How to Get to Hue in Vietnam and Get Around the City: Complete Guide

Hue - the former imperial capital of Vietnam, attracting with its history and atmosphere. But first you need to get there, and it's easier than it seems! Hue is a major transport hub right in the center of the country.

From this guide you will learn:

• Which way is the fastest and cheapest - from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, or Hoi An (comparing plane, train, and bus).
• How to save on tickets and where to buy them online without problems with Russian cards (tested sites for 2026).
• What is the most convenient way to get from the airport (Danang or Phu Bai) without overpaying.
• What transport to choose in Hue itself - to see both the Citadel and the distant imperial tombs without overpaying for taxis.

The guide is based on our personal experience of multiple trips to Hue and Vietnam and updated in 2026.

Overview of ways to get to Hue

Hue is one of the important transport hubs of central Vietnam, it's not difficult to get here. The city has an international airport, a railway station, a large bus station, and comfortable tourist buses also run here from various cities and resorts. Below in this article, we will tell you more details about each way to get here, as well as about city transport and what to use to get around, but for starters, here are brief instructions for destinations:

• From cities in Russia, CIS, and other countries. It is best to fly directly to Hue airport on an international flight, but at the moment, despite its international status, only domestic flights are operated. The nearest international airport where international flights actually go is Danang. From Danang, it's easy to get here by taxi or bus in a couple of hours.
• From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. It is best to fly (1 hour and 1 hour 3 minutes respectively). If you buy tickets in advance a few weeks ahead, the prices are very affordable. Overland by bus (cheapest), or by train (more comfortable, but noticeably more expensive than bus).
• From Danang. Tourist and scheduled buses and minivans run frequently and many times during the day. The easiest way is to go to Danang bus station and buy tickets for the nearest departure. There is also a train, but this is less convenient as you need to adjust to the schedule.
• From Hoi An. There are direct tourist buses by Hanh Café company (3-4 hours travel time), or scheduled buses with a transfer in Danang.
• From Nha Trang. From Nha Trang by bus or train. There are no direct flights, but you can fly with a connection via Hanoi (but that's a big detour), or fly to Danang airport, and from there by taxi or bus.
• From Mui Ne and Phan Thiet. There is a direct sleeper bus (22 hours), or you can go to Ho Chi Minh City airport and from there by plane, or go to Binh Thuan railway station (this is the former Muong Man station) and take a train to Hue from there.
• From Phu Quoc. Theoretically, there is an overland route, but in practice it only makes sense to fly with a connection in Ho Chi Minh City.

To Hue by plane

Near Hue is the international airport Phu Bai (15 kilometers from the city center). Although it has international status and is capable of handling international flights, it has not handled international flights for many years. Stable regular service only connects it with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Unfortunately, Hue airport, like the city in general, is unlucky with the weather, and flights here are often canceled due to bad weather conditions, especially during the rainy season. Because of this, Danang airport, located two hours away, is even more convenient for flights. Moreover, you can get to Danang not only from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, but also from other countries with convenient connecting flights. Nevertheless, even to Hue, airlines offer convenient connecting flights on a single ticket.

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 65294 ₽	2 пересадки		10.06.2026	24.06.2026
Купить от 72895 ₽	2 пересадки		20.07.2026	29.07.2026

How to get from the airport to Hue

• From Hue airport

  From Hue airport to the city center, you can get by taxi or bus. The cost of a half-hour taxi ride will cost about 200,000 when ordering through an app (7.6 USD), a taxi from the parking lot will be a bit more expensive.

  Also, two city bus routes #2 and #11 run from the terminal, and according to official information, they run at least every 30 minutes. But we haven't checked them ourselves.

• From Danang airport

  From Danang airport directly to Hue, you can only get by taxi from 1,000,000 dong, but you need to bargain down to this price. If you use a metered taxi, the cost will most likely be higher. You can get to Hue from Danang by two roads: one road goes through the mountains, the other - through a tunnel. The first, through the mountains, takes more time, but you will see wonderful landscapes and Hai Van Pass along the way. The second road is more boring but faster.

  You can order a comfortable transfer with a driver meeting at the airport in advance on these sites or through the search form:

  • Kiwitaxi.com
  • Intui.travel
  • GetTransfer.com

  More economically, you can get from Danang airport if you use scheduled buses. But for this, you first need to get from Danang airport to Danang bus station, and then take a bus from there. Also, you can get to Danang railway station and go to Hue by train.

To Hue by bus

You can get to Hue from other major cities in Vietnam cheaply and conveniently by tourist or scheduled buses. You shouldn't be afraid even of long journeys, as buses in Vietnam are comfortable, with sleeping berths and even separate capsule-like compartments. Such buses are called Sleeper or VIP. We have told about all types of buses, how to use them, how and where to buy, in our separate guide "All about buses in Vietnam", be sure to read it before your trip.

