Another beautiful historical city where the Monarchs once resided with their tombs also established throughout this city. When we touched down in Hue, it was only 5.15pm, but the skies were already getting dark. The daylight is really short here so by 6pm its already dark.
Getting into the City:
We’ve read a few blogs that mentioned that there were still buses (5,000₫ to 25,000₫ depending on route) running from Hue Airport to Hue City, but unfortunately, could not find any. The people outside of the airport were not very helpful either as they were “forcing” all the foreigners to take their private minivan into the city which costs a almost 30 USD per person.
Not wanting to pay that ridiculous price for a ride into the city, we walked further out and found a security post which also could not point us to a bus stop nearby. Hence, we settled for a taxi (100,000₫ = S$5.70) further out the front gate, which was way cheaper than the private minivan.
Hue Accommodations
Amigo Hue Hotel(2 nights)
**Amount paid:**365,000 VND (S$22)
Address:66/3 Lê Lợi, Phú Hội, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam
**Check-in From:**2pm
**Check-out By:**12pm
December seems like the wet season in Hue so be prepared for cooler weather and frequent rains.
Luckily, there was an air conditioner that came with the heater setting to help us dry our clothes… since it was constantly raining and our shoes and clothes were always wet.
The room was also quite spacious with all the amenities we need, and even a bathtub for those who love their long baths.
Hue Itinerary
Vietnam Travel Guide: Hue Day 1
Just a chill evening exploring the nearby areas of our Hotel and grabbing some dinner to fill our stomachs after a long day of travelling on the road… here’s what we found:
• Lots of street vendors late at night opening food stands along the road side
• Found some amazing Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
• Took a stroll along the river to help digest our food before turning in to rest & recharge!
Bun Bo Hue Ba Gai
Who can pass up a bowl of hot noodle soup on a cold, windy night out?
We were walking around the neighbourhood and chanced upon this Bun Bo Hue store that was still open amidsty the dead looking street… There were a few other stores that were still open, but most of the locals were in this store so we decided to check it out!
Fortunately, it did not disappoint, and was one of the better Bun Bo Hues we had thus far! (We ordered the Thap Cam & Dac Biet option)
Location:11A Hà Nội, Vĩnh Ninh, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam
**Cost:**90,000₫ (S$5.00)
**Operating hours:**24 hrs daily
Truong Tien bridge
A great place for a stroll to walk off the calories/ help with digestion after your meal (and enjoy the cool weather)
Location:27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Vietnam Travel Guide: Hue Day 2
Our only full day to really explore the city and although it was cold, rainy, and gloomy the whole day, here’s how we made the most of it:
• Fueled ourselves for the day at Dong Ba morning market
• Walked off breakfast by exploring the ancient Imperial City
• Stopped by for more Bun Bo Hue for lunch and some coffee
• Intermissioned with a nap to recharge before heading out for more food!
• Went to grab more Bun Bo Hue for dinner and coffee for tomorrow’s early headstart
Dong Ba morning market
If you’re looking for a place to check-off your local food bucketlist, then this is the place to be in.
There are tons of vendors selling fresh produce and cooked foods. You name it, if they have it, they’ll serve you or you can ask them where you can find the dish elsewhere and they’ll suggest another store.
If you like dumplings/ mochi, then you’ll want to try this local specialty (Banh Ram It) out when you’re here. It has a crispy base, and a mochi like dumpling on top.
Location:27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
Hue Imperial City
The main attraction in this city is the tour of the old imperial city. You can get tickets from the kiosk at the entrance when you arrive.
It’ll take up at least half your day here with lots of walking, but if you’re interested in the history of this city, then it’s definitely worth a visit!
Location:27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
**Cost:**400,000₫ (S$23.00)
**Operating hours:**7.30am – 5pm daily
Chanced upon this aunty sat along the roadside boiling her pot of Bun Bo Hue soup, plugged into a public electrical line which we still have no idea how she did so…
Tasted amazing, no other words needed to describe this wholesome bowl of Bun Bo Hue with a generous amount of toppings!
**Cost:**40,000₫ (S$2.30)
The Lab Coffee
We enjoyed the coffee so much we got 3 cups in 2 days… this cafe was located right beside our hotel so we decided to get our quick coffee fix here on the first day.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Salted Coffee + Coconut Jelly
- Matcha Coffee + Peach Jelly
- Iced White Coffee + White Bubble
Location:27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
**Cost:**114,000₫ (S$6.40)
**Operating hours:**7am – 9.30pm daily
Vietnam Travel Guide: Hue Day 3
Today, its time to move on to our next city! With some convenience store bread and the 2 coffees we took away from The Lab Coffee the night before, we started off our day early by walking to Hue Railway Station at 5am…
Hue Railway Station
Looks kinda creepy and straight out of a horror movie… I know but our train was at 6am…
There are some stores nearby the train station that is open so you can get your Banh mis and eat on board the train. There are also some snack shops selling instant noodles and snacks inside the train station (although overpriced) if you prefer processed over fresh food…
**Pro-tip:**If you’re heading to Da Nang via the train, you’ll want to sit on the left side of the train for the beautiful sea view along the way!
Location:Sunny B. Hotel, Nguyễn Tri Phương, Street, Thành phố Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam
Cost breakdown for Hue
Hue → Hoi An
There is no direct transport from Hue to Hoi An other than by a private vehicle. If you’re taking the train/ bus/ plane, you’ll have to first arrive in Da Nang, before making a transfer to Hoi An, which is about 30min to 1 hour drive away.
We took the train from Hue to Da Nang, and booked a shared minivan from Da Nang Railway station into Hoi An throughKlook(linked here). There are several drop off points in Hoi An, and ours was literally right outside our accommodation in Hoi An. The transport company was also very prompt in responding to our queries about the pick up and drop off points, and they’ll even send you an image of the pick-up vehicle and vehicle plate number via Whatsapp.
If you’re coming from Da Nang airport, there’s also a pick up point there, with multiple timeslots for pickup. Here’s what our costs looked like coming from Hue (for 2 pax):
• Train from Hue to Da Nang: 250,000₫ (S$13.90)
•Mini van transfer from Da Nang to Hoi An: 267,000₫ (S$14.90)