Hue City

Hue City is the capital of Thua Thien Hue Province in central Vietnam. It was the capital of Vietnam of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Different from the bustling atmosphere of most of the other tourism paradises in Vietnam, Hue is a rather laid-back city with the typical tranquility and gentleness of an Imperial capital.

 

Area: 265,99 km²
Population: 652.572 (2018)
Dialing Code: 0234

GEOGRAPHY

Hue City is located on the banks of the romantic Huong River in Thua Thien Hue Province in The Central Coast of Vietnam, It's about 700kms south of Hanoi and 1,100 kms north of Ho Chi Minh City and about 95 kms from Da Nang City. Bordering Huong Tra Town to the North West, Phu Vang District to the East, Huong Thuy Town in the South and East.

 WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Hue’s weather and climate is an exception from north and south regions of Vietnam, It features a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification : 
Dry season from March to August, the weather is very hot and humid, sometimes peaks up at 39,9 °C, the average precipitation is from 40 mm to 115 mm/month.
Rainy season from August to next January with regular shower and even flood and storms. Average temperature is around

19.7 °C, sometimes lows down at 8,8 °C, the average precipitation is from 300 mm to 760 mm/month. 
Spring lasts from February to March with the avarage temperature is from 24-27  °C, the average precipitation is around 55 mm/month
On the contrary, mountainous area has considerable precipitation with cool atmosphere all year round. Average temperature varies between  9 °C to 29 °C.
In general, the best time to visit Hue is in October, while the weather is temperate and the light rain seems to add into Hue romantic atmosphere an irresistible attraction. Avoid June to Sep since this is when flood and storms mostly attack the area.


TRANSPORTATION

By Air: Phu Bai International Airport is about 15 kms from Hue City Center or You can also fly to Da Nang International Airport - 100 kms from Hue- then go by car/train to Hue.
Railway: Hue City is located in the center of Vietnam so all Vietnam Union Trains from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City run through this city with stops in Hue Train Station. There are also slower trains from Hanoi to Da Nang and stop in Hue
Buses: The high way No1 connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City go through Hue City so It's very easy for you to catch the bus at any provinces to Hue City.

 

SEE & DO

   
 

Hue Imperial Citadel : Hue Imperial Citadel is situated on the Northern bank of the Perfume River. With an area of 500ha and a system of three circles of ramparts, namely from outside to inside: Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel).

Thien Mu pagoda:
Thien Mu Pagoda was built in 1601 by the Lord Nguyen, the Pagoda of the Celestial Lady is a historic temple in the city of Huế in Vietnam. Located beside the picturesque Huong River, Thien Mu Pagoda, with its ancient architecture, adds its charm to this beautiful natural setting. The sound of Thien Mu bell is like the soul of Hue, ever resounding over the Huong River flow winding its way in front of the Citadel to the sea

Nguyen King’s tombs: The places where Nguyen Kings rest in peace are persuasive evidence for the most brilliant Vietnam ancient architecture. There are many Nguyen King Tombs around the City such as Tu Duc King Tomb, Minh Mang King Tomb, Khai Dinh King Tomb, Gia Long King Tomb, Dục Đuc King Tomb, Thieu Tri King Tomb...

Lang Co Beach: located about 70km south of Hue and 30km north of Danang, Lang Co Beach is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam. With 10km in length, white smoothy sandy coast, and a picturesque fishing village nearby, Lang Co beach is truly a “fishing beauty” of the Vietnam central coast. Now there are many luxury resorts built to make it one of the best beach holiday destinations

Thuan An Beach: Thuan An beach  is located in Thuan An Town, Phu Vang District, It is 13km East of Hue city, 12km long, is an ideal place for not only relaxing in muggy days of summer but capturing the most artistic photos during sunset.

                            Ancient Hue Garden House
Garden houses: one of the most typical features of Hue. This is a impeccable combination between mossy ancient houses and luxuriant garden with quintessential architecture and decoration, which brings Hue indescribable tranquility and leisure.

