Updated: Jun 7, 2024
Hue was the capital of Vietnam in 1802 - 1945. The city is located in the central part of the country, on the banks of the Huong Giang River or Perfume River, approximately halfway between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and 2 hour-drive from Danang. The total area is 83.3 square kilometres. The local population is 350,000 people.
Hue is usually visited with an excursion to see the Imperial Citadel, ancient temples, pagodas and tombs. Some of them are declared by the UNESCO as the world heritage of mankind. The inspection can take from 2 to 5 days, depending on the number of places that you’ve already planned to visit.
As the former citadel of Vietnam, Hue has many well-preserved old structures of Nguyen Dynasty. Among which, The Imperial City with the Gate of Noon (Ngo Mon) is the most famous. Inside the city, there are a lot of worship places (Trieu Mieu, Hung Mieu, Thai Mieu), a small museum, souvenirs as well as a small lake with lotus in the summer.
Moreover, you can take a glance at the home of emperors, queens and royal families of Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century.
Along the south coast of Perfume River is the resting place of many Nguyen emperors including Gia Long Tomb, Tu Duc Tomb, Minh Mang Tomb, Dong Khanh Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb. In which, Khai Dinh Tomb is the most delicate as it was made of thousands of pottery pieces.
If you enjoy the beauty of nature, let’s arrange a short visit to Thien Mu Pagoda, Vong Canh Hill or Thien Ma National Park. You will be amazed by the peaceful and calm beauty of Hue.
Being an ancient city, there are not a lot of exciting activities in Hue. However, you can be deep in Hue distinguished atmosphere by taking a short cruise on Perfume River, listening to Hue Royal Singing (UNESCO Cultural Heritage) and tasting Hue amazing culinary.
=> Read more: Top 10 things to do in Hue
Hue Cuisine is a masterpiece. It’s complex, delicate and skilful like Hue people. There are several Hue dishes favored by many tourists such as Nem Lui (Hue Lemongrass Skewer – meatball eat along with fresh vegetables), Banh Khot (Hue Mini Savory Pancake), Ngo Khoai Nuong (Grilled Corn and Baked Potatoes), Banh Khoai (Sweet Potato Shake), Banh ep (Hue Savory Crispy Crepe), Bun Thit Nuong (Hue Grilled Pork Noodles) and Bun Bo Hue (Hue Beef Noodles).
Each dish has a different flavour but all of them are very good for your health as it combines meat with a lot of vegetables. You surely be fascinated by Hue Cuisine.
The ideal time to visit Hue is from October to March. During this time, the temperature is comfortable and there’s little rain. You should avoid visiting Hue in July and August because it’s very hot in these months.