Central Vietnam · Day tour
Hue Imperial City & Heritage
Over the pass to the old royal capital: the Imperial Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda and the mausoleum of Khai Dinh, with royal cuisine for lunch.
- Length
- Full day
- Approx. 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Pick-up
- Da Nang or Hoi An
- From your hotel
- Guide
- English-speaking
- Group or private
What you see
The day in short
Everything below is covered by the programme. The order can move with the traffic and the weather; the list does not.
Highlights
- The coast road, with Hai Van Pass and Lap An Lagoon on the way
- The Imperial Citadel, home to thirteen Nguyen emperors
- Thien Mu Pagoda, seven tiers above the Perfume River
- Khai Dinh's mausoleum, European and Asian architecture fused and finished in glass mosaic
- Hue royal cuisine at a traditional garden restaurant
Hour by hour
The running order
Approx. 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM. These are the timings operations work to; your guide confirms the pick-up the evening before.
Want it privately?07:30 AM
Pick-up at your hotel in Da Nang or Hoi An and north towards Hue.
09:00 AM
A photo stop at Lap An Lagoon and Lang Co Beach.
10:30 AM
Into Hue and the Imperial Citadel: the Forbidden Purple City, the Flag Tower and the Palace of Supreme Harmony.
12:30 PM
Lunch of Hue specialities at a local restaurant.
01:30 PM
Thien Mu Pagoda, the oldest in the city.
02:30 PM
Khai Dinh Royal Tomb.
04:00 PM
Back south through the Hai Van Tunnel.
06:00 PM
Drop-off at your hotel.
What's included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional English-speaking tour guide
- Entrance fees for the Imperial Citadel and Khai Dinh Tomb
- Lunch of traditional Hue dishes
- Mineral water and a cool towel
What's not
- Personal expenses
- Tips for the guide and driver
- VAT
Before you book
- Shoulders and knees covered at the temples and inside the imperial palaces.
- Children aged 10 and over pay the full rate, 4 to 9 pay 75 percent, and under 4 travel free.
The route
- 1Da Nang
- 2Lap An Lagoon
- 3Hue Imperial Citadel
- 4Thien Mu Pagoda
- 5Khai Dinh Tomb
Map is schematic and not to scale for travel times.
Good to know
Questions
Does it go over the Hai Van Pass or through the tunnel?
The coast road on the way up, for the view over Lang Co and Lap An, and the tunnel on the way back to save an hour at the end of a long day.
How much walking is there?
A fair amount, mostly flat, inside the Citadel grounds. Khai Dinh's tomb has a long flight of steps up to it. Shade is limited at both.
Can this run as a private tour?
Yes. Every excursion here can run privately with your own guide and vehicle instead of joining a group. Tell us how many of you there are and we will quote it.
Can we combine this with other days?
Yes — most guests string two or three of these together, or add them either side of a multi-day journey. Send us your dates and we will lay them out in a sensible order.
More days in Central
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Book the Hue Imperial City & Heritage
Give us your dates, your hotel and how many of you there are. We confirm availability the same day and pick you up from the door.