04 · Central · Imperial city

Huế, from the Citadel to the lunch table. Save room for bánh bèo.

Huế makes a good stop between Hanoi and the central coast, especially if you would trade a beach day for imperial architecture and a lunch of steamed rice cakes.

See the day plan What to order

Ngọ Môn, the Meridian Gate of the Imperial City in Huế.Supanut Arunoprayote / CC BY 4.0 · May 2019 · resized for web

Contents · Where to stay and how to get there

Where to stay and how to get there
A day in Huế
What to order
Before you go
Where to go next
Sources and photo credit

Where to stay and how to get there

Stay near the river if you want to walk to dinner. Give the Imperial City its own morning and choose one royal tomb for the next day; the monuments are spread out.

Compare the train and a road transfer from Đà Nẵng. If you start in Hội An, allow a separate ride to the station. Check current schedules and monument hours before fixing your dates.

Allow

Two nights

Give the Imperial City and a tomb separate mornings.

Small servings of bánh bèo, Vietnamese steamed rice cakes — Ron Diggity / CC BY-SA 2.0

Weather

Keep an indoor lunch plan

Small plates make an easy stop in the rain.

Bún bò Huế with beef balls and tendon — Baoothersks / CC BY-SA 4.0

Best fit

History and regional cooking

Start with bún bò Huế before the Citadel.

A day in Huế

Morning · Start with bún bò Huế, then enter the Imperial City at Ngọ Môn and give yourself time inside the walls.
Midday · Order bánh bèo and bánh nậm for lunch. Share a few small plates instead of committing to a long set menu.
Afternoon and evening · Walk by the Perfume River in the late afternoon. If you have a second morning, use it for a royal tomb rather than squeezing several into the first day.

What to order

Bún bò Huế

A hearty noodle soup. Ask what cuts of meat come in the bowl and whether you can add the chili yourself.

Bánh bèo and bánh nậm

Bánh bèo are steamed rice cakes served in little dishes; bánh nậm are flat parcels cooked in banana leaves. Both commonly have shrimp.

Before you go

Check opening hours and ticket combinations for the sites you actually want to see. Keep time for covered stops in heavy rain and follow dress rules at religious sites.