4 Days in Hue, Vietnam - Part 1

This is the 2nd part in my Vietnam & Thailand 2019 series.

You can view my Vietnam overview page, as well as my Thailand overview page with links for all the cities I stopped at.

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Day 7

A new day, and time for a new city. Back on the move again, I had a 10:30am flight to Hue on day 7. I was really looking forward to visiting the ancient Citadel in Hue, and also seeing what else Hue had to offer.

Making my way to Hue

The bus to Noi Bai airport was super cheap, as it’s really just a regular city bus that ends up at the airport. So as there are other stops along the way, it’s not the quickest option, but the price is right.

Price: 8,000 VND

I had asked the hostel staff where to catch the bus the night before, and luckily it wasn’t more than a few steps from the hostel.

The flight from Hanoi to Hue is very short. 1 hour flights are nice because they’re basically a take-off, short cruise, and then it’s already time to land. I’d say the negatives to short flights though are the quick descents, which cause my ears to block very uncomfortably and sometimes quite painfully before we land, and the even more cramped economy seats compared to those on long-haul flights. As I had splurged on my main long-haul flight into Hanoi, I decided (read: didn’t have a choice) to fly economy everywhere else.

Once I arrived at the airport in Hue, I was able to purchase a shuttle ticket right at the airport to bring me close to my hostel.

Price: 50,000 VND

The drive from the airport into the city center takes around 30 minutes, so it’s a pretty quick drive in. After stepping off the shuttle, like an obvious tourist sticking out like a sore thumb, I stumbled around for a bit with my luggage trying to figure out where my hostel was. The shuttle didn’t drop me that far off, but it certainly wasn’t as close or convenient as taking Grab from the airport when I arrived in Hanoi.

After backtracking a few times, I was finally able to figure out where my hostel was, which was down an alley, a little bit hidden away.

Check-in to Bon Ami Hostel

Bon Ami Hostel is one among many in Hue, but first impressions were good, considering how modern and clean it looked. I also liked it when I booked because breakfast was included, which isn’t something I necessarily look for in a hostel, but I find it a nice bonus. In this case though, it was even better as you get a menu to order your breakfast and they cook it on the spot!

The staff were all super friendly as well, and very helpful with any questions I had about where to eat and visit.

When I got to my room, I was happy to see it was just as clean and modern as the main entrance area. I really had no complaints at all while I was there!

I gave the place a 10/10 in my Hostelworld review, and I’d definitely stay there again if I ever find myself back in Hue.

Madam Thu Restaurant

It was around lunch time when I checked-in at the hostel. I wanted to hurry out to get to the ancient citadel, but I was also starving. I asked the staff where I could get some good, authentic and not too pricey Vietnamese food nearby, and they recommended Madam Thu Restaurant, which was basically just steps in front of the hostel.

So I walked over, checked out the menu, and decided to order the stuffed shrimp pancake. It’s stuffed with pork, shrimp, egg, carrots, and bean sprouts, and I think it must be fried, or at least baked. It was … insanely good! Like I regretted not ordering two! I wish I’d taken pics, but I was too busy stuffing it in my mouth and forgot. 😂

I don’t know if other places in Vietnam do this type of rice pancake, as I’ve only ever seen Bánh Xèo and Bánh tráng nướng elsewhere, which seem quite different.

I also ordered a plate of fresh spring rolls, which were also really good, but the stuffed shrimp pancake was the star of the show for me that day.

Total Price for lunch: 105,000 VND

I was chatting with another traveller while eating, and she thought I heard about Madam Thu’s from TripAdvisor, as apparently it was voted one of the best restaurants. I told her it was my hostel that recommended it, but it definitely seems to get high praise on TripAdvisor as well.

So if you’re looking for some amazing food while in Hue, I’d definitely recommend checking out Madam Thu’s. Note that it gets really packed at night, so head there for lunch, or early for dinner if you’re in a rush.

Imperial City of Hue

After lunch, I headed out to the ancient citadel. It’s a bit of a walk from the hostel/Madam Thu’s, but it’s a nice walk along the river, and there’s a lot to see along the way.

I had to cross over a bridge over the river on the way there, and after crossing it, there was a nice area of manicured gardens that went on for quite a ways.

After passing the gardens, I spotted an ancient looking gate, and I figured I was getting close.

The Imperial Citadel is really quite massive - 159.71 hectares, more so than I was expecting, although that’s not immediately obvious from the outside. The citadel isn’t actually that old, having been built in 1803, but it suffered much damage over the years, especially during the Vietnam War.

At its prime, the Purple Forbidden City had many buildings and hundreds of rooms. Once vacated it suffered from neglect, termite ravages, and inclement weather including a number of cyclones. Most destructive were man-made crises as evidenced in the bullet holes still visible from the military conflicts of the 20th century.