To Hue by bus, you can get from at least Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Phan Thiet, Ninh Binh, Phong Nha, Cat Ba Island and many more destinations. If you need to travel from some rare place where there are no direct buses, you can travel with a transfer via Danang (from the south) or via Hanoi (from the north).

Also, by tourist bus from Hue, you can get to Laos or to the border (Lao Bao border crossing). Daily buses depart to Vientiane and Savannakhet in Laos.

As usual, with searching for schedules and buying tickets in Vietnam, everything is a bit complicated and confusing, so let's remind you of the main principles:

• Online schedule: At the bottom of the page is the schedule of buses, trains, and minivans. Follow the links from the schedule for online booking.

• Aggregator sites: Start with 12go.asia or Baolau.com. They have most of the popular tourist routes.

• Carrier sites: For the south of Vietnam, check futabus.vn (Futa). For the north and center, you can look at vexere.com.

• Ask on the spot: The most reliable way. Come to the bus station, to the carrier's office, or to a trusted travel agency and ask. Locals are always aware of current departures.

Most tourist buses depart or arrive in/from tourist areas or provide a transfer from/to the hotel for transfers at bus stations, and we advise always using such options whenever possible. But if for some reason you want to travel by regular scheduled bus, you will be dropped off in Hue at one of two bus stations:

• An Cuu station or the main southern bus station of Hue (station on the map). You will arrive here from the southern direction from Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hoi An, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet.
• An Hoa station or the Northern bus station (bus station on the map). You will arrive here from the north, i.e., from Hanoi, Phong Nha, Sapa, Cat Ba Island, etc.

From both bus stations, city buses go to the city center, or you can take a taxi for 100,000.

To Hue by train

The main railway line of Vietnam passes through Hue, and all trains running on it (between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) stop here. Getting to Hue by train from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and some other cities in Vietnam is very convenient, especially if you take a night train (you save time and money on hotel accommodation). Very many trains run daily, so you can choose a flight that suits you in time.

A train journey on a sleeping berth will cost almost twice as much as on a sleeper bus. Prices for seated tickets are much lower. But you shouldn't chase cheapness on Vietnamese trains. Seats differ by class, and a higher class costs only slightly more than a lower one, but will be much better in quality. Seated tickets should generally only be used for short trips, for example from Danang, and certainly not for overnight journeys. To understand how everything works, how to choose the right class, how and where to buy tickets, study our guide to Vietnamese trains.

Here are prices and information on popular routes for reference:

• Hanoi – Hue. Seated ticket – from 550,000, sleeping berths – from 730,000. Travel time 16 hours. 4-6 trains daily.
• Ho Chi Minh City – Hue. Seated ticket – from 680,000, sleeping berths – from 800,000. Travel time 20 hours. 4 trains daily.
• Danang – Hue. Seated ticket – from 130,000, sleeping berths – from 200,000. Travel time 2.5 hours. Up to 10 trains daily.

This information is just for reference, so you can decide on the type of transport. For up-to-date and complete information on schedule and cost, you can check the official railway website https://dsvn.vn/

You can purchase tickets online on the official website or on agency sites like 12go.asia. But no site has the ability to pay with Russian cards due to sanctions, including UnionPay banks of the Russian Federation. Therefore, if you do not have a foreign card, you will have to buy tickets on the spot. They can be bought at any station for any destination, or at street travel agencies with a small markup. It is best to buy in advance at least a few days before.

In Hue, trains arrive and depart from Hue Railway Station (Ga Hue), located at 2 Bui Thi Xuan Street, not far from the center, but almost on the other side of the city from the tourist area (station on the map). A taxi ride through apps will cost from 50,000 dong.

What to use to get around Hue: all types of city transport

Whether you will need transport in Hue completely depends on your trip plans and goals.

If you came here only to get acquainted with the main attraction, the Imperial City, then you can quite do without transport at all and walk everything or buy an excursion. Well, maybe you'll need a taxi ride to get from the airport, railway station, or bus station to the hotel.

If you intend to get to know Hue and its surroundings more thoroughly on your own (without excursions), then you can't do without transport. Here you will have a choice of rented transport, taxi, or city/suburban buses.

Now let's tell you in detail:

• On foot in Hue

  

  The city center is compact, more or less convenient for walking. From the tourist area, you can easily walk to the main attractions: Imperial Citadel, the embankment, Bao Quoc Pagoda, An Dinh Palace, Ho Chi Minh Museum and others. We won't say that all of this is right next to each other, and you will have to walk a lot. But we personally walked almost the entire central part of the city in one day and returned in the evening for rest and fun on the main Walking Street.

