Hue Imperial – Vietnam ancient capital full-day private tour

Did you know that Nguyen is the most common Vietnamese surname both at home and abroad? And, did you know that the Nguyen dynasty was Vietnam’s last dynasty? This adds to the origin and explanation of Vietnam’s most common name.

Departure & Return:
– Location: Hue city
– Depart Details: 7:00 am
– Return Details: 17:30 pm .Returns to original departure point or drop off point of your choice
Hotel Pickup: Pick up will be at the hotel lobby, please wait for our driver about 10 minutes in case the traffic jam .
Cancellation: Cancellation at least 24 hours ahead before the date of activity booked to receive full refund.

About Hue city

UNESCO has designated the Imperial City of Hue, about 3.5 hours from Hoian town and 2.5 hours from Danang city, as a World Heritage Site. Hue is a historic center for gastronomy, religion, culture, royal palaces, and kings’ graves in Vietnam. Hue served as Vietnam’s national capital from 1802 to 1945.

“LyLy is an excellent guide who is a Hue local with a wealth of knowledge about the imperial city. Speaks amazing English and thoroughly explains everything. I strongly recommend and will suggest the tour to others!”

Mathew Smiths

Itinerary for Hue city tour

This is one of my long-driving private day tours, lasting 8+ hours and beginning at 7.30am at your hotel in Hoian or 8am in Danang and traveling over the breathtaking 21km Hai Van mountain pass, made famous by the BBC’s “Top Gear” program, which called it “a deserted ribbon of perfection, one of the best coast roads in the world.” Weather permitting, as we rise, we may see remains of my country’s recent history, such as Red Beach 2, where the US Marine Corps made their illustrious entry in 1965, and a bullet-wounded French Fort at the summit. We routinely stop at rest stops to indulge ourself

We arrived in Hue after admiring the grandeur of Lang Co Bay, and began our private city tour at the massive 19th century Citadel, which surrounds the old Imperial City, the purple forbidden city, palaces, and shrines. This is a must-see attraction in Hue. More recently, during the Tet Offensive in 1968, the ‘Siege of Hue’ caused massive damage to both the city and the Citadel, which is still being rebuilt to this day.

We must reluctantly leave the Citadel and its rich history for our next stop, the Thien Mu (Fairy Lady) pagoda, which overlooks the Perfume River on its northern bank and was built in 1601. Its T Nhân tower, built in 1844, stands seven floors tall (21m) and is Vietnam’s tallest religious structure.

Although Thien Mu is still a ‘working’ pagoda where Buddhist monks live, work, and pray, many visitors find the displayed Austin Westminster car, in which the idolised monk Thich Quang Duc was driven on his final journey to Saigon in 1963, to be a poignant reminder of a difficult period in Vietnam’s recent history.

Along the Perfumed River and adjacent landscape, there are seven Imperial tombs dedicated to the Nguyen rulers. Our kings controlled Vietnam’s final dynasty for 143 years, until 1945. So we continue on our fascinating adventure to see Emperor Tu Duc’s exquisite tomb and Khai Dinh’s most impressive tomb. These, I believe, best depict the dynasty’s differences in thought, lifestyle, and art.

Finally, we must bid farewell to Hue, the most well-known of historic Asian cities, returning through the ‘fast’ route via the Hai Van tunnel, which opened in 2005. On a good day, this can save us up to an hour on our way over the pass! If desired, you will be served a selection of gorgeous Vietnamese food and drink at wonderful local restaurants throughout your private Hue tour, and you will be safely returned to your hotel at the end of your amazing day.