Complete Hue Travel Guide + Map
TL;DR
Complete travel guide to Vietnam including where we stayed, how we got around, what we did, and more.
Hue quickly became one of our favourite places in Vietnam. We loved the traffic-free walking streets at night, cruising around on a bicycle, learning about the history from ancient to recent, and trying all the Hue dishes.
Without further ado, here’s our travel guide to Hue, Vietnam.
Hue Travel Guide
Hue Vietnam Travel Map
Is Hue Vietnam Worth Visiting
Yes, so much so that it was our favourite place in all of Vietnam. There is so much culture and history – and the food is amazing. At night, the city centre turns into a walking street which is a nice change of pace from the busy Vietnam streets.
If you ask us, a tour of the DMZ alone is reason enough to visit Hue!
How to Get to Hue
Public transport in Vietnam is amazing. You can reach Hue from anywhere you’d like by bus or train. You can find the main connections on 12go.asia.
An especially fun way to get to Hue is by doing a sightseeing transfer from Hoi An. We have written a complete review of our sightseeing transfer:
How to Get Around Hue
The city centre itself is very walkable.
Many of the main sights like the imperial tombs are very spread out though. Your best options are:
- Renting a bicycle or a scooter. We have written an itinerary for a self-guided Hue cycling tour:
- Going with a private driver. You can choose your own stops!
- Going on a guided tour. The value for money is amazing but you can’t create your own itinerary.
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.
Best Things to Do in Hue
The best things to do in Hue are
- The Imperial City.
- The Royal Tombs.
- A DMZ tour.
- Thien Mu Pagoda.
- Thuy Tien Lake Abandoned Water Park.
- Tasting the amazing food.
- The walking streets at night.
- Exploring the Perfume River.
We have written a complete blogpost about the 14 best things to do in Hue:
Travel Guides
14 Amazing Things to Do in Hue Vietnam + Map
The 14 best things to do and things to see in Hue Vietnam.
Carina
Best Day Trip from Hue
If you ask us, visiting the DMZ is reason enough to go to Hue. We 100% recommend this day trip to anyone interested in recent history and the Vietnam War.
We have written a full review of our DMZ tour:
How Many Days in Hue
Many travellers only spend one day in Hue – which is enough to see all the main sights.
If you have the time, you should strongly consider spending two or even three days in Hue to see the Vietnamese DMZ, try more of the incredible food, and get off the beaten path.
In our opinion, the walking streets alone are a reason to spend at least one night in Hue.
Hue Itinerary
Here’s how we would spend 3 days in Hue:
- Day 1: Main sights (Imperial City, Royal Tombs, Thien Mu Pagoda, Perfume River cruise). Best with a guided tour or private driver.
- Day 2: DMZ tour.
- Day 3: Thuy Tien Lake Abandoned Water Park, getting off-the-beaten-path (on a bicycle) and food tour.
Best Time to Visit Hue
The best time to visit is the dry season from January to April. We visited in February and had perfect weather. The rainy season typically starts in September and ends in December.
Best Restaurants in Hue
As this is not a food blog, we are going to concentrate on the dishes we have loved in Hue and the restaurants we have tried them:
- Bun Bo Hue: Bà Gái Hue Beef Noodle Soup
- Nem Lui & Banh Hue: Quán Hạnh
- Salted coffee: Cà Phê Muối
Infrastructure in Hue
Internet in Hue
The internet at our accommodation worked really well. We also had no problems using our local SIM card with mobile data.
ATMs in Hue
Hue is a huge city with over 1 million inhabitants. You won’t have any problem finding an ATM.
Safety in Hue
We felt very safe in Hue. The streets in the city centre were really populated at night as well. Pickpocketing can be an issue so stay aware of your belongings.
Our Hue Budget
We paid an average of 45$ per person and day in Hue:
- 15$ accommodation
- 5$ food
- 25$ tours
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.