From Hoi An/da Nang: Hue Imperial City Tour Via Hai Van Pass

We booked the full-day Hue tour from Hoi An and had an absolutely flawless experience. Our guide, Cong, was fantastic. He is incredibly passionate, highly informative, and brought the history of the Hue Imperial City to life with great storytelling. There was truly nothing to dislike about this day. Highly recommend this tour.

A Safe driver who waited for me after flight from Hanoi.

I almost skipped this experience due to the duration - it is a long day but it was made really smooth with our amazing guide Ellie and our great driver! Hue was amazing, all the stops we made were incredible! It is very hot during July so pack a hat and sunscreen. Really enjoyed this experience!

On arrival in Huế, we began our sightseeing with a visit to the Ancient Imperial Citadel, a vast complex of palaces, temples and ceremonial buildings constructed by the Nguyễn Dynasty in the early 19th century. This extraordinary site - now recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage treasure - offered a powerful glimpse into Vietnam’s imperial past. Walking through its imposing gates, moss‑covered walls and beautifully restored structures, we could feel the weight of history and the legacy of the emperors who once ruled from within its fortified grounds. From the citadel, we embarked on a scenic drive into Huế’s countryside, passing through peaceful villages, lush gardens and expansive green rice fields. The rural landscape provided a serene contrast to the grandeur of the citadel and set the tone for our visit to the Tomb of Emperor Minh Mạng, one of the most beautiful and architecturally harmonious of all imperial tombs. The complex featured elegant pavilions, tranquil lakes, courtyards and temples arranged in perfect symmetry - reflecting the emperor’s philosophical beliefs and the refined artistry of the Nguyễn era. In the late afternoon, we enjoyed a leisurely boat trip along the Perfume River, a gentle and scenic waterway that has long been central to Huế’s cultural identity. The soft light, quiet ripples and surrounding greenery created a peaceful atmosphere as we made our way to the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, one of Vietnam’s most historic and recognisable religious landmarks. Its seven‑storey tower rising above the riverbank was a striking sight, and the pagoda’s serene grounds offered a moment of reflection before concluding the day. We returned to our hotel in Huế for an overnight stay, enriched by the history, beauty and cultural depth of Vietnam’s former imperial capital.

Great day out . wonderful bus. perfectly timed . plenty of time in each place we visited . Highly recommended.

This was a really great day trip from Hoi An. Visiting Hue was an incredible experience. The guide was really knowledgeable.

We were staying in Hoi An and wanted to have one night in Hue and then back to Hoi An. Alex turned up on time and was a nice, safe driver who spoke good English. We went to Hue via the Hai Van Pass. On the way we said we would like to see the Hue sites before coming back to Hoi An. This was organised easily and Alex picked us up the next morning as scheduled. Saw the sites and back to Hoi An. Cannot recommend Alex or VM Travel enough. 👍

Our guide An was fantastic, great information and open to questions about culture and surroundings.

It was an amazing experience worth the travel time to get there from Hoi An. Our guide Cong was informative and very friendly. The Citadel tour was expansive and educational including the history of the last emperor. The other sites visited were also very important in Hue’s history - the tomb and pagoda. The included lunch was delicious as well. All in all a great day trip that everyone should experience.

We had a great day trip to Hue organized by VM travels. Our guide(Ray Nguyen) was really great, he was very informative & his planning was perfect which enabled us to see all the 3 places listed on the tour at a reasonable pace. The set menu lunch that was organized for us was authentic Vietnamese which we enjoyed a lot(was the only tour we got to enjoy a truly Vietnamese lunch - all other tours had buffet & the food was a step down from this). Ray was also nice enough to drop us & our luggage off at our hotel in Da Nang which saved us a trip from Hoi An to Da Nang. Overall the best day trip we had in Vietnam. Highly recommended.

We did the tour of hue from hoi an. It is about a 3 hour journey by car. We made a stop on the way there but not on the way back. This was not mentioned as you were rushed on to the mini bus after the last stop. The tour packed in some main attractions - citadel, temple and tomb with lunch in the middle. It felt rushed and there was no time to get water or snacks - so I would make sure you pack what you need for the tour with no expectation that you will be able to top up on the way. The tour guide gave water - 2x 500ml bottles but if you need more than that for an 11-12 hour trip I would bring more. We travelled as a couple and there was no acknowledgment of this at lunch from the guide which meant we had to sit with other people. Not the end of the world but would have need nice to sit with the people you travel with. They made accommodation for food allergies and checked when at the restaurant as well. Over all a good day trip - long journey with rushed sight seeing but I think that would be the case when visiting hue from hoi am on a group tour due to the travel distance.

