The other day, many of you messaged me about places to eat, play, and travel in Huế. Today I’m listing them for those who need it. This review of Huế mainly talks about the main points, things that no one else talks about. My travel review of Huế is a bit long, so please bear with me and read it.
Huế is a city
Many people often mistake Huế for a small tourist spot or more commonly a province, but in fact, Huế is a city. Huế is a city under Thừa Thiên Huế province. Huế was the imperial capital (former capital Huế) of Vietnam during the feudal era under the Nguyễn dynasty (1802 – 1945), the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam. This is a province located in Central Vietnam.
>>>>See more: 23 unbelievable things about Huế
What makes Huế attractive
Many people still think that Huế is sad, lacking lively places, so very few young people choose Huế as a destination. Mostly adults looking for their roots. Especially people from the North often combine tours to Huế – Đà Nẵng – Hội An. Western guests prefer Huế – Hội An,…=> So when looking for a review of Huế, impressions of Huế are quite rare. Therefore, this article mainly reflects my impressions, notes, experiences, and stories that I have experienced, asking local people about this land.
Like many others, I chose Huế as a destination because it is beautiful, charming with its own unique features of the ancient, gentle, romantic Imperial City, suitable for living slowly, peacefully for a light, serene soul.
Also, due to my passion for history, architecture, poetry,… These things make me more excited to plan a trip to this Land of Heritage.
Impressions of Huế
- The beauty of “serene, romantic”. For a long time, these two adjectives have always been associated with Huế. A famous tourist city, but it is not bustling, noisy like many other places, instead, there are ancient “ruong houses” on Bạch Đằng street, Bao Vinh ancient town. Trees shading along Lê Lợi street, the Perfume River calmly reflecting the shadows and the cyclo rotation steadily on the street bring a slow breath. (an interesting fact here is that there are no motorbikes, so you don’t have to worry about being crowded, noisy…)
- Lovely, cute people, “why do you feel so lovely”, warm, friendly,… Never enough to describe. And hearing the gentle, deep, “sweet as sugar, cool as lime” voice of “Huế” is enough to captivate, dreamy.
- Long-standing history “Where preserves the most intact royal relics in Vietnam”. Since 1306, associated with Princess Huyền Trân marrying King Chiêm and exchanging two provinces as a dowry. Through 2 dynasties: Tây Sơn and Nguyễn – 9 lords, 13 kings (1802-1945). Then enduring rain of bombs, storm of bullets, “battlefield snatching” in 1968.
- Diverse Eastern, Western architecture. From citadels, palaces, fortresses, the system of tombs, shrines, temples (traditional Eastern style, Thai style, Indian style,..), churches, monasteries, convents,… To the precious national antiques such as: gold-cast seals, Huế enamel, swords, royal costumes.
- Known as the culinary capital. Therefore, there is a full range of diverse dishes here. Huế cuisine includes folk and royal cuisine. The dishes here have various tastes: sweetness of royal desserts; richness of beef noodle soup, snakehead fish noodle soup; sourness of fermented pork,…
- The city of heritage with 5 UNESCO titles in Vietnam: Complex of Huế Monuments (1993), Huế Royal Court Music (2003), Nguyen Dynasty Woodblocks (2009), Nguyen Dynasty Records (2014), and Poetic Records on Huế Imperial Architecture (2016).
Tips for a complete trip to Huế
- The sightseeing spots are quite extensive, mainly on foot, so exploring them all takes a lot of time and effort. For example, visiting the Imperial City takes a whole morning for sightseeing and taking photos. Visiting the Tomb of Tự Đức takes 2 hours. So when planning your itinerary, if you’re short on time, you may have to skip a few places.
- Weather + photography Huế and Central Vietnam have 2 seasons: hot season (summer) is intense and hot but provides sharp, beautiful images. The rainy season in Autumn-Winter (September, October, November) makes the ground muddy. In my opinion, it’s best to visit in Spring, with cool mornings and evenings, warm sunny afternoons. And for those who love dreaminess, this season also fulfills that (because Huế has spring rain, afternoon showers).
Welcoming the sunrise, enjoying the morning:
Going up to the source of the Perfume River, Thiên Mụ Pagoda with the sun shining is very beautiful, Vọng Cảnh Hill, Thiên An Hill.
