How To Travel To Hue
Get In - By Plane
Hue’s international “Phu Bai” (HUI) airport has daily flights to and from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but the flight schedule is frequently disrupted by bad weather during the rainy season (Mid October – Mid December). These three airlines are Vietnam Airlines, JetStar Pacific, and Vietjet that fly to “Phu Bai” airport. From the airport to town center, which is 15 kilometers away, a taxi ride shouldn’t cost more than 250,000 VND (30 minute ride). Also available is a bus that will take you into the city for 50,000 VND per person. The bus stops on Hà Ni as of July 2017 one block west of Hùng Vng roundabout intersection with Lê Quôn and ng.
The ticket counter at the arrival hall of the airport is located to your right side along the walkway after leaving the secured area. After being renovated in recent years it reopened in September 2013 as an airport; otherwise, you may choose to book a private car driven by English-speaking chauffeurs who can drop you downtown.
With Hai Van Tunnel now open, Da Nang’s airport two hours by road has become much busier and more connected. In February 2012, getting from Da Nang Airport to Hue was possible for only $45 in a single direction for large cars or $40 for small ones since large one-way fares were about 1.2 million dong on meters. If you are traveling with more than four people it would be better to arrange a separate car either through any Hue hotel or any other car hiring company in Danang or even Hue itself. Phu Bai Airport can also be reached by air from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (about 15km from Hue City Center). Otherwise reserve shuttle buses run by Vietnam Airlines Company that heads towards Hue via Phu Bai Airport or you can also book a private taxi from Phu Bai Airport to Hue through any Hue tourist agency. Most of them have got car rentals or you may ask your hotel for easy airport transfer. Nevertheless, be careful about using any local taxi nearby the airport. Just take Mai Linh or Taxi Vang that are going to cost you around 250.000 VND for a metered cab if needed.
Get In - By Train
Daily trains to destinations like Da Nang (4 hours), Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi. You may take a taxi or a motorbike from Da Nang to Hoi An, and the drive through Lang Co and the Hai Van Pass is particularly beautiful.
On October 25, 2012, a second-class sleeper on the SE1 from Hanoi to Hue cost 710.000 (for a hard-sleeper, 6-person cabin, middle bed; bottom bunk is a little more expensive while top bunk is the cheapest). On March 18, 2016, the price of a soft sleeper (first class) bunk was around 900.000 dong. They’ll undoubtedly try to convince you to choose this alternative, which offers you greater comfort and privacy. On the train, there are food and beverage carts that offer dumplings, instant noodles, coke, beer, and coffee for affordable prices.
Depending on the level you’re on, a second-class sleeper ticket on the superior “fast” SE2-SE6 train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hue costs between 588,000 and 740,000 dong (1,2 or 3). The SE 2 leaves at 7:00 p.m. Be aware that the mattresses, which are only about half an inch thick and set on a plastic bench or seat, make the beds rather rough. Other train kinds are available, but they are more than worth the small price premium. It provides an excellent traveling experience. The traveler gets to spend 23 hours sitting, lying, and sleeping in a very small cabin with five other people—almost always Vietnamese—eating four simple but satisfying Vietnamese meals, listening to a fine selection of Vietnamese pop songs on the PA, and taking in some breathtakingly beautiful countryside, especially in the final leg between Da Nang and Hue. It’s a great opportunity to tour the nation and get to know the locals, who are invariably welcoming and helpful to visitors who don’t bother to learn a word of their language. The vacation is strongly suggested if you enjoy children.
Tickets are available for purchase at the station, hotels, and travel agencies. The latter will cost about 50% more (for instance, $60 for a $40 fare), but it will save you time and hassles waiting in line and interacting with train workers. The station counter only accepts cash, please note.
Most backpacker motels are roughly a 20-minute walk from the railway station (about Pham Ngu Lao street), although the path is straight. Negotiations can reduce the cost of hiring a motorbike driver to 20,000–30,000 dong.
