Hue is a city in Central Vietnam, and during the Nguyen Dynasty, it was the country’s capital. Today Hue is a mix of rich culture & history, incredible food, and awesome nightlife. Plus, an Abandoned Water Park which has a new wave of visitors thanks to Instagram. This guide to 3 days in Hue not only includes a suggested itinerary but also information on transport, accommodation and the city’s best attractions.
Hue somewhat took me by surprise! I had heard good things but shortly after arriving, I had completely fallen in love with this exciting city. The locals were all very kind and welcoming, the nightlife is really fun and I even found Hue to be much cheaper than anywhere else I’d visited in Vietnam.
Keep reading as this guide includes everything you need to know for planning your time in Hue.
How To Get To Hue
Another reason Hue is the perfect addition to your Vietnam itinerary is its close proximity to other popular cities in Central Vietnam. Many tourist buses have routes to Hue from cities in Northern Vietnam like Hanoi and Ninh Binh.
There’s also an international airport within close proximity to Hue (only 14km from the city). The airport is Phu Bai International Airport and when searching for flights the three-letter airport code is HUI.
Ninh Binh To Hue
I arrived in Hue on a sleeper bus from Ninh Binh. This trip was so long, the bus ride took 11.5 hours, with a couple of stops along the way. I had opted for this transport option because I was on a backpacker’s budget and this was the cheapest way to get between the two cities (480,000 VND per person). Plus as it was overnight I saved on a night’s accommodation.
If you’re also on a limited budget don’t shy away from a sleeper bus. It may take ages but hopefully, you’ll be able to sleep the majority of it and I believe getting a sleeper bus in Vietnam is a right of passage for any backpacker.
Hue to Hoi An
The journey between Hue and Hoi An is a much easier one and only takes 2.5 hours. Hoi An is an exciting city and another that should be included on everyone’s Vietnam itinerary.
A sleeper bus is a very cheap and easy option. This can generally be organized by your hotel and the price will also include a minibus transfer from your hotel in Hue to the bus station.
Then once arriving in Hoi An the City Center is only a short drive away. We booked a Grab to our hotel for 30,000 VND or there will be local taxis waiting at the bus stop.
If you were traveling from Hue directly to Da Nang (we went to Hoi An first then back to Da Nang as we flew out of there) the other transport option between the two cities is the train.
The train travels from Hue, direct to Da Nang and takes roughly 3 hours. The biggest drawcard to getting the train is the second half of the journey you will travel alongside the Hai Van Pass which is absolutely stunning. Clear ocean views on one side & lush mountains on the other.
While I was staying in Da Nang my husband and I hired a scooter and spent the day cruising along Hai Van Pass, probably the best way to experience it. But if that’s not an option for you the views from the train would also be spectacular. Find train schedules and tickets on 12Go.
Getting Around Hue
Hue is a relatively easy city to explore on foot, many of the attractions like The Imperial City, Perfume River and Cho Dong Ba Market are centrally located.
Although visiting places like Thien Mu Pagoda, Thuy Tien Lake Abandoned Water Park or Thuan An Beach is too far to walk so below are other cheap and easy transport options for getting around Hue.
Hire a Scooter: 1-day scooter hire in Hue will cost 120,000 VND and they can usually be hired through your hotel.
Plus, after one day, and a lot of riding around we put 80,000 VND of fuel in the bike.
Grab: Having the Grab app on your phone is a great way to get quick and cheap transport. Grab is basically the same as Uber but you can also opt to pay for your fare in cash.