Hue.
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Overview

Hue (Huế) is in the central region of Vietnam and is the former imperial capital.

Understand

Hue is intimately connected to the imperial Nguyễn Dynasty, based in Hue, which ruled from 1802 to 1945, when the Emperor Bao Dai abdicated in favour of Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary government. The city went through tough times during what is known locally as the American War, when it was conquered by the Viet Cong and held for 24 days. During that time, they executed around 1,000 people suspected of sympathizing with the South. After a ferocious assault, US and South Vietnamese forces retook the city, but ultimately lost the war, returning the city to the Northern forces.

Orientation Hue is easy to get a grip on. The main landmark is the Perfume River (Hương Giang), with the old city and the citadel on the north side and the newer city, including most hotels and restaurants, on the south side. Much of the riverside has wisely been done up as a pleasant promenade and park dotted with bizarre sculptures. The famous tombs are further south in Hue's outskirts.

Hue's weather is infamously bad: the Truong Son Mountains just to the south seem to bottle up all the moisture, so it's usually misty, drizzly, or outright rainy. Things get even wetter than usual in the winter rainy season, especially from February to the end of March. To be safe, bring an umbrella any time of year. Don't forget to bring a sweater and jacket in winter as it can get rather chilly, with temperatures falling to as low as 8°C at night. Alternatively, when the sun makes an appearance for a day or a week, it can reach 30°C.

It's usually quite dry during the summer months, when the temperature can reach the high 30s. Summer rains can be heavy but brief, and often arrive unexpectedly, whereas February rains can last for weeks. The best description for the weather in Hue would be "changeable".

Get in

There is also a bus that will take you into the city and even drop you at your hotel for 50,000 dong. Tickets are bought from the stand just after exiting the baggage claim. Large suitcases are accepted, the minibus seems to leave when full. It drops you to larger hotels but the default option is Hanoi street.

Da Nang's airport, only two hours away by car now that the Hai Van Tunnel is open, is busier and has more connections.

There are several trains a day to and from Hanoi (14 hours), Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang (4 hours), et al. The journey down south through Lang Co and the Hai Van Pass is particularly scenic, and from Da Nang you can take a taxi or motorbike to Hoi An. SE 2 departs at 19:00. The beds are quite hard, as there is not much of a mattress which is placed over a plastic bench/seat. You can get other trains, but the little extra you pay is worth it several times over. It offers a wonderful travel experience. Passengers sit, lie and sleep in a very small cabin for 23 hours with five other people (nearly always Vietnamese), eat four plain but tasty and filling Vietnamese meals, listen to a fine selection of Vietnamese pop songs on the PA, and see some incomparably beautiful countryside, particularly in the last section between Da Nang and Hue. It's an excellent way to see the country and meet ordinary Vietnamese, who are unfailingly friendly and helpful, even to those who have not learned a word of their language. The trip is especially recommended if you like screaming babies.

Buy your tickets at the train station or online through the official Vietnamese Railways website, which has an English version and accepts payments by international bank cards.

By bus Public buses from all the bigger cities (including frequent services to Hanoi and Saigon) connect to the main bus station (Bến Xe Phía Nam and Bến Xe Phía Bắc). Most open tour buses include Hue on their itinerary, connecting to Hoi An or Da Nang to the south (4–6 hr) and Hanoi to the north (13–16 hr). The overnight Hanoi route is popular with locals, many of whom seem to be prone to motion sickness.

Sinh Café Buses, 7 Nguyen Tri Phuong St. Sleeper Buses from Da Nang, No 17, Xuan Dieu St, Da Nang.

VIP (not really) buses leave the Laotian city of Pakse at 08:00, arriving in Hue 12–13 hours later. Local buses leave Pakse in the evening. Tickets can be bought from travel agents in central Pakse. Be prepared for a no air-con ride.

Agencies in central Pakse show you photos that are not very accurate and overcharge too, with up to 100,000 kip difference. (May 2014) Try to get a tuk tuk to take you to the Vietnam bus area. There are a few restaurants there with the most updated info of companies and their schedules.

The trip takes 15 hours to Hue so the sleeping bus is the better choice. Departure time for just Hue/Da Nang is 19:00 although at Vientiane's southern bus station you'll also see other options heading south and you could probably take those as well. You'll have a couple bathroom stops (bathrooms not necessarily available) and at least 2 or 3 eating stops.