You can order your tickets with Vietnam Impressive, a reputable company, if you have really strict travel deadlines, are traveling on a public holiday, or are too lazy to go down to the railway station.
Get In - By bus
Public buses connect to the main bus terminal (Bn Xe Pha Nam and Bn Xe Pha Bc) from all the larger cities, with frequent connections to Hanoi and Saigon among them. Hue is frequently included on open tour buses’ itineraries, with connections to Hoi An or Da Nang in the south (4-6 hours) and Hanoi in the north (13–16 hr). Locals frequently take the overnight Hanoi route, albeit many of them appear to be susceptible to motion sickness.
- Sinh Café Buses, 7 Nguyen Tri Phuong St. Direct buses from Hoi An cost $4 and depart twice daily at 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.; the 13:30 p.m. and 16:30 p.m. services make the trip in three hours and stop at the Marble Mountains. Every day at 17:30, buses to Hanoi ($9 each way) leave from Dong Ha and a few other locations.
- Sleeper Buses from Da Nang, No 17, Xuan Dieu St, Da Nang.
From Pakse
At 08:00, VIP (not really) buses depart from Pakse and arrive in Hue 12–13 hours later. Evening local bus service departs from Pakse. Travel agencies in Pakse’s center sell tickets. Expect a ride without air conditioning.
Agencies in central Pakse present you with photographs that aren’t very accurate and overcharge as well, with a price difference of up to 100,000 kip. If you purchase it straight from the bus company, it costs 130,000 kip. (May 2014) To get to the Vietnam bus area, try to hail a tuk tuk. There are a few eateries there that provide the most recent information on businesses and their timetables.
From Vientiane
From the Southern Bus Terminal, you can book a sleeping or sitting bus for 180,000 kip (sleeping is the same as sitting) to Hue or continue on to Da Nang. The sleeper bus is the preferable option because the journey to Hue takes 15 hours. Only Hue/Da Nang leaves at 19:00, but there are other options traveling south at Vientiane’s southern bus station; you could take those as well. You’ll make a few breaks for the restroom (which might not always be available) and at least two or three stops for food.
They’ll make an effort to get to the Lao Bao border crossing before 07:00 when it opens. Everyone’s passports will be collected at this location so they may be stamped out of Laos. Everyone must include a 15,000 kip fee (foreigners may be required to pay 30,000 kip), so be prepared by having it in your passport in advance. A lot of women will also ask you if you need any money changed. They will board the bus or wander the area around it. Be cautious and cautious around them. If you just give them some cash without determining the rate you’re receiving or even bothering to keep track of how much you contributed, you’ll get a terrible 50% or 1:1 rate and lose half your money. (It’s probably best to avoid exchanging anything as you won’t have the opportunity to use your dong until you get to your final destination. When you are in Hue, you might not be able to exchange your kip. Plan accordingly.)
Vietnamese coffee will be supplied to you while this is happening. Your ticket price should cover all meals and the coffee break. Any additional items you order must be paid for.
When you arrive in Hue, you can be dropped off in front of the bus station to save having to ride a leased motorcycle into the city.
Get In - By car
Train is one way you can go to Hue from Da Nang; another option is a tourist bus in Hoian and the third one is motorcycle whereby you become your own driver. However, on the other hand, you can as well use a private car to get up to Hue. For this purpose, you can make contact with any business around. That would be over 145 kilometers away in a four-hour journey through space. But the best thing about private transfers are that they let you take breaks along the way at places like Marble mountain, Cham museum, Lang Co Beach, The Cloudy Pass and Elephant Spring for swimming before making it to Hue.
Get In - By motorbike
Motorcycle is the best way to go from Da Nang to Hue. To travel between these towns one must drive through a beautiful pass known as the Hai Van Pass. Zigzag roads cut through mountains leaving a breathtaking shore behind. It’s better to go by bike here alone, but if you are not an experienced driver, curves will scare you off so it is preferable to use either easy rider or tour.