Huong River (Perfume river): Huong river is about 80 kms lenth. The romantic river crosses the city center and is well-known for its poetic beauty made by its harmony with the river itself and sceneries along its sides. One night, join a Dragon boat and enjoy “Ca Hue” (traditional royal music) while cruising on the river, you can feel the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere which is rarely seen any else where.  In the autumn, flowers from orchards upriver from Huế fall into the water, giving the river a perfume-like aroma, hence the sobriquet.

Trang Tien Bridge
was designed and built by Eiffel Company (is known for the Eiffel Tower in Paris) in 1897. Truong Tien Bridge was completed in 1899. It is the first bridge that connects two Huong river banks. Truong Tien Bridge is 402.60m in length, 5.40m in width and the structure has 6 haft moon girders made of steel  and now it is one of the Symbol of Hue.

Dong Ba Market:
Dong Ba Market was built by King Dong Khanh in 1887 . It's located in Tran Hung Dao Street and on the Northern Bank of Huong River, it is the biggest and oldest market in Hue City. This is a best place for the tourists to buy craft products as well ass try some local specialities

Thuy Bieu Ancient village: located along the upstream bank of Perfume River, about 7km from Hue city center. It is featured by its rustic settings, typical of Hue countryside and is a hidden gem of untouched beauty nature and culture. The 2 old features of the village are Ruong House ( Hundred of years) and Ho Quyen Tiger Arena ( Elephants and Tiger Fighting Arena). This is a good place for a cycling tour from Hue City.

Thanh Toan village in Thuy Thanh commune, about 8km from Hue City. This is one of the most beautiful villages in Hue. The village is famous for its beautiful roads, peaceful rural landscape and particularly the tile-roofed bridge, which has become a popular destination for tourists. The highlight of the Village is Thanh Toan Bridge that was built in 19th Century.

Tam Giang Lagoon: Tam Giang is the largest lagoon of Southeast Asia. It is 52 square kilometers and 24 Kilometers lenghth. It is located in 4 district of Thua Thien Hue province about 15 kilometers from Hue City. It is really where the Perfume River, Bo and O Lau Rivers meet before they flow into the sea via Thuan An beach. With the pristine beauty and tranquility, Tam Giang lagoon makes anyone coming here have too admire its beauty.

                      Chuon Lagoon
Chuon Lagoon:
Chuon Lagoon is a part of Tam Giang Lagoon System, It's Phu An Commune, Phu Vang district and about 6kms from Hue City. Chuon lagoon looks even more beautiful in early morning and late afternoon. It is fulled with colorful clouds and small fishing boats, floating houses. Every year, Chuon lagoon attracted thousands of tourist arrival, promoted local business activities and created job opportunities for hundreds of laborers.

Bach Ma National Park: Bach Ma National is about 40 kms from Hue City. This was set to be protected Area in 1991. The park is about 1250 meters above the sea level and the area is about 220 square kilometers. There are about 2150 species of plants, 1500 species of animals, 894 species of genera. You can take a full day tour from Hue city easily.
 

EAT & DRINK
Hue has good reputation for its haute cuisines. Being the imperial ancient capital of Vietnam, to many Hue citizens, cooking is not only to satisfy the food need but soon became an art-work.

   
 

Com Vua (Royal Meal): Live yourself back to the old centuries at the solemn and luxurious atmosphere while enjoying the eye catching as well as best-chosen dishes from various food specialities of Hue in royal costumes and royal folk music.  A large banquet has up to 161 dishes versus 50 for a distinguished feast. A vegetarian feast reserved for religious offerings consists of 25 dishes. The dessert alone in royal cuisine of Hue has to include 12 dishes.
Best Restaurants for Royal Meals in Hue City:
Cung Dinh Restarant: 3 Nguyen Sinh Sac Str, Hue City
Tinh Gia Vien Restaurant: 7/28 Le Thanh Ton Str, Hue City
Hoang Phu Restaurant: 5 Nguyen Thai Hoc Str, Hue City

Com Hen:
the most popular dish in Hue. Made by fried clam mussels mixed with some herbs, shredded meat and sesame seeds atop steamed rice.
Com Hen is widely sold in many restaurants, but for the most delicious one, come and try at street restaurants on Han Mac Tu str.

