Private Tour
Hue Half Day Tour With Optional Dragon Boat on Perfume River
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
• Customize your personal itinerary with many tour options to choose
• Walking around historical Imperial Citadel of the Nguyen's Emperors
• Learning about Life of Emperors, their Wives, Concubines & Eunuchs
• Visit to the most well-known Thien Mu Pagoda of Hue built from 1601
• Enjoy Dragon Boat Cruise on Romantic Perfume River (Huong River)
• Learn about the importance of Buddhism to local lommunity of Hue
• Visit Best Royal Tombs of the Emperors to learn about Royal Culture
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Please check each option, as we have some options with different itineraries, prices and inclusions.
Food and Drink, Tips/Gratuities for Guide/Driver, Things not mentioned in Inclusions.
The Citadel:
Each Tomb:
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Hue Imperial City (The Citadel)
uilt from 1804 by King Gia Long and finished in 1833 by King Minh Mang. This area was used as living and working quarter for Kings and Royal Family Members of the Nguyen Dynasty until 1945, and was recognized by UNESCO as WORLD CULTURAL HERITAGE. This is a must see place, that not to be missed if you travel to Hue and love to learn about country history and Vietnamese royal culture.
Thien Mu Pagoda
Located on the north shore of the Perfume River about 3km from the Imperial Citadel. You can get there by dragon boat along the Perfume River, or for those feeling more energetic, a pleasant bicycle ride. The Thien Mu Pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the former imperial capital. Today it is the home of the Austin Motor Vehicle which drove Thich Quang Duc to his self-immolation in Saigon in 1963 in protest against the Diem regime. It is still home to many monks and a holy site visited by many everyday.
Options
Car to Visit 2 Tombs w Guide
With English Speaking Guide: You will visit 2 Royal Tombs (choose Choose from Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, Tu Duc, Dong Khanh) by Private Car with Tour Guide.
Sightseeing Places to Visit: Visit any 2 Best Tombs of Nguyen 's Emperors by Private Car/Van with English speaking Guide (Dragon Boat is not included).
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes: but duration of the trip is flexible, depending on speed of your group and can be customized to fit your travel plan.
Trip Inclusions: English speaking Guide, Private Air-conditioner Car/Van, Sightseeing Stops. Extra Charge if you like to have Dragon Boat.
Trip Exclusions: Food and Drinks, Entry Fee 150k/tomb (Gia Long, Minh Mang, Tu Duc, Khai Dinh), Tips for Tour Guide/Driver, Shopping.
Pickup included
Boat, Citadel, Pagoda w Guide
With English Speaking Guide: You will visit the Citadel (Imperial City & Forbidden City), Thien Mu Pagoda by Private Car and Dragon Boat with Tour Guide.
Sightseeing Places to Visit: Take Private Car and Dragon Boat on Perfume River with Guide to visit Imperial Citadel, Forbidden City and Thien Mu Pagoda.
Duration: 4 hours: but duration of the trip is flexible, depending on speed of your group and can be customized to fit your travel plan.
Trip Inclusions: English speaking Guide, Private Air-conditioner Car/Van, Private Dragon Boat on Perfume River, Sightseeing Tour.
Trip Exclusions: Entry Fee to Citadel, we recommend Combo Ticket (valid 2 days) to visit Imperial City with 2 or 3 Tombs later/before.
Pickup included
Boat, Citadel, Pagoda w Driver
Tour Guide is not included: Take Private Car with Driver and Dragon Boat to visit the Citadel (Imperial City & Forbidden City) and Thien Mu Pagoda.
Sightseeing Places to Visit: Thien Mu Pagoda, and the Citadel (including Imperial City and Forbidden City)
Duration: 4 hours: time is flexible, and depending on speed of your group. We do not limit your time for sightseeing.
Trip Inclusions: Private Car with Experienced Driver, Private Dragon Boat on Perfume River, Sightseeing Stops in Thien Mu Pagoda & the Citadel
Trip Exclusions: Tour Guide, Food & Drinks, Entry Fee 200k/Citadel (Combo Ticket if you also visit 2 or 3 Tombs), Tips, Things not mentioned.
Pickup included
Car to Visit 3 Tombs w Guide
With English Speaking Guide: You will visit 3 Royal Tombs (Choose from Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, Tu Duc, Dong Khanh) by Private Car with Tour Guide.
Sightseeing Places to Visit: Visit 3 Best Tombs of Nguyen 's Emperors by Private Car/Van with English speaking Guide (Dragon Boat is not included).
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes: time is flexible, and depending on speed of your group. We do not limit your time for sightseeing.
Trip Inclusions: English speaking Guide, Private Air-conditioner Car/Van, Sightseeing Stops. Extra Charge if you like to have Dragon Boat.
