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Hue

Vietnam travel guide

What to see in Hue

The old imperial capital, with its citadel and the emperors’ tombs along the Perfume River.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: January and from March to August
  • Typical food: Bún bò Huế
Photo: Lê Huy Hoàng Hải · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hue highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Imperial City

    The Nguyen dynasty’s citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  2. Imperial tombs

    Those of Tu Duc, Minh Mang and Khai Dinh, each in its own style.

  3. Thien Mu Pagoda

    With its seven-storey tower above the river.

  4. Perfume River

    A boat trip between pagodas and tombs.

  5. Hai Van Pass

    A mountain road with sea views on the way to Da Nang.

Day trips from Hue

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Hue

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Hue are January and from March to August. If you can, avoid October, November (torrential rain and typhoons).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep with warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with strong warnings
  12. Dec with warnings
  • February

    Lunar New Year (approximate dates)

    Millions of people travel at this time: trains and flights are full and expensive, and many shops and restaurants close for several days.

    What to do: Book transport weeks in advance and expect closures for the first three days.

  • from September to December

    Torrential rain and typhoons

    From September to December it rains heavily in the centre; in October and November there are floods (Hoi An floods almost every year) and typhoons.

    What to do: At that time of year, the north (Hanoi, Ha Long) or the south (Saigon, the Mekong, Phu Quoc) are better.

Typical food of Hue

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Hue from your kitchen).

Bún bò Huế
Photo: Kham Tran - www.khamtran.com · CC BY 3.0

Bún bò Huế

The spicy soup of the old imperial city of Huế: round rice noodles in a beef and pork broth with lemongrass, shrimp paste and chilli oil.

  • Serves 4
  • 3 h

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef bones and 500 g pork knuckle
  • 400 g beef shin
  • 4 lemongrass stalks
  • 2 tablespoons of fermented shrimp paste (mắm ruốc, optional)
  • 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 of sugar
  • For the oil: 3 tablespoons of chilli flakes, 2 of chopped garlic and oil
  • 400 g thick rice noodles
  • Onion, coriander, bean sprouts and lime

How to make it at home

  1. Blanch the bones and knuckle, rinse them and simmer with the crushed lemongrass and the beef shin for 2½ hours.
  2. Dissolve the shrimp paste in water, let it settle and add only the liquid to the broth.
  3. Season with the fish sauce and sugar.
  4. Fry the garlic with the chilli in oil over a low heat to make the chilli oil and add it to the broth to taste.
  5. Serve the noodles with the sliced beef shin, the knuckle and the broth, with onion, coriander, bean sprouts and lime.

The trick: Lemongrass is the star: don’t skimp on it.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the phở stall. The dishes you can’t miss are in the Vietnam guide.

Frequently asked questions about Hue

What to see in Hue?

Imperial City, Imperial tombs, Thien Mu Pagoda, Perfume River and Hai Van Pass.

What to see in Hue in one day?

Don’t miss Imperial City, Imperial tombs, Thien Mu Pagoda, Perfume River and Hai Van Pass. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Hue?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Hue are January and from March to August. If you can, avoid October, November (torrential rain and typhoons).

What day trips can you take from Hue?

Imperial tombs.

What is the typical food of Hue?

Bún bò Huế. The spicy soup of the old imperial city of Huế: round rice noodles in a beef and pork broth with lemongrass, shrimp paste and chilli oil.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.