Bun Bo Hue: This is a very famous speciality of Hue Cuisines, A tasty dish of rice noodle soup and beef, sometimes added with pork legs. It is served with a lot of herbs and flavors, especially shrimp sauce. Not only in Hue but you can also see many Bun Bo Hue is other cities in Vietnam. But Hue is the best place to eat Bun Bo,
Some outstanding restaurants for best Bun Bo in Hue City:
Bun Bo Ba Tuyet: 47 Nguyen Cong Tru Str, Hue City
Bun Bo Ong Vong ( Mr Vong) : 5 Nguyen Du Str, Hue City
Bun Bo Ong Cuong Chu Diep : 6 Tran Thuc Nhan Str, Hue City
Bun Bo Hue Cam: 45 Le Loi Str, Hue City
Bun Bo Me Keo: 20 Bach Dang Str, Hue City

Banh Khoai: The Khoai cake filling includes a lot of ingredients with many nutrients such as river shrimp, raw sausage, eggs, bacon just something anyone can imitate. The cake dough is mixed in the right proportions so that the cake is both crunchy, fragrant, and flexible. The delicious potato cake is also thanks to the secret of mixing flour and broth made from many different spices such as soybean sauce, peanuts, sesame, liver, pork, soy sauce.
Some outstanding restaurants for Khoai Cakes:
Lac Thien restaurant: 6 Dinh Tien Hoang str., Hue city
Hong Mai restaurant: 78 Dinh Tien Hoang str., Hue city
Banh Khoai Thu Suong: 86 Kim Long Str, Hue City
Banh Khoai Chi Hoa: 27 Mai Thuc Loan Str, Hue City

Banh Beo Hue: This is made from a combination of rice flour and tapioca flour.. The ingredients include rice cake, dried shrimps, crispy pork skin, scallion oil, and dipping sauce.  It is not expensive but has delicious taste and unique scent, It used to be eaten as a snack but is now considered a dish in restaurants.
Banh Beo Ba Do: 8 Nguyen Binh Khiem Str, Hue City
Banh Beo Chen Hue Xua: 1 Nguyen Binh Khiem Str, Hue City
Banh Beo Chen Suong: 4 Doan Huu Trung Str, Hue City
Banh Beo Nam Loc Quan Chi : 52 Le Viet Luong Str, Hue City
Banh Beo Me Le: 104/17/9 Kim Long Str, Hue City

Che Hue( Hue Sweet Soup)
: Che Hue is one of the best street food in Hue and one of the famous desserts in the country but in Hue, there are as many as 36 variations of sweet soup; that is including the royal and folk variations. From the usual bean flavors to lotus, corn, taro and even roasted pork. You can also mix the the flavors according to your liking, my personal favorite is the taro and lotus seed and topped with dried young coconut meat.
Best restaurants for Che Hue:
Che Hem Hue: 1 Kiet 29 Hung Vuong Str, Hue City
Che Cam: 10 Nguyen Sinh Cung Str, Hue City
Che Cau Truong Tien: Under Trang Tien Bridge on the side of Le Loi Str, Hue City
Che Ong Lac: 36 Thanh Tinh Str, Hue City
Che Cung Dinh Hue ( Royal Hue Sweet Soup): 31 Nguyen Hue Str, Hue City

