Hue

Hue was Vietnam’s imperial capital for over a century, and the scale of what remains still shows it. The Imperial City, a walled fortress that once housed the Nguyen emperors, is now largely ruins, but atmospheric ones, and the royal tombs scattered in the countryside beyond are set against some genuinely beautiful river scenery. It rewards a slower visit than most itineraries allow, ideally with a boat trip along the Perfume River between the sites.