We were staying in Hoi an and want to visit Hue in the last day of our stay. Found this tour which is perfect for the time allow. It was just right to cover a broad sense of the function of Hue's ancient past. The highlight was our tour guide Minh aka Tony :) He was passionate about his country and explained so much history about all the attraction points. It took 30-40min from hoi an to Da Nang and then 2.5 hours to Hue, so lot of travelling but it was ok because Tony made it very interesting, we had a toilet break half way so it was perfect. The van is the standard tourist Van, not too flash but it was comfortable. Lunch was great, it covers all the Hue signature dishes, I think it was fine. You can pay extra for additional beverages. It was a fun day, we ended up back to Hoi an at around 7pm, so just in time for the start of the night market :)

Stunning Hue! The tour has been fantastic, Ben is a really passionate guide and explained very well the history and culture of the place we visited. The lagoon was amazing too and the group of people was a real pleasure.

The tour was really well organised. Seeing the old Capital of Hue was very fascinating. The Citadel was amazing. Lunch was one of the best we've had on any tour. Three courses was served. We got lucky as we were the only one's who went. Which meant we were like VIPs 😁 The driver and the tour guide John were extremely professional and John was a wealth of knowledge. Highly recommend doing this tour.

Sadly we were unable to go on this activity as my friend was too ill on the day. We did not expect to get a refund as it was less than 24 hours when we cancelled. But we got agreement for a refund. Thank you very much.

Wow, what a great day. Hues UNESO sights. Thank you to our very funny guide Neh. Picked us up from our hotel. Did a dragon boat ride. Visited a citidel wgich was very interesting Visited market. Lunch was at a hidden resturant Beautiful 3 course meal. Herbal foot bath and dragon fruit cake making. Visited 2 royal graves then droppwd off at our hotel. Perfect day worth a diversion from Hoi An to stay a while.

Good day trip to see the imperial citadel and other temples in the area. The guide was fantastic and accommodating, lunch was great and they cater to dietary requirements. Highly recommend.

Our guide, Minh was professional and knowledgeable, with a pleasant personality. We learned about Vietnam’s history from all 3 locations visited today in Hue. Everything was well and smooth organized, we had a great day. Thank you.

Our guide was amazing!! I loved his enthusiasm as detailed explanations o out the sites we were visiting. I had my 10 and 8 year old with me then they were also glued to the guide’s words. We also had a good amount of time to explore on our own before gathering and moving to the next destination. A good experience, overall!

Great tour, well organized well run and great staff, all very professional. Lots of photo opportunities. Staff looked after us all very well and gave us both great insights and free time.

Had a great day in this tour. They were very organized and Patrick was very knowledgeable. He was very polite as well & made sure we were all doing good in the heat. We enjoyed the places we visited & lunch was very good. Vehicle was comfortable & driver safe.

A wonderful day trip, beautiful drive with stunning views of mountains and bays. Our guide Mi A was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and had a great sense of fun! She made the day entirely enjoyable while also imparting a lot of information. Listen carefully and you might win a little prize at the end of the day! If you like history, this is definitely the tour for you. The visit to the Pagoda was very moving. We also highly recommend tasting the fresh oysters from the local oyster farm at the beach stop!!! We live on the coast of Ireland and love our oysters. These were in our top 3 best. Lunch was yummy and generous. This tour managed to be both relaxing and comprehensive. You won’t be disappointed.

This travel company is a scam. They didn't show up to pick me up and drop me off at the hotel as scheduled, and they didn't provide the tour service that I bought. When I called them, they hung up on me and couldn't be contacted.

This was a fantastic day tour covering multiple places and a lovely lunch. 9ur guide, Thuong, was very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the day.

It was a very arranged tour. Our guide Cong or Ray was very knowledgeable. He shared lot of information about history and culture of Vietnam. It was a long drive from Hoi An.

The Imperial City is in a word - amazing. I have traveled extensively in Asia and around the world and Hue is a top surprise for me. All of the architecture on the three stops is stunning. Also did not know the history behind the Nguyen Dynasty. The drive up from Da Nang along the coast was really pretty as well. Of the sites I’ve seen in Southeast Asia, 12 countries, only Angkor Wat ranks up there with Hue. So I would not miss this site on your bucket list. I’m not sure it was a good idea for the Nguyen dynasty to have spend so much of their taxpayer money building these elaborate palaces but as a tourist it is undeniably impressive. Our guide Ray was very professional and knows a lot of history on the Nguyen Dynasty. 5 stars

The guide was outstanding. He gave us so much detailed information on each site and really knew his history. He was a great storyteller and I learned so much from him. One of the best guides I have had.

A very long day (c12hrs) if you are staying in Hoi An. Guide was good, minibus was a bit tight and uncomfortable given the length of the day. I found the bus hadn’t been cleaned from the last trip (empty bottles left and wrappers left). Couple of the stops felt a bit pointless. However the trips to the temple and imperial city were good if you like your history of all things old. The guide was knowledgeable and engaging. Given the length of the day and lack of space of the bus, I probably wouldn’t recommend this to a friend unless they really wanted to see the imperial city.

