Hue: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
From 1802 to 1945 Huế was the capital of the Nguyễn, the last dynasty of Vietnam, and they built a walled city on the model of Beijing's Forbidden City. Much of it was destroyed in 1947 and again in the battle of 1968, and what you see is part original, part rebuilt. This route goes through the gate, into the court and out to the places where the emperors worshipped. Most of it is on foot inside the walls; a day ticket covers the citadel and the museum.
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A short history of Hue
From the late 17th century Huế, on the Perfume River, was the seat of the Nguyễn lords, the rulers of southern Vietnam. In 1802 Gia Long united the country, founded the Nguyễn dynasty and made Huế the capital of all Vietnam, and in 1805 he began building the great citadel there, with the Forbidden City inside it. The capital remained here until 30 August 1945, when the last emperor, Bảo Đại, gave up the throne. During the Tet Offensive of 1968 fighting went on in the city for almost a month, and much of the citadel was destroyed. In 1993 the monuments of Huế were declared a World Heritage Site, and the palaces have been gradually restored since.
The ten best sights in Hue
1Imperial CityGive it at least three hours, and go late afternoon when the light softens and the heat drops
2Ngọ Môn GateThe main entrance to the Imperial City; the ticket office is just in front
3Flag TowerSeen best from outside the walls, across the moat
4Thiên Mụ PagodaArrive by dragon boat on the river for the classic approach; it is an active monastery
5Tomb of Tự ĐứcThe most romantic of the tombs, with a lake and pavilions; go early before the groups
6Tomb of Khải Định127 steps up a hillside; the glass-and-porcelain hall at the top is the reason to come
7Tomb of Minh MạngThe most balanced of the tombs, laid out on one long axis; quiet and shaded
8Tomb of Gia LongThe furthest and least visited; the drive through the countryside is half the point
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9Từ Hiếu Pagoda
A pine-forest monastery; join the monks at the afternoon chanting
10Museum of Royal AntiquitiesSmall and beautiful, in a wooden palace hall; the court objects explain the citadel
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Hue →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Hue:
Free walking tours in Hue
The emperors' city
From 1802 to 1945 Huế was the capital of the Nguyễn, the last dynasty of Vietnam, and they built a walled city on the model of Beijing's Forbidden City. Much of it was destroyed in 1947 and again in the battle of 1968, and what you see is part original, part rebuilt. This route goes through the gate, into the court and out to the places where the emperors worshipped. Most of it is on foot inside the walls; a day ticket covers the citadel and the museum.
- Flag Tower · The tower was first raised in 1807, under Gia Long. In 1968 the flag of the National Liberation Front flew from it for 25 days during the battle for the city.
- Ngọ Môn Gate · On 30 August 1945 the last emperor, Bảo Đại, abdicated on this gate and handed the seal and sword to the Việt Minh, ending 143 years of Nguyễn rule. The centre passage was opened only for the emperor.
- Imperial City · The Complex of Huế Monuments was the first site in Vietnam to be listed by UNESCO, in 1993. The Forbidden Purple City at its centre, where only the emperor, his women and eunuchs could live, was almost entirely destroyed and is being rebuilt hall by hall.
- Museum of Royal Antiquities · The museum fills Long An Palace, a wooden hall built in 1845 under Thiệu Trị and moved to this spot in 1909. The court costumes and porcelain on show were mostly made for the Nguyễn emperors.
- Hổ Quyền Arena · Minh Mạng built the arena in 1830 for fights between elephants and tigers, and the elephant, symbol of the emperor, was always meant to win. The last fight was held in 1904.
- Nam Giao Esplanade · Here the emperor made the great sacrifice to Heaven, the most important rite of the court, on three terraces: a round one for Heaven and square ones for Earth. It was built in 1806, and the ceremony is now re-enacted at festival time.
Tombs on the Perfume River
Each Nguyễn emperor chose his burial ground in the hills south of the city while still alive, and some used it as a second palace. The tombs are spread along the Perfume River, between pine forest and rice fields, and each says something about its emperor. This is a day by car, or by boat for the first stops. Tickets are sold at each tomb or as a combined pass with the citadel.
- Thiên Mụ Pagoda · Behind the tower is the Austin car that took the monk Thích Quảng Đức to Saigon in 1963, where he burned himself to death in protest. The photograph of that day is shown with it.
- Hòn Chén Temple · The goddess of this river temple, Thiên Y A Na, began as Po Nagar, the mother goddess of the Cham, and was taken into Vietnamese worship as they settled the coast. Emperor Đồng Khánh restored the temple in 1886, and pilgrims still come by boat for its festivals.
- Tomb of Tự Đức · Tự Đức had more than a hundred wives and no children, so he wrote his own epitaph on the great stone stele. His body is not here: it was buried in a secret place, and the workers who carried it were reportedly killed to keep it so.
- Tomb of Khải Định · Built from 1920 to 1931 in concrete, it mixes Vietnamese, Chinese and French styles, and the inner hall is covered in mosaics of broken porcelain and glass. Khải Định raised taxes by 30 per cent to pay for it.
- Tomb of Minh Mạng · Minh Mạng planned it himself, but he died in 1841 and his son Thiệu Trị finished it two years later. Some 40 buildings line up on a single axis that ends at the emperor's burial mound across a crescent lake.
- Tomb of Gia Long · Gia Long, founder of the dynasty, united the country in 1802 after decades of civil war, with help from French volunteers. He lies here beside his first queen, in twin tombs among hills he chose as a natural screen.
