• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Hue is well-known for Imperial City, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination

Hue, Vietnam

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Vietnamese

Included

• Private Guide
• Entrance tickets to the Imperial City
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance tickets other than mentioned

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 3 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at At the Kiosk in the Nguyen van Troi park - Hue to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Culture of the City

   On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Hue through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!

4. the Imperial City in Hue

   Your tour will focus on the Imperial City, a very important cultural subject in Hue. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how the Imperial City made an impact in Hue, making you experience the city from a different perspective.

5. Cultural Highlights

   As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit Noon Gate, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the cultural side of Hue, you’ll be able to embrace it thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time.

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Nathan🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Ngoc)

7 September 2025

We made a late call to arrange a tour of the Imperial City, lucky for us Matthew was available and confirmed straight away. We had not used With Locals before so were a little apprehensive about using a new company. However what a great decision. Matthew was outstanding, even helping us with info on where to eat the day before our tour started. His enthusiasm and expertise on the background and historical significance of the events leading up to the eventual abdication of the last King were enlightening and entertaining. It would be hard to imagine a better day exploring and learning about this slice of Vietnamese history. If you have the opportunity, definitely pick Matthew to be your guide. Perfect tour of Hue’s Imperial City

Pam🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Bích Du)

10 August 2025

Du was fantastic. Extremely accommodating of our specific needs (my husband was in a wheelchair) and our interests. We highly recommend her. Book with Du!

Steven🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Bích Du)

7 August 2025

My wife and I loved spending the morning with Du as she guided around the Imperial City giving us thoughtful and fascinating insights, and patiently answering our questions. She is a friendly, intelligent and kind young woman, and we would not hesitate to recommend her tours to anyone. Thank you for making our experience so memorable Du! Steven and Elaine A wonderful morning in great company!

Aaron

(About local Bích Du)

26 July 2025

We had a wonderful few how hours with Bich Du at the Imperial City in Hue. She was very knowledgeable and had lots of interesting perspectives. Was very happy to answer lots of questions. A fantastic experience

roberta

(About local Bích Du)

24 July 2025

Hu was our guide for the Imperial Citadel of Hue. It was super easy to arrange everything with her. She was patient, always available, and an endless source of answers to our countless questions! Truly unmissable! – Roberta Who else but Hu?

Charo🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Bích Du)

17 July 2025

Ken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Bích Du)

16 July 2025

Du is amazing! She seems to know the history of every brick in the imperial city. Her vast knowledge of everything Hue related will turn your memorable trip into an unforgettable one. And here's a tip: ask about the motorbike tour as well...Incredible Tour with an Incredible Guide

Sarah🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Bích Du)

18 April 2025

Du was a wonderful guide and I would recommend her to any group visiting Hue. Her knowledge of the history of the Imperial City of Hue and its residents was deep and she communicated it in a warm and engaging manner. Our group ranged from two years old to 78 years old, which meant Du had to be adaptable to change during the tour, and she was! Nothing was too much trouble, and she also gave us dining recommendations for Hue and Hoi An in the days after the tour. If the opportunity arose, I would certainly look to do another tour with Du. Great way to see and learn about Hue

Christopher

(About local Bích Du)

14 April 2025

We had a great day in the Imperial City with Du booking a private tour for the two of us. She's super knowledgeable about the history of the site and the country and did a good job of getting on our level to explain things in detail. She speaks perfect English and is such a fun, warm person. We ended up texting throughout the rest of our trip and truly felt like we have a new friend in Vietnam now. She's the best!Wonderful time with our new friend Du

fr9478bqg2

(About local Bích Du)

14 April 2025

We met Du by the 3 cannons and began our tour. She was engaging and knowledgeable in her story telling which we throughly enjoyed. The tour didn’t feel rushed and she had time for all our questions. She was easy to understand and I would highly recommend this experience. On this occasion we chose to do this as a private tour so it was expensive by Vietnam standards but for us it worth it. Thank you so much Du Fantastic Experience

danieleriva1985🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Ngoc)

10 April 2025

We would like to sincerely thank our guide, Huong (Perfume), for her outstanding professionalism and deep knowledge during our visit to the Imperial City of Hue. Her passion for the history and culture of this incredible place made our experience truly unforgettable. Huong was not only incredibly well-prepared, but also warm, engaging, and attentive to every detail, making sure we understood and appreciated the rich heritage of Hue. We feel very lucky to have had her as our guide and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an exceptional tour experience. Thank you once again, Huong, for making our visit so special!Great

Raquel

(About local Ngoc)

1 April 2025

He was very patient and gave us a clear explanation about the history, while being impartial still! Very niceBest guide ever!

