Hue Cultural & Countryside Tour 4 Days

Day 1: Hue Arrival & Dinner Recital with non-exclusive Hue specialties (D)

Upon arrival in Phu Bai airport (Hue), you will be welcomed by our tour guide and be transferred to the hotel for check-in. Free time at your leisure to unwind your leg, or enjoying a body massage at your comfort before having a private Dinner Recital at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre with non-exclusive Hue specialty menu.

Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre, 300m next to the Thien Mu Celestial Pagoda, is situated at the most beautiful site of the Perfume River. Ben Xuan’s royal architecture style makes it fit well with the Cultural Heritages Thien Mu Pagoda and the Temple for Literature in the immediate environment on the river shore. Based on the artistic design of Camille Huyen, Ben Xuan shows traces back to the royal architecture of the Nguyen dynasty at its highest achievement during the reign of Camille’s ancestor, Emperor Minh Mang. Ben Xuan is conceptually designed as an East-West Cultural Meeting Point where you can enjoy an individual and authentic experience which brings to life the heritage of Hue in music, architecture, culture, beaux art, and in culinary art. After a visiting of Ben Xuan Residence, Theatre and Painting Exhibition, the Music Récital will be performed before dinner is served privately with Hue non-exclusive specialty menu.

After dinner, transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Hue

Day 2: Local Encounters in Hue Imperial Citadel and its countryside (B/L)

After breakfast, depart on a short ride to explore the Imperial Citadel at the Centre of the Complex of Hue Monuments inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

Continue going to visit the former home of Ngoc Son Princess, and enjoy the hosted lunch while chatting with the descendants to learn about the untold stories of their ancestors. Today, it is one of the best garden houses and has been maintained largely in its original form. The present owner also has a fascinating collection of artifacts and mementos from the days of the former Royal Empire. Enjoy a lunch of traditional Hue specialties prepared by the family at their historical home while you unearth Hue’s fascinating past.

In the afternoon, depart to the picturesque Tam Giang Lagoon for insight into the daily life of local fishermen, including shrimp and fish farming and fishing using nets. Located about 8km from the center of Hue city in the direction of Thuan An beach. Firstly, stop visiting Uncle Ho memorial area at Duong No village. This is a place to keep many memories about Uncle Ho, the period when he and his family come here to live and study. In particular, the cottage, the communal house of Duong No, Ben Da, Am Ba, ... imprinted with memories of Uncle Ho.

Continue visiting Ru cha mangroves. This is a primeval forest with an area of about 4 hectares and exists more than 100 years ago.

Get on boat (sampan) and cruise to Sam Chuon area to start your trip on Tam Giang lagoon - the largest brackish water lagoon in Southeast Asia and have a chance to discover the biggest part of Tam Giang lagoon. On the late afternoon, this is the wonderful moments to take your photos. Floating on the water, you will have time to see the changes of time and life as well as the local life of fishing village. An interesting to play kayaking on the lagoon and visit "Cho house", nò, sáo…

Then enjoy a seafood dinner at Chuon Lagoon with local specialties “Seafood pancake with “Kinh” and Chuon wine of soaked crab”.

Boat takes you around the lagoon to see the beauty of sunset. Back to the hotel and overnight in Hue.

Day 3: Cruising & biking to rural villages (20km biking), followed by foodie tour in the evening (B/D)

Depart on a 1-hour dragon boat ride to Sinh Village which is not only renowned for its annual wrestling festival on January 10 (lunar calendar), but also for its folk paintings featuring religious characters. Take a short walk to the house of Mr. Huu Phuoc, the oldest artisan in the village, to hear about the 400-year-old craft of using “dzo” paper made from tree bark and dyed with natural materials like red earth, sea shells and the ashes of bamboo leaves.

Cycle for 40 minutes, passing rice paddy fields to Thanh Tien Village and learn about the 300-year-old craft of paper flower making to explore how to create a paper lotus flower. Continue cycling to “Tien Non” village, a scenic flower and vegetable growing area which takes advantage of rich alluvial deposits from the river. Explore the scenic village before cycling back to your hotel.

