Hue Imperial City (The Citadel): Hours, Address, Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) Reviews: 4.5/5
Hue Imperial City (The Citadel)
Hue Imperial City (The Citadel)
4.5
08:00 - 17:30
Monday
08:00 - 17:30
Tuesday
08:00 - 17:30
Wednesday
08:00 - 17:30
Thursday
08:00 - 17:30
Friday
08:00 - 17:30
Saturday
08:00 - 17:30
Sunday
08:00 - 17:30
About
This former site of the old capitol has a moat and ten ornate gates guarding a palace, temples, gardens and tombs. Its most prominent feature is a tall flag tower.
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Popular mentions
4.5
10,905 reviews
Excellent
5,159
Very good
3,993
Average
1,376
Poor
267
Terrible
110
GRtravelling
Seattle223 contributions
Great discovery
Apr 2021
A great location to spend time in and wander back into the past.
Grounds are very big and the further you get back the more the discoveries.
Would recommend - choose a cool day to visit !
Grounds are very big and the further you get back the more the discoveries.
Would recommend - choose a cool day to visit !
Written 30 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JWeiden
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam141 contributions
A must see for any visitor to Hue
Apr 2021
The Citadel is a must-see on a first visit to Hue. Although just a small number of buildings have been restored, work appears to be underway on several more. I wish there was a way they could do more to re-create the interiors (assuming the original furnishings are no longer available) to give visitors a sense of what life was like.
Written 23 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JSTrip_77
Hanoi, Vietnam1,045 contributions
A Must-See UNESCO Site
Feb 2021
UNESCO included the Hue Imperial Citadel on it's list of world heritage sites in 1993 and it is very deserving of that. Even as it's being carefully restored in the wake of extensive damage during the Vietnam War, it's incredibly impressive for its history and beauty. And on a more personal note, it was so nice to see so many young Vietnamese taking so much interest in their history. The place is absolutely sprawling so leave yourself enough time to get what you want - a drive-by or a quick-peek at the citadel just really isn't a thing. And, go by at night too. The city lights up the flag tower and the one of the palaces over the main gate in a way that is just stunning.
This is really a must - see.
This is really a must - see.
Written 28 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JayRae1
Glasgow, UK1,543 contributions
Definitely worth a visit if you are staying in Hue
Feb 2020
My wife and I had booked at 17-day trip through Vietnam and Cambodia with G-Adventures and the town of Hue was our third location visited. Although our G-Adventures guide was excellent, local guides were provided at every stop on our tour, including Hue. I’d recommend having a guide if you want to get the best from your Imperial Citadel experience as, otherwise, you would be left wandering around blindly trying to find all the relevant history for yourself.
The tour was excellent and very interesting, and the most impressive place to visit near Hue, though I don’t think it merits the five-star reviews that some have given it. Each to his/her own I suppose, and that’s the beauty of travelling, in that we all see things from different perspectives. As I said though, definitely look to go with a guide or, at the very least, rent one of the portable audio guides.
The tour was excellent and very interesting, and the most impressive place to visit near Hue, though I don’t think it merits the five-star reviews that some have given it. Each to his/her own I suppose, and that’s the beauty of travelling, in that we all see things from different perspectives. As I said though, definitely look to go with a guide or, at the very least, rent one of the portable audio guides.
Written 4 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LuizDutraNeto
Rio de Janeiro, RJ8,613 contributions
The magic Vietnam's Imperial Citadel!
Jan 2020
You are in Huê! The city chosen by Emperor Gia Long, in 1789, to be the very first Imperial capital of the newly unified Vietnam. On the Northern banks of "Sông Huong" - the "Perfume River" - he started, in 1802, the construction of his walled citadel, with a ringing moat and two meter thick ramparts. Visit the citadel, its gates, palaces, outer and inner courts, pavilions, residences, temples, ponds and gardens. And do not miss its innermost enclosure - the "Forbidden Purple City" - an area once restricted to the Imperial Family and closest attendants only. At its "Duyet Thi Duong", the beautifully restored "Royal Theater", performances of traditional music and dances. Check performances' schedules, as they are very interesting and a unique chance to attend a show by the "Hue Royal Palace Arts Troupe". The "Royal Citadel" was pretty much damaged during the Vietnam War and from its 160 buildings, only a dozen survived. It is a shaddow of what it once was, but still beautiful and deserving a visit by all those traveling in and around Huê, a Unesco appointed, in 1993, "World Heritage Site"! Enjoy!
Written 22 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karolina S
Sheffield, UK13 contributions
A must do!
Mar 2020
AMAZING!! If there is only one thing you'll do while visiting Hue let this be it! So much beauty and history. The grounds are massive and the gardens so lush. You could spend all day here and not get bored. I was extremely impressed with how well the preserved the place. The one thing that put me down was the amount of rubbish. It's very disrespectful. But apart from that it was absolutely fantastic, a great day in Hue.
Written 6 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dara-Khmer
Melbourne, Australia3,747 contributions
Brilliant
Sep 2020 • Couples
We'd been years earlier but perhaps it was the lack of crowds, but this was a great visit and totally worth the time
Written 23 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
hoasonghy
Hoi An, Vietnam23 contributions
Beautiful but....
Jul 2020 • Family
The whole experience was great. Super impressive with the buildings and history. However, the amount of rubbish we saw around the palace was very disappointing. Some places looked liked they haven't been cleaned for months. The management team should take care of this attraction better...
Written 29 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alex B
London, UK366 contributions
Average
Jul 2020 • Couples
I travelled all the way from Hoi An to see the imperial city and it was quite underwhelming. I really thought it was going to be a lot better than what it was.