Major losses occurred in 1947 when the Việt Minh seized the Citadel in February. The French led counter-attack operations where they laid siege and then engaged in a six-week ensuing battle which destroyed many of the major structures. The core of the city including the Imperial Palace was burned.
Wikipedia

When you approach the main entrance, you’ll see where you can purchase your tickets. I hadn’t pre-purchased my tickets, nor gone for a guided tour, but in retrospect I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had gone for the guided tour. I didn’t really know what I was looking at, and I didn’t have a guidebook or anything to help me out. I just wandered around aimlessly, taking pictures of things that looked interesting.

If I were to return, I’d definitely go for a guided tour, or at least get a guidebook to help me out, as the Citadel is just so big that walking around without a plan as I did wasn’t the best way to see it.

After passing through the main entrance gates, there’s a first building you’ll come to, Thai Hoa Palace, where you’ll find a bunch of info about the history of the citadel, including a video you can sit down and watch, as well as some interactive displays.

After I checked some of that out, I walked through the other side, but had to head back in for about 10-15 minutes as it had started to pour! I didn’t have a rain jacket or umbrella with me, so I just had to wait it out.

After the rain had mostly stopped, I chanced it and headed back out.

As I noted before, I didn’t have any sort of plan for where I went or visited first, so I just wandered around here and there, hoping I’d manage to see everything before closing.

Some parts of the citadel are in better shape than others, so I assume repairs are a constant and ongoing thing to maintain this beautiful piece of history.

I especially like the following section, which was in really good shape and quite stunning:

It reminded me a lot of some of the temples I’d visited in China in prior years. So I can definitely see where the influence came from.

The detail and colours were just amazing, as was the layout of these massive grounds, which you can see in the following scale model:

Back on the grounds, I came across a beautiful courtyard, although I had to watch my step as the ground in some areas was super slippery after the rain. I kept slipping and sliding as I walked around, especially in the areas that had the same type of pavers as the ones in this courtyard!

While I couldn’t tell you what each of the buildings were for, or who exactly they were for, most of them (if not all) were for the emperor and his family. Some of course would have housed servants as well.

The detail on the gates and buildings is just amazing. I can’t imagine how long it must have taken to build the citadel, and how many people it must have taken to maintain it considering how vast it is.

There’s honestly so much to see here, but only so many pics I can post without this becoming a wall of images. So I’ll just post a few more of my favourites.

Before I was done looking around, I walked around the gardens a bit, which were also quite beautiful.

Thankfully I just about managed to see everything before closing time, and with the sun going down, it was getting dark and giving the citadel a beautiful glow on the way out.

The truth is you really need to head out here if you’re in Hue, or hell, even if you’re not! It’s a spectacular piece of Vietnamese history, and I’m glad I got to see it but I’d absolutely recommend going the guided tour route if you can.

Boardwalk at Night

As I made my way back towards my hostel, where I figured I’d look around for somewhere to eat, I came across a boardwalk along the river that I hadn’t noticed before.

I decided to walk around it a bit, and ended up running into some students who hang around the boardwalk to practice their English with tourists. I was a bit on guard at first, being aware of scams that being with a similar premise, but in the end it turned out they really did just want to chat in English for a while and practice their skills … and take some selfies with me!

I spoke with them for a about an hour or two, but was getting pretty hungry, so I said my goodbyes and headed back to the hostel to look for some food.

Street Food Dinner

I ended up stopping at a banh mi stand just outside my hostel, making some BBQ pork banh mi sandwiches. I had noticed them previously, and I decided to pick one up for a quick dinner.

Price: 20,000 VND

So I grabbed the banh mi, and then picked up a couple of beers at my hostel …

Price: 15,000 VND each

and headed back to my room to eat, drink, and go over my pics from the day.

The banh mi was unreal, and really hit the spot along with the beer. It was a nice, relaxing way to end the day as someone who isn’t much of a party animal!

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Day 8

On day 8 I had booked a private tour with a private driver … no bus full of tourists this time! haha 😎

It was nice because with this private tour, you can tailor it to your liking, and you don’t have to worry about being rushed around to keep up with the group.

The tour suggests seeing the famous tombs, the citadel, and the pagoda. As I had already visited the citadel on my own the day before, I was able to leave that out, and concentrate my time at the tombs and pagoda instead. With this particular tour, your driver is simply that - a driver. He/she of course has knowledge of the locations, and can answer questions you might have, but they won’t accompany you inside the tombs or pagoda. You’re on your own for that.

Entrance fees are also not included in the tour price.

Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh

The first stop on the tour was the Khai Dinh Tomb.

