Hue is a city of poetic beauty that locals love and cherish. If you are traveling to Vietnam, you should not miss this romantic city. Every spot in Hue is worth exploring and admiring.

This is top 10 destinations of Hue you must visit and try when you travel to this Vietnamese romantic city.

About Hue

Located on the banks of the poetic Perfume River in central Vietnam, about 700km south of Hanoi and about 1100km north of Ho Chi Minh City, Hue is the capital city of Thua Thien-Hue province and is considered one of the most charming towns in Vietnam. This part of Vietnam has an illustrious history as it was the royal capital of the country during the rule of Nguyen – the last feudal dynasty from 1802 till 1945.

Being famous for its ancient monuments, unique architecture and stunning natural landscape, Hue and its surrounds were honorably recognized by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage Site in 1993. After many years of war and battle, most of these important tradition architectures are mostly destroyed in comparison with their origins. However, the development of the tourism has led to preserve tradition and revive them alive.

Nowadays, Hue is a great city to visit, especially for tourists who are interested in history and culture of Vietnam. Coming to this lovely riverfront town, you will be able to spend time exploring historical sites, enjoying boat riding, listening to the monks chanting at temple, wandering along the streets or cycling out into the surrounding countryside to get a fresh feeling and relaxing moment.

Best time of the year to travel to Hue

There are 2 main seasons in Hue including dry season and rainy season. The dry season lasts from March until August with the average temperature of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season usually falls after October until mid November and the length changes depending each year.

In fact, you can visit Hue almost year-round. The months from August to mid October with the pleasant and cool weather is ideal for outdoor sightseeing activities. While the dry climate with blue sky and yellow sunshine from March to July is perfect for both monuments visiting and beach break on a nice sandy beach, such as Thuan An or Lang Co.

Destinations to visit in Hue - Things to do in Vietnam's former capital

Visit Hue Imperial City

Located on the north bank of the Perfume River and among the surrounding mountains, Hue Imperial City features hundreds of ancient monuments dating back to the early 19th century. Being built in 1805, this important structure is a complex including three main circles: Capital Citadel, Royal Citadel and Forbidden Citadel. Nowadays, besides protecting and preserving many architectural works, temples, palaces; this UNESCO World Heritage Site also organize daily cultural performances which is surely able to bring you a memorable and interesting day spending time there.

Hue Imperial City

Boat ride on Perfume River

Perfume River, locally known as Huong River, is one of the most famous waterways in Vietnam with the approximately total length of 80km. As most of the sightseeing places in hue are located along Perfume River, so you can take a boat ride to make optional stops anytime you want. Additionally, it is also a great place for wandering along in the evening or opt for an elegant dinner cruise and enjoying the royal court music.

Perfume River, Hue

Thien Mu Pagoda

Overlooking the Perfume River and set atop a hill outside of Hue City center, Thien Mu Pagoda is well known for its gold and silver images of the Buddha. This pagoda is also considered the iconic symbol of Hue and is a great place for you to get a beautiful view of the city. Other highlight that you can take time to visit here include a huge bell casted in 1710 as well as a stone turtle dated from the 17th century holding a marble stele. Thien Mu Pagoda was also the home monastery of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc, who had self-immolated in 1963 in protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government.

Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue

Across Thanh Toan Bridge

Thanh Toan Bridge is situated in Thanh Thuy commune (Huong Thuy district), 8km east of Hue center. It is a title-roofed bridge which looks like the Hoi An’s Japanese Covered Bridge featuring ancient Chinese and Japanese architecture. Next to the bridge is the small village market that you can also pay a visit to buy some specialties of the area such as poultry pancakes and rice noodles. On the other side of the bridge is a showroom displaying agricultural tools, bamboo and rattan souvenirs. If you are active traveler, you can choose to ride a bicycle to visit Thanh Toan Bridge as the peaceful beautiful scenery along the way is really worth to enjoy.

Thanh Toan Bridge, Hue

Visit Minh Mang Tomb

Located on the west bank of the Perfume River, Minh Mang Tomb is a traditional architectural complex housing 40 buildings in total (palaces, temples, pavilions…). Being considered the most ambitious royal tomb during the Nguyen Dynasty, this construction was started to build in 1840 and entirely completed in 1843. The tomb with its special construction surrounded by beautiful natural landscapes makes you feel relaxed during the visit.

Minh Mang Tomb, Hue

Visit Tu Duc Tomb

Set within Thuong Ba village in the outskirts of Hue Imperial City, Tu Duc Tomb is the final resting place of the fourth King of Nguyen Dynasty and is considered the largest construction in the royal monument complex. Built between 1864 and 1867, the complex with stunning natural surroundings also served as a summer palace for the royal family.

Tu Duc Tomb, Hue

Visit Khai Dinh Tomb

Being the last great tomb from the Nguyen dynasty, Khai Dinh tomb with the harmonious mixture of Asian and European style attracts many tourists when visiting Hue. The tomb was built on the side of Chau Chu mountain and it requires 127 steps up from the street level to reach the site. Although the imperial tomb is quite small in extent, its construction is really unique, eleborate and impressive.

Khai Dinh Tomb, Hue

Enjoy Hue street food at Dong Ba Market

Dong Ba Market, the large grey building set along the northern bank of Perfume River, is the oldest market in Hue which sells various things including household items, handicrafts, clothing and fresh produce at affordable prices. This is the place where you can taste authentic Vietnamese food, experience local lifestyles and shop for souvenirs.

Dong Ba Market is where you can try all Hue street food and specialties

Bach Ma National Park

Standing at over 1,200 meters above sea level, Bach Ma National Park stretching on an area of approximately 22,000 square kilometers is famous for the spectacular waterfalls, adventurous hiking trails and mysterious ruined French villas. The park with cool climate, dense forest and thousands of rare plants and wildlife is a perfect destination for hiking, camping, rappelling and swimming.

Bach Ma National Park, Hue

Ecotour to Thuy Bieu Village

Thuy Bieu means “a bowl of water”. The village is located on the right bank of Perfume River and is well-known for its serenity, massive grapefruit garden and hundreds of peaceful hundred-year-old houses. In fact, there are no many places which can remain a lot of unique ancient architectures as Thuy Bieu village. The famous sites among them are the outstanding structures, Tiger Fighting Arena and Elephant Temple. Although passing many years, the villagers still preserve almost original appearance with inside and outside wall, stand, stone steps and entrance gate. Thuy Bieu village is one of the most exciting destinations for tourists to get more knowledge about the tranquil countryside of Vietnam as well as the special features on the traditional culture of Vietnamese people.

Joining cooking class is one of the most popular tourist activities in Thuy Bieu Eco Village

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