They'll try to arrive at the Lao Bao border crossing before it opens at 07:00. Here is where they'll collect everyone's passports to get stamped out of Laos. Everyone needs to include a 15,000 kip fee (foreigners may end up getting asked for 30,000 kip) so have that ready in your passport ahead of time. You'll also have several ladies asking if you need to change any money. They'll come in the bus or roam around the bus stop. Be careful and circumspect with them. (Probably best not to exchange anything as you'll have no chance to actually buy anything with your dong until you reach your destination. However, you might not be able to exchange your kip when you're in Hue. So plan ahead.)

Meanwhile, as this is going on, you'll be served some Vietnamese coffee. You must pay for anything additional that you order.

Once you reach Hue you can get dropped off before the Hue bus station and maybe save yourself having to ride into town on a hired motor bike.

Get around

By taxi Like other Vietnamese cities, Hue is flooded with cyclos and motorbikes, as well as a few meter taxis. Taxi drivers are usually honest, but make sure they turn the meter on. Trips start at 15,000 dong for the first 2 km and tick upward at 11,500 dong/km. Some meters run incorrectly (showing up to 10 times the distance actually traveled), so ensure you have a rough idea of the distance to your destination. The driver will back down.

Many of the motorbike drivers double as pot dealers, and you may be offered to buy marijuana along with your ride.

Hire a motorbike and join the locals as they careen across the bridges and along the main roads at a leisurely pace.

For a motorbike with driver, small hotels have connections to freelancers. The DIY spring rolls and pancakes are not free, but they worth it for only 45,000 dong.

By bicycle Cycling is also a good option, with plenty of bikes available from 25,000-30,000 dong/day.

By cyclo A cyclo is the local version of the trishaw, with the passenger seated in front of the cyclist. 100,000 dong) rather than US dollars, as misunderstandings over this can lead to a much larger bill than expected on arrival.

On foot Hue is quite compact, so you can reach most of the hotels, restaurants and the citadel easily on foot. Mr. Cu at Mandarin Cafe has prepared a free walking tour brochure and map. Make sure to stop by his place at 24 Tran Cao Van St to pick up your free map (and enjoy some delicious banana pancakes). You'll need to arrange transportation to reach the emperors' tombs.

See

The historical monuments of the city have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Ho Chi Minh Museum. Contains photos and information on Ho Chi Minh, and the history of Hue in photographs.

Phu Bai Airport. A must-see if you are interested in the earlier conflicts, back when the airport was a dirt strip. During the Vietnam War, an American garrison was assigned there and built up the airport with concrete bunkers, a paved airstrip and a few other luxuries. The airport was vital in keeping Hue supplied during the Easter Offensive of 1972 when "Charlie jumped the line". The airport retains the original buildings built by the Americans; however, they have been retrofitted for use by the Vietnamese.

Thien Mu Pagoda. Perched on a bluff over the river and housing some very fine gold and silver Buddha images. The Thien Mu Pagoda overlooks the Perfume River and is the official symbol of the city of Hue. Thien Mu means "elderly celestial woman", and refers to an old legend about the founding of the pagoda. Brimming with opportunities for great photos. And don't forget the historical Austin (car) of Thích Quảng Đức!

Imperial City of Hue. The former imperial seat of government and Hue's prime attraction, this is a great sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, walls, gates, shops, museums and galleries, featuring art and costumes from various periods of Vietnamese history. Thanks to its size, it is also delightfully peaceful, a rare commodity in Vietnam. The citadel was badly knocked about during fighting between the French and the Viet Minh in 1947, and again in 1968 during the Tet Offensive, when it was shelled by the Viet Cong and then bombed by the Americans. As a result, some areas are now only empty fields, bits of walls and an explanatory plaque. Other buildings are intact and a few are in sparkling condition. For the rest, while restoration has been going on for 20 years, there is still quite a long way to go. Allow several hours to see it properly.

