Visit Huế

On the left bank of the Perfume River, the citadel built from 1805 forms a square about 10 km around, surrounded by moats. Inside is the Imperial City, but also a peaceful residential quarter of lakes, gardens and traditional garden houses. The fighting of 1968 destroyed much of the palaces, including the Forbidden Purple City, and restoration is ongoing. Allow half a day for the imperial enclosure, starting at opening time to avoid the heat, which is intense from May to August.

The right bank, laid out in the French era, lines up schools, former administrative buildings and hotels along Lê Lợi street and the tree-lined riverbanks. This is where accommodation, restaurants and the lively evening walking street are concentrated. Trường Tiền Bridge, lit up after dark, links the two banks in ten minutes on foot. To taste bún bò Huế, the city's spicy noodle soup, neighbourhood stalls serve a bowl for a small price from 6 am.

Four kilometres west of the centre, Thiên Mụ Pagoda overlooks the north bank; further upstream the tomb hills begin. Most agencies offer a half-day dragon-boat trip combining the pagoda, Hòn Chén temple and one or two tombs, but the boat is slow: by bike or taxi you see more in less time. The cruise is mainly worth it for the late afternoon light. In the evening, boats offer traditional Huế singing, ca Huế, listed as national heritage.

The Nguyễn emperors had true funerary estates built during their lifetimes, between 7 and 15 km south of the city. Three tombs sum up the variety: Tự Đức for poetry, Minh Mạng for symmetry, Khải Định for eccentricity. Allow a full day for all three, by taxi or motorbike with a driver, and bring water: there are many steps and little shade. A combined ticket covering the Imperial City and several tombs costs less than separate admissions.

About twenty kilometres north-east, Tam Giang lagoon, one of the largest in Southeast Asia, is dotted with stilted fish traps and fishing villages. Its sunrises and sunsets are prized by photographers. On the way, the Thanh Toàn covered bridge, 7 km from the centre, is easy to combine by bike. This outing takes half a day; avoid it from October to December, when floods in central Vietnam can submerge low-lying roads.