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Hue Imperial City Tour: Explore Historical Attractions
4.1
23 Ratings
Lang Co
Embark on a full-day Hue Heritage Tour from Hoi An and delve into the rich history of Vietnam’s former Imperial Capital. Explore the Imperial City, Forbidden Purple City, Thien Mu pagoda, and Khai Dinh Royal Tomb.
Embark on a full-day Hue Heritage Tour from Hoi An and delve into the rich history of Vietnam’s former Imperial Capital. Explore the Imperial City, Forbidden Purple City, Thien Mu pagoda, and Khai Dinh Royal Tomb.
Duration:
11 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Hai Van Pass - Head to Hue, along the North coast of Da Nang to the top of Hai Van Pass where bunkers remaining from the war can be explored
- Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) - Upon arrival in Hue, we will visit the Citadel, Hue’s prime attraction, which contains the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Emperor’s Private Residence….
- Hai Van Pass - Head to Hue, along the North coast of Da Nang to the top of Hai Van Pass where bunkers remaining from the war can be explored
- Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) - Upon arrival in Hue, we will visit the Citadel, Hue’s prime attraction, which contains the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Emperor’s Private Residence. Hue Citadel was built from 1804 to 1833 under the Nguyen’s Dynasty (the last feudalist kingdom in Vietnam). The grounds of the Imperial City are protected by 2-kilometer fortified ramparts and ringed by a moat. Inside the Citadel, there are many different construction works such as: Imperial City Gates, Purple Forbidden City, Temples and places of worshipping, pavilions, gardens, etc.
- Perfume River - We will have a short break for lunch then take a boat trip on the Perfume River with a stopover at Thien Mu Pagoda
- Thien Mu Pagoda - Thien Mu Pagoda, which is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. One of its most poignant displays is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Sai Gon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its cruel treatment of Buddhist monks and followers.
- Tomb of Khai Dinh - We finally visit the serene Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, designed to blend in with its natural surroundings and built on principles of feng-shui.
What's Included
- Comfortable air-conditioned transportation
- Comprehensive travel insurance included
- All entrance fees covered
- Bottled drinking water provided
- Lunch included in the tour
- Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An City Center
- Scenic boat trip on Huong River
- Professional English speaking guides (more languages available with surcharge)
- Comfortable air-conditioned transportation
- Comprehensive travel insurance included
- All entrance fees covered
- Bottled drinking water provided
- Lunch included in the tour
- Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An City Center
- Scenic boat trip on Huong River
- Professional English speaking guides (more languages available with surcharge)
What's Not Included
- Personal expenses such as: shopping, telephone, beverage, etc.
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses such as: shopping, telephone, beverage, etc.
- Tips and gratuities
Additional Information
Take a journey through the fascinating past of Vietnam’s former Imperial Capital, Hue by visiting its prime historical attractions; the Imperial City, Forbidden Purple City, the Emperor’s Private Residence, Perfume River, Thien Mu pagoda and Khai Dinh Royal Tomb.
Highlights:
- Visit Hue’s prime attraction, the ancient Citadel, which contains the Imperial…
Take a journey through the fascinating past of Vietnam’s former Imperial Capital, Hue by visiting its prime historical attractions; the Imperial City, Forbidden Purple City, the Emperor’s Private Residence, Perfume River, Thien Mu pagoda and Khai Dinh Royal Tomb.
Highlights:
- Visit Hue’s prime attraction, the ancient Citadel, which contains the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Emperor’s Private Residence
- Enjoy a local lunch
- Take a boat trip on the beautiful Perfume River and stopover at Thien Mu pagoda, the Buddhist Monastery now infamous for the monk who set himself alight in 1963 to protest against cruel treatment of Buddhist monks
- Visit the serene Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, designed to blend in with its natural surroundings and built on principles of feng-shui
- Enjoy spectacular views, from the 360 panoramic sight of the Eastern Sea to the top of the world-famous Hai Van pass
- Caution: Visitors are required to wear shirts with sleeves and pants under knees when visiting the Hue Citadel.
- Maximum 1 child accompanied 1 adult, the 2nd child will pay the adult price.
- Free for children 0-5 years old ; 50% off for children 6-10 years old
Location
Hai Van Pass
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(23 Ratings)
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Jayjayjayjayjay11
Apr 18, 2023
Great tour but pricey. Private tour. Very knowledgeable Tour guide. - Great tour but a little pricey at $200 USD each, 3 person private tour. Consider group tour if you would like to do cheaper. Very hot also, lucky we had very good air conditioning.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Conradm722
Feb 19, 2023
A Journey Through History and Culture with an Exceptional Guide and Driver in Hue - I booked the tour from Danang to Hue with Hoi An Express and had the chance to visit the magnificent Imperial City, the Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh, and the Thien Mu Pagoda. The tour was fantastic and I have to give a special shoutout to our excellent guide Tom and driver Nam.
Tom, also known as Mot, was knowledgeable and friendly, providing me with a wealth of information about the history and culture of the area. Nam was a professional and excellent driver, who ensured our safety and comfort throughout the journey. He was driving super safely, which is outstanding in the sometimes chaotic traffic in Vietnam.
