Lend a Hand in Hue
Bite-sized trip
Day 1 – Arrival in Hue
Hue is steeped in history, with crumbling tombs, monuments and fortified imperial cities. On arrival, you’ll settle into your central hotel in the heart of the French colonial quarter. Afterwards, take a stroll along the riverbank, hop in a rickshaw to the Royal Citadel, or wander past the shabby but beautiful Chinese shopfronts of Phu Cat.
Days 2-3 – Cultural immersion & departure
The following day, you’ll leave dynastic history behind and get your hands dirty. Climbing on a bike, you’ll cycle past rice paddies and the meandering rivers of the countryside, where buffalo plough the fields and local fishermen wait for a catch. You’ll feel a million miles away from the big cities.
In Thanh Toan village, you’ll set to work with a farming family, helping in the rice fields, reel in some fish or try your hand at some traditional handicrafts. You can also help to prepare lunch from fresh, home-grown ingredients. After just a few hours here, you’ll understand that life revolves around the harvest.
On the morning of day 3 you will continue on with your Vietnam adventure.
Accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
Upgrade to our In Style accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we have an alternative option available for your accommodation. Our In-Style version is something a bit more special or unique but still with lots of local flavour! If you would like to upgrade your accommodation for this bite-size trip select our In Style option below.
Royal Times in Hue
Immerse yourself in the history of the ancient Royal City of Hue; embark on a boat trip along the Perfume River with your private guide and watch fishermen haul their catch into small rowing boats. Take a trip to one of the oldest ancient religious structures in Hue, the Thien My Pagoda, where you can pay your respects before exploring the ancient temples and tombs within the walls of the Forbidden City. You’ll also visit a village to see how the locals make conical hats and heady incense sticks and see the elaborate mausoleums of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh where the last ruling family, Nguyen Dynasty, ruled between 1802 and 1945.
Vespa & Vietnamese Cuisine of Hue
If you fancy sampling some of Hue’s speciality dishes then this evening Vespa tour is for you. Kick off with a tropical cocktail or cold beer and meet your guide for an evening of sampling Hue’s diverse cuisine. First up, try your hand at making Banh Beo, a savoury steamed rice cake. Next, hop on your Vespa and take a ride through the city, past the Perfume river and local riverside stalls. Sample spring rolls and Hue pancakes before finishing at a popular local Vietnamese dessert shop for a sweet treat.
Culture and Cycling tour through Hue
We can arrange for you to meet the local people of Kim Long village. You’ll immerse yourself in the greenery of the so-called Garden City. Starting from Hue, you will travel by boat along the Perfume River and disembark just outside the city. Your guide will take you to several houses where multiple generations have lived for years. Each family home has its own story, and during your visit, the families are eager to share their traditions and show you their gardens. As you visit different families, you’ll cycle through narrow streets, passing by the countryside with views over the rice fields. You’ll end the day at the last house, where the family invites you to dine with them. Before you sit down at the table, you’ll enjoy a delightful herbal foot bath. In our opinion, this is the perfect way to connect with daily life in Vietnam.
Hue - Half day city tour
For a great introduction to this wonderful city, we can arrange a half-day tour for you. Immerse yourself in the history of the ancient royal city of Hué, charmingly situated on the banks of the Perfume River. Once the epicentre of Vietnam, Hué was where political intrigues unfolded and cultural innovations took place. By boat, accompanied by your own guide, you’ll explore this magical river, witnessing fishermen haul in their catch and local Vietnamese crossing the river in small rowboats. In the tiered pagoda, you’ll pay homage to important gods before discovering centuries-old temples and tombs within the walls of the Forbidden City. The imperial period still resonates through the monuments here.
