Palaces, Pagodas, Tombs, and Train Tracks: A History Tour of Hidden Huế

Most visitors overlook Vietnam's former imperial capital, but this provincial city has a momentous story to tell. Huế is where the Nguyễn Dynasty established an opulent capital, the French mounted a campaign of colonial manipulation, and the Americans triggered a battle that would shock the world. In this tour travel, writer Joshua Zukas tells Huế's story - but not through the popular sights. Instead, the tour moves through lesser-known neighborhoods, passing a centuries-old pagoda, the local train street, a labyrinthine market, a riverside garden house, a retro church, an army blockhouse and a forgotten tomb. At each stop, which you're likely to have all to yourself, a chapter of Huế's complex story unfolds before your eyes. Along the way, you’ll have a chance to: • Study Huế’s evolution from grand imperial capital to devastating war zone to neglected backwater to prosperous provincial city • Discover the Art Deco elegance of La Residence, once home to French colonial officials who controlled Vietnam’s puppet emperors and now a luxury hotel • Explore the 17th-century Báo Quốc Pagoda, where you’ll see evidence that the Nguyễn were influential lords centuries before becoming emperors • Walk along Huế’s ”train street” - without another tourist in sight (unlike Hanoi's train street). • Pass a traditional garden house, with its private river wharf and blend of Vietnamese and European architectural styles • Explore Bến Ngự Market, where vendors sell everything from fresh produce to household goods - but no tourist trinkets • Understand how the brutal 1968 Battle of Hue shaped the city’s landscape and memory • Sip Vietnamese coffee at a hidden cafe and tuck into typical Huế dishes at a local restaurant • Conclude at Dục Đức Tomb, dedicated to an emperor who ruled for only three days before (probably) starving to death By the end of this 75-minute tour, you’ll have a sense of the link between Vietnam’s imperial past and Huế’s enduring cultural identity. It’s perfect for history enthusiasts seeking deeper insights beyond the standard tourist sights in a city that remains slower-paced and more traditional than its metropolitan counterparts.

Price: £4.99 from VoiceMap