Ngọ Môn – The main southern entrance to the city, built in 1833 by Minh Mang. The central door and the bridge connecting to it were reserved exclusively for the emperor. Climb up to the second floor for a nice view of the exquisite courtyard. The Ngo Mon Gate is the principal entrance to the Imperial Enclosure. The emperor would address his officials and the people from the top of this gate. Thái Hòa Palace – The emperor's coronation hall, where he would sit in state and receive foreign dignitaries. Trường Sanh Residence – Translated as the "Palace of Longevity", the Truong Sanh Palace was the residence of King Tu Duc's mother, Empress Tu Du, under the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century. It lies in Tu Cam Thanh, one of the two major parts of the Hue Citadel. It is under renovation. While not officially open to the public, it is possible to enter the grounds and should be seen, as even in its overgrown state, its beauty is recognisable. Forbidden Purple City – Directly behind Thai Hoa Palace, but it was almost entirely destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive and only the rather nondescript Mandarin Palaces on both sides remain. Hue Jungle Crevice – When the Viet Cong briefly overran Hue, they rounded up 3,000 of Hue's citizens and officials. Fearing the prisoners would slow them down their hot retreat, they tied them up and pushed the people over the cliff into the crevice.

Another of Hue's great attractions are the Tombs of the Emperors, on the Perfume River south of the city. They are accessible by taxi or bike from the city, but the best way to see them is to hire a river boat and go for a cruise. Plan to make a full day of it. Most of the tombs are open from 07:30 or 08:00 to 17:30, depending on the season.

They mostly date from the late 19th or early 20th centuries, when the emperors had been reduced to figureheads under French colonial rule and had little else to do than build themselves elaborate tombs. The finest of them are the Tomb of Tu Duc, the Tomb of Minh Mang and the Tomb of Khai Dinh, all of which are excellent examples of Vietnamese Buddhist aesthetics and architecture. The older ones have been allowed to crumble into picturesque semi-ruin, although some are now being restored.

Choose a tour with as few stops as possible. Some companies lard up their itineraries with visits to silk farms and a few pagodas, promising to fit everything in neatly. However, tour companies are not known for their time management, and you will wind up rushed along and frustrated for at least one of the tombs.

All of the tombs can be walked to from the wharves in anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour. The paths are mostly obvious, but you still probably should not try it without a map or a terrific sense of direction. Tour groups arrive around 10:00 and leave around 15:00 in order to get back before dinner, so plan accordingly to avoid the crowds. You'll be glad you did.

By bicycle: The tombs are also easily reached by bicycle, although there is a shortage of good maps of how to reach them. Ask your hotel about bicycle rentals and maps, and be cautious on the crowded and potentially potholed roads. This is probably the most inexpensive (and enjoyable, if you enjoy cycling) way to reach the tombs.

Tomb of Gia Long. The most remote of the tombs, quiet and fallen into disrepair as Gia Long, the first Nguyen emperor, was notoriously despotic.

Tomb of Minh Mang. In this opulent complex, the main buildings are arranged on an east-west axis, including a courtyard surrounded by warrior statues and several temples and pavilions. Several bridges cross two lakes before the axis ends before the vast burial mound (which is circled by a fence). The mausoleum features large gardens and lakes: a pleasant place to sit and relax. If you're dropped off by boat note that there is a stretch of souvenir sellers to navigate during the short walk to the mausoleum entrance.

Tomb of Thieu Tri. Built in 1848. This emperor and his wife were the most revered and loved throughout the country. Although he only ruled for 7 years, he was the most sorely missed. In a time of strife and economic problems, he was careful with the country's treasury and improved his people's living standard. His last wish was to be placed in a tomb that was not extravagant, parting ways with the tradition of creating lavish final resting places for emperors.

Tomb of Tu Duc. Built between 1864–1867, the complex served as a second Imperial City where the emperor went for "working vacations". Tu Duc's contemplative nature and poetic spirit is reflected in the landscape and arrangement of the 50 buildings that at one time stood here. A vast, sprawling complex set around a lake, with wooden pavilions and tombs and temples dedicated to wives and favoured courtesans (Tu Duc had 104 to choose from). The courtesans' quarters are in ruins, with only outlines and crumbling walls left amid waves of overgrown grass and silence, but other areas are stunningly well-preserved. The emperor's tomb itself, tucked away in the back, is surprisingly modest. The final courtyard is nearly empty with just a stone coffin in the middle. (The tombs of Empress Le Thien Anh and Emperor Kien Phuc, who briefly ruled in 1884, are also here.) Try to dodge the crowds for this one. The emperor himself was not buried here, and was instead buried in a secret location somewhere else in Hue that has yet to be re-discovered, as the 200 workers who buried him were all beheaded after their work was done.

Tomb of Dong Khanh. Built in 1917. Beautiful interior murals. The tomb area is a colorful construction of marble and ceramics. The 100 or so stairs may be an issue for people with mobility difficulties.

