What to Do in Hue, Vietnam on a Budget, Hue, Vietnam

Huế can be a great stop for travelers in central Vietnam. Once the national capitol and home to the royal Nguyen family, much of the Imperial City was destroyed during the Vietnam-American War but it has since become a UNESCO World Heritage site. We spent two full weekend days exploring this relatively small city, which seemed like the right amount of time for us.

There are several possible tours, museums, and attractions you can visit in Huế. Souvenir and clothes shopping is also a pretty big draw. But for independent budget travelers like us, you can still get a lot out of the city’s free or inexpensive activities.

Every Saturday and Sunday, a group of young locals take the time to introduce visitors to their city on a two-hour walking tour. The tour guides are students or recent graduates who use the opportunity to practice and improve their English. The free weekend tour can be booked through the Hue Free Walking Tour website (along with other paid tours and private tours available throughout the week), and you’ll meet at the riverfront park.

On our tour, we were led by one of the co-founders of the group, Thu, who was a knowledgeable guide and engaging leader. We were also accompanied by two of her “apprentices” who each led a portion of the tour and conversed with us along the way in English. We learned about the general history of Vietnam and Indochina, toured the Đông Ba market, and stopped at a few important monuments within the walled Citadel. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).