Discovery of the Imperial City and Royal Mausoleum

Our guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel for the tour of Hué, the former capital of Vietnam from 1802 to 1945, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Morning: Visit the Imperial City, the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, the last feudal dynasty of Vietnam. It consists of three parts: The Citadel (Thanh Noi), the Imperial City (Hoang Thanh), and the Forbidden Purple City (Cam Thanh). Explore various main monuments: Flag Tower, Nine Cannons, Noon Gate, Thai Hoa Palace, Thai Dich Lake, nine urns from the Nguyen Dynasty, the Forbidden Purple City, Temple of Worship of the Nguyen Kings, etc.

Continue with the Thien Mu Pagoda, one of Hue's iconic landmarks. Visit its 21-meter octagonal tower, built-in 1601, representing the 7 reincarnations of Buddha.

In the afternoon, we'll visit the Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh – built in a style that blends traditional Vietnamese architecture with European influences. The most remarkable feature of this mausoleum lies in the interior decoration of the Thien Dinh Temple. The ceiling painting depicts 9 magnificent dragons in the clouds, and the walls are adorned with sumptuous porcelain and crystal motifs.

We'll take a photo break at an incense and conical hat making workshop in Thuy Xuan before heading to Tu Hieu Pagoda. Built in 1843 by Monk Nhat Dinh on a hillside, Tu Hieu Pagoda enjoys a very peaceful location amidst a pine forest. It is one of the largest ancient pagodas that is integral to the history of the former capital of Hué. Visiting this pagoda allows you to better understand the importance of Buddhism in Hué - one of Vietnam's important Buddhist centers. It is also at Tu Hieu Pagoda where Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Founder of Plum Village, spent his early and final years as a monk.