
1.3 Transportation in Hue ?
When coming to Hue, you can choose vehicles such as private car, motorbikes, and cyclos to move around. In particular, renting a motorbike in Hue is the option chosen by many people to take the initiative in the journey and save costs. Motorbike rental prices currently range from 80,000 VND for digital cars and about 130,000 VND for scooters. You can book private car for visit hue city half day or full day: Hue city tour by car
In addition, cyclo is also an interesting means of transport that you can experience at a cost of about 50,000 – 120,000 VND (depending on the time and distance traveled).
1.4 Hue travel expenses ?
According to Hue travel experience, the total cost of travel, meals, sightseeing ranges from 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 VND/person/3N2D. This is just an estimated Hue travel cost, excluding accommodation. The actual travel costs of each person will vary, depending on their needs, time and individual experience options. You can check alll entrancee fee here: Hue Citadel Entrance Fee 2024 -2025
2. What places tourists should explore in Hue? Suggesting the most famous destinations in Hue
2.1 Hue Citadel
Hue Citadel is the most famous tourist attraction of the ancient capital with a large campus and outstanding architectural complexes such as: Thai Hoa Palace, Ngo Mon Gate, Truong Sanh Palace, Dien Tho Palace, Hung Mieu, The Mieu… Come here. , it will take you at least 3 hours to visit the whole monument and you can rent a Nhat Binh shirt to take impressive photos.
- Address: 23/8 Street, Thuan Hoa Ward, Hue City.
(hue tours – Hue citadel)
2.2 What is Hue tourism review? Famous and sacred temples
Traveling to Hue, do not forget to visit ancient and sacred temples such as: Thien Mu Pagoda, Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda, Tu Hieu Pagoda, etc. The temples possess ancient architecture, pure space with beautiful scenery. Green landscape between pine hills or a view towards the peaceful Perfume River.
2.2.1 Thien Mu Pagoda: North bank of Perfume River, Huong Long Ward, Hue City.
(Hue tour – Thien Mu Pagoda)
2.2.2 Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda: Cham Hamlet, Huong Ho Ward, Town. Huong Ha, Thua Thien Hue.
2.2.3 Tu Hieu Pagoda: Thuy Xuan Ward, Hue city.
2.2.4 Truc Lam Bach Ma Zen Monastery
Located in the middle of a hill beside a poetic freshwater lake, Truc Lam Bach Ma Zen Monastery is a place to help you capture the majestic mountain scenery. The monastery also makes a special impression with its unique architecture and pure space.
- Address: Bach Ma Mountain, Truoi Lake area, Loc Hoa Ward, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue
2.3 Where to go in Hue ? Visit the outstanding mausoleums in Hue.
Hue owns a rich system of mausoleums with unique architecture and many elaborate sculptures and carvings. Each Hue mausoleum is surrounded by charming scenery that helps to erase the melancholy feeling of the tomb.
Some outstanding mausoleums are visited by many tourists:
2.3.1 Tu Duc Tomb (Khiem Cung): Narrow valley in Thuong Ba village, Thuy Xuan ward, Hue city.
(Hue city tour – Tu Duc Tomb)
2.3.2 Gia Long Tomb (Thien Tho Lang): Thien Tho Mountain, Huong Tho Commune, Huong Tra District, City. Hue
2.3.3 Minh Mang Tomb (Hieu Lang): Cam Ke Mountain, An Bang Hamlet, Huong Tho Ward, Hue city.
(Hue travel guide – Minh Mang Tomb)
2.3.4 Khai Dinh Tomb: Chau Chu Mountain, Thuy Bang Commune, Town. Huong Thuy, Hue city.
( Hue Group Tour – Khai Dinh Tomb)
2.3.5 Duc Duc Tomb (An Lang): An Cuu Ward, Hue city.
2.3.6 Quoc Hoc Hue – Cultural tourist attraction in Hue
Quoc Hoc Hue stands out among the bustling ancient capital with ancient French architecture, brilliant red walls and green trees all year round. This is the first high school in Hue, built in 1896 during the reign of King Thanh Thai. Visitors can come to visit, take souvenir photos at noon or after 17:00 when the school is empty.