Tomb of Khai Dinh. Dating from 1925, this is the best preserved of the lot and, while comparatively compact, quite grand at first sight. While it follows the classic formula of forecourts leading up to the tomb of the emperor, complete with statues in attendance, architecture buffs will spot some European influences. The tomb itself is completely over the top with incredibly detailed and opulent mosaics of cavorting dragons. Try to get to this one early, as it is a favourite stop for Asian tour-bus groups. Also, you may want to leave the tourist path and head up the hill on the right side of the tomb, where a small temple stands. You will have a great view of the tomb and the valley it faces.

Further afield Hue travel agents are keen to sell day-tours of the former Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which was supposed to be a buffer between North and South Vietnam, but which saw intense fighting. DMZ trips will include the famous Vinh Moc tunnels, where a few hundred people lived for two and a half years. You can be outside the city of Hue and into the jade green rice fields in just 10 minutes. Whether by car, motorbike or bicycle, there is much to see. It's a bit too far to go on foot. Different villages tend to specialise in different handicrafts, so you can visit one area to see noodle-making, another for incense, then move on to see bronze-crafting or rice cultivation.

Do

Blind Massage. At the institute for the blind. All of the staff work and live in this facility and speak a little English. Popular with the locals.

My An Hot Spring and Spa. The water here has a high sulphur content, purported to have health benefits.

Thanh Tan Hot Springs. Similar to My An, but without the odour of sulphur. This site is surrounded by woods, which are pleasant to explore. Has graduated sections. Start with the cool section and work your way up. The hottest section is closed off, as it is too hot to bathe in. There are also private pools for 2 or 4 people and a swimming pool. There is a tiny restaurant on site. This is also where the local bottled Thanh Tan mineral water comes from.

Buy

Embroidery is a traditional craft of Hue and framed embroidery can be purchased in many shops in the backpacker area of Hue.

Healing the Wounded Heart Shop. A humanitarian project of the Spiral Foundation. This shop sells eco-friendly handicrafts made by disabled artisans in Hue. All profits fund heart surgeries for poor children in the Hue area.

Hope Center. The Hope Center offers disabled and disadvantaged people a place to learn and work. Garment manufacturing is the mainstay. However, a range of handicrafts are also made. In particular the beautiful handwoven cloth by A Luoi women is unique in its design and manufacture. Scarves, hand bags, purses and hand crafted jewellery are for sale. Well-worth a visit.

Eat

Hue is famed for its imperial cuisine, which was prepared for the emperor and his retinue. Although the emphasis is more on presentation than taste, an imperial banquet is well-worth trying.

The most famous local dish is bún bò Huế (just called bún bò within the city), a noodle soup served with slices of beef and lashings of chili oil. Another tasty local treat is sesame candy (mè xửng), which is peanutty, chewy and quite tasty if fresh.

Nem lui is a dish of sweet, minced pork around bamboo sticks grilled over hot coals. Banh khoai is a "pancake" filled with bean sprouts, shrimp and pork. Bun thit nuong is barbecued pork served with vegetables and noodles.

The people of Hue have a strong tradition of eating vegetarian food, so vegetarian restaurants are more common in Hue than in the rest of Vietnam. On the 1st and 15th of every lunar month, vegetarian restaurants are packed full of patrons for dinner and it may prove difficult to find a seat. Vegetarian restaurants are the cheapest places to eat, after street vendors.

Banh Bao. A street vendor who sells wonderful Banh Bao.

Quán Chay Thanh Liễu. Totally vegan. You eat with the locals. Great food. The hot pot is fantastic and can be had for 50,000 dong (June 2017). The portions are huge. Great atmosphere. The staff is lovely.

Cafe on Thu Wheels. Traveler restaurant, with many simple, delicious dishes. There is even white and red wine. Very pleasant family business. The landlady runs the restaurant by heart.

Family Home Restaurant. It is small and looks like grandma's living room. It's cute. The Hue dishes are just tasty, spicy and great. It is not Westernized food. The staff is very friendly and helpful.

Nina's Cafe Restaurant. Restaurant tucked away in a back alley that apparently caters to foreigners. English menus and the friendly staff speaks English. A nice little simple restaurant. Good music and atmosphere.

Lien Hoa. Monks and nuns frequent this vegetarian restaurant during lunch.

Cơm Chay Diệu Lạc. Simple and good vegetarian meals.

Banh Khoai Hong Mai. Pancakes, nem lui (minced pork grilled with lemon grass on coal) and banh beo recommended.

