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Hue Heritage Tour: Imperial City & Perfume River
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 - Start the journey to Hue by traveling along the northern coast of Da Nang, stopping at the summit of Hai Van Pass to explore the remnants of war bunkers.
- Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) - Upon reaching Hue, visit the Citadel, the city’s main attraction, which includes the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City, and the…
- Hai Van Pass - Start the journey to Hue by traveling along the northern coast of Da Nang, stopping at the summit of Hai Van Pass to explore the remnants of war bunkers.
-
Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) - Upon reaching Hue, visit the Citadel, the city’s main attraction, which includes the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City, and the Emperor’s Private Residence. Constructed between 1804 and 1833 during the Nguyen Dynasty, Vietnam’s last feudal kingdom, the Citadel is protected by 2-kilometer-long ramparts and encircled by a peaceful moat. Within the Citadel, explore various structures such as the Imperial City Gates, the Purple Forbidden City, along with temples, pavilions, and beautifully landscaped gardens.
Note: Visitors must wear shirts with sleeves and pants covering the knees when visiting the Hue Citadel. - Perfume River - After a brief lunch break, enjoy a boat trip along the scenic Perfume River, stopping at Thien Mu Pagoda.
- Thien Mu Pagoda - This active Buddhist monastery, established in 1601, features significant historical displays, including a car belonging to a former monk who self-immolated in 1963 to protest the South Vietnamese regime’s treatment of Buddhists.
- Tomb of Khai Dinh - Conclude the visit at the tranquil Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings and constructed according to feng shui principles.
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
Begin an enchanting adventure to Hue with a picturesque drive over the Hai Van Pass. Discover the historic Citadel, which houses the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City, reflecting Vietnam’s vibrant heritage. Delight in a peaceful boat ride on the Perfume River, pausing at the historic Thien Mu Pagoda, and finish with a visit to the tranquil Khai…
Begin an enchanting adventure to Hue with a picturesque drive over the Hai Van Pass. Discover the historic Citadel, which houses the Imperial City and Forbidden Purple City, reflecting Vietnam’s vibrant heritage. Delight in a peaceful boat ride on the Perfume River, pausing at the historic Thien Mu Pagoda, and finish with a visit to the tranquil Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, beautifully integrated into the natural surroundings.
Experience Highlights:
Hai Van Pass: Enjoy breathtaking views and explore historical war bunkers.
Imperial City: Discover the rich history and architecture of Hue’s Citadel.
Thien Mu Pagoda: Explore a significant Buddhist monastery with a meaningful history.
Khai Dinh Royal Tomb: Appreciate the intricate design and feng shui principles.
- 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
