Is Hue Worth Visiting? An Honest Review After Spending 1 Day
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We were unsure about whether Hue was worth visiting when we were planning our travels in Vietnam.
It is a city that is known for its history. But since we had just spent one month in Hoi An, we were unsure if we were ready for more history.
When I looked at pictures of Hue online, it was all crumbling old brick temples. Whereas Hoi An was full of brightly painted yellow buildings and colourful lanterns.
In contrast, Hue seemed a bit dull!
Plus, we had heard and read mixed reviews about Hue. Many people said that there was not all that much to see there, and it was not a pretty city despite all the history.
But because we had to travel north and there was a famous train ride from Da Nang to Hue, we decided to stop in Hue quickly to see for ourselves what it was really like.
After our brief stay, I can definitely say that Hue is worth visiting for certain travellers and that you probably want to stay longer than we did.
In this article, I will take you through a relaxed day exploring Hue. Where we ate, what we saw and what else I think you should check out that we didn’t. So you can ask yourself is Hue worth visiting?.
What Is Hue Known For?
Today, Hue is a city of moderate importance in Vietnam. But it was the capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945 and is full of historical sites from this period, which is what the city is known for.
In the hundreds of years before 1802, Vietnam had been in constant civil wars between the North and the South.
The Emperor Gio Long united the North and South and set up the capital at Hue. Most of the historical buildings are from his and his descendants’ reign as the rulers of Vietnam.
Map Of Hue: The Citadel vs The Imperial City
Before arriving in Hue, I had read about the imperial city and the imperial citadel. I was confused about whether they were the same thing. But they are not.
The map below shows you the difference between the two.
- Red Square = the imperial city, historically, this is where the emperor, his family and servants lived. You have to buy a ticket to enter this area.
- Green Square = the walls of the imperial citadel. This is an area where soldiers, workers and normal people lived. Today, many locals live within the walls.
INTERESTING FACT: During the Vietnam war thousands of Vietnamese moved into the imperial citadel to escape poverty caused by the war. Many people even built shacks and lived on top of the city walls. But people living on the walls were slowly destroying them. So the government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to relocate the people and save the city walls.
A Relaxed Day Visiting The Imperial City
We arrived in Hue one afternoon and had to leave the next afternoon for Phong Nha.
Because of our short time in town, we decided we did not want to be in a hurry.
We could have visited some of the other tourist attractions in town, but we would have been rushing around trying to tick off boxes.
So we decided to just visit the Imperial Citadel and to skip the other tourist attractions.
By just visiting the citadel, we could take our time and enjoy our day in Hue rather than having an eye on the clock.
Breakfast and Coffee In Hue
We started our day with a pho at Pho Kim Huyen. I picked this place simply because it was the closest to our accommodation and it ended up being one of our favourite Phos in the whole of Vietnam.
It is a super local restaurant, and as soon as we walked in, everyone stopped eating and turned to look at us.
It definitely felt a little awkward having so many eyes on us. But everyone was super friendly and just curious that some foreigners were at their local spot. They were even giving us tips on how to eat the pho!
The pho was delicious with such a rich, beefy broth and a huge stack of fresh local herbs. It only cost us about 1 USD, and the portion was huge. So I can highly recommend stopping in if you love Pho for breakfast.
After our Pho, we stopped for a coffee at Venus I-Cafe. This cafe had a large, modern, industrial-feeling interior.
We tried many awesome cafes during our one month in Hoi An, and Venus I-Cafe was right up there. The beans were high quality with a rich chocolatey profile, staff were friendly, and the interior is large and comfortable.
It is the perfect place to caffeinate before exploring the Imperial City, located just a 10-minute walk from the entrance.
Visiting The Imperial City
- Hue Imperial City Ticket Price: 200,000 VND buy at the gate
- Walking Tour: 2 USD. Highly recommend, as there is very little information within the city.
After finishing up our breakfast and coffee, we took the short walk to the entrance of the Imperial City.
Before entering, I assumed that there would be quite a lot of information inside explaining the history of all the different areas.
But we were a little disappointed to find out that there were barely any signs inside the Imperial City. Plus, when there were signs, they had very poor translations with information that was not very interesting.
There are a few places within the Imperial City that have been beautifully restored. They are the Thai Hoa Palace, the Meridian Gate and the Kien Trung Palace.
Apart from checking out both palaces. I recommend just exploring and checking out all the different corners of the city.
It covers a huge area, and many people just walk up and down the area in the middle.
So if you head off to areas on the sides, there are some interesting buildings with almost no one around.
As I mentioned earlier, the main problem with exploring the city is that it is very poorly signposted.
If I were to visit the Imperial City again, I would go on a walking tour! Otherwise, you will not learn any history and may leave a bit underwhelmed.
Also, some parts of the city are not maintained very well so they look a bit shabby. Part of the reason for this is that large parts of the city were destroyed during the Vietnam War.
So it has been a long, slow process to restore the city to its former glory.
But the parts they have restored look really good! So it might just be a matter of time before they catch up and restore the rest.
We spent about 2 hours walking around inside because we were taking our time.
But if you are a bit faster, you could probably do it all in about 1 hour.
Top Things To Do In Hue: Beyond The Citadel?
After spending just one day in Hue, I think it is definitely worth spending more time there and visiting the other sites.
