Hue - Vietnam's Hidden Gem
- Sarah Outside
- Oct 5, 2024
- 7 min read
Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hoi An are all cities I'd heard lots about before I came to Vietnam but I'd not heard anything about Hue. It is an ancient city with its name dating back to 1307 and being the capital from 1738 to 1775 and 1802 to 1945.
The cities rich history means it has a lot to offer from evening walking streets with bars and restaurants galore to the Hue Historic Citadel. I spent 4 days here and slowly fell in love with the city. It felt like the perfect balance between the chaos of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and the laid back Hoi An.
Here's my ultimate guide for spending a few days in Hue - a city I consider to be one of Vietnam's hidden gems.
Where to stay?
Starting things off with the essentials. I stayed at Familia Hotel and it was great. The rooms did the job and were well-sized. The hotel was really well located - just off Phố Tây Huế, the main street of bars and restaurants, but far enough away to be quite. There was a simple breakfast on offer making mornings super simple. The staff were super helpful organising both bike and motorbike hire for us at a very reasonable price.
If you're heading to Hue I definitely recommend checking out Familia Hotel.
Things to do
If you're anything like me before I visited Hue you'll have come to this article having heard very little about the city. So, here I hope I can enlighten you and share some of my favourite things I did in the city.
Getting around Hue is pretty easy. Walking is an option for getting to a couple of the main attractions like Phố Tây Huế and the Hue Historic Citadel. However, some of the other sites are best accessed by bike or motorbike - which can be rented from lots of places across the city.
Hue Historic Citadel
Cost: 200,000 VND (£6.20)
Time Needed: 2-3 hours
Location: Hue Historic Citadel
The city's Historic Citadel complex is a must visit! It is a walled area which served as the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Located right along the river it is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and is home to beautiful gardens and many royal architectural structures.
If you visit be sure just to wander through the gardens and winding paths to discover some lesser known areas as well as visit the main attractions including:
Ngo Mon
Thai Hoa Palace
Ky Dai
Dien Tho Palace
Can Chanh Palace
When visiting it is important to wear clothing that covers your legs and shoulders as revealing clothing will mean you cannot enter some of the buildings. When you arrive be sure to get yourself a ticket before trying to enter. We had heard that you might be able to sneak in via the side entrances but they were all well-covered by staff and it is important to support amazing places like this.
Thien Mu Pagoda
Cost: free to visit
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Location: Thien Mu Pagoda
This seven-storey pagoda is a Vietnamese icon and was built in 1844. It is a stunning structure with lots of history as it has served as a focal point for demonstration since the 1960s. There have been multiple Buddhist monks and nuns who have self-immolated in front of the pagoda demanding rights for Buddhists.
Be sure to explore the whole complex when you visit so you see the stele from 1715, 2052kg bell and effigy of Thien Mu (Celestial Lady), and not just the pagoda itself.
The pagoda itself is free but many people opt to take a Dragon Boat from the boat station in Hue's city center. This can cost anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000+ depending on who you buy your ticket from and what other sites you include.
Hồ Thuỷ Tiên: Hue's Abandoned Waterpark
Cost: free
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Location: Hồ Thuỷ Tiên
Hồ Thuỷ Tiên is a waterpark that shut down just 2 years after opening in 2006 and has been sat abandoned ever since. It sits just 8km from the city centre making it easily accessible by bike or motorbike.
If you choose to become an urban explorer of this abandoned site you'll be rewarded by eerie sights including rusty waterslides, a deserted-plant-infested-lazy river and a giant dragon sitting proudly in the centre of the lake.
Once you've entered the old waterpark via the best entrance at Thủy Tiên you can easily follow the old path around the lake to arrive at the dragon. Here you'll be asked by some locals to pay an unofficial parking fee and have the opportunity to buy a refreshing drink (I opted for a sugar cane juice). From here you can easily explore the dragon and rusting slides which are located on the opposite side of the lake.
Just to note that visiting the waterpark is not exactly legal and if you choose to visit you do so at your own risk.
