14 Amazing Things to Do in Hue Vietnam + Map
TL;DR
The 14 best things to do and things to see in Hue Vietnam.
Hue quickly became one of our favourite places in Vietnam. If you’re wondering what to see in Hue, we’ve got you covered. We show you the 14 best things to do in Hue – from the highlights to the hidden gems.
- 14 Best Things to Do in Hue
- Hue Things to Do
- 1. The Imperial City
- 2. DMZ Tour
- 3. Royal Tombs
- 4. Thien Mu Pagoda
- 5. Explore the Perfume River
- 6. Thuy Tien Lake Abandoned Water Park
- 7. Tu Hieu Pagoda
- 8. Try the Amazing Food
- 9. Dong Ba Market
- 10. Walking Streets
- 11. Vietnam History Museum
- 12. Go on a Bicycle Tour
- 13. Thuy Xuan Incense Village & Vong Canh Hill
- 14. Thanh Toan Bridge
14 Best Things to Do in Hue
Hue Things to See Map
Where We Stayed in Hue
We stayed at Hue Melody Hostel and can fully recommend it.
The location is super central. The owner is amazing and will organise everything from bikes to tours. The free breakfast is delicious and there is free beer every evening.
Hue Things to Do
1. The Imperial City
The main attraction of Hue is the Imperial City. The Imperial City is a fortified area within the citadel of Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty. It is home to the palaces that once housed the imperial family, along with shrines, gardens, and villas for the mandarins. Built in 1803 under Emperor Gia Long as a new capital, the Imperial City was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
The area is huge so we advise you to budget enough time. We spent 2 hours but met travellers who had spent the entire day here. There are even guided tours solely dedicated to the Imperial City.
2. DMZ Tour
For us, the DMZ was the most interesting thing we’ve done in Hue. You’ll visit loads of sights connected to the Vietnam War and the separation of Vietnam. The highlight might be the Vinh Moc Tunnels which have been constructed to shelter people from the intense bombing.
We have written a full review of our DMZ tour. Spoiler: We 100% recommend it 😉
3. Royal Tombs
The Royal Tombs are the final resting places of the Nguyen emperors. The most popular ones are the tombs of Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, and Tu Duc. The other four are the tombs of Gia Long, Duc Duc, Thieu Tri, and Dong Khanh.
-
Tomb of Minh Mang
The Tomb of Minh Mang is large and orderly. It reflects military vigour and successful conquest, but also cultural conservatism. The grounds are filled with blossoming lotus ponds and pine-covered hills. The emperor's final resting place is locked and only opened once a year.
-
Tomb of Khai Dinh
The Tomb of Khai Dinh is a blend of Eastern and Western styles. In contrast to Minh Mang, Khai Dinh embraced French colonialism and imported loads of luxury goods from France. He was considered eccentric which is reflected in his tomb which spans over several climbing platforms overlooking the surrounding pine-covered hills. The mosaics inside the tomb are super rich and opulent.
-
Tomb of Tu Doc
The tomb of Tu Doc is considered the most romantic of the tombs. Emperor Tu Doc was fond of art and poetry which is strongly reflected in his tomb. It is the greenest of all tombs and blends perfectly with nature. In fact, Tu Doc visited his grave several times before his death to write poetry.
4. Thien Mu Pagoda
Thien Mu Pagoda is the unofficial symbol of the city of Hue. It sets itself apart by housing the car from the famous picture of the burning monk.
Thích Quảng Đức also known as the burning monk was a Buddhist monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963. He was protesting the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government led by Ngô Đình Diệm, a Roman Catholic.
5. Explore the Perfume River
For many travellers, a dragon boat cruise on the Perfume River is a must-do in Hue. It is also part of most guided tours and a great way to reach Thien Mu Pagoda.
6. Thuy Tien Lake Abandoned Water Park
Thuy Tien Park was officially opened in 2004. However, soon after being put into operation, the park was degraded and eventually abandoned.
The main attraction is the Aquarium and Dragon House. You can even climb into the mouth of the dragon for a panoramic view across the lake. There are also slides and a gigantic abandoned music stadium with 2500 seats.
It’s theoretically free to visit but there’s a guy at the entrance asking for “money for a coffee”. We gave him 10000 and he seemed happy with that.
7. Tu Hieu Pagoda
Tu Hieu Pagoda is Hue’s largest and oldest pagoda and yet it’s not very heavily visited as it’s not on the itinerary of the majority of guided tours. The location in a pine forest is a very calm setting.
It used to be the home of the palace eunuchs who were buried on the grounds. Nowadays, it’s home to 70 monks.
8. Try the Amazing Food
Back in the day, Hue was Vietnam’s seat of power. Of course, this led to some royally good food. Supposedly, more than half of the modern Vietnamese dishes originated in Hue or were at least influenced by imperial Hue food. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to try some – we can fully recommend going on a guided food tour.
9. Dong Ba Market
We love to visit markets when we travel so of course we have to recommend Dong Ba Market, the oldest and largest market in Hue. You can shop, feast, or both.
10. Walking Streets
Maybe it was just us but we were pretty tired of the hustle and bustle of the Vietnamese streets by the time we had reached Hue. The streets of central Hue turn into walking streets every evening which felt like a breath of fresh air to us.
We loved to walk around, sit in a street side bar, and watch the street performers.
11. Vietnam History Museum
We stumbled across this place during our self-guided Hue bicycle tour. It’s basically a parking lot full of old military equipment including tanks, helicopters, and planes.
The entrance is free and we’re not sure why this super cool place is rarely mentioned in travel guides.
12. Go on a Bicycle Tour
Speaking of a bicycle tour: Hue is a a great place to explore by bike. In case you’re like us and you don’t dare to rent a scooter, Hue is the place for you.
This is the DIY Hue bicycle tour we did including a map:
13. Thuy Xuan Incense Village & Vong Canh Hill
Thuy Xuan Incense Village was responsible for supplying incense sticks to the royalties and commoners since the Nguyen Dynasty for about 700 years.
Vong Canh Hill is a nice viewpoint across the Perfume River.
Both are super close to the Tomb of Tu Doc so they are a nice little addition.
14. Thanh Toan Bridge
The roofed Thanh Toan Bridge is an exceptional work of art. The dragon carvings on the roof are super cool. Built in 1776, it is nowadays a great photo spot.
It’s a bit outside of Hue but part of the sightseeing transfer from Hue to Hoi An.
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. You would help us a lot if you do so. Thanks.