There are some tombs, pagodas and temples located further away from the Imperial City that look quite interesting
Plus, there is also an abandoned water park that looks awesome!
Below is a list of other attractions that I think are worth visiting in Hue.
- The Abandoned Water Park – a cool abandoned water park with a crumbling giant dragon statue.
- Ah Dinh Palace – a beautiful french style mansions from the early 1900s.
- Thien mu Pagoda – is a multi-story pagoda built in 1600, where monks still live in.
- Từ Hiếu Pagoda – is a peaceful Buddhist temple built in 1840.
- An Bang Cemetery – is a crazy looking cemetary, almost an hour drive from Hue.
- Khai Dinh Tomb – a large, beautiful tomb with many intricate decorations
- Min Mang Tomb, Tu Duc Tomb – I have added these two tombs because they are sites that most people go to see. But to be honest,I don’t think they look that amazing. So I recommend only visiting them if you have plenty of time.
Warning: Some Tombs can be under maintenance, and they might not let you know before you have bought your ticket. So check recent reviews before deciding to visit.
To visit all the attractions, you will either have to hire a scooter or take grabs to each location. They are quite spread out, so it is not possible to walk between them.
Or you can take a tour with GetYourGuide. This tour is quite pricey, but the awesome thing is that you have a private English-speaking driver who can take you to whichever locations you want.
But if you want a cheaper tour guide, you could hope you get a friendly Grab driver. On the way to our guesthouse, our Grab driver said he could drive us around to all the attractions the next day, and it was for a very reasonable price.
In retrospect, we should have spent more time in Hue and not listened to the negative reviews we had read online. But that is the way it goes with travel; you have to visit a place to find out if you will like it.
Hue vs Hoi An: Which City is Better?
Before visiting, we assumed we would like Hoi An far more than Hue. But after visiting, I liked Hue more than I thought I would. Hoi An is the classic tourist hotspot; there are Instagrammable scenes on every street corner. But Hue is much more gritty and authentic, so it will be more appealing if you like to be in more authentic areas with less tourists.
- Atmosphere – Hoi An has much more of a tourist town vibe; wandering the pretty streets is one of the main activities. Hue is much more gritty with no pretty colorful streets.
- History – Hoi An is best if you want pretty historical buildings. Hue is great if you have a serious interest in history beyond pretty buildings.
- Food – Both have fantastic food; we had some of our favourite meals in Vietnam in both cities. Hoi An is best for tourist-friendly restaurants. Hue is better if you want to visit local spots barely any foreigners go to.
- Crowds – Hoi An has far, far bigger crowds. The old town is crazy packed in the evenings. You will not experience anything close in Hue.
- Time Needed – Both technically could be visited in a day. But I think you need a minimum of 2 to 3 days in Hoi An. But in Hue, you could see everything in 1 day if needed.
If I could only pick one destination, it would be Hoi An. There is a wider range of things to do in Hoi An, and despite the huge number of tourists, the old town is much prettier there. But if you have the time, I would recommend stopping in at Hue. It is much less polished but a much more authentic Vietnamese town.
Travel Tips For Hue
How Many Days To Spend In Hue?
I think that for most people, 2 days is the right amount of time in Hue. If you are on a tight schedule, you can for sure do everything in 1 day. But if you have 2, you can do everything at a much more relaxed pace.
Combo Tickets
If you are planning to visit the Imperial City and multiple tombs, you should buy a combo ticket at the entrance to the Imperial City.
You will save quite a bit of money because otherwise you have to buy a ticket at each entrance, and the cost can add up quickly.
Your combo ticket also lasts for two days so you do not have to try to cram everything in on one day.
| Ticket Type | Price (Adult) | What’s Included |
| Combo 3 Sites | 420,000 VND | Imperial City + Minh Mang Tomb + Khai Dinh Tomb |
| Combo 4 Sites | 530,000 VND | Imperial City + Minh Mang + Khai Dinh + Tu Duc Tomb |
| All-Site Pass | 580,000 VND | Access to all monuments in the complex |
Best Way To Get To Hue
If you are travelling to Hue from Da Nang, you can take the train over the Hai Van Pass. This is one of the most beautiful train rides in Vietnam.
Just make sure that you take the tourist train and not the commuter train, like we did!
We really did not enjoy the ride, so make sure you read our Da Nang to Hue Train article to avoid our mistakes.
If you are arriving from the North, you can book a bus with 12GoAsia. Or you can also take the train from Dong Hoi or Ninh Binh if you are further North.
Warning: Be careful when booking buses on 12GoAsia. We had some terrible bus rides in Vietnam! With crazy drivers speeding and blasting their horns the whole time. So make sure you do your research about bus companies before booking tickets.
Final Thoughts? Is Hue Worth Visiting?
After visiting Hue, I would say that Hue is worth visiting if you enjoy history.
We regretted listening to the internet and deciding to only stay for one night. This was nowhere near enough time to visit all the attractions.
Just remember when you visit to not set your expectations too high.
Many historical sites are not in the greatest condition. But as long as you realise that in advance, I think you should enjoy your time in Hue.
But if you are a traveller who does not like old temples or historical sites. Then you can probably skip Hue.
I personally liked Hoi An way more, and we have plenty of articles about Hoi An on our Vietnam page.