Quán Cơm Chay - Nhật Lệ. Popular vegetarian restaurant. You only need to let the owner know if you want a rice or noodles dish and she would do the magic for you. The soy milk and lotus seed milk are also very refreshing. Delicious grilled vermicelli.

Đường bánh canh Hàn Thuyên. The food is good, sold until late at night so everyone can eat comfortably. 15,000-20,000 dong for a bowl (April 2022). Sitting on the roadside is cool.

Hông Thùy. Honestly one of the best places to eat in all of Vietnam. It's great street sea food, you choose the type of snail that will be served to you with noodles and vegetables, and a side dish of roasted shrimps / shells / langostinos depending on your choice (30.000 - 60.000 dong depending on which one you choose). Chosen by locals and no English spoken, so you'll probably have to use a translation app, but strongly recommended. Try to go early because they can run out of food (happened at 20.15).

Hanh Pancake. This is a family restaurant where locals come to eat Hue specialities. About half of the guests are Western tourists these days, and a set sampler menu is available.

La Carambole. Serves French food, Vietnamese food and pizza. Quite touristy.

Hot Tuna. Recommend the chicken breast with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes well worth it. Duck also quite nice.

Ta.ke Japanese Restaurant. Excellent food.

Ong Tao. Excellent traditional Hue food, try the meat rolls (wrapped in mint leaves) or the fried spring rolls. Incredibly crunchy. Not too crowded. On the first floor. All dishes available as small and big portions, so you can order a few.

Ancient Hue Royal Cuisine and Gallery. One of the biggest restaurants in the city. Prices are good, food is excellent, extremely clean. It is also a complex of ancient houses among a huge garden area. Nice food carvings.

Drink

B4 Bar-Café. A charming Belgian-Vietnamese owned bar, with a welcoming interior and free pool.

Brown Eyes Chillout Bar-Club. Live DJ, free pool table and a good vibe. Not far from Pham Ngu Lao, but they offer to pay for taxis from hotels for parties of four persons or more. Stays open till the last one passes out.

Café on Thu Wheels. It's a little bar owned by the charming lady Thu.

Sinh To Place. Shop for drinking ice tea, coffee, smoothies and juices. Local prices (they are published on a board). Try rau má juice: reputed to be very good for your health.

Vy Da Xua. Enjoy a delicious cup of Vietnamese coffee, or any beverage, in this beautiful setting. The traditional beam house is surrounded by a garden and small stream where you can hear birds and restful music.

Garden river Bar coffee. Bar coffee in the center of hue You can enjoy your drink and listen music near to the river inside the amazing garden. A Vietnamese and French team will be here to helping you.

Coffee There are lots of small cafés (quán cafe) in Hue. Going out for coffee is a favourite local pastime. Most Hue people wouldn't think of starting the morning without meeting friends over a glassful. Most coffee shops open for business in the morning, close down from about 10:30 or so until late afternoon, then open again for the after-work and evening crowds. Do try the local style, iced, either with condensed milk, or black, which means with sugar. In the south, the iced coffee comes in a tall glass with lots of ice and lots of syrupy milk. In the central area, the glass is much smaller and the coffee is usually stronger. If you don't look Vietnamese, you may be served a weaker coffee, or if you order cafe nong (hot), they will also give you an extra glass of hot water to pour in. Do try your coffee first, to taste it the way the locals like it. Something like an iced, sweet espresso, with chocolatey overtones. Generally 6,000-8,000 dong for Vietnamese people; 10,000 dong+ for foreigners

La Beaute. Lovely cafe on a quiet side street and therefore still unspotted by the LP crowd. Atmosphere with soft music and green bamboo around and half the prices than in the tourist area 200 m around the block. Lots of different coffees and cakes, where especially the very recommendable coffee with cacao flavour is not easy to find in Hue.

Sidewalk Coffee. Go local and try some delicious early morning coffee with chocolaty overtones, hot or iced, while watching river life on the canal. The woman who brews it up also offers banh mi, French bread with your choice of fillings. Another woman shares the same area of pavement and sells very reasonably priced banh canh, a popular local breakfast soup. Very clean. After your coffee, you walk along Bach Dang to two nearby pagodas.