This is my third trip to Vietnam but the first time to Danang, Hue and Hoi An. My friend and I went in February which is a little more expensive due to Chinese New Year period. Cat pooped coffee is nothing usual, but what the heck! Candle-lit river is a good walk, lots of restaurants and shops. We also took a walk, about 2 hours, in the day time, which is just as nice. We had a fantastic time on the coconut boat; there was a boat race, singing contest, pay another USD10-15 for the driver to spin the boat. Near the Dragon bridge, there's a night market selling lots of seafood. Most of the cockles, oysters, clams etc is 2 dollar a small plate but my prize goes to the lobster: USD20 for a 1 kg lobster. We had it for 2 nights. If you're in Asia, you might consider this part of Vietnam. We paid USD680 inclusive of 3 star accommodation (very nice), breakfast, lunch, a driver and tour guide.

Absolutely fantastic tour! One of the best we have ever done- our guide Ray Nguyen was absolutely amazing- he was funny and knew SO many facts! We spent the whole day saying ‘wow’ at the views, temples and fantastic facts! Thank you

Our guide and driver were both really good. Our guide Ray’s knowledge of each place we went to was excellent and made the trip so much better. The Imperial Citadel was very impressive as was the emperor’s tomb. It was a long day travelling from Hoi An but we’re very glad we did the trip. It was really worthwhile

We had a memorable visit to the ancient city earlier this week. Everything went to plan. The tour operator was punctual, the vehicle was good and we were looked after very well. Mian, our guide, was very attentive and caring. She was well informed and gave us a lot of background information on all the locations we visited. We were given sufficient time to look around after Mian made the introduction. She also kept the group engaged with little quizzes and humorous tidbits. Lunch was excellent too. All in all, we had an enjoyable day experiencing a slice of Vietnamese history.

The tour is really excellent. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and explained the about the places that we have been to.

Tom and Jerry (driver) were great. Tom was a local born and raised in Hue, so was very generous with local tit bits as well as our tour places we visited. It was a big day. We were staying in Hoi An so early start. But if limited on time this is certainly worth it. Lunch was amazing 8 courses. That in itself was worth the tour.

Fantastic guide. Knew all the history needed to gives us a great tour. A bit long drive from Hoi An, but doable.

Very professional. The tour guide was in contact with us the day before to confirm pick up time and was on time! All the stops were all on time, and the vehicle transporting us was clean and spotless. Water was provided throughout the trip. Lunch was provided (which was very good), and we felt overall satisfied! Our tour guide was An and he was truly a delight. Please note it is an all-day tour so it started early from 7.50am - 8pm. It’s a full day, door-to-door. So families with young families - this may be a major stretch. We went with our 5 year old and she was definitely tired towards the end due to the heat and the length of the tour.

The Hue city tour was a terrific day trip from Da Nang. Our tour guide, Ray, was great at communicating the information regarding the various sites we were seeing. Exploring the citadel along with the tomb of Khai Dinh were the highlights of the tour. Thank you Ray for a wonderful tour of Hue!

Despite being a long day from Hoi An it was certainly worth the trip to see the buildings and temples of Hue. Tian, our guide was exceptional, answering all our questions and providing us with a great day. If you have the time, the trip is well worth your while.

All the sightseeing points were very interesting with the guide very informed and pleasant all through the trip. Our meal at a restaurant was very nice, however no aircon for such a hot day. Also can I suggest putting bottles of water for passengers in a esky.

Awesome trip. Would recommend to everyone. Very knowledgeable guide and ample time to take pictures. Our guide Công or Ray was super helpful in accommodating us

Tour guide spoke very clearly. Worthwhile day trip from Hoi An. Hue is a very interesting place. Learned a lot.

It was a very nice journey for us as a familiy of 4, perfect organization, thank you for the day, we can absolutely recommend this tour (despite it takes 12h in total from Hoi An)

This was a very interesting and educational tour. Our guide was knowledgeable and gave us time to explore the area. Lunch was also quite delicious.

This was an amazing day trip to the Imperial City - Hue. The guide ‘Mi An’ was knowledgeable about the locations and good at taking photos. The buffet was lovely and the scenery was amazing. This is a nice easy way to see Hue from Da Nang.

A perfect way to transfer to Hue. You pass by beautiful scenery, visit the main sightseeing, and have a nice lunch. Also perfect for a day trip from Hoi An

Very nice driver who went out of hiscway to get me to my hotel in the busy streets of Hoi An. Got to see lits of interesting sites.

This was a very nice trip. It was well organised and included interesting sights in Hue. The tour guide was very nice and looked after us well, was informative and good fun. Our driver was great and worked very hard all day. A very tasty lunch was provided, no problem being vegetarian. Only down side was the 40 degree heat! Glad to have a nice cool comfortable bus to retreat to.

The trip was enjoyable, Hue has so much more going for it than we realised. Our tour guide Ahn was knowledgable and made the experience relaxing with his great personality. Seeing the Tomb of the King and the Citadel were definite highlights Lunch was included and it was delicious and abundant. Highly recommend this tour.

It was a long hot day but well worth the experience to get a better understanding on the history of Vietnam