The Imperial City of Hue is 65km north west of Chan May port and is recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is a historic Vietnamese centre for food, religion, culture, royal palaces and tombs. From 1802 to 1945 Hue was the national capital of Viet Nam. Xuan Tu’s full 8 hour private tour to Hue aims to give a snapshot of Vietnamese history, it’s people, and Vietnam today from within this historic city.
We start your tour by greeting you shipside at Chan May port or Tien Sa port.
* If time & weather permits, travellers coming from Tien Sa port will have the opportunity to drive past beautiful Lang Co bay and the stunning 21km Hai Van pass – made famous by the BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ programme who described it as; ‘a deserted ribbon of perfection, one of the best coast roads in the world’!
Xuan Tu arrived well before our boat had even docked as she mentioned traffic is always unpredictable. We could see that as the owner of her own company she takes great care and responsibility for any one of her bookings whether she leads the tour or whether one of her associates do
– client TripAdvisor review
Our Hue city tour has to start at the amazing 19th century Citadel of Hue which surrounds the original Imperial City, the Purple Forbidden Palace and various shrines. More recently in 1968, and during the Tet Offensive, the ‘Siege of Hue’ resulted in enormous damage to both the city and Citadel – you will see signs of this and rebuilding works to this day.
We must eventually leave the Citadel of Hue and its intriguing history to visit the very special Thien Mu (Fairy Lady) pagoda overlooking the Perfume River which at 7 stories high it is the tallest religious building in Vietnam – original construction started in 1601. If time permits we will arrange a private boat trip along the Perfume River from city to Pagoda.
There are 7 Imperial tombs to the Nguyen kings along the Perfume River and surrounding countryside. In Vietnam’s last dynasty our kings ruled for 143 years until 1945. We visit the most beautiful tomb of Emperor Tu Duc (1829- 83). Located in a narrow valley 8 km from Hue in Duong Xuan Thuong village, Tu Duc’s tomb is one of the most beautifully designed complexes and is embedded in a lush pine forest. Tu Duc had the longest reign of any Nguyen dynasty emperors.
Returning to Hue city we visit Dong Ba market, an amazing place where you can observe the daily life of our local people. And a perfect choice to see and try local foods – during the day you will be offered either a typical Vietnamese lunch at an excellent local restaurant, or snacks along the way if required. This is something we will discuss on our journey to Hue as we are conscious you will have dinner on-board when you sail!
We must eventually say goodbye to Hue, this most famous of historic S.E. Asian cities, and at the end of your memorable day we retrace our steps and return you safely shipside in plenty of time for your departure.