Thien An Monastery
Cost: free
Time Needed: 30 mins to 1 hour
Location: Thien An Monastery
If you've made the trip out to Hồ Thuỷ Tiên waterpark then you might as well pay a quick visit to Thian An Monastery which is nestled among the pine forests. The modest Catholic monastery built in 1940 and rebuilt in 1975 after damage during times of war.
The site is home to monks who spend their time praying in the convent church so please be respectful whilst visiting and do not intrude on their space.
Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh
Cost: 100,000 VND (£3.10)
Time Needed: 1-2 hours
Location: Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh
This was the last emperor mausoleum built in the whole of Vietnam and was only completed in 1931. It is considered a unique architectural sight with art styles never seen in the country at the time of construction.
The style reflects Khai Dinh's closeness with the French and was thought by many, at the time, to be a waste of money. But today it attracts many visitors and has been noted as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is a must see because of it's interiors which many remark to be explosions of colour! You must visit Thien Dinh Palace during your visit to see the murals of the Four Season and others!
Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc
Cost: 100,000 VND (£3.10)
Time Needed: 1-3 hours
Location: Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc
Completed in 1873 after being worked on by 50,000 oppressed soldiers, who at one point rebelled against the emperor, Tu Duc's tomb is considered one of the most beautiful. Located among serene greenery the tomb has many buildings dotted around it's 12 hectares.
Making the tomb must see is it's Minh Khiem Duong theatre which was used by the king to enjoy music performances and singing. Additionally, the tombs water and pavilions make it a unique mausoleum. The water is filled with sooo many Koi Karp that you can feed and from the pavilion you can see where King Tu Duc departed on short boat rides to enjoy the Luu Khiem Lake.
Located just 6km from the city centre the tomb can be accessed by motorbike, taxi or bicycle.
Tiger Arena (Hổ Quyền)
Cost: free
Time Needed: 30 mins
Location: Tiger Arena
Wander through the narrow residential alleys of the Trường Đá village and you will soon come across the Tiger Arena; a huge enclosure surrounded by 16-foot-tall wall which resembles the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.
This unique historical structure built in the 18th Century once hosted mortal combats between tigers and elephants. It was the place where the emperor's war elephants were trained for battle by making them fight tigers.
At a royal festival, usually hosted once a year at the arena, saw the Nguyen lords watch elephants and tigers fight. One record states that one festival saw the slaughter of 18 tigers by elephants.
Today the arena is nothing more than a tourist destination with battles having ceased many moons ago! If you're lucky you might arrive at a time when the gates have been opened and you can see the arena from the battle ground. However, when I went the gates were closed and instead, upon instruction by a local, had to vault the barriers to claim up the arenas outer steps to the viewing galleries and see the arena from above!
It is a very interesting visit and you can see where the tigers were kept and how they were released into the battle ground. It is well worth the visit and is only a short cycle or motorbike ride from Hue's centre.
Where to eat
Quán chay Buffet Lạc Tâm Vegan
Cost: 30,000 - 100,000 VND (£0.93 - £3.10)
Location: Quán chay Buffet Lạc Tâm Vegan
This sweet little restaurant hidden in the backstreets was a super spot! The restaurant has a nice array of vegan dishes and was the first place we tried the dessert
Quan Chay Moc Nhien
Cost: 15,000 - 90,000 VND (£0.47 - £2.79)
Location: Quan Chay Moc Nhien
This super local vegetarian restaurant is tucked away in the more residential side of the river and is less visited by tourists. We stumbled upon it by accident but were mighty impressed by the food on offer!
Nhà hàng chay Hương Mai
Cost: up to 100,000 (£3.10)
Location: Nhà hàng chay Hương Mai
This place has excellent vegetarian and vegan food including a veganised variation of the local dish Bun Bo Hue! Very tasty food and great prices!
If you’ve got a trip to Vietnam planned then I hope you find time to visit Hue and that this article gives you a little helping hand. You can also find more useful tips, tricks and recommendations for Vietnam and SE Asia more generally on my TikTok and Instagram!
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