Hue was a special place for me to visit since this is where my mom was born and raised. I had always dreamed of coming to Vietnam to see my heritage and where she grew up so it definitely gave me a different perspective as a traveler.
Hue used to be the capitol of Vietnam and is home to the Imperial Palace which is filled with ancient palaces and shrines. The surrounding areas of the city also has many intricate and elaborate tombs where Emperors are buried. Unfortunately due to the Vietnam War a lot of the original buildings in the Imperial Palace have been destroyed so there’s only about 20% of it left and most of it remodeled. The tombs though are still in tact and is definitely a highlight in the city of Hue.
We spent a total of 3 nights here which was the perfect amount of time to see all the sites. We spent most of our time doing tours of the tombs and Imperial City. Unfortunately there is not much else to see or do in Hue compared to some of the other cities in Vietnam but we did have a chance to explore some of the outskirts to see how the locals live.
Location: Imperial City
The easiest way to get to Hue is by bus. We had about a 3 hour bus ride from our previous destination in Danang and it only cost us about $10. The bus station did drop us off pretty far from the center of the city though so I recommend having a map handy in case they end up dropping you off in an area you didn’t expect. That happens a lot in Asia.
Hue is not a very big city so no matter where you stay you can easily get around, but of course it’s advised to stay closer to the Imperial City. Majority of the city is across from the Imperial City over the Perfume River.
Accommodation: Imperial Hue Backpackers
The hostel was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Because the location was in the heart of town space was pretty limited so people are usually piling into the streets and majority of the accommodation was located in a separate apartment building across the street from the hostel. But can’t complain, we had a massive private room and bathroom. There’s also free breakfast and water (funny how free water is a highlight in places like this, but it really is!). They also had group activities and promotions every night like Trivia Night.
The only thing I wouldn’t recommend is to book activities directly with the hostel. We noticed that everything was slightly more expensive for the same activities which you could book with other spots nearby. But as a solo traveler wanting to meet younger adults it could be the better option.
Activities
City Tour
This was the ultimate city tour which pretty much took us to see everything including the Imperial City, tombs, and temples.
The Imperial City was of course the main highlight. Here is where the Emperors and officials worked and lived with their families back in the 1800s and 1900s. Unfortunately due to war and weathering majority of the city doesn’t exist anymore but about 20% of it remains and is quite impressive. I can only imagine what it used to look like back in the day. Since most of the city is gone there is only a portion of things to see so you will only spend an hour or two walking around.
We then went to see the Thien Mu Pagoda which was a beautiful establishment with a big garden and banyan trees. A nice place to go for a stroll and take in the view of the river. From there we had lunch on the river boat with authentic Vietnamese food and then made a few stops to see some temples along the cliff side.
We were then taken to the Emperor’s tombs. These I thought were much more exquisite and impressive than the Imperial City. There are 2 that are definitely the most impressive, we didn’t stop in to see the 3rd as we were told it wasn’t as impressive as the first two. Some of the tombs incredibly took several years to build and the sheer magnitude and size of them speaks for itself.
- Cost for Tour: $8
- Includes transportation, a local guide, and lunch
- Does not include 150,000 Dong for entry to Imperial Palace
- Does not include 100,000 Dong for entry to each tomb
Hire a motorbike
Of course there’s always the option to hire a motorbike in Southeast Asia. Because we had seen all the sites in one day we figured why not take a trip to see the beach since we were pretty close. So we went to the nearest beach about 45 minutes away from Hue but it turned out to be really crap beach, with tons of trash and construction going on. Looks like they are developing a lot in the area though so could be nice maybe in the future.
The ride was worth it though as we ended up roaming the local neighborhoods passing farmland and rice fields. The countryside is so beautiful here and is a nice getaway from the hustle of the city. Cruising on our bike and seeing how other people live in other parts of the world really puts things into perspective.
Food & Dining
Golden Rice
A great spot if you are looking for decent Vietnamese food. Here there are a large variety of fresh dishes to choose from and everything we ordered was really good including bahn beo, one of my favorites!
Elegant Restaurant
Original name I know…but this place has a really nice ambiance, our table was right next to the street so made for great people watching and it’s covered with greenery so makes for pretty scenery. The cuisine was a mix of all Asian food so you get a little bit of a variety here.
Risotto
If you are in the mood for Italian definitely hit up this spot if you are craving something different. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the pasta was, we had to wait a bit and the service wasn’t the best but the food made up for it!
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