Meals: Lunch at local restaurant
Transfer: Private vehicle
Activities for today:
08:00AM the tour bigins with Thien Mu Pagoda, then King Khai Dinh Tomb, King Tu Duc Tomb. Come back to Hue for lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, visit Imperial Citadel. Tour ends at your hotel around 17:30 PM.
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+ Thien Mu Pagoda is located in Ha Khe hill, on the north bank of Perfume River, in Huong Long village. It is about 5 kilometers from Hue city, which is easy to reach from the city center. Built in 1601 for the order of the first Nguyen Lord, Nguyen Hoang, who at that time was the governor of Thuan Hoa (today known as Hue), Thien Mu Pagoda can be regarded as the oldest pagoda in Hue.
+ King Khai Dinh Tomb: dating from 1925, this is the best preserved of the lot and, while comparatively compact, quite grand at first sight. While it follows the classic formula of forecourts leading up to the tomb of the Emperor, complete with statues in attendance, architecture buffs will spot some European influences. The tomb itself is completely over the top with incredibly detailed and opulent mosaics of cavorting dragons
+ King Tu Duc Tomb: Constructed from 1864 to 1867, the complex served as a second Imperial City where the Emperor went for "working vacations". Tu Duc's contemplative nature and poetic spirit is reflected in the landscape and arrangement of the 50 buildings that at one time stood here. A vast, sprawling complex set around a lake, with wooden pavilions and tombs and temples dedicated to wives and favored courtesans (Tu Duc had 104 to choose from).
+ Imperial Citadel: The former imperial seat of government and Hue's prime attraction, this is a great sprawling complex of temples, pavilions, moats, walls, gates, shops, museums and galleries, featuring art and costumes from various periods of Vietnamese history. Thanks to its size, it is also delightfully peaceful - a rare commodity in Vietnam. It is pretty huge; plan to spend at least 3 hours there.
