HUE HIGHLIGHTS and VIETNAMESE LOCAL CUISINE at THA OM GARDEN HOUSE

Following pickup from your hotel, your city tour starts at Dong Ba Market. Morning is the busiest time at the lively market, so it is the best opportunity to feast your eyes on the bustling scene as you watch locals purchase fresh produce from the vendors. Continue to Hue Citadel, the best-preserved remnant of the royal quarters that once existed at the UNESCO World Heritage site, situated behind high walls. Spend a few hours walking around the complex with your guide, who enlightens you about fascinating architectural structures that include tombs, elaborate temples and the former Imperial Palace, revealing Vietnam’s regal legacy of Nguyen Emperors. From here take a cyclo through dai noi ‘Old City’ to Tinh Tam Lake where the Emperors used to come to relax; full of lotus flowers in summer there are many local style coffee shops around the lake where university students come to study. Next, fulfill your appetite with a Vietnamese lunch at the delightful Tha Om Garden House where offers an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy traditional Vietnamese hospitality in the surrounds of a fully-working and functioning replica of a 19th century Hue residence. 

In the afternoon, meander down to Thien Mu Pagoda, Vietnam’s tallest pagoda, which towers on the riverbank and dates back to 1601. Tour to see the tomb of the former emperor Minh Mang which is located in a tranquil setting of gardens and ponds. To end the day tour, we will drive to visit one of the greatest conical hat making villages where is home to preserve the unique cultural beauty of Hue. Here, tourists have a chance to witness the meticulous stages and the craftsmanship of the artisans to create the conical hat filled with aesthetic and cultural features.