- Address: No. 12 Le Loi, Hue city.
2.3.7 Truong Tien Bridge
Truong Tien Bridge is one of the symbolic works of Hue. The bridge crosses the peaceful Perfume River with green landscape on both sides. This is an ideal place to take pictures and is visited by many tourists to enjoy the scenery and cool off.
- Address: Phu Hoi Ward, Hue city.
2.3.8 Huong River
Associated with the poetic image of Hue is the gentle Perfume River, winding in the heart of the city. To admire the famous Huong Giang river, you can choose to cruise on the river by dragon boat and enjoy Hue folk songs. The price of a dragon boat ride to listen to Hue songs on the Perfume River ranges from 100,000 to 150,000 VND/person/hour.
2.3.9 Ngu Binh Mountain – A tourist destination in Hue that makes visitors fall in love
Magnificently located on the banks of the Perfume River is the majestic Ngu Binh Mountain. The mountain has a special feng shui meaning for the ancient Hue citadel. The most ideal time to visit Ngu Binh Mountain is from May to September, when the weather is cool, with little rain.
- Address: An Cuu Ward, City. Hue
2.3.10 Hue city tour check in Phu Cam Church
Traveling to Hue, do not miss the opportunity to visit and take photos at Phu Cam church. The church is considered the most beautiful architectural work in Hue with classical European style and grandeur and majesty.
- Address: Phuoc Qua Hill, No. 1 Doan Huu Trung, City. Hue
2.3.11 An Hien Garden House
An Hien garden house was built in the late 19th century with the most ancient and luxurious architecture in the capital. The garden house has a campus of more than 4,000 m2 and is surrounded by many fruit trees, flowers and gentle freshwater lakes.
- Address: 58 Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, Huong Long Ward, City. Hue
2.3.12 Bach Ma National Park
With mountainous terrain and steep slopes, Bach Ma National Park is a challenging trekking destination that promises to satisfy all believers. The journey of discovery becomes even more complete with the experience of watching the sunset, bathing in the waterfall and staying at an ancient villa right in the national park.
- Address: H. Phu Loc, Thua Thien Hue
3. What are beautiful attractions in Hue? Romantic hills
The hills of Hue always cause a stir with the green scenery and poetic beauty. It is Vong Canh hill adjacent to the banks of the Perfume River or Thien An hill with immense pine forests. Each hill will be a memorable stop and sightsee in your Hue travel itinerary.
3.1 Vong Canh Hill: 102 Huyen Tran Cong Chua, Thuy Bieu Ward, City. Hue
3.2 Thien An Hill: Thuy Bang Commune, Huong Thuy District, Thua Thien Hue
3.3 Ru Cha mangrove forest
Ru Cha mangrove forest is a large primeval forest in Tam Giang lagoon. Coming here in the autumn, visitors will be “lost” among the bright yellow of the blooming cotton forest and take impressive photos on the deep concrete road.
- Address: Tam Giang Lagoon, Thuan Hoa village, Huong Phong ward, Huong Tra town.
4. The beaches, lagoons and lakes which everyone wants to visit once when traveling in Hue
Hue city also owns a diverse natural landscape and terrain with a rich system of seas, lagoons and lakes. Those are the clear blue Hue beaches, peaceful and immense lagoons that bring visitors many interesting experiences such as sightseeing, cool bathing, fishing, watching sunrise/sunset, enjoying fresh seafood. tasty,…
- Hue Lang Co tourism: Lang Co, Phu Loc Ward, Thua Thien Hue Town.
- Canh Duong Beach: Canh Duong Village, Loc Vinh Ward, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue Town
- Thuan An Hue beach: Thuan An, Phu Vang Ward, Hue city.
- Truoi Lake: Loc Hoa Ward, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue Town
- Lap An lagoon: Lang Co, Phu Loc Ward, Thua Thien Hue
- Tam Giang Lagoon: Located in 4 districts of Phong Dien, Quang Dien, Phu Vang, Huong Tra Town.
