The Best Travel Guide for Hue Itinerary

Hue, Vietnam's ancient capital, is a captivating tourist spot that fascinates anyone visiting the country. It holds a vast collection of historical artefacts from Vietnam's last feudal dynasty, making it a living museum of Vietnamese culture and lifestyle. Moreover, the region is home to many serene and poetic landscapes, providing a tranquil and beautiful experience for travellers. If you're thinking about adding Hue to your Vietnam itinerary, check out this article for helpful trip planning tips and know how many days to spend in Hue!

1. Tips for planning Hue itinerary

Possessing a huge number of stunning landscapes and UNESCO heritage attractions, Hue, Vietnam has become a captivating destination for visitors from all over the world. Check out the article Tourist attractions in Hue for more information. After that, read the top tips for planning your trip to this city. Several people ask how many days to spend in Hue, Vietnam. As per our local travel consultation, you can explore Hue in 1 to 3 days, or extend your stay to visit neighbouring provinces like Quang Binh, Hoi An, Da Nang. Keep reading to find the best Hue itineraries for your adventure in this ancient capital.

Serene Huong River from above

1.1. Hue 1 day itinerary

Not all tourists have a lot of time to discover Vietnam. With an average stay of about 15 days, most tourists choose to stay in Hue one day or more.

A full day sightseeing trip in Hue

With a 1-day Hue itinerary, you obviously shouldn't miss the extraordinary attractions here. Spending a full day with ancient architecture is not a bad idea. In the morning, you can start the day by getting away from the city centre a bit, visiting one of the Nguyen Kings mausoleums such as:

• Gia Long's Tomb
• Tomb of Minh Mang
• Tu Duc's Tomb
• Tomb of Khai Dinh

The choice of visiting one of these mausoleums depends on the route and personal preference, you could click on each tomb to get first ideas. However, it should be noted that these mausoleums are located quite far apart from each other, so please consider if you would like to visit more than 1 mausoleum.

After visiting the mausoleums, you can return downtown to visit Thien Mu Pagoda and Hon Chen Temple. These 2 ancient religious sites are really great if you want to learn about the cultural and spiritual life of Hue’s people. Both are located on the banks of the romantic Perfume River so the visit allows you to get to know the very quaint sites and breathe in the peaceful atmosphere.

Hue Imperial Citadel

The afternoon is a great time to visit the Hue Citadel, or actually the rest of the Hue Citadel after the years of war against France and America. Even so, the relic still contains many interesting stories to explore.

At the end of the day, don't forget to visit the ancient Dong Ba market, built in 1885. Despite being a historic site, the market still functions normally and is one of Hue people’s prides.

>> See more: Full Day Hue City Private Tour

Half day to visit Hue - half day to explore the Hue countryside

If you are not very keen on architecture or history or you may want to spend your time immersing in Hue rural life, consider a half-day itinerary in the ancient villages or craft villages of Hue.

In the morning, you can move to the ancient village of Thuy Bieu on the Perfume River side, where there are beautiful garden houses and famous pomelo gardens. Tourists often cycle to visit these villages to enjoy the cool and quiet atmosphere as well as participate in cooking classes. Hue cuisine is so quintessential that there are countless yummy dishes to try.

Thanh Tien paper flower making village

For a long time, Hue's handicraft villages such as Thanh Tien, Tien Non are famous for their art of making paper flowers and ancient Vietnamese-style lacquer. Especially before Tet Lunar New Year, daily activities in these two villages are very lively as people buy items to decorate their homes traditionally. Spending half a day in one of these villages will be a great idea.

>> See more:Excursion to the villages of Thanh Tien, Tien Non, Sinh

Some tourists want to go to a less touristy place, they choose Dam Chuon lagoon as their destination. This is also a very beautiful natural place in Hue, especially for those who are fond of the sunset’s vivid colour and scenery. Just a small note is to come here around 05:00 PM. If you come earlier, the sunshine over Chuon lagoon is quite strong and there are not many other activities.

>> See more:Biking and boating excursion to Chuon Lagoon

One-day experience in the Hue countryside

If you have ever visited Hue city’s historical sites in the previous Vietnam trips, we recommend you further experience Hue surrounding villages. It will surprise you by the truly serene atmosphere and the pace of life. Cycling along the beautiful winding roads of rural villages like La Chu, you will feel relaxed and forget about the city's noise.

Lotus in Hue is normally blooming in June

You can also combine craft villages with Dam Chuon lagoon to explore within a day.

>> See more: Biking tour around La Chu village

1.2. Hue 2-day itinerary

2 days in Hue is a pretty good length of stay, so you can arrange visits to the highlights of Hue without worrying about time constraints. With this 2-day itinerary in Hue, you can feel the city at a slower pace.