In 1916, Khải Định became the Emperor of Vietnam after his predecessor was exiled by the French colonial government. Khải Định worked closely with the government of France, and by the end of his reign he was considered to be nothing more than “a salaried employee of the French government.” Due to this close collaboration, he was very unpopular amongst the people of Vietnam.
Wikipedia

Entrance fee: 100,000 VND

Initially, looking upwards beyond the steps, this tomb looks quite grand and imposing.

You’re quite high up the mountains here, and the views are quite superb.

But once you make your way inside the actual tomb, it’s quite a different story. It’s quite small, and not nearly as grand as it looks from the outside.

What it lacks in size though, it makes up for in detail. The walls are covered in intricate mosaics made from broken glass and porcelain. You can definitely see where the French influence came into play.

The tomb being as small as it is, it doesn’t take long to see everything, and so I headed off to the next mausoleum.

Mausoleum of Emperor Minh Mang

Entrance fee: 100,000 VND

The tomb of Emperor Minh Mang is quite a bit larger than Khai Dinh’s, and on an 18 hectare lot, has many more buildings. I found it to be more like a traditional temple complex that you might see elsewhere in Vietnam or China, and less like a mausoleum per se.

The following image shows the layout of the complex, and also gives an idea as to the size of it.

The emperor (via his coffin) would have entered through the main gate (Dai Hong gate). The main gate would have only been used to bring in the coffin, after which it was closed indefinitely. Myself of course, being a mere peasant, entered from one of the side paths. The side path I entered from was also where the ticket booth is located.

When you first enter the complex, you’re greeted by a large courtyard with soldier (mandarin?), horse, and elephant statues which I believe were for the purpose of protecting the area/emperor in the afterlife.

After passing either through or around the stele pavilion (not pictured), you come to a large area with a decent walk to the next gate. The full length of the complex from start to end is actually 2,300 feet long! It’s flanked by trees on either side, beyond which are the lakes seen in the layout image above, and the 2nd image below.

The water on either side of the complex gives a really nice calm (zen?) feeling to the place, and it’s a nice place to just look around and relax for a while - assuming it’s not blazing hot of course!

The gate, seen below, leads to a courtyard with 3 temples.

The main one, Sung An temple, which would be straight ahead, was setup by the emperor’s family to worship him.

After continuing on through and passing through another gate (Hoang Trach Gate), you come to the Minh Lau pavilion. It’s separated by a small lake, with 3 bridges connecting it to the main area.

Finally, you can cross another bridge over the final lake, climb some steps, only to reach a locked door, behind which is the tomb. I’m not entirely sure why it’s locked, but I assume it’s got something to do with keeping the specific location of the tomb somewhat hidden. And so that marked the end of my visit here!

Layout and scenery wise, I think this was my favourite of the three mausoleums I visited. It’s really beautifully laid out, and has a really nice zen feeling to it.

Tomb of Emperor Tu Duc

Next up was the last of the tombs I visited, the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. At 12 hectares, Tu Duc’s tomb is smaller than Minh Mang’s, but larger than Khai Dinh’s. It’s also the only tomb that the emperor actually lived in before he died.

Entrance fee: 100,000 VND

An interesting note I only found out about later though, was that despite this being Tu Duc’s mausoleum, he wasn’t actually buried here!

Despite the grandeur of the site and the amount of time Tu Duc spent here, he was buried in a different, secret location somewhere in Hue. To keep the secret safe, the 200 labourers who buried the king were all beheaded after they returned from the secret route. To this day, the real tomb of Tu Duc remains hidden.
Wikipedia

Talk about being rewarded for the fruits of your labour! /s

Apart from the beheading the soldiers that buried him, the actual construction of his complex was done via forced labour, and under very harsh conditions.

In order to build the tomb to stay on track in 6 years, hundreds of thousands of people must work from daybreak to midnight. Meanwhile, their lives were extremely difficult: not enough food to eat, not enough clothes to wear, often beaten from rods.
vietnamdiscovery.com

But no worries, because the emperor would come here to relax and write poetry. So it was all for a good cause right? 🤬

Some of the people organized a coup against the emperor during the construction, but ultimately failed in their attempt. Shame really, he certainly doesn’t seem to have deserved to live a long life.

In contrast to Minh Mang’s tomb, Tu Duc’s tomb is much more densely packed with buildings, and has a much more “busy” feeling to it. It’s smaller than Minh Mang’s tomb, but it somehow feels bigger. I think it’s due to the layout of Tu Duc’s tomb, which was much less linear than Minh Mang’s.

This complex was also in a lot worse shape then Minh Mang’s and Khai Dinh’s. A lot of the areas and buildings were in a state of disrepair. Some areas had barely anything left standing, and were just piles of rubble, so I assume repair work continues as is often the case.