- Thuy Tien Lake: Thien An Hill, Thuy Bang Ward, Town. Huong Thuy, Thua Thien Hue
- Dong Ba Market
Dong Ba Market is a shopping and culinary paradise that you should not miss when traveling to Hue. The market is more than 120 years old and is one of the symbols of the ancient capital with a bustling shopping space.
- Address: No. 2 Tran Hung Dao, Phu Hoa Ward, Hue City
5. Where to eat delicious food in Hue?
Not only diverse in destinations, Hue also has an extremely rich culinary culture with many delicious specialties with typical flavors such as: beef noodle soup, Nam Pho soup cake, mussel rice, beo cake, filter cake, tofu, etc. Snacks are usually priced from 7,000 – 20,000 VND/piece and main dishes are priced from only 30,000 VND/piece.
Regarding the address of delicious food in Hue, you can choose from many years old, popular sidewalk restaurants located in corners, alleys or Dong Ba market, West Hue street. Here are some addresses of famous Hue specialty shops:
- Hue beef noodle soup: No. 47 Nguyen Cong Tru, No. 20 Bach Dang, No. 17 Hung Vuong
- Hue cake at Ba Do restaurant: No. 08 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Hue city.
- Hue Cake Luu Ngoc: No. 70 Kim Long, Hue city.
- O Le filter cake: Kiet 104/17/9 Kim Long, Hue city.
- Huyen Anh barbecue wet cake: No. 52/11, Kim Long, Hue city.
- Small mussel rice restaurant: No. 28 Pham Hong Thai, Hue city.
- Hue pressed cake: No. 20 Nguyen Du, Hue city.
- Ong Lac Tea: No. 36 Thanh Tinh, Hue city.
- Hue tea: No. 65 Tran Hung Dao, 78 Mai Thuc Loan, Hue city.
- Nam Pho soup cake: No. 16 Pham Hong Thai, No. 374 Chi Lang, Hue city.
- Boiled meat with sour shrimp paste: No. 95 Chi Lang, Hue city.
Besides enjoying specialties, you can visit some beautiful cafes in Hue to check in and chill with friends such as:
- T Tox Tearoom & Pastry: No. 87 Le Huan, Hue city.
- Nghia Cafe: No. 206/19 Nguyen Truong To, Hue city.
- La Gare Bistro Coffee: No. 14 Phan Chu Trinh, Hue city.
- Tan Cafe: No. 14 Pham Hong Thai, Hue city.
- Gecko Cafe & Restaurant: No. 9 Pham Ngu Lao, Hue city.
6. Unique art and culture festivals in Hue cannot be missed
As the ancient capital, Hue still has many folk festivals that are preserved and held every year. The festivals will be an opportunity for you to better understand the local culture and participate in many special activities such as: ceremonies, art performances, folk games, etc. Here are the famous festivals in Hue, Vietnam:
Festivals | Time | Venue of Event | Featured activities |
Gia Lac Spring Festival | 1 – 3/1 Lunar Calendar | Phu Thuong Commune, Phu Vang District | Spring festival, fairs market |
Cau Ngu Festival | 12/1 – Lunar Calendar | Thai Duong Ha Village, Thuan An Town , Phu Vang Ward. | Sacrifices to the gods, fishing, boat racing |
Co Bi Village Festival | 23/5 Lunar Calendar | Co Bi Village, Phong Son Commune, Phong Dien District | Ordaining procession, chess, cock fighting |
Minh Huong Hue Festival | 14 – 16/7 – Lunar Calendar | Minh Huong Village, Dien Hai Ward, Phong Dien District | God procession, boat racing, sacrifices |
Hon Chen Temple Festival | 3/3 ; 3/7 – Lunar Calendar | Ngoc Tran mountain and the communal house of Hai Cat village, Huong Tra Town. | Boat procession on the Perfume River |
An Truyen Festival | 16/7 – Lunar Calendar | Phu An Commune, Phu Vang District | God procession, chess, cock fighting |
Chi Long Village Festival | 12 – 13/6 – Lunar Calendar | Phong Chuong Commune, Phong Dien District | Blessing ceremony, procession of tablets, flowers dance, incense offering |