In the afternoon, 2 – 3 hours to visit the Imperial City, go early to avoid crowds, return without the hassle of photoshopping.
Watching the sunset, playing at night
at Lang Co beach, Ngô Đồng tree + go to Phá Tam Giang to watch the sunset. On sunny days without clouds, the pictures turn out great. But on rainy days, it’s gloomy and cold, and you can’t take good photos like me. In the evening, take a walk on the Lim wooden bridge, feeling like walking on 64 billion. Don’t forget to take a boat on the Perfume River while listening to the royal music of Hue.
Entering Thuy Tien Lake is for those who like to explore, it’s best to take a taxi there, don’t park your car and lose it. When you go there, you will pass through the Blue Eye sim forest.
Since after Tet 2020, they don’t allow entry anymore, if you want to go, you have to sneak in, like crossing the border, running away from the guards who want to catch you. Otherwise, invite some Western friends to go together, the guards don’t catch Westerners much, so you might get in.
Clothing when visiting Hue
as this is a place with many temples and pagodas. So choose modest clothing. Otherwise, the guards won’t let you in. Don’t forget to buy a conical hat at Dong Ba Market.
Tourist destinations in Hue
Because the tourist spots in Hue are scattered. I divided them into 3 routes for 3 days:
- First route – Inner city: Imperial City, Phu Van Lau – Nghenh Luong Dinh, Dong Ba Market, Quoc Hoc School, SP University, Truong Tien Bridge, Da Vien Bridge.
- Second route – Towards the Southwest against the Perfume River: Kim Long Street, Thien Mu Pagoda, Van Mieu, Huyen Khong Pagoda, Minh Mang Tomb, Khai Dinh Tomb+Thuy Tien Lake+Thien An Hill, Tu Duc Tomb, Thuy Xuan Incense Village, Vong Canh Hill, Ho Quyen, Nam Giao Esplanade.
- Third route – Mắt Biếc: in the morning visit An Dinh Palace, Phu Cam Church, Ngu Mountain, Thien Lam Pagoda. In the afternoon, visit Ngo Dong tree, admire Pha Tam Giang, then return to the city to visit the Dutch House, Bao Vinh Old Town, Bach Dang Old Street from the movie Mắt Biếc
How to get to Hue?
You can go by motorbike, train, or bus, but it is recommended to take a flight. I was healthy and energetic on the two previous flights, but this time I spent 24 hours on the train. The good thing is that the Hue train station is right in the city center, while flying to Phu Bai Airport in Da Nang requires taking a bus transfer for about an hour to reach the city center.
Where to stay in Hue???
Hotels in Hue are a bit old. However, there are plenty of homestays to choose from. This time we stayed at a homestay, right at the beginning of the Western street. The owner is super cute, the room is okay, and the price is reasonable. The three of us stayed for 2 nights during a holiday and it only cost 700k. It’s convenient to get around here as it’s in the city center, but the only downside is that on weekends they block motorbikes, so you have to walk a short distance to the Western street area.
If you want to rent a motorbike, contact the owner, we rented 2 Nouvo scooters for 110k/day, which were quite heavy.
>>>>Read more: Top 10 must-visit tourist destinations in Hue
Tourist attractions in Hue
Hue Imperial City
If you go to Hue and don’t check in for a virtual life experience here, then don’t say you’ve been to Hue ^^ The Imperial City is right in the city center, just run a Google search and you’ll be there. Once there, you can buy a ticket to enter and explore, or just take photos from outside, which is also fine :3 Just standing outside, you can take a lot of amazing photos, but if you go inside, it might be tiring for your feet. If you go around noon, you’ll definitely burn your head. I like to go here in the evening when the lights are on, at this time it looks so mystical, like I’ve traveled back in time.
Opposite the Imperial City is the Hue Flag Tower, next to it is Phu Van Lau, it’s said that people used to stand there to wait for boats, and in the evening when the lights are on, it looks equally magical.