  As everywhere in Vietnam, sidewalks are often occupied by motorbike parking and trade, but in Hue, this generally does not create big difficulties. In general, in our opinion, it is comfortable to walk here, but reasonable caution never hurts. For example, in front of our eyes, right on Walking Street, a local motorbike hit a local girl. Fortunately, without serious consequences.

  In Hue, there are also specially created pedestrian zones: the Perfume River Embankment, Walking Street, Hai Ba Trung pedestrian street. But we repeat: even on pedestrian streets and sidewalks in Vietnam, you need to be careful and keep your eyes open: motorbikes "fly" everywhere here.

• On rented transport

  This is our favorite way of getting around, it gives complete freedom of movement and freedom in time spent at attractions, because no one will rush you with a group or wait for you in a taxi.

  • Motorbike rental

    In Hue, you can rent a motorbike, there are many rental shops in the tourist area. You will find them in hotels, while walking, or online on maps by searching for "Motorbike for rent". Price from 120,000 dong per day, discount for several days. Usually, they don't ask for a deposit, they don't ask for a license, but by law, you should have an "A" category and an International Driving Permit. We have told all the details about the intricacies of motorbike rental in Vietnam in the guide.

    

  • Bicycle rental

    Bicycle rental is suitable for trips around the city and nearby surroundings. You can also ride to more distant attractions, but pedaling in the heat and under the scorching sun is not a great pleasure. For example, to Tu Duc Tomb is about 8 kilometers one way, and if you visit several points, the route can be more than 20 kilometers per day. This is not for everyone, but if you decide, you can find rentals from 50,000 dong.

    But there are very few bicycle rentals, you will have to walk a lot. We only came across one, unlike motorbikes, which are much more common here.

    There is also a per-minute bicycle rental system via apps here, called GCOO. You need to install the app and link a bank card for payment, but Russian cards do not work.

    

  • Car rental

    You can rent a car for self-drive or with a driver. The price for car rental in Vietnam is very high by the standards of neighboring Asian countries: from $30/day for self-drive, and from $50 with a driver. But you still need to be able to find such a price; in Hue, prices are a bit higher than in more popular resorts. You can try an online search on modern aggregators:

• Taxi in Hue

  

  In Hue, official taxis work by phone order or at hotel reception, for example Thanh Cong taxi. Also, apps Xanh Sm and Grab work, and they are much more convenient to use.

  Here are prices for reference and planning expenses:

  • From the airport to the hotel in the center – from 200,000 / 7.6 USD.
  • From the railway station to the hotel in the center – 40,000 dong / 1.52 USD.
  • From the bus station to the hotel in the center – 100,000 dong / 3.8 USD.
  • From the tourist area to the Citadel – from 30,000 dong / 1.14 USD.
  • From the tourist area to the nearest Tu Duc Tomb – from 90,000 dong / 3.42 USD.
  • From the tourist area to the distant Minh Mang Tomb – from 190,000 dong / 7.22 USD.

  To order a taxi, you need mobile internet or hotel/airport WiFi. These guides will help you:

  • What is Grab taxi in Vietnam and how to use it
  • Internet in Vietnam: where and how to buy a SIM card, tariffs and what to choose

• Excursions

  

  This is also a very convenient, and perhaps the most carefree way to get around the city and surroundings to get acquainted with the attractions. Moreover, you can buy excursions even to neighboring resorts, for example to Phong Nha, Danang, Hoi An and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The city is full of street travel agencies, you can also order excursions at hotels or online on sites with reviews:

  • 📷 Excursions in Hue on Trip.com
  • 📷 Excursions in Hoi An on GetYourGuide
  • 📷 Excursions in Hue on Sputnik8
  • 📷 Excursions in Hue on Tripster

• City buses

  

  City buses work in Hue, Russian GAZ vehicles run on the routes. Unfortunately, we were not able to obtain any reliable information about the routes even from local residents, not to mention an online schedule and route map, so this option is not particularly useful for tourist travel yet. But if you still decide to use them, then using them is as simple as in other cities of Vietnam: payment in cash to the conductor in the cabin, and you need to say the place you need to go. The trip price is from 8,000 dong.

• CitySightseeingHue tourist bus

  

  Buses on the Hop-on-Hop-off system, i.e., when you buy a ticket and ride a tourist bus with an audio guide on a route compiled for tourists. Audio guide is available in 9 languages, Russian is not available.

  Ticket purchase is available online on tourist aggregator sites, information is also there. But we cannot recommend this bus. According to reviews, it runs very rarely and sometimes does not run at all despite purchased tickets, and we personally saw it in Hue only once, and that was parked, not moving.

• Cyclo (rickshaws)

  

  In the tourist area, tourists are taken for rides in Cyclo (rickshaws). But this is not a means of transportation, but a form of entertainment. Price for a ride from 300,000 dong (11.4 USD), depends on time and route, everything is negotiated on the spot.

📅 Bus and train schedules to Hue