Nem Lui Hue is Hue lemongrass skewers with grilled pork sausage or meatball. And a popular Vietnamese food in Central of Vietnam. Sometimes served as snack from afternoon till night, or as a main course. Nem lui is a specialty of Hue so you can find and try it easy in Hue. It can be called grilled pork skewer, Hue grilled pork as it also can stick on bamboo skewer.
Best restaurants for Nem Lui:
Nem Lui Ba Ty: 81 Dao Duy Tu Str, Hue City
Nem Lui Ong Me Gia: Corner of Huynh Thuc Khang and Mai Thuc Loan Str, Hue City
Nem Lui Phuong: Corner of Huynh Thuc Khang and Mai Thu Loan Str, Hue City
Nem Lui Tai Phu: 02 Dien Bien Phu Str, Hue City
Nem lui Chi Luyen: 14/17 Han Mac Tu Str, Hue City

Banh Canh Nam Pho is a kind of soup with origins in Nam Pho Village in Phu Vang District, Thua Thien – Hue Province. Banh Canh is made from Rice flour, meatballs,  shrimp, crabsoup, to which spices, cooking oil and onions are added to create a delicious flavour.
Best restaurants for Banh Canh Nam Pho in Hue City:
Banh Canh Thuy: 18 Pham Hong Thai Str, Hue City
Banh Canh Me Du: Nam Thuong Village, Phu Vang Ward, Hue City
Banh Canh O Thu: 374 Chi Lang Str, Hue City
Banh Canh O Hang: 16 Ha Huy Tap Str, Hue City

                                      Banh Bot Loc
Banh Bot Loc or Bot Loc Cake is a small, clear-looking, chewy tapioca dumplings in Vietnamese cuisine that can be eaten as appetizers or small snacks. They are usually filled with shrimp and pork belly, often being topped with fried shallots and served with sweet chili fish sauce. It is said to have originated from Hue, as the city was once the imperial capital of the Nguyễn dynasty and known for having simple, yet sophisticated dishes
Best restaurants for Banh Bot Loc in Hue City:
Banh Loc Mu Cai: 475 Chi Lang Str, Hue City
Quan Ba Do: 8 Nguyen Binh Khiem Str, Hue City
Quan 109: 109 Le Huan Str, Hue City
Quan Me Le: 104/17/9 Kim Long Str, Hue City
Quan Trung Bo: 16 To Hien Thanh Str, Hue City
Quan Thuy: 16 Pham Hong Thai Str, Hue City

Bun Thit Nuong or Hue Noodle with Grilled Pork
is a popular Vietnamese cold rice vermicelli noodle dish that is topped with grilled pork, lettuce, bean sprout, fresh herbs like basil and mint, pickled green papaya and carrot and roasted peanuts.
Best Restaurants for Bun Thit Nuong in Hue City
Bun Thit Nuong Ba Ty: 81 Dao Duy Tu Str, Hue City
Bun Thit Nuong NTT: 35 Nguyen Truong To Str, Hue City
Bun Thit Nuong Huyen Anh: 50 Kim Long Str, Hue City
Bun Thit Nuong Phuong: 38 Ba Trieu Str, Hue City


For restaurants please click this link for the list of restaurants in Hue

HUE NIGHT LIGHT - BARS AND CAFES

Hue is a romatic and quiet city, However the night life is a part of life for the youngsters and you also need some good bar and cafe with good view to enjoy Hue City at night

Secret Lounge Hue : Secret Lounge Hue is an open-air bar within a tropical garden setting, offering budget-conscious travellers a satisfying selection of Shisha, bar snacks, Great music, good Cocktails and fun games. Designed full of moder art by artist Mr.Lucky
Add: 15/42 Nguyen Cong Tru Str, Hue City

Brown Eyes Bar:
Brown Eyes Bar Hue is fitted with a spacious dance floor and a pool table. Local DJs usually start spinning at 22:30, with genres ranging from hip-hop and EDM, to R&B and house tunes. Upon arrival, you’re served with a welcome drink and a free flaming shot of a concoction called Burning Castle, which involves Sambuca liqueur and coffee. You also get free snacks throughout your visit.
Add: 56 Chu Van An Str, Hue City

