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Trip Planner: Asia / Vietnam / Thua Thien - Hue Province / Hue / Imperial City

Imperial City, Hue

4.3

Must see · World heritage site · Historic Site · Tourist Spot

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A listed World Heritage Site, Imperial City (aka the Purple Forbidden City) stands as a testimony to the power and wealth of the last imperial Vietnamese dynasty. Situated on a riverbank, the complex features the remains of an imperial palace, Buddhist temples and pagodas, tombs of Nguyen Kings, courtyards, and gardens. It is encircled by a moat and two rows of fortification walls. Over the years following the demise of Vietnamese monarchy, the site was significantly ruined by cyclones and termites. However, it suffered the severest damage during the Vietnam War--look for the holes in the stone walls made by bullets and grenades. The highlights include a flag tower and 10 lavishly ornamented gates. Using our world travel planner, Hue attractions like Imperial City can form part of a personalized travel itinerary.

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Tours to Imperial City

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FROM $45 BOOK WITH VIATOR Hue City Tour Half Day - Best Half Day Trips in Hue for History Buff Hue City Tour Half Day - Best Half Day Trips in Hue for History Buff

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FROM $349 BOOK WITH VIATOR Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An 3 days 3 nights private package tour or Vice Versa Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An 3 days 3 nights private package tour or Vice Versa

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Imperial City reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating

10,961 reviews

Google

4.5

By Megan L

soooooooo there was no toilet paper, however they have many delightful fish and one pond especially where you can buy fish food to feed the fish - also gr8 for a hot girl walk xoxo

soooooooo there was no toilet paper, however they have many delightful fish and one pond especially where you can buy fish food to feed the fish - also gr8 for a hot girl walk xoxo more »
By minky b

One of the recognized UNESCO site in Hue, Vietnam. This palace was built in the year 1803. Once again, having a reputable tour guide will make the visit worthwhile. This site is enclosed by a huge...

One of the recognized UNESCO site in Hue, Vietnam. This palace was built in the year 1803. Once again, having a reputable tour guide will make the visit worthwhile. This site is enclosed by a huge... more »
By Kathrynn00

Here’s what’s important: 1. If raining bring an umbrella, it will be constant and sad 2. Scan the QR code at the ticket booth and download the app - it will give you readable information on most...

Here’s what’s important: 1. If raining bring an umbrella, it will be constant and sad 2. Scan the QR code at the ticket booth and download the app - it will give you readable information on most... more »

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Google

By Prashant Chaudhary (Travel Diary)

We have visited this on weekdays and there was no rush at all. Weather was too hot and it's become difficult to roam there. Carry umbrella and water. It is nice place to see history. If you are interested to visit historical place then it will require 2 - 3 hours by max to explore this. Ticket price is 200.000 VND per person.

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By Alice Kong

Recommended to buy combo ticket at the counter if you enjoy sightseeing. 420,000 dong for 3 attractions. Need at least 2 hours to walk around the citadel. We only manage to explore about 50% of the citadel by ourselves. A tour guide to explain the history to you would be wonderful. To visit the temple, it is advised that you wear long pants or a long skirt. If you are wearing short pants or a skirt, you are not permitted to enter.

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By Rob Moreno

A nice place to get to know a bit about the ancestry of the local area. One even gets to see the effect of colonialism (not always great) as they have a tennis court on the area. The gardens are very nice and well kept. Def. worthy of a stop.

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By Giulio Lo Porto

Was quite surprised at the entry fee of 200k and first impressions after walking through the main entrance were really disappointing, however! This place got better and better. The more time we spent, the more ground we covered it got more and more interesting. The gardens, the flora, the architecture, absolutely superb. Could have easily spent an entire day there taking photos. Most of the grounds are quite unkept, overgrown and generally not looked after but this really adds to the charm of the area.

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By Joe Hyde

The ancient citadel in Hue was great with all the different generational building throughout the grounds and different ornate details to each area. We did the independent walking tour around the grounds and then did a 4D experience which have dynasty style life to the citadel highlighting the amount of people that would have been involved. Good experience would highly recommend to anyone interested in the local history.

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