Huế Travel Guide

Hue is in the central region of Vietnam and is the former imperial capital, and its main attractions are the Imperial Citadel and the Tombs of the Emperors.

Hue is intimately connected to the imperial Nguyen Dynasty, based in Hue, who ruled from 1802 to 1945, when the Emperor Bao Dai abdicated in favor of Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary government.

The city went through tough times during the Vietnam War, when it was conquered by the Viet Cong and held for 24 days, during which the Viet Cong slaughtered around 1,000 people suspected of sympathizing with the South, and then subject to an American bombing campaign to retake the city.

There are plenty of cheap traveller hotels and mid-market hotels in Hue, as well as a couple of expensive giants. The largest cluster is around the short lane of Pham Ngu Lao (including Le Loi, Hung Vuong, Chu Van An, Nguyen Cong Tru). It's not quite as big or backpack as its Ho Chi Minh City namesake, but still a definite tourist magnet.

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 along 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 degrees at night. Alternatively, when the sun makes an appearance for a day or a week, it can reach 30 degrees.

It's usually quite dry during the summer months, when the temperature can reach the high 30's. 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 unpredicatable.