I spent several days on my last visit to Hue exploring all of the significant sites the city has to offer from the Citadel and Forbidden Purple City, where the Nguyen emperors lived and ruled, to boat cruises on the Perfume River, bicycle and motorbike rides to temples, Emperor tombs, and famous vegetarian restaurants.
There are a few ways you can visit the tombs that were built for the Nguyen emperors, who ruled Vietnam from 1802-1945.
One of the most romantic ways is to hire your own boat and cruise the Perfume River, stopping at each tomb-some require a motorbike ride from the river bank. You can also go on a tourist boat, which is more economical, but either way this form of transportation will take the longest.
Hiring a car is the most convenient and will cost around $40USD. I wouldn’t recommend cycling as it would take all day just to possibly visit only one tomb but renting a motorbike, as long as you’re comfortable using one is fun and inexpensive. A motorbike in Hue costs around $5-$6USD a day plus fuel.
These tombs are impressive and at least two are in a fantasy setting. In this episode of Far East Adventure Travel the best of my live Periscope broadcasts from Minh Mang’s tomb in Hue, Vietnam.