Huế beyond the court
Huế is also a city of monks, students and small kitchens: it is the centre of Vietnamese Buddhism, home to the most famous school in the country, and the source of the spiciest noodle soup in Vietnam. This route follows everyday Huế on both banks of the Perfume River. Part by bicycle, part on foot, from morning to evening. Many monasteries welcome visitors at chanting time, around 4 to 5 pm.
- Từ Hiếu Pagoda · The Zen teacher Thích Nhất Hạnh entered this monastery as a novice at sixteen, in 1942. After nearly forty years in exile he came back here to spend his last years, and he died here in January 2022.
- Quốc Học High School · Founded in 1896, it is one of the oldest high schools in Vietnam. Among its pupils were Ho Chi Minh, the general Võ Nguyên Giáp and the prime minister Phạm Văn Đồng.
- Trường Tiền Bridge · Its name means Mint Bridge, after the royal mint that once stood at its end. It was finished in 1899 and has been rebuilt several times since, after a typhoon and after wartime bombing.
- Đông Ba Market · The market began outside the Đông Ba gate of the citadel, and Thành Thái moved it to the riverbank in 1899. It is still the biggest market in the city, and the place to try mè xửng, Huế's sesame and peanut candy.
- Cồn Hến · This island in the river is where cơm hến comes from: rice with tiny river clams, herbs, peanuts and chilli. The clams are dredged from the riverbed around the island itself.
- Thanh Toàn Tiled Bridge · A woman of the village, Trần Thị Đạo, paid for the bridge in 1776 so farmers could cross the canal. The king rewarded her by freeing the village from taxes, and an altar to her stands on the bridge.
Getting to Hue and getting around
- Phú Bài Airport · About 25 minutes south of the city; flights to Hanoi and Saigon if someone joins or leaves here
- Huế Station · The train south over the coast to Đà Nẵng is one of the most scenic rides in Vietnam
- Southern Bus Station · Buses towards Đà Nẵng and Hội An; the northern station serves the DMZ and Đồng Hới
Cheap eats in Hue
Huế cooked for an emperor, and its food is both royal and fiery. Bún bò Huế, the city's noodle soup, is built on beef, lemongrass and fermented shrimp paste, with a red chilli oil on top. Then come the small things the court liked: bánh bèo steamed in tiny dishes, bánh khoái pancakes, and cơm hến with river clams. Because of the monasteries Huế also has many vegetarian kitchens, busiest on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month.
- Bún bò Bà Tuyết · A bowl of bún bò for about 35,000-50,000 dong; best before 10 am
- Hạnh Restaurant · Huế small dishes in one set: bánh bèo, nem lụi, bánh khoái, about 100,000-150,000 dong
- Lạc Thiện · Bánh khoái about 30,000-50,000 dong each, a cold beer to go with it
- Chè Hẻm · Sweet soups in an alley, the name says it; a glass about 15,000-25,000 dong
- Bánh bèo Bà Đỏ · Steamed rice cakes in tiny saucers, a tray about 30,000-50,000 dong
- Madam Thu · A tasting set of Huế dishes for first-timers, about 150,000-250,000 dong
- Cơm hến stall · Rice with river clams, peanuts and herbs, about 20,000-30,000 dong
- Nina's Café · Family kitchen in an alley; set dinners about 100,000-150,000 dong
Holy places in Hue
- Thiên Mụ Pagoda · Free; covered shoulders and knees
- Từ Hiếu Pagoda · Pine forest and a lotus pond; chanting late afternoon
- Phủ Cam Cathedral · The Catholic cathedral of Huế, in modern concrete
- Diệu Đế Pagoda · A city pagoda by the canal, central to the 1960s Buddhist protests
- Hòn Chén Temple · A river temple to the mother goddess; reached by boat, festival in the 3rd and 7th lunar months
- Nam Giao Esplanade · The imperial altar of Heaven
Museums in Hue
- Museum of Royal Antiquities · Court treasures in an 1845 wooden palace
- An Định Palace · Quiet, and mostly overlooked
- Imperial City · Rebuilt halls show court life room by room
- Quảng Trị Citadel · An hour north; start of a DMZ day
- Ho Chi Minh Museum · His years in Huế as a boy, when his father worked at court
Nature and day trips near Hue
- Bạch Mã National Park · Waterfalls and a French-era summit; cool even in summer
- Tam Giang Lagoon · The largest lagoon system in South-East Asia; fish traps and sunset
- Thuận An Beach · Sea swimming 15 km from town
- Thủy Tiên Lake · A pine-ringed lake with the ruin of a water park and its concrete dragon
- Thanh Toàn Tiled Bridge · Rice fields and a covered bridge, by bicycle
Things to do in Hue with kids
- Hổ Quyền Arena · Climb the ramp to the top of the wall; free
- Imperial City · Royal costume photos inside the walls
- Thiên Mụ Pagoda · Go by dragon boat on the river; children love the boats
- Thanh Toàn Tiled Bridge · A flat bicycle ride and a small farming museum by the bridge
- Thuận An Beach · Sand and waves; swim only where there is a lifeguard
Frequently asked questions about Hue
What is there to see in Hue?
The top sights in Hue are Imperial City, Ngọ Môn Gate and Flag Tower. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Hue?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Hue without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Hue?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Hue, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The emperors' city.
How do you get to Hue and get around?
The main ways are Phú Bài Airport, Huế Station and Southern Bus Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Hue, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Hue that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Hue for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.