Helen🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Bích Du)

31 March 2025

Our guide Du was very knowledgeable and presented the information in an interesting and engaging way. Du’s English was very good and made it easy for us to understand all the information. We did the EV tuk tuk tour due to my husband being unable to walk far. For the parts that could only be done on foot, Du was very kind with looking for seats for my husband.Fantastic tour of the Citadel

Yasmin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Bích Du)

14 February 2025

1

Had a lovely few hours touring the imperial city with Du. She is knowledgeable, friendly and made the tour feel relaxed yet informative. We learnt so many fun facts and got to know the history of Hue better. We were touring with our 11 month old and she even brought her a gift, and was super accommodating of all her needs. Highly recommend booking a tour with Du. You won't be disappointed!Wonderful tour with Du

Judith🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Bích Du)

10 February 2025

1

Wir machten mit Du die Food und die Imperial City Tour. Du ist eine sehr liebenswürdige Person, welche unsere ganze Familie begeistert hat! Sie hat ein sehr breites Wissen über die vietnamesische Kultur und konnte uns die Geschichte auf unterhaltsame Weise übermitteln. Auch die Food Tour ist sehr zu empfehlen, da uns Du in viele verschiedene einheimische Restaurants gebracht hat, in welche wir alleine wahrscheinlich nicht gegangen wären. Die Speisen waren alle sehr lecker und wir hatten viel Spass mit Du. Auch hat uns Du noch weitere Attraktionen gezeigt, welche eigentlich nicht geplant waren. Auch für unsere nächsten Ziele in Vietnam gab sie uns auch nach der Tour per WhatsApp och gute Tipps. Vielen Dank für Alles Du!!! Es war SUPER!!! Perfekte Touren

Mike🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Bích Du)

29 January 2025

1

Despite the the rainy weather we had a nice tour and much fun with Du. She speaks very well English, has a good sence of humor and is a nice person to have around. Highly recommended!Great person, great guide

Yvonne

(About local Bích Du)

28 December 2024

1

I found Bich Du as the number 1 guide on ChatGPT as the recommendation is completely correct. Bich Du's service is completely attentive. She WhatsApp me the day after my booking to inform me the itinerary and asked me I liked to do anything else in Hue. Her explanation of the Hue Imperial City was mesmerising to me. Although I am of Chinese heritage and have been to the Beijing Imperial City, Bich Du could tell me many stories and the differences in Vietnamese beliefs and cultures. I learnt so much in just three hours with her.Personalised guide with good English

Abbie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Bích Du)

23 December 2024

1

We had a lovely afternoon walking around the Imperial Palace. Bích Du was friendly and informative as well as incredibly patient with our youngest child, fitting in a snack stop and even producing a gift. I’d highly recommend this tour as a great way to see the impressive palace and hear about its history and tradition. Friendly and informative

SOPHIA CATHARINA🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Bích Du)

15 December 2024

1

We had a wonderful time in Hue with Du, she is a lovely guide who told us a lot about Vietnams history, in particular about the Imperial City. We can only recommend this tour with Du!Imperial City Hue

Sarah🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Bích Du)

7 October 2024

1

We can’t thank Du enough for our wonderful day in Hue. She personalised the tour to suit us (enough history to be interesting without boring our kids) and split it over two days so we would be able to enjoy all the amazing food without being too stuffed to walk. Highly recommended!Amazing tour. Du is a star.