Trip Exclusions: Food and Drinks, Entry Fee 150k/tomb (Minh Mang, Tu Duc, Khai Dinh, Dong Khanh), Tips for Tour Guide/Driver, Shopping.
Pickup included
Boat, Scooter w Driver & Guide
Tour Guide and Driver Included: We have driver to take you for the tour, you just need to sit behind. This option is not for infant and pregnant women.
Sightseeing Places to Visit: Visit Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, Up to 2 Tombs (Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, Tu Duc), Tiger Arena, Vong Canh Hills (former US Base)
Duration: 6 hours: But time is flexible and really depending on how much time you like to spend in each stop & numbers of royal tombs you visit.
Trip Inclusions: English speaking guide, Scooter with Driver and Helmet (you just need to seat behind our driver), Sightseeing Tour.
Trip Exclusions: Food and Drinks, Entry Fee to Imperial City and Royal Tombs, Tips for Tour Guide and Driver, Shopping, Things not mentioned.
Pickup included
Car to 2 or 3 Tombs w Driver
Tour Guide is not included.: You can visit 2 or 3 royal tombs (Choose from Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, Tu Duc, Dong Khanh) by Private Car with driver only.
Sightseeing Places to Visit: You can choose 2 or 3 Best Royal Tombs of the Emperors: Minh Mang Tomb, Tu Duc Tomb & Khai Dinh Tomb.
Duration: 4 hours: time is flexible, and depending on speed of your group. We do not limit your time for sightseeing.
Trip Inclusions: Private Air-conditionered Car/Van with Experienced Driver, Sightseeing Stops in 2 or 3 Royal Tombs.
Trip Exclusions: Tour Guide, Food & Drinks, Entry Fee 150k/tomb (Minh Mang, Tu Duc, Khai Dinh, Dong Khanh), Tips, Things not mentioned.
Pickup included
Reviews
118 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Terrific tour of citadel, pagoda and boat ride
chloeaD814ZL,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our tour guide Nhien was extremely knowledgeable about our tour to the the citadel and pagoda. She was very kind and the transport was very clean and comfortable. Also enjoyed our boat ride along perfume river. We had a very enjoyable day with her. She had great recommendations for restaurant and spa too!! Would definitely recommend this tour!
Private guided tour of Hue
miriamd866,
Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We did our tour with Misa, who's a wonderful guide, rich of knowledge and so friendly. She provides a lot of intresting information about Vietnam and gives us suggestions of our next destinations and a typical spot for lunch. We highly reccommend a tour with her ❤
Wonderful tour
AussieRickB,
Oct 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic experience! Misa was such a lovely local guide, very friendly, very passionate and highly organised with excellent English and such a warm endearing demeanour. Highly recommend this tour and I thank Misa for a memorable experience.
Enjoyable and Interesting Discoveries Inside Hue Imperial Palace
andrewmdb,
Sep 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I had an extremely enjoyable time with Misa on our tour of the Hue Imperial City. Misa was delightful and very knowledgeable about the history and customs of the Imperial City. We learned a lot from her and her enthusiasm made conversations more engaging. The tour is a must for anyone visiting Hue and Misa is a great guide to see it with.
Run in a day
Cloi,
Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went to the imperial city, they took us through super interesting places. Also in the end we were taken to eat one of the most delicious food we tasted during our trip to Vietnam.
Must do tour when in Hue
kiwihappydragonlady,
Sep 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were lucky enough to be on a private tour with just the 6 of us. It was a very hot day so the walking was quite hard but Misa made the whole experience very enjoyable for us. We visited the Pagoda first before it got crowded, then did our dragon boat ride and visited the Imperial citadel and Forbidden city last. Misa gave us so much interesting information. It was excellent.
I’m not sure that I have...
Darrin M,
Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00I’m not sure that I have ever been on a tour with a more informative guide. Duy is a wealth of information and knowledge and obviously very enthusiastic about history. We had a great time and highly recommend this tour and guide!
Pagoda Tombs and temples
suzb18,
Sep 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A really interesting morning. Our guide Nhi was wonderful again. So much information and she made it easy to understand the significance of the Tombs and pagoda. We visited 2 Tombs recommended by Nhi Minh Mang and Khai Dinh showing old and new, which really helped to understand the Dynasty. Despite the heat and humidity the trip was really enjoyable.
Photos and information
dirko514,
Aug 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We take with us a lot of interesting information, an extended stroll through the area and - last but not least many photos Thank you, Linh!
Lovely half day tour with very knowledgeable guide.
TWellslocal,
Aug 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A great half day tour with Au, who is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of Hue and Vietnam, and gave great insights into Buddhism as well when we visited the pagoda. Highly recommend.
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