Blackened stone outside, a riot of decoration inside. Khai Dinh’s tomb was one of the most memorable things I saw during my 35 days in Vietnam. Hue has the big Imperial Citadel, of course, but don’t let that make you overlook the imperial tombs, dispersed to the south of the city.
Start at the Citadel, keep time for Khai Dinh
Hue is Vietnam’s old imperial capital. Think of it a bit like a Vietnamese Kyoto: history and tradition, with a very enjoyable present-day city around them.
The Citadel is large enough to fill half a day, but still manageable on foot. Courtyards, temples and palaces give you plenty to look at. I walked it rather than taking an electric cart. Kiến Trung Palace was a highlight, but there are tons of nooks and crannies to investigate.
The tombs are different experiences
Emperor Khai Dinh’s tomb was my clear favorite. Tu Duc’s felt more like a pleasant park stroll with temples, while Minh Mang’s was about the lake and the arrangement of the buildings in a straight line. Don’t assume three imperial tombs means three repetitions of the same experience.
If buying a combination ticket, check which sites it includes, and make sure it includes Khai Dinh. For a sequence of tomb visits, arrange a driver and agree the stops and waiting time. The sites are away from the Citadel area, so this isn’t one continuous downtown walk.
Leave the evening for food and the river
Try bún bò Huế, the city’s beef noodle soup, and explore the other local dishes too. Then walk around the blocks near Võ Thị Sáu Street for restaurants, bars and the evening social life. It’s a compact area, which makes going out pleasantly easy.
The Perfume River gives you a good place to walk between the historic visits and the eating. Hue balances those things unusually well. I’d allow roughly three days, rather than rushing through the Citadel and calling it done.
These photographs and tips are a small selection from my more comprehensive Hue guide. I’m developing guides from my visits, with fuller recommendations on where to stay, eat and drink, what’s worth your time, what to avoid, and how to put a visit together. Keep an eye out for those - I’ll let you know when they come out.
I’ll share photographs and a few useful notes from another stop each Sunday morning.