Jo🇳🇿 New Zealand

(About local Bích Du)

26 September 2024

1

We were six friends and family (from NZ) visiting Hue and wanted to see the Imperial Palace. Du was easy for me to contact and to organise our trip, but best of all, she was like meeting a new friend. We so enjoyed our time with her and her knowledge was extensive. I would definitely recommend her as a guide if you want to come away having learnt so much and having enjoyed her company.Great tour - a super guide!

Giorgia

(About local Bích Du)

26 August 2024

1

We visited the Imperial Citadel and Bích Du was our guide. It was a fantastic experience; we spent with her more than 3hours. She speaks excellent English. She is very warm, nice and very qualified. She showed us a lot of things and told us interesting anecdotes. She is very helpful giving us important suggestions. I would highly recommend, she does her job with passion and expertise.Great Experience

Rob

(About local Bích Du)

11 August 2024

1

Here's a concise and positive review you can use: "I had an excellent experience with our guide in Hue. She was incredibly friendly and made us feel welcome from the start. Her knowledge of the city's history and culture was impressive, and she shared it with great enthusiasm. She was on time, ensuring that our tour ran smoothly. Additionally, she provided some fantastic tips that enhanced our visit even further. Highly recommended!"Friendly & Knowledgeably

Vanessa🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Thanh)

29 July 2024

1

We are so pleased we discovered the 'Withlocals' app and that Thanh was free to offer us a guided tour of the Imperial Citadel. Thanh was so charming and friendly and her passion and knowledge of the citadel shone through. Her English is excellent and the pace of her tour was perfect. We never felt rushed but we saw all the key sights with time to stop for photos, rest break, wander a shop or two and ask Thanh lots of questions. It really didn't feel like we had only met that day - she was so lovely. Would highly recommend you book Thanh for a personal guided tour of such a wonderful place. Thank you Thanh!Articulate & friendly

Dennis🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Bích Du)

27 July 2024

1

Spent the half day in the imperial palace in Hue with our enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide Bich Du. Her English is excellent and her explanations are very good understandable. We had a great time and can only recommend her tour!!Great Tour with Bich Du

Duncan🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Bích Du)

21 July 2024

1

Du did a fantastic job in our 2.5 hour tour of the Imperial City. Particularly as there were 15 in our group of varying ages (15 to 58) she was able to be informative and engaging without overloading us with too much information. I would highly recommend Du.Tour of Hue Imperial City 15 July 2024

Matt🇺🇸 United States

(About local Bích Du)

21 March 2024

1

Du was a great tour guide and was very knowledgeable about the Imperial City - we learned a lot we wouldn’t have known touring alone. Du is personable and easy to get along - we really enjoyed our time together touring the Imperial City and she also gave us a few good tips for Hue. I highly recommend Du for your Hue tour!Great tour with Du of the Imperial City

Linda

(About local Thanh)

18 March 2024

1

Thanh was very keen to impart her knowledge of the ancient city of Hue, she was an attentive and informative guide with a quiet manner and good sense of humour. We really enjoyed the tour ans would recommemd her as a guideInteresting tour of Imperial Citadel

Mark🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Bích Du)

15 February 2024

1

Guide was very enthousiast and we learned history of Vietnam. Finished with nice vegan meal.13 kings

Troy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Bích Du)

29 January 2024

1

We hired Bich to both guide is to the Imperial Palace as well as have a english speaking local to help us orient and get tips for Hue overall. As first time travelers from the US and our second use of withlocals my expectations are for a affordable mid-level guide; I appreciate the uber-like experience in booking and the fact there are independent reviews. My wife and daughter prefer guides who do not lecture and are more conversational and unstructured as the history and information while useful can become overwhelming and tedious on a 3-4 hour experience. Bich was great at communicating with us prior to and we found each other easily and on time. After taking the tour I would highly recommend hiring a local as the property is massive and even picking a walking route is a feat itself. Bich has good english and is able to describe and share her knowledge and answer questions. I saw another review that was critical yet it likely comes down to expectations. Her command of English is not perfect and her knowledge into some specifics has gaps yet we did not find this did not take away from the experience and have no trouble recommending her for the Imperial palace tour. Relaxed and enjoyable guide

Michael🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Bích Du)

25 January 2024

Bich Du arrived on time and showed us much of the grounds across the imperial citadel which was great. She wasn't very informative on different parts of the citadel and at one point, we asked what a certain building was (the treasury) and she didn't know what the building was until she read the sign in front. English was okay but not great. She took several phones calls while on our tour that were not related to the tour. She needs a bit more experience, should practice her English and read up more on the history of the citadel.Good but would have liked more engagement.