Sleep

There are plenty of cheap hotels and mid-market hotels in Hue, as well as a couple of expensive giants. The largest cluster is around the short lane, Pham Ngu Lao (including Le Loi, Hung Vuong, Chu Van An, Nguyen Cong Tru). It's not quite as big (or backpackery) as its Ho Chi Minh City namesake, but still a definite tourist magnet. There are plenty of them around, too many to mention separately. Most of them are well renovated and offer the usual comforts of budget hotels like a small TV, a fridge and a proper bathroom. Wi-Fi is widely available, as in most parts of Vietnam. Also note, that the prices offered online are sometimes a fair bit higher than if you just show up there in person.

Amigo Hotel. Tucked away in the heart of the guesthouse/cheaper district. Free Wi-Fi and PCs available for guest use. Air-con. Satellite TV. Laundry service at 20,000 dong per kilo. Restaurant downstairs serves good food and very reasonably priced.

Hue Amazing Homestay. Nice and helpful staff, free wifi, free breakfast, 24 hr front desk.

Bamboo Hotel. Good hotel. The staff are friendly, the rooms are clean and neat. Free Internet.

Binh Duong I Hotel. Air-con, hot water & satellite TV included. Popular with Japanese tourists. Friendly and helpful staff. Some rooms have bathtubs and/or private balcony.

Canary Hotel. All rooms are air conditioned, all equipped with 32-inch LCD cable TV, shower with bath and minibar. Bar and restaurant, Internet room, boutique and souvenir shop and laundry service.

Halo. Spotless rooms, spacious, with large bathrooms and TV. There is a balcony to sit on at night, and it's close to all the nightlife in Hue.

Vietnam Backpacker Hostels - Hue Hostel & Sports Bar. Same owners as the popular Hanoi Backpacker's Hostel. Hue Backpacker's is the newest addition to Chu Van An (as of May, 2018. Cheap accommodation, very clean, spacious balconies. Free Internet, Free Wi-Fi and friendly & helpful staff. The downstairs area is also a bar and restaurant serving burgers and other Western food. Bike rentals, tours, cooking classes.

Lam Bao Long Hotel. Has 15 non-smoking rooms, air conditioning, bathrobes, daily newspaper, desk, hair dryer.

Mimosa Guesthouse. Friendly, quiet location in a backpacker hotel alley off Le Loi.

Minh Hieu Hotel. Family-run hotel named after the wild urchin who'll make his displeasure known if you spend too long on the Internet-ready computer downstairs, thereby keeping him from online puzzle games. The rooms are spotlessly clean, with satellite TV, hot water and mini-fridges; each floor has a balcony, and it's not too loud outside.

Phong Lan. Very nice, clean hotel on a small, calm side street near Pham Ngu Lao. All rooms have balcony, air-con, private bath. Rooms for 2 to 4 persons. Free Wi-Fi, bicycle and motorbike rental available. Staff are friendly and speaks good English.

Sports Hotel. Nice cheap hotel located on the main tourist hangout. Clean and big spacious rooms and not far from the river.

Homeland Hotel. Boutique hotel near Perfume River.

Carnosa Hotel Hue. Replaced Tigon Hostel, has wifi, a/c, breakfast buffet, restaurant/bar, and spa.

Asia Hotel. The rooms are well equipped and the rooftop restaurant and pool have nice views.

Holiday (Diamond) Hotel. Exceptionally good value. The spotless, air conditioned rooms are well-furnished with modern amenities and include lockable wardrobes. The included breakfast is substantial. The staff are very attentive, and will learn your name. They will warmly welcome you back after each foray outside, and provide you with free drinks (lemon juice, corn water) every time you enter and whenever you sit in the lobby.

Jade Hotel. Has the same owner as Holiday Hotel, but simpler rooms. Pickup from train station included, if booked in advance.

Hanh Dat Hotel. Rooms with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and 32-inch LCD TV with satellite/ cable channels. Restaurant, business centre, fax and photocopying services.

New Star Hotel. Hotel offering 56 air-conditioned rooms, all of which have a cable television, an Internet connection and a minibar. Amenities include massage and sauna, an outdoor swimming pool and a souvenir shop.

Orchid Hotel. Professional and personable staff. Clean, spacious and beautifully designed rooms. Free pickup from train.

Park View Hotel Hue. In the center of the city, near the Perfume River. It's a 10-min walk to Hue Citadel.

La Residence. Renovated, it tries to bring to life the French colonial era of the 1920s. It has the largest swimming pool and spa in Hue.

Saigon Morin. Hue's grand old hotel which has been open for over a hundred years. Excellent riverside location, whitewashed colonial charm and a pleasant inner courtyard, although the rooms could use a little fine-tuning.