The Hue city tour from Chan May Port is a private shore excursion that covers the main sights of Hue in 1 day and gets you back to your ship with time to spare.
The distance from Chan May Port to Hue City is about 60 km, and the drive takes 75 to 90 minutes each way.
Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam. It served as the capital city under the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and 13 emperors ruled the country from here.
In 1993, UNESCO added the Complex of Hue Monuments to its list, which made it the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vietnam.
International guests discovering cultural heritage at Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue
The tombs, palaces and pagodas on this route all belong to that listing, so one day covers the core of the world heritage sites of Hue.
Chan May cruise port sits on the coast of the former Thua Thien Hue province, roughly halfway between Hue and Da Nang.
There is no public transport to the city from Chan May Port, so a car arranged in advance is the easiest way to get to Hue City and back.
This Hue full-day tour suits people visiting for the first time who want an organized Hue sightseeing day with no planning on their part. Many cruise lines sell a group Hue excursion.
A private Chan May Port shore excursion lets you explore Hue City at your own pace, in a smaller vehicle, with no waiting for other passengers.
If you are comparing a Hue day tour or a Hue tour sold on the cruise ship with a private option, the main differences are group size and flexibility at each stop. With the private option, your guide also works only for you.
Detailed itinerary
The times in this itinerary assume the ship docks at 07:00. Your guide moves each stop to fit the real arrival and departure time of your ship, so the clock times are a guide rather than a fixed rule.
The schedule below is our standard Chan May Port to Hue City 1-day plan.
07:30 Pickup at Chan May Port
We pick you up at Chan May Port as soon as passengers are cleared to go ashore, and your tour guide and driver are already waiting when you step off the ship.
For pickup inside the port, the guide stands near the gangway or at the passenger terminal with a sign showing your name. This option needs a port pass.
We ask for passport details at the time of booking and complete the paperwork with the port office a few days before you arrive.
Friendly local guide meeting tourists outside the cruise port for a shore excursion
You can meet outside the port walk to the main gate or take the ship’s shuttle if one runs.
The car parks in the waiting area just past security. In both cases, the guide checks the all aboard time in your ship’s daily program before setting off and plans the rest of the day backward from that time.
07:45 Chan May Port to Hue by private car
The trip to Hue follows National Route 1 north for most of the 60 km. Morning traffic is usually light, and the drive takes 75 to 90 minutes depending on road works along the way.
The vehicle depends on group size: a sedan for couples, a seven-seat SUV for families or a 16-seat van for bigger groups.
All of them have air conditioning, cold water and wet towels. The road passes rice fields, the edge of Cau Hai Lagoon and small fishing villages around Phu Loc.
During this hour, the guide goes over the plan and answers questions about central Vietnam.
The guide also gives some background on the Nguyen emperors, which makes the first stop easier to follow.
09:00 Khai Dinh Tomb
The first stop is the royal tomb of Khai Dinh, on the slope of Chau Chu Mountain about 10 km south of central Hue.
Khai Dinh was the 12th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty and ruled from 1916 to 1925.
Construction began in 1920 and lasted 11 years, well after his death. The earlier imperial tombs follow garden layouts with lakes and pavilions.
This one is different: it uses reinforced concrete and mixes Vietnamese, Chinese and European design.
International guests discovering cultural heritage at Khai Dinh Tomb in Hue
A flight of 127 steps leads past rows of stone mandarins, elephants and horses up to Thien Dinh Palace.
Inside, the walls and ceilings are covered in mosaics made from broken porcelain and colored glass.
A gilded bronze statue of the emperor sits above his burial chamber. The visit lasts about 60 minutes.
Some steps are steep, so guests with limited mobility can wait in the lower courtyard while the guide describes the upper halls.
10:30 Hue Imperial Citadel
From the tomb, the car crosses to the northern bank of the Perfume River and reaches the Hue Citadel in about 25 minutes.
Emperor Gia Long started construction in 1805, and his son Minh Mang completed the walls and main palaces by 1832.
