Hue & Hoi An
Vietnam · Southeast Asia
The imperial citadel and tombs of Hue and the old merchant port of Hoi An, linked by the coast road through Da Nang.
Why visit
Why visit Hue & Hoi An
Go for two towns that complement each other. Hue is ceremonial and spread out: a citadel ten kilometres round, an imperial city within it, and the tombs of the emperors in the hills along the river. Our guide to Hue explains what survives and how to see it.
Hoi An is small and domestic: streets of timber houses, Chinese assembly halls and a covered bridge, lit by lanterns at night, with a cooking of its own. Our guide to Hoi An covers the town and its tickets.
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What to see
The Imperial City, Hue. Entered by the Meridian Gate of 1833, with the Thai Hoa throne hall where the Nguyen emperors were crowned.
The royal tombs. Those of Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh are the three to see, each quite different in character. See our account of a day among them.
Thien Mu pagoda. A seven-tiered tower above the Perfume River.
Hoi An old town. More than a thousand preserved houses, five Chinese assembly halls and the Japanese covered bridge. Our walk through the town ends at a bowl of cao lau.
The Hai Van pass. The mountain road between Hue and Da Nang, above the sea.
Hotels
Where to stay in Hue & Hoi An
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, on Ha My Beach fifteen minutes from Hoi An, has villas whose design drew on the garden houses of Hue. Hoi An has many small hotels in and around the old town, and Hue has hotels along the south bank of the river.
Experiences
Experiences in Hue & Hoi An
Before you go
Practical information
Best time to visit
February to late April is the best period in Hue, and Hoi An is pleasant until the summer heat. June and July are very hot. From about August to January the region has heavy rain, and both towns can flood in the autumn.
Getting around
Da Nang airport serves Hoi An, about 30 to 45 minutes away, and Hue has its own airport at Phu Bai. The road between Hue and Da Nang over the Hai Van pass takes about two hours. The railway follows the coast: The Vietage, a luxury carriage, runs south from Da Nang, and the SJourney train stops at both Hue and Hoi An on its way down the country.
Practical notes
Hue and Hoi An are two separate destinations about three hours apart; allow two days for Hue and two or three for Hoi An. The tombs lie several kilometres out of Hue and need a car, a bicycle or a boat. Hoi An's old-town streets are closed to motorised vehicles for much of the day, and a ticket is required to enter the monuments (old houses, assembly halls, museums), though not simply to walk the streets. Travellers with a week more can continue north to the caves of Phong Nha; our guide to Son Doong describes the greatest of them.
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