Huyen Khong Son Thuong Pagoda
Although the pagoda is located right next to the Imperial City, it may not be very prominent, but I will review it based on my personal impression. After the Imperial City, which is almost the symbol of Hue, my favorite place is this pagoda. I can’t find the right words to describe its beauty because of my limited language skills. Overall, before going, I saw many reviews and pictures, and it looked beautiful, but I tried not to have high expectations to avoid disappointment. However, when I arrived, it exceeded my expectations by far. The pagoda is not very large, you can explore it in a short time, there is a lake, a few bridges, and some small pavilions, but I don’t know why I like it so much, I just kept wandering around and didn’t want to leave.
The way to the pagoda is relatively easy, from the direction of Thien Mu Pagoda, just go straight and you will get there. On the way, you can also visit Huyen Khong Pagoda 1 and Khe Ngang Lake, it’s quite picturesque there.
Tomb of Tu Duc, Tomb of Minh Mang…various tombs
In Hue, various types of tombs are famous, you can imagine how many kings, there are as many tombs, it’s like walking until your shoes wear out. The average entrance fee to a tomb is around 100k per person, the architecture of the tombs is quite similar, so I recommend visiting one to get an idea, as the distance between the tombs is not very close. If you stay in Hue for about ten days, you can visit them all.
Thien Mu Pagoda, An Hien Garden
I’m combining these two because they are conveniently located. If you walk along Nguyen Phuc Nguyen Street, visit An Hien Garden first, then continue a bit further to Thien Mu Pagoda. If I remember correctly, this garden used to belong to a princess and was considered the most beautiful garden in the Ancient Capital. The entrance fee is around 20 or 25k, good for taking photos and enjoying the scenery. Then head to Thien Mu Pagoda, if you want to take a boat ride on the Perfume River, you can rent a dragon boat. I didn’t do this, so I’m not sure about the price, but I think it’s around 50 – 100k.
Nguyen Dinh Chieu Pedestrian Street, XQ Embroidery Museum
In Hue, there is also a pedestrian street, after parking your vehicle, walk along the Perfume River, it’s quite romantic, and you can also visit the XQ Embroidery Museum, where you can see the incredible skills of many people, I’m just amazed by the talent of some people. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take photos inside, so I don’t have any to share.
Tam Giang Lagoon, Con Te Islet
This is the largest lagoon in Vietnam, I haven’t had the chance to visit it at sunset or sunrise, so I haven’t truly experienced its beauty, but the good thing is that you can enjoy delicious seafood here.
There are many other places to visit in Hue such as: Thien An Hill, Canh Duong Beach, Thuan An Beach, Thanh Toan Tile Bridge, Western Street, meditation centers, and more, I can’t remember them all, so if you have the opportunity to stay in Hue for a long time, make sure to visit them all.
What to Eat in Hue?
This is the section that I am most passionate about, so I want to emphasize it. One of the reasons and the most important reason that attracted me to Hue is the food here. The food is not only delicious but also very affordable, I gained a couple of kilograms after returning home.
I recommend making friends with a local in Hue if possible, so they can take you to eat at good and cheap places that are not always popular. Sometimes, eating at big restaurants recommended on food apps can be expensive and disappointing.
Hue Beef Noodle Soup
Anyone who visits Hue must try the beef noodle soup, it would be a sin to miss it. However, not every beef noodle soup place in Hue is automatically good. For example, I had a bad experience at a place in Dong Ba Market, it was the worst of the worst.
Bun Bo O Nga on Xuan 68 Street, oh my, a bowl of noodles for 30k with all the toppings, a large piece of meat that fills the bowl. Not only are the toppings generous, but the broth is the authentic Hue beef flavor, and according to my friend, authentic Hue beef noodle soup must have the aroma of beef bones. This place is the real deal. Eating a bowl will keep you full all day. Oh, this place doesn’t stay open all night, so eating a bowl until morning is more accurate.
Bún bò at Dang Tat street, I can’t remember the exact house number, but it’s around 7 or 8 something, they have a big chunk of crab cake which is also huge, and it tastes amazing. The only downside is that they only sell in the morning, so you have to wake up really early to make it in time for breakfast. When I went there around 7 am, they had already set up the shop, so sad.
Turmeric vermicelli
Turmeric vermicelli at Phan Dinh Phung street, only a small shop without a sign or anything. The vermicelli is mixed with golden turmeric water, served with delicious clam meat, it’s so good that I couldn’t resist having 3 bowls in 10 minutes for only 7k per bowl.