The tour started on time and I was picked up from my hotel. Despite being the only one who booked the tour, it still took place and I was treated like a VIP. I never felt rushed and all of my questions were thoroughly answered by Tom.
We had a delicious lunch, a seven-course meal, served in a nice atmosphere. The car we traveled in was new, had excellent AC, and was super comfortable. We took a scenic route to Hue, which added to the overall experience.
The Imperial City of Hue was the highlight of the tour, with its stunning architecture and rich history. The attention to detail in the restoration of the buildings was evident and added to the overall experience. While visiting the Thien Mu Pagoda, I also learned about the religions in Vietnam and the life of the monks. The Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh was also a fascinating visit, showcasing the unique blend of traditional Vietnamese and European architectural styles.
I can recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area. The combination of scenic drives, historical sightseeing, and an attentive guide and driver made for a truly memorable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mehul_tripadvis0r
Oct 29, 2022
Impeccable experience - We had an impeccable your. Our tour guide, Mr. Mot, ensured that we had a fun time. Would recommend taking this tour of you are in Hoi An.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aussiepoida
Dec 6, 2019
Was concerned that this would feel rushed.... but it did not - We really enjoyed our day out in Hue, thanks to Eric and our driver. We had a great time exploring the forbidden city and really appreciated the insight that Eric gave us at the monastery. The lunch was nice.. but probably nicer than it needed to be. We should have been happy to have paid a little less for the tour (it is quite expensive, comparatively) and enjoyed some street food somewhere. Seeing the throne room was amazing, and Eric's descriptions allowed us to really visualise what things would have been like.
We were worried that we were stretching things a bit, by doing a day trip here from Hoi An... but it was entirely worth it. Would recommend this to people that have a day to spare. Thank you Eric!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachigraham
Sep 4, 2019
Day trip hue with tour guide sang - My friend and I were extremely impressed with this tour. Our tour guide Sang was exceptional in all areas. He was helpful, kind, knowledgeable and great at his job. Sang was so nice he even generously paid for my coffee. We also felt safe with our driver at all times even though the traffic was very busy he managed to get us there and back with great ease. Sang has made our trip even better than it already was. I will recommend this tour to all my friends because of the great experience he gave us. Thank you so much Hoi an express. Could not be happier. A special thank you to sang for being such a welcoming and amazing person to have as our guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashhhhhleey
Sep 4, 2019
Sang was great - Just finished a Hue day tour today with our great knowledgeable English guide Sang. I am a travel agent visiting from Australia and will be sure to recommend Sang and Hoi An express to my clients as Sang did such a great job. Thank you for your time and expertise. Hoi An express should promote Sang for his great job skills !!! Thank you for a great day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catherine
Jul 27, 2019
Well worth the money - Great day visiting the heritage sites in Hue. Boat trip on the river was pleasant but nothing special. Very informative guide although we struggled to understand him at times as his English wasn't that great but he certainly tried and he was very knowledgeable. The Palace and tomb were very interesting.
Review provided by Viator
Llamalynx
Jul 20, 2018
NOT WORTH THE MONEY - Was very disappointed by this tour, which we took from Hoi An to Hue on 26 June. The tour guide was really not that good, he seemed more interested in getting us back to Hoi An in record time. As a result he rushed the visits to the Pagoda, the Palace and the Imperial Tomb, giving us very little time to read the information on display. The 6 course restaurant meal was very nice but we would rather have had less time sitting down and more time actually viewing the sights. We had been told by Hoi An Express office that we would leave Hue about 3 pm (we reached Hue at 10.00 as it was a 3 hour journey from Hoi An) but we were in the mini bus and on the return trip by 13.45 - and the guide fell asleep on the way back!!!
To be honest we felt we had wasted our money and a day of our holiday.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexlu8422pt
Apr 22, 2018
Only so so - The tour guide was only polite but failed to present the day tour from Hoi An to Hue in greater details with history and stories, which he committed at the beginning. Instead he left us unattended at most of the sites including the marble carving stores (wasted some time there), while rushing the tours in the palace, pagoda and the imperial tomb. Part of the reasons perhaps was due to his English presentation skills. Nothing much heard but only “ladies and gentlemen”. However we were grateful as he took our advice to stop over at Dam Lap An for a quick visit after we made our request.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heide
Jul 16, 2018
not worth the money - the description sounds great, so we booked this tour, but what a disappointment: the tour started with a visit to a "marble shop" where you were invited to buy stuff...the stop on the mountains for the view was mainly a view on bunkers, but not a good point to see the coast...then came a longer break at a lake (with not much to see), where driver and guide took about an hour to eat...on the boat trip to the pagoda you were again invited to buy stuff nobody needs...the pagoda sightseeing was finished in less than ten minutes (the guide racing ahead all the time), the tour through the imperial palace took about 20 minutes, visits only to the main hall and one other building, no exploring of the huge area (it might have been even shorter if we wouldn't have stopped for taking pictures), one hour lunch, the mausoleum within 10 minutes and then back... I'm aware that it was quite warm that day and the main goal of the guide was obviously to spend as much time as possible in the car with AC
my suggestion: book a private car+driver for one day and buy a good guide book instead of spending money on this tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