The outer ramparts run for roughly 10 km and have a moat around them.
You enter the Imperial City through Ngo Mon Gate, which once opened only for the emperor.
Tourists taking photos at Kien Trung Palace in Hue Imperial Citadel
From there you walk to Thai Hoa Palace, where coronations and major court ceremonies were held.
Beyond it lies the Forbidden Purple City, the private quarter of Vietnam’s last royal family.
Much of this section was destroyed during the wars of the last century, so the guide points out which halls are original and which were rebuilt.
The route also includes Duyet Thi Duong, a royal theater from 1826 where court music was performed for the emperors, and the covered corridors that link the palaces.
The visit takes about 90 minutes on flat ground, with little shade near midday.
12:15 Lunch at a local restaurant
Lunch is at a local restaurant close to the citadel. We chose it for its clean kitchen and for cooking that follows the city’s royal food traditions. A typical set menu has four dishes:
Banh khoai, a crispy rice pancake with shrimp and pork
Banh beo, small steamed rice cakes topped with dried shrimp
Nem lui, grilled pork wrapped around lemongrass sticks
A bowl of bun bo Hue, the spicy beef noodle soup the city is best known for
Visitors having traditional meal at local restaurant on Hue city tour from Chan May port
Vegetarian meals and allergy requests are easy to arrange if you mention them at the time of booking.
13:30 Thien Mu Pagoda
From the restaurant, a drive of about 4 km west along the river brings you to Thien Mu Pagoda in Kim Long.
Lord Nguyen Hoang ordered its construction in 1601, which makes it the oldest pagoda in Hue.
It is still an active monastery where monks live and study. The seven-story Phuoc Duyen Tower near the gate was added in 1844 under Emperor Thieu Tri and stands 21 m high.
Scenic overhead view of ancient Thien Mu Pagoda architecture in Hue city
Behind the main hall, a small garage holds the Austin car that monk Thich Quang Duc rode in to his 1963 protest in Saigon.
That event drew worldwide attention to religious policy in South Vietnam.
Clothing that covers shoulders and knees is expected, and hats come off inside the shrine.
About 40 minutes is enough to see the tower, the bell pavilion and the gardens behind the temple.
14:15 Dragon boat on the Perfume River
A set of steps from the pagoda leads down to the pier, where your group boards a private boat for the dragon boat tour into town.
The ride lasts about 30 minutes downstream, past the riverbanks of Kim Long village, with the Truong Tien Bridge coming into view as you near the center.
Scenic view of tourist dragon boat cruising on the Perfume River
According to local legend, the river got its name from fragrant flowers in the orchards upstream, which fell into the water each autumn.
The families who run these boats often live on board and may show you small souvenirs; buying anything is optional.
Your driver meets the boat at the city pier, so there is no walk back to the car.
15:00 Return to Chan May Port
At around 15:00, the car leaves Hue for the 75- to 90-minute drive back to Chan May Port.
On most sailings, you arrive at the port an hour or more before the all-aboard time.
If your ship leaves earlier, the guide shortens the citadel visit or drops the boat ride so the return to the port is never at risk.
Happy visitors returning to cruise ship after Hue city tour from Chan May port
For inside pickup, the guide walks you to the terminal. For outside pickup, the car drops you at the main gate.
The guide stays in touch with our operations team by phone all day, so any traffic delay is handled early rather than at the last minute.
Getting you back to your cruise on time is the priority on every trip we run.
Travel tips:
Your all aboard time is the first thing to tell your guide at pickup.
Your passport photo, ship card and the port agent’s phone number should stay with you on any shore excursion from Chan May Port.
Shoulders and knees need to be covered at the pagoda and inside the palace halls.
Shoes with good grip help on the 127 steps at Khai Dinh.
A hat and sunscreen are important on a Hue shore excursion, because the citadel has very little shade.
Small notes in Vietnamese dong are useful, since boat families and street vendors only take cash.
A tip for the guide and the driver is optional but common.