In the evening, explore slow living through slow food and an evening slow tour on cyclo, an insightful introduction to Hue typical gastronomy at some insider’s selected shops. This foodie tour will bring you some experiences filled with exciting moments of true discovery, on a leisurely cyclo ride and walk; a true immersion into local life with five senses. Relax and overnight in Hue.

Day 4: Visit signature sites of Hue before departure (B)

Start your morning with City tour to Thien Mu Pagoda and Minh Mang Royal Tomb. Firstly, drive to the Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue’s best-preserved religious monument. Built in 1601, the seven-storied tower pagoda, perched on top of on a hill overlooking the Perfume River, is one of Vietnam’s most recognizable icons. Continue to The Royal Tomb of Minh Mang. Being the second Nguyen Emperor, Minh Mang ruled from 1820-1841 and was known for his isolationist and conservative Confucian policies. He designed his own tomb but died before it was complete. His son and successor finished the tomb which is renowned for its symmetry and grandeur, situated in a picturesque forest setting. After exploring the tomb, make a stop at Dong Ba local market before returning to your hotel for packing your baggage. Free at leisure until we transfer you to airport for your onward flight out of Hue. Tours end!

Services Included

• Three nights at a selected 4-star or 5-star hotel in Hue, based on double or twin room sharing.
• Daily breakfast at the confirmed hotel.
• Private air-conditioned vehicle for airport transfers and all scheduled sightseeing.
• Private arrival and departure transfers between Phu Bai International Airport and the hotel.
• Professional private English-speaking guide throughout the scheduled program.
• All admission fees for attractions specifically listed in the itinerary.
• Guided visit to the UNESCO-listed Hue Imperial Citadel.
• Cultural visit, traditional music recital and Hue-speciality dinner at Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre.
• Hosted traditional lunch at the former residence of Ngoc Son Princess.
• Visit to Duong No Village and the stated memorial area.
• Visit to Ru Cha Mangrove Forest.
• Local sampan excursion on Tam Giang and Chuon Lagoon as described in the itinerary.
• Kayaking or a suitable local lagoon activity when available and conditions permit.
• Seafood dinner at Chuon Lagoon.
• Dragon-boat journey on the Perfume River.
• Standard-quality bicycles and helmets.
• Private support vehicle during the countryside cycling program where road access permits.
• Sinh Village folk-painting demonstration.
• Thanh Tien paper-flower demonstration or hands-on activity, subject to artisan availability.
• Visit to Tien Non Village.
• Evening Hue food tour by chauffeured cyclo and on foot.
• Selected Hue food tastings sufficient to replace dinner.
• Visit to Thien Mu Pagoda.
• Entrance fee and guided visit to Minh Mang Royal Tomb.
• Visit to Dong Ba Market.
• Meals specifically stated in the confirmed itinerary.
• Bottled drinking water during sightseeing.
• Fuel, road tolls, parking fees and driver expenses.
• Government taxes and service charges.
• Local assistance throughout the tour.

Services Not Included

• International and domestic air tickets.
• Vietnam visa and visa-related charges.
• Travel, medical and personal accident insurance.
• Meals not specifically mentioned in the confirmed itinerary.
• Wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks and other beverages unless specifically stated as included.
• Optional massage, spa and wellness treatments.
• Hotel minibar, laundry, telephone calls and room service.
• Early hotel check-in and late hotel check-out.
• Single-room supplement.
• Premium rooms, suites, villas or river-view upgrades.
• Complete private buyout of Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre.
• Additional musicians or completely private performances.
• Premium seafood and personal restaurant orders.
• Electric bicycle upgrade.
• Personal shopping and other personal expenses.
• Optional activities not stated in the confirmed itinerary.
• Holiday, festival, special-event and peak-season hotel supplements.
• Additional charges resulting from flight delays, cancellations, adverse weather, road closures or circumstances beyond the operator’s control.
• Tips for the guide, driver, boat crew, cyclo drivers, artisans and local service providers.
• Any service not clearly listed under “Services Included”.