Hue

Where to shoot

• Noon Gate (Ngo Mon) — the main entrance to the Imperial City, a fortified gate topped by a two-tiered wooden pavilion.
• Forbidden Purple City — the emperor's private compound, now a mix of restored halls, red corridors, and open lawns.
• Thien Mu Pagoda — the riverside pagoda and seven-story tower that have become Hue's symbol.
• Tomb of Khai Dinh — a hillside mausoleum finished in 1931 with mosaic-covered interior walls.
• Imperial City — a vast walled citadel of palaces, gates and courtyards modeled on a Chinese forbidden city.
• Thien Mu Pagoda — a seven-tiered riverside pagoda on a hill above the Perfume River, an icon of the city.
• Royal Tombs — elaborate landscaped mausoleums of the Nguyen emperors set in gardens outside the city.
• Perfume River — the waterway threading through Hue, traveled by dragon boats and softened by morning mist.
• Imperial City — a vast moated citadel of palaces and ceremonial gates at the heart of the former capital
• Thien Mu Pagoda — a seven-tiered riverside pagoda, an icon of the city above the Perfume River
• Tomb of Khai Dinh — an ornate hillside royal tomb blending Vietnamese and European styles with elaborate mosaics
• Tomb of Tu Duc — a landscaped royal tomb complex set around lakes and pavilions in a wooded setting

When to go

Late January to April, when the heat hasn't peaked and the rains have passed; April and May mornings are ideal for the Imperial City before the midday sun.

What to eat

Order bun bo Hue, a lemongrass-and-chili beef noodle soup with thick round noodles, for breakfast, then try com hen (rice with baby clams) and steamed banh beo rice cakes for lunch.

Where to stay

Stay on the south bank between Le Loi and Pham Ngu Lao streets, a short walk across Truong Tien Bridge to the citadel and close to the riverside restaurants.