Steamed rice cakes with roasted pork
This dish of steamed rice cakes served with roasted or boiled pork is very unique and tasty. If you are flying back to Phu Bai airport, you can stop by this shop, as it’s quite far from the city center but on the way to the airport. There are a few similar shops on this road, but make sure to go to the authentic Banh Uot Ba Suu shop, not a fake one.
Water fern cake
In Hue, there are several types of these cakes, but I explored a shop that my friend recommended as the best in Hue. Water Fern Cake at Giau on Le Huan street. It’s very filling and costs only 40k per person, very satisfying.
Nam Pho thick noodle soup
This thick noodle soup is made from rice flour, not like the round slippery ones in Saigon. I saw them rolling and cutting the dough, and it contains fish cakes and other ingredients. You should crack a quail egg into it, mix it, and then eat it. My friend showed me how to eat it like that, and it was delicious and unique.
Pressed cake
This pressed cake is not the dry and curved one with a piece of lard that people usually bring back from Hue as a gift (that cake is terrible), but it’s a fresh pressed cake with a fragrant egg flavor, very delicious. If you are willing to travel far, you can visit Thuan An beach to try it, as that shop is very famous. In Hue city, you can find it on Nhat Le or Thuy Le street, I can’t remember the exact name, but it’s also very delicious.
Seafood
When it comes to seafood, you can head to Cồn Tè or Phá Tam Giang. The seafood is always fresh and delicious, with flavors that will satisfy your taste buds. I recommend eating at Cồn Tè, it’s closer, cheaper, and the dishes are even more delicious. They have some unique garlic dishes that are quite tasty. We went with 2 people, and one person spent around 160k VND and left feeling satisfied.
Specialty Duck from Thuận
I’ve never been a fan of duck, but after trying the duck here, I became addicted. I’ve never had duck this delicious before. We were a group of 6 and finished a whole duck with 3 plates of sticky rice, feeling completely full. The only downside was that the sticky rice had too much fried shallots, and its color resembled pork floss, so I couldn’t differentiate, and mistakenly ate it a few times, which was quite unpleasant.
Bubble Tea
As a bubble tea addict, I can’t go anywhere without my “fix.” In Huế, Gongcha Royal has everything, but I’ve tried them all in Saigon. This time, I tried the bubble tea at Lick n Bite, and it was incredibly delicious, especially the taro bubble tea that was heavenly, not to mention the handmade toppings that were out of this world.
Coconut Jelly at Mai Thúc Loan Street
My friend recommended this place as the best in Huế, and I must agree. The coconut jelly with coconut flesh was incredibly delicious. They also serve a snail dish that tastes like snail sausage, and it’s also very tasty.
There are so many more dishes to try, but time is limited, so I couldn’t try them all, such as Mr. Chạy’s frog, fish pancake, grilled nem, and khoái cake… If you visit, make sure to try them all. Before this trip, I made a list of 36 dishes to try, but in the end, I only tried about half of them, which was a big regret.
Huế Review
First, I will review the city area of Huế. The city of Huế is divided by the Perfume River into two sides, the North Bank (where the inner city and Đông Ba Market are located) and the South Bank (the other side).
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Review of the North Bank of Huế City
Đông Ba Market
Đông Ba Market is the largest market in Huế. When visiting Đông Ba Market, make sure to ask for prices before buying to avoid overpaying. If you find the prices too high or unreasonable, you can choose not to buy, as some sellers might pressure you into buying after negotiating (I’ve been through this a few times and never bought anything).
Imperial City
Taking photos outside is beautiful from every angle. The entrance fee is around 150k-200k VND. At night, it’s lively and cool here.
Some Dining Spots on the North Bank
- Huế Pancakes: 31 Alley 103 Nhật Lệ. Prices range from 5k to 10k VND, offering not only pancakes but also egg rice paper, fermented pork roll, all delicious and affordable.
- If you want a place to drink and eat at night, you can visit Bên Sông (03 Bạch Đằng) near the foot of Gia Hội Bridge on the left side. Or cross Gia Hội Bridge, turn right on Trịnh Công Sơn Street, known for its vibrant nightlife, but it can be noisy and crowded, so I’m not a big fan of this place. Đông Ba Market is right below Gia Hội Bridge.