Don’t get wrong, it’s really nice to walk around, very peaceful, quiet and some really nice architecture to look at. But aside from that, it’s very average.
Luckily it doesn’t cost much to go in. It’s worth a visit for a nice walk, but I wouldn’t travel just to see it.
Don’t get wrong, it’s really nice to walk around, very peaceful, quiet and some really nice architecture to look at. But aside from that, it’s very average.
Luckily it doesn’t cost much to go in. It’s worth a visit for a nice walk, but I wouldn’t travel just to see it.
Written 15 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Becky1979
Hull, UK179 contributions
Quaint and quiet
Jul 2020 • Family
We visited the Citadel with a 3 year old and 7 year old. We took advice from previous recommendations and took the audio guide and like others were pleased we did as we would not have known what we were looking at, as the map given did not appear to direct us correctly.
It was incredibly hot and our youngest struggled to remain interested. Both however enjoyed the extensive ground and freedom to roam around the grounds.
Unfortunately due to low visitor numbers the Art activities which would have captivated the children were not available.
Would recommend to the onsite gift shop located near the exit as it had great range of traditional Vietnamese souvenirs at reasonable prices.
It was incredibly hot and our youngest struggled to remain interested. Both however enjoyed the extensive ground and freedom to roam around the grounds.
Unfortunately due to low visitor numbers the Art activities which would have captivated the children were not available.
Would recommend to the onsite gift shop located near the exit as it had great range of traditional Vietnamese souvenirs at reasonable prices.
Written 9 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Do you know the electric car fare that goes around the palace?
John P
Houston, TX12,408 contributions
They have various routes, but I cannot put a link here (not allowed by TA).
I suggest #5
90K VND per person to visit the perimeter or outer area (Hoang Thanh)
After that, you can walk around the inner area (the Purple City or Dai Noi.)
If you still want to take another trip, pay another 100K VND for the 30 minutes of the inner area.
...
If you don't want to visit the perimeter, pay 150K for the 60-min ride of the inner area.
...
The other routes (1-4) are point-to-point. When you get there, you'll see what I mean.
Bee1987
209 contributions
Hi, is there an audioguide?
Nenagh
England, UK216 contributions
Yes you can hire the audio guide for a small fee and the tour begins at the ticket office and you have to decide if you want tour for four or six hours as there is different routes we opted for the four hour stretch which we thought adequate
Feenixwest
Fort Collins, CO1,474 contributions
Is there a wheelchair available at the entry for hire? If not, does anyone know where to rent one?
SEAsiaVeteran
Grantham, NH235 contributions
I seriously doubt it. And the Citidal is not at all an accessible location.
Catherine C
London, UK41 contributions
Hi,
can you please tell me if you booked tickets online before you went to Vietnam or got them on the day you visited? Was there a long line to get in? Thanks
Pinkfish01
Sheffield, UK535 contributions
Buy tickets when you are there.
No queue and ticket office is outside the Citadel entrance.
Udeshini S
Colombo, Sri Lanka2 contributions
What time does it open on a Tuesday? (Tomorrow)
Andre Houraghan
33 contributions
Sorry I should have said 17.30 for Tuesday closing time but Thursday it is open till 22.00.
Jolyon O
Norfolk84 contributions
How much walking is involved?
George A
Phoenix, AZ156 contributions
It is a lot of walking, Jolyon. The Citadel walls form a square, about 700 meters (1/2 mile) across, plus a good 5 minutes' walk on each end to the car parks. The various complexes of building are on different sides inside the walls, so you end up walking back/forth, and enter on one side (the Meridian Gate) and exit on the opposite. If there is a plus, it's all flat--just a few steps to get into buildings. When I visited I didn't see any buggies like another person answered, so I can't vouch for that.
Can I visit Imperial City at night? Google map says it will open till 10 PM on Thursday, and some say on Saturday, and others say impossible. I want new information.
Jon N
Singa2,551 contributions
According to the hotel staff, no longer available to visit at night now. Close at 530pm.
nhodrali
Plymouth, UK36 contributions
What is the best way to experience the citadel? Do you purchase a package or try see all the tombs individually? Will be staying in Hue for a month.
Erik Nordlöf
Stockholm, Sweden47 contributions
Well if you are interested in both tombs and the citadel I would suggest getting a package. That way you could spend a day walking around the citadel, and one day visiting the tombs. I recommend renting a motorbike to see the tombs, as they are quite a bit apart.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hue Imperial City (The Citadel)
- Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) is open:
- Sun - Sat 08:00 - 17:30
- We recommend booking Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 224 Hue Imperial City (The Citadel) tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Hue Imperial City (The Citadel):
- Hue city tour with private english speaking driver: see royal tombs and more (From €23.94)
- Hue City Full-Day Tour (From €47.53)
- Hue full day guided tour with 5 must see places in Hue (From €44.61)
- Hue Imperial City Private Tour - Fullday (From €102.28)
- Hue Flavor Street Food Tour (From €42.43)
- Hotels near Hue Imperial City (The Citadel):
- (1.13 km) Azerai La Residence Hue
- (0.61 km) Tam Family Homestay
- (0.51 km) Le Robinet Homestay
- (1.72 km) Eva Homestay
- (1.68 km) EMM Hotel Hue
- Restaurants near Hue Imperial City (The Citadel):
- (0.49 km) Les Jardins de La Carambole
- (0.68 km) Bistro 34'
- (0.38 km) Cafe 51
- (0.72 km) Lac Thien Restaurant
- (0.43 km) Tu Phuong Vo Su Lau Coffee