Thuy Xuan incense village in a bright day

Take a look at one of the suggested itineraries below:

Day 1: Visit to Minh Mang's Tomb - Hon Chen Temple - Thien Mu Pagoda - An Hien Garden House - Hue Citadel
Day 2: Visit to Tu Duc's tomb - Thuy Xuan incense village - Thanh Tien paper flower village - Tien Non lacquer village - Dong Ba Market

>> Read more: Dong Ba Market - the Most Famous Market in Hue Vietnam

Fragrant pomelo garden to visit in your Hue itinerary

Day 1: Visit to Khai Dinh's tomb - Hon Chen Temple - Thien Mu Pagoda - An Hien Garden House - Hue Citadel
Day 2: Visit to Tu Duc's tomb - Thuy Bieu ancient village - Thuy Xuan incense village - Dam Chuon lagoon

>> Read more: Thuy Xuan Incense Village - The Scent of Hue Ancient Culture

1.3. Exploring Hue in 3 days

If you have 3 days in Hue, it would be a waste if you did not spend the last day of your Hue trip at Lang Co Bay, one of the most beautiful seaside resorts in Vietnam. This sea is on the way from Hue to Da Nang, so you can spend a day completely here to rest, enjoy the wonderful sea air here before going to another destination in Vietnam - Da Nang.

Please refer to the following schedule:

Day 1: Hue Citadel - Thien Mu Pagoda - Ancient garden house An Hien - Tu Duc Tomb - Thuy Xuan Village - Dong Ba Market
Day 2: Visit to Hon Chen Temple - Tomb of Khai Dinh - transfer to Lang Co Bay
Day 3: Lang Co Beach - Hai Van Pass - Da Nang

>> Read more: Lang Co Bay - World's Top 30 Most Beautiful Bays

1.4. Other destinations to put on the Hue itinerary

In fact, you often combine visiting Hue with some of the surrounding provinces in a few days in order to experience all the beauty of central Vietnam.

To the South of Hue city, you can find attractive places like Da Nang and Hoi An, which are quite popular choices among tourists coming to Central Vietnam. If Da Nang gives the idea of a modern and bustling coastal city, Hoi An brings the charm of the old town that has existed for many centuries. Take a look at the itinerary below.

Day 1: Visit to Minh Mang's tomb - Hon Chen Temple - Thien Mu Pagoda - An Hien Ancient House - Hue Citadel
Day 2: Visit to Khai Dinh's tomb - transfer to Da Nang via Hai Van Pass - Visit to the Marble Mountains - Cham Museum
Day 3: Visit Hoi An ancient town

>> Read more: Hoi An Travel Guide: Build Your Own Complete Itinerary

To the North of Hue are Quang Binh and Quang Tri, which are also an interesting choice for you. Especially if you are a nature enthusiast, Quang Binh with Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park awaits you with adventures. Meanwhile, the land of Quang Tri is a famous war-related relic in Vietnam's modern history with the name DMZ.

Day 1: Visit to Minh Mang's tomb - Hon Chen Temple - Thien Mu Pagoda - An Hien Garden House - Hue Citadel
Day 2: Transfer to Quang Tri, visit the DMZ area, including Hien Luong Bridge, Ben Hai River, Truong Son Cemetery, Vinh Moc Tunnels - At the end of the day, arrive in Quang Binh
Day 3: Exploring the beautiful caves of Quang Binh

>> Read more: How to Plan A Trip to Quang Binh - Vietnam

2. How to get around Hue ?

To complete your Hue itinerary in the best way, choosing the means of transportation is very important. Generally, you can find the pace of life in Hue is quite slow and accordingly the following means of transportation also help you to discover Hue in the most leisure pace.

Motorcycle/ moped
Motorcycles are the preferred means for many tourists in Hue to travel to places of interest. To rent a reliable motorcycle, you can inquire in advance on the Internet or go to streets such as Nguyen Cong Tru, Chu Van An, Le Loi,... For more peace of mind, you can rent directly at the hotel or homestay where you are staying. Normally, the rental price will be between 120,000 VND and 300,000 VND for one day without gasoline.

Bicycle
If visitors want to try to immerse themselves in the gentle pace of Hue city, listening to the breath of the small alleys, bicycles are a good choice. Rental rates range from 40,000 VND to 60,000 VND for a day.

Bicycle is very popular in Hue

Car
Travelling by car helps you avoid the hot central region sun or sudden downpours. Renting a car with a driver is especially suitable if you want to control your own pace of sightseeing or travel with a group of friends and are not used to local roads and traffic laws.

Cyclo/ Rickshaw
Cyclo is a very popular rudimentary means of transportation in Hue. In Hue, there is nothing more interesting than sitting on a cyclo, slowly watching the streets, enjoying the cool wind. You can book a ride with the rickshaw in Hue at these places: Huong Giang hotel, Century hotel, Saigon Morin hotel, no. 2 Le Loi street,... However, this means of transportation is only for experience, it should not be used as the main mode of transportation because it is quite expensive and time-consuming.

Dragon boats
Dragon Boats is a special service that takes tourists on the Perfume River. These unique boats, shaped like dragons and adorned with golden vermilion paint, are extremely popular among visitors to Hue. Tourists get to feel like ancient kings as they sit on the boats, glide along the serene water, listen to the songs of Hue, release lanterns, and enjoy the evening breeze.

Dragon boat running on Huong River

With the above travel advice on Hue itinerary, we believe you have some ideas for your trip to Hue. To see more itineraries visiting Hue, please click Hue Tours. If you need more information or a quote, please contact us by email: sm@izitour.com or what'sapp +84 382 536 266.