DMZ Bar: DMZ Bar is a prominent nightlife spot in Hue City Centre where travellers can enjoy an impressive range of cocktails and wines during their holiday. Established in 1994, its name is derived from the demilitarized zone of the 17th parallel that once divided Vietnam. here you can enjoy expansive views of the Perfume River at the upstairs garden terrace or play a game of pool by the downstairs bar section. Drinks menu comprises local and imported beers, cocktails, wines, and shots.
Add: 60 Le Loi Str, Hue City

Imperial Craft Bia Brewpub:
Feature only Vietnamese breweries, including Heart of Darkness, Pasteur Street, TeTe, East West, Belgo, Furbrew, Fuzzy Logic, Mekong Brewing, Hanoi Cider, LAC Brewing and more. We get exclusive kegs from Hoi An Brewing Company, which is crafted by brewer Ryan Leatham in small, 10-keg batches at his taproom in Hoi An. We are also the first to pour beer from Mr Map Brewery, and exciting homebrew courtesy of a passionate Hue-based husband & wife team.
Add: 21 Ngo Gia Tu Str, Hue City

ĐÔNG BAR - Unlock the vibes:
Classy neon Hong Kong theme bar. Cocktails & craft beers. House/Tech-house/Tech-no/Trance. Live DJ.
Add: 3 Pham Ngu Lao Str, Hue City

Century Beer Garden:
The beer garden with many kinds of beers, food, DJ music and dance. All drinks and food are good with reasonable prices.
Add: 49 Le Loi Str, Hue City

Garden Riverside Bar: The French house under the Green garden overlooks two famous rivers in Hue, the Perfume River and Nhu Y River. Enjoy good cocktails, listen to great music and play fun games. Intimate Chilled Environment
Add: 15/42 Nguyen Cong Tru Str, Hue City

Sky Bar Vinpearl Hotel: As if you could reach the sky with just your hand, Sky Bar located on the top floor of the hotel is not only a place where guests can enjoy attractive cocktails or cool beer, but also a panoramic view. where you can appreciate
Add: 50A Hung Vuong Str, Hue City

The One Coffee & Bakery
The One Coffee & Bakery: If you are looking for a cafe with high-quality service, good beverage and tasty cake, The one Coffee and Bakery is the best choice. Our cafe is decorated modernly and uniquely with lots of light bulbs combine with many seats which look like huge colorful cups. .Come with us, you will have a chance to enjoy the most interesting experience.
Add: 3 Hung Vuong Str, Hue City

PhinHolic: Located in the central of Hue city, PhinHolic provides high quality coffee in espresso and brewing coffee.
Add: 65 Ben Nghe Str, Hue City

TA Café & Bakery:
Located in the central of Hue City and on the second floor of an art gallery with small balcony. It provides best bakery and coffees in Hue
Add: 44 Pham Ngu Lao Str, Hue city

Nina's Cafe and Restaurant: All food is made using really fresh ingredients bought daily from the market and supermarket. The cafe provides all Vietnamese and Western food and Hue Specialities.
Add: 16/34 Nguyen Tri Phuong Str, Hue City

Salt Coffee: You may have not heard about this kind of coffee in your country but It's very famous and special in Vietnam.  The salt coffee is very delicious and the atmosphere romantic, cozy and relaxing...
Add: 142 Dang Thai Than Str, Hue City

Highlands Coffee:
A big trademark of Coffee in Vietnam that you can see in any cities in Vietnam
Add: 78 Nguyen Hue Str, Hue City

1976 Café:
1976 Café is designed with neutral tones and dark painted wood furniture. It bears an ancient but cozy space, reminding memories of the past with the 70’s artifacts. It is perfect to sip a cup coffee and chat with friends in a peaceful place like 1976 Café. For foreigners who want to know more about Vietnam in the past, this is a great choice to explore.
Add: 23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Str, Hue City

Hue Cafe Roastery:
Located on the second floor of an old house in Huynh Thuc Khang Str in an peaceful atmosphere of Ancient Hue, You can enjoy many kind of best coffees.
Add: 131 Huynh Thuc Khang Str, Hue City

Hue city Tours