Katharina Hedwig🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Bích Du)

23 January 2024

1

Wir hatten eine sehr gute Führung durch den Kaiserpalast. Bich Du wusste viel und konnte alle unsere Fragen beantworten. Dann hatten wir leckeres local food und den besten salted Coffee der Stadt. Zum Schluss haben wir noch gelernt wie man Papierblumen und Kegelhüte macht. Das hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht. Also ein durchweg gelungener Tag Dank Bich Du.Ein toller Tag

Cynthia🇺🇸 United States

(About local Thanh)

27 November 2023

1

Thanh was the perfect guide for our day exploring the Citadel. She kindly arranged all aspects of our 3hour tour, and made sure that we saw everything despite the intermittent rain. Her knowledge of Hue generally, and the Citadel specifically, gave us a deeper appreciation for all we saw. She is an excellent communicator and a very nice and fun person! We three enjoyed our time together. I highly recommend Thanh for your time in Hue.Thoughtful, articulate and fun

Alexandra (Alex)🇻🇳 Viet Nam

(About local Bích Du)

4 September 2025

We had a fantastic time exploring Hue and tasting 12 plus local dishes n drinks. Du was an experienced guide and shared her knowledge of the local area, food and Vietnam with us ☺️Taste adventure

Jessie

(About local Bích Du)

2 September 2025

Du was just a great tour guide! We ran a little bit late, but she made it work to give us the 3 hour tour still. It was the perfect mixture of culture, history, and food. We told her we were looking for a cone hate for our cat to bring home and she went and got not one, but 3 to ensure we have one that will fit. Just extremely kind and willing to go above and beyond.Great resource for history and food

Jeroen

(About local Bích Du)

29 August 2025

We had a very nice and very tasty evening with Du in Hue. For those interested to get in touch with the real non tourist Hue food and enjoy an evening with diverse dialogue and conversation, then book a tour with Du. Du knows the city and knows where the authentic food can be found. We had more than 10 different dishes. Du knows the origin and interesting facts. All were different in taste, appearance and textuur. There is no way we would have found them by ourselves, nor would we have orders it. Du is also a very nice and interesting person, so there was enough dialogue and conversation that the time just flew past. Thank you very much Du, we had a great evening. Sorry the review took so long😒.Fantastic diverse food tour!

Jeroen🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Bích Du)

11 August 2025

We booked our tasting experience with Bich Du. She started of super friendly and had a good connection from the start. At every restaurant she had a lot to talk about all the dishes about where it originated from and what is was made of. Outside of the food she gave great advice about the city and other places to visit. When walking to the other restaurants she also had really interesting and good stories to tell about the surrounding area and typical Vietnamese traditions. Our overall experience with Bich Du was really good and would recommend her to others. Lovely tasting experience

griet🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Bích Du)

6 August 2025

Fantastische gids. Zij had ons veel te vertellen en deed tour volledig naar onze wens! Aanrader!Leuke tour in hue

Inmaculada

(About local Bích Du)

30 July 2025

I met her in the imperial city of Hue where we did a complete tour. She explain me the history of the place but also a lot of Vietnamese symbolism. It was very interesting. We also visited the Pagoda Thien Mu and the incense village before having dinner at a place where the locals go and it was very good. Empathetic and very pleasant. A great visit to Hue and surroundings

Raquel🇪🇸 Spain

(About local Bích Du)

13 July 2025

Bich Du is very friendly, extremely kind, and a knowledgeable person who tries her best to make you feel comfy. I totally recommend her! Thx a million our friend!!🥰Top marks!🏆

Aliya

(About local Bích Du)

30 June 2025

Du was SUCH an incredible guide - I cannot recommend her enough!! We did the Imperial City Tour and Du provided the perfect balance of historical information, as well as incredibly interesting cultural facts, not just about the imperial city, but about traditions within Vietnam life. I would book another tour with Du without a doubt the next time I'm in Hue! Thank you so much, Du, for your kindness, generosity, humour, and sharing your beautiful city with us!!!Best tour ever!!!