- If you want to buy gifts for friends and family, you can purchase various types of fish sauce at Cô Ri, a stall near Đông Ba Market. Or try Thiên Hương sesame candy, go straight on Chi Lăng Street after crossing Gia Hội Bridge.
- Cafe Chiều: 44 Đặng Thái Thân. The café is small and has an old-fashioned charm that I really like. Opposite Cafe Chiều is Lầu Tứ Phương Vô Cực, which has a very cute coffee shop inside, but I’ve never been there, only seen it in pictures.
- Blue Eye Cafe – Address: 66 Bao Vinh. This place is where the house of Hà Lan was filmed in the movie “MẮT BIẾC,” bustling with activity recently.
I don’t explore much in the North Bank area because the streets are quite confusing. So that’s all for now, everyone.
Review Bờ Nam thành Phố Huế
Trang Tien Bridge: this one is a must-visit spot for anyone coming to Hue.
Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street and Lim wooden bridge: the street below Trang Tien Bridge is Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street. If you walk straight to Phu Xuan Bridge, you’ll find Lim wooden bridge.
16 Pham Hong Thai: a place to try banh beo nam loc for 10k-15k per plate and banh canh Nam Pho for 15k per bowl. If you want to try banh canh Nam Pho, go early because it gets crowded around 6 pm and might run out.
Tan cafe 14 Pham Hong Thai: another small, cozy cafe that I love.
Bun bo Hue: located on the sidewalk of Hanoi Street, near the direction to Phu Xuan Bridge. Not sure if they sell in the morning, but they serve until late at night. A bowl costs 25k-30k and will keep you full until the next morning.
Western street in Hue
Western street in Hue opens on Saturday and Sunday evenings. It’s a lively place for drinking, but prices are a bit high. I usually go to Hello restaurant on Chu Van An street, which offers the cheapest food in the area and it’s delicious.
Bun hen, mi hen, com hen: in the morning, you can find these dishes on the sidewalk for 8k-15k and at Dong Ba Market (remember to ask for the price).
Che Hue: at the Cultural House on Tran Hung Dao street, Nguyen Dinh Chieu walking street (at night), and Dong Ba Market for 8k-10k per cup. They have a unique che with pork skin and grilled pork flavor. There’s also a che stall at 1 alley 29 Hung Vuong, but I didn’t find it as good as others for 10k-12k.
Imperial Hotel or Hoang De Hotel: 08 Hung Vuong. The hotel has a rooftop cafe with a great view of the city for under 100k.
Quoc Hoc School – Quoc Hoc beer: these are located across from each other on Le Loi street. If you want to check-in at the school, ask for permission and keep quiet, or you might get kicked out.
Toco toco: 38 Nguyen Khuyen. I’ll let the picture below speak for itself why I included this spot.
Some other places to visit if you have more time
Catholic Church of the Savior: located at the intersection of Nguyen Hue and Nguyen Khuyen.
Phu Cam Church, check the map for directions, it’s in the city. I don’t know the exact address.
Minh Nghia Snail Restaurant: 253 Phan Boi Chau and 66 Truong Chinh, prices range from 10k-25k. You can eat snails everywhere, but this place is the best.
Outside the Pedagogical University at night, they sell grilled corn and sweet potatoes for 8k-10k. This place is right across from the Toa Kham boat station.
A little note is that Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street and the Western Street are very close to each other. You can park your bike at the Toa Kham boat station for easy access to both places. The parking fee is only 5k-10k. If you park on the Western Street, it might be around 20k.
Huế has many attractive destinations
For now, I will list all the places I often visit the most in the city (will add to the article later if I remember new places). If there are any omissions, please add them below for reference. Below are pictures I collected from various websites, Facebook, and pages. If you see your picture in this article, please understand that I wrote the article close to midnight so it’s not convenient to ask for your permission for the pictures.
Oh, one more small note is not to use Google Maps for directions in Huế, because Google always gives the main roads, and if it’s a main road, it’s definitely far. It’s best to open the map, find the destination, then zoom in and follow the small roads inside the city. It’s closer and less sunny, as most of the streets in Huế are lined with cool green trees.
Also, don’t go to Huế during the rainy season, if you don’t want to stay at home watching the rain for 3 days straight like my first time, but if you want to experience wading through floods in Huế, then please, visit Huế around November or December, hehe.