I’m actually not sure what buildings I was looking at as I passed through the different sections. I think I would have really benefitted from having my guide walk me through this tomb, so that’s maybe something to keep in mind when visiting this particular complex.

The following gate, Khiem Cung Gate, leads to a courtyard where the Emperor’s actual palace within the complex was.

Hoa Khiem palace, where the Emperor lived while he was alive, was converted to a temple to worship him after his death.

I believe it was in the building on the left (but conflicting info I found online makes me unsure) in the image below, Minh Khiem Chamber, where you’re able to enter, get dressed in emperor’s clothing, and get your picture taken (for a fee). It was originally a theatre while the Emperor was alive.

I wasn’t going to play dress-up and get my picture taken because, well, how ridiculous is that? But, uhhhh, turns out I’m pretty ridiculous after all. What prompted me to actually get dressed up? To this day, I’m not sure … I guess, when in Rome, do as the Romans do? 🤷‍♂️

Emperor Photo Price: 135,000 VND

I tried to put on my most “unimpressed emperor” face.
Don’t think I quite nailed it though. 🧐
I also would have thought they’d be able to take a better, straighter photo, but I guess not. 🤨

One of the things I liked most at this complex was the man-made Luu Khiem lake, with Xung Khiem Pavilion (barely seen on the left in the following photo).

A lot of tourists were hanging out at the dock to take pics, and possibly feed the koi surrounding it.

One of the last things I visited before leaving, was the Xung Khiem pavilion. The Emperor would come here to relax with his concubines, and write poetry. Rough life eh?

Tu Duc’s tomb is quite impressive, and has a lot of beautiful buildings within it. I think once it has eventually all been restored, it will be even more impressive. I think it’s definitely worth a visit, but I would recommend definitely having a guide (human or paper) with you to explain the different buildings and their significance.

Lunch at Quán Phở Ngọc Thu

My driver, Dinh, who was absolutely awesome, asked me what I felt like having for lunch. Although Dinh wasn’t originally from Hue, he’d been living there for a while, and so I asked him to bring us somewhere authentic, a place where he would eat.

He said no problem, and took me to a place called Quán Phở Ngọc Thu. This small local restaurant serves, among other things, Bún bò Huế, a spicy beef noodle soup which is a specialty of the city.

Address: 46 Nguyễn Phúc Nguyên, Hương Long, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam

I hadn’t tried Bun Bo Hue before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The food I had at Madam Thu’s previously was amazing, so my impression of Hue food thus far was very high.

As for the Bun Bo Hue … man I was not disappointed!

The broth was so full of flavour, and the beef so tender. It’s really packed with flavour, and is definitely my favourite Vietnamese soup to date.

Unfortunately I don’t know how much it was, as Dinh insisted on paying, but I know generally food in Vietnam is super cheap, so I imagine it won’t set you back much.

So if you’re in Hue and looking for some amazing soup, give Quán Phở Ngọc Thu’s Bun Bo Hue a try. I highly recommend it!

Thien Mu Pagoda

Last up on the tour for the day was Thien Mu Pagoda, meaning Temple of the Celestial Lady, which is a Buddhist temple located on the north bank of the Perfume River.

The temple, also known as Linh Mụ pagoda, was originally built in 1601, but later expanded in 1665, and then again in 1710 and 1714. It’s actually the tallest religious building in Vietnam, standing at 21 meters (69 feet) high!

Oddly, the actual octagonal pagoda, called Phước Duyên Pagoda, and what I thought was the main attraction, wasn’t built until 1844 by Emperor Thieu Tri. So it wasn’t part of the original construction or expansions. Today though, Phước Duyên Pagoda is the unofficial symbol of the city of Hue.

There is of course more to this complex than Phước Duyên Pagoda, and this is indeed an active temple with buddhists praying and paying their respects.

While I was there, there were several monks that looked to be performing some sort of ceremony. From some very quick research I did though, I couldn’t find anything Buddhist-related on the 14th of November, so I’m not sure what was going on.

I didn’t take long to tour Thien Mu pagoda, as the complex itself is quite small. I think I spent about 30 minutes there, and that was with me taking my time and taking a lot of photos.

Despite the small size, it doesn’t cost anything to visit, so I think it was still a nice end to my tour for the day.

Tour Verdict

As I noted earlier, this was a private tour, but really it’s more of a private driver taking you to the various tombs and pagodas. I think it’s a great way to see the sights, as you can go at your own pace, and you don’t have to worry about getting lost or anything like that.

So that said, I really enjoyed this “tour”, and would definitely recommend it - especially if you’re looking for something that won’t have you shoved into a bus full of other tourists!

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That was it for Day 8! Next up was my Bach Ma National Park hiking trip, and almost getting stranded while trying to return from Huyen Tran temple!