Mark

(About local Bích Du)

26 May 2025

We had the absolute pleasure of taking a walking tour of Huế with Bích Dư, and we cannot recommend her highly enough. She was an outstanding guide—knowledgeable, engaging, and incredibly kind. Her English is excellent, which made the historical and cultural insights she shared easy to understand and deeply enriching. Bích Dư took wonderful care of us throughout the tour, ensuring we were comfortable and tailoring the experience to our interests. Her deep understanding of Huế’s history brought the ancient city to life, and her warm personality made our time together both informative and genuinely enjoyable. If you’re visiting Huế and want a guide who truly knows and loves this city, Bích Dư is the perfect choice.Birch Du is the perfect giude

Kirsty

(About local Bích Du)

6 May 2025

Having been to Vietnam numerous times and tried lots of different food we were keen to see if there were things that we may be missing out on. We were not disappointed with the food we tried, sine of which we likely would have missed and Bich Du was great at talking about the food, regional differences of the same dish eg Vietnamese pancakes which I love and had noted differences. Bích Du was a very engaging and authentic guide who was generous with her personal experiences growing up in Hue which I was particularly interested in. Her English is excellent and she presented as a very bright young woman. From our discussion her main tour is the Imperial Palace Hie and I imagine this would be a great tour however we had already done the palace the day prior, When booking the tour we did think the price was quite high compared to other tours we have done and positively did not regret our spend particularly as it was a private tour. Thank you once again Bích Due 😀Fantastic food tour with Bich Du!

Carrie🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Bích Du)

30 April 2025

Du is very knowledgeable, professional and offers a fun walking tour. She designs a walk that covers the history with a storytelling narrative! She definetely was the highlight of our tour. We were fortunate to enjoyed a lovely simple sample of local foods after the tour with Du. Du imperial city walking tour

Marco🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Bích Du)

19 April 2025

Awesome food tour of Hue with Bich Du! We loved all the spots she took us to and her knowledge of each dish and the city itself. You won’t be left hungry that’s for sure! She also shared some excellent recommendations for our next stop in Hoi A which we really appreciated. Highly recommend and good value for money. Fascinating Food Tour with Bich Du

Unknown

(About local Bích Du)

16 April 2025

We had a wonderful day with Du. She knows an incredible amount about the sights, the culture, and the country. She was able to answer all our questions and tell wonderful stories. For the next day, she organized a private driver for us to Phong Nha, with several stops along the way. It was a fantastic experience. 100% recommendationGreat experience, highly recommended

Christopher

(About local Bích Du)

14 April 2025

Great private food tour with our new friend Du. She made the process so easy by selecting spots, ordering and paying, and then introducing the dishes to us and showing us how to eat them. It was a perfect introduction into Vietnamese street food and doing in Hue was a great choice. Not only do they have some of the best food int he country, but it's a small enough city that the tour felt easy. So tasty and fun

dtp77cdys5🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Bích Du)

31 March 2025

Enjoyed a wonderful visit to Hue thanks to the expert knowledge of Du who made the tour of the imperial city so memorable. Brilliant guide in Hue

Billie🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Bích Du)

16 March 2025

1

We really enjoyed the tour with Bich Du, she is so full of stories and history and has a great sense of humour which made our experience so fun! It was so interesting walking around the wonderful Imperial City then the food places she brought us to were such great examples of really authentic Vietnamese meals, delicious! Fantastic Tour!

Harold🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Bích Du)

5 March 2025

1

Du, was a fabulous guide. She was prompt and warmly greeted us. Du had great knowledge of the sites and kept us well informed at all times. Du even got us a small gift, following our recent wedding in Hoi An. We would highly recommend Du as a guide.Fantastic insight in to Hue