Recently Viewed
Hue Imperial and Forbidden City Tour
5.0
216 Ratings
Thành phố Huế
Explore the magnificent architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty on a walking tour of Hue Imperial City. Discover the rich history, culture, and character of Hue with a knowledgeable guide. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!
Explore the magnificent architecture of the Nguyen Dynasty on a walking tour of Hue Imperial City. Discover the rich history, culture, and character of Hue with a knowledgeable guide. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- The Noon Gate (Cua Ngo Mon) - Meet the tour guide at the designated location and proceed to Ngo Mon Gate to receive an overview of the tour and learn about the gate’s role during the Nguyen Dynasty.
- Thai Hoa Palace - The next destination is Thai Hoa Palace, the most significant of the five palaces aligned on the main axis of the Hue Imperial…
- The Noon Gate (Cua Ngo Mon) - Meet the tour guide at the designated location and proceed to Ngo Mon Gate to receive an overview of the tour and learn about the gate’s role during the Nguyen Dynasty.
- Thai Hoa Palace - The next destination is Thai Hoa Palace, the most significant of the five palaces aligned on the main axis of the Hue Imperial City, used for grand court ceremonies and the coronation of new emperors.
- Hien Lam Pavilion - Hien Lam Pavilion is one of the few remaining structures within the Hue Citadel. Take a moment to admire and gain insight into this building, which is over 200 years old.
- Nine Dynastic Urns - The Nine Dynastic Urns refer to the nine bronze urns cast during King Minh Mang’s reign.
- The Mieu Temple - The Mieu Temple was constructed to honor the Nguyen Dynasty kings posthumously. It is one of the five temples within the Hue Citadel.
- Cửa Chương Đức - Chuong Duc Gate is one of the four gates of the Imperial City, designated exclusively for women.
- Hue Royal Palace - The Forbidden Purple City is the name of the third enclosure within the Hue Imperial City, reserved for the king’s family, including his wives and children. Inside the Forbidden Purple City, there are numerous structures serving various purposes.
- Kiến Trung Palace - Dien Kien Trung has recently reopened after being completely rebuilt over the past five years on its original foundation.
- Thai Binh Pavilion - Thai Binh Lau (Peaceful Palace) was where the king would read and enjoy the scenery. It is an exceptionally beautiful structure.
- Thiệu Phương Garden - Thieu Phuong Garden, also known as the Royal Garden, has been restored with stunning scenery. It was a place for the king and his family to stroll and appreciate the surroundings.
- Cửa Hiển Nhơn - Hien Nhon Gate was used by civil and military mandarins to enter the Imperial City for work with the king. This is also where the 2.5-hour walking tour inside the Imperial City concludes.
What's Included
- Guiding fee
- Guiding fee
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees
- Entrance fees
Additional Information
Please be aware that there are two available options:
Option 1: Small group tour to the Imperial City
Option 2: Private tour of the Imperial City, Garden House, and Thien Mu Pagoda, including a boat trip
The itinerary, duration, and pricing vary based on the option selected. Kindly review the details carefully!
This program is specifically designed to…
Please be aware that there are two available options:
Option 1: Small group tour to the Imperial City
Option 2: Private tour of the Imperial City, Garden House, and Thien Mu Pagoda, including a boat trip
The itinerary, duration, and pricing vary based on the option selected. Kindly review the details carefully!
This program is specifically designed to provide insight into the following:
- The history of the Nguyễn Dynasty and Vietnam during the reign of 13 emperors
- The distinctive architecture from the Nguyễn Dynasty era (1802-1945), which was recognized by UNESCO as Vietnam’s first world cultural heritage site in 1993.
- The intriguing royal life within the Imperial & Forbidden City.
- And more…
- We do not include entry fee as you may want to buy COMBO TICKET with better value for Citdel and Tombs.
Location
Hai Mươi Ba Tháng Tám
There is a ticket booth in front of the Meridian gate. I will wait for you here
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(216 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
A5170vmannej
May 31, 2025
Must-do Tour of Imperial City - PSA: If you’re thinking of visiting the Imperial City, take this tour and ask for Hoa.
This tour was exactly what I was looking for—comprehensive, informative, and short(er). Hoa, a Hue local, was an incredible guide for a small group tour that became a private tour since I was the only tourist at the time. You will not understand the significance & history of the Imperial & Forbidden Cities without a guide. It’s a must!
I had just enough time to get some bún hen and fresh lychee juice before my trip to Danang. The perfect day in Hue!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mikiya_k
May 29, 2025
Need a guide in the citadel - Linh was a great tour guide! She made it easy for me and other participants to navigate the huge citadel compound. She also took a lot of good pictures for us (not a given, as some guides are pretty bad photographers).
Review provided by Viator
Todd
May 24, 2025
It’s a palace not a pagota. Must see if you come to Hue - Amazing, try to picture this when it was now, wow what a palace it must have been. It is absolutely huge with heaps to see. You can spend 2 hour or 8 hours if you want to see it all. Beautiful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarajaipur
May 16, 2025
Lovely tour with Sue. - Sue was great. We learnt lots, but Sue was also a very considerate host, ensuring we stayed cool during a hot day. Would recommend to friends and family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amanda
Apr 16, 2025
Really relaxed and informative tour of the citadel - A great tour with Sue. We found out so much about the past few centuries as well as more recent times. She answered all our questions, particularly about the American/Vietnam war. Relaxed yet really insightful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trip29246166691
Apr 12, 2025
experience in peace - very large complex and the guide showed us everything quietly with all the explanations needed along the way,; relatively few people in the sights
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jasminegr5359zz
Apr 12, 2025
Amazing guide! - This was a great tour. Our guide AU was fantastic and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed learning abkut the history and he also shared a lot of cultural insights. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daniele
Apr 9, 2025
Great! - We would like to sincerely thank our guide, Huong (Perfume), for her outstanding professionalism and deep knowledge during our visit to the Imperial City of Hue. Her passion for the history and culture of this incredible place made our experience truly unforgettable. Huong was not only incredibly well-prepared, but also warm, engaging, and attentive to every detail, making sure we understood and appreciated the rich heritage of Hue. We feel very lucky to have had her as our guide and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an exceptional tour experience. Thank you once again, Huong, for making our visit so special!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frédéric
Apr 7, 2025
Increvable, wonderful - An amazing experience with Nhiem my guide on the site during my visite.
She speaks fluent english and Will do everything to give you the maximum informations and explications to learn about the dynastie of the vietnameses emperors.
....a must to do in Huë.
So interesting to be able to share the fabulous history of the vietnam People.
The site is....increvable, i have no words to discrète it.
Frederic
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maya_j
May 30, 2025
Worth doing a guided tour - I had booked months in advance and they had lost my reservation. I had to contact the tour operator the morning of as I hadn't heard from them. Luckily they were able to fit me in last minute. The tour guide Linh was very knowledgeable and friendly on the tour however very pushy to submit a 5 star rating on Tripadvisor after the tour, harassing me on WhatsApp for hours after to resend as the review had not appeared. Would recommend this tour overall as they can guide you through the massive compound and explain little interesting details as you go, just be prepared to be hassled for a 5 star review.
Review provided by Viator
