August 30, 2026
To get to the final stop on our Vietnam FUN Tour in Hue, we had our driver take us on the scenic route called the Hai Van Pass. This 3 hour drive took us back through Da Nang and then into mountains and along coast for what is generally a very scenic route. Unfortunately for us, it was mainly covered in clouds and fog.
Our Ship was docked in Chan May which was along the route and we dropped Bosco off there early, since he wasn't feeling well. The driver then took Terri and I, into the center of Hue and dropped us near the Imperial Palace. As we were trying to get our bearings and realizing we couldn't even see the Palace entry, a very good salesman for rickshaw / bike tour approached us. He said he could show us ALL the highlights of the Palace and reduced his initial price, when we hesitated. I knew there was no way we would be going into the actual Palace grounds in these things ( I had watched enough videos), but it did look FUN for an hour AND he said the first stop included a bathroom - SOLD !! We climbed in and off we went!
How FUN is this! First stop -
the old Fort -
now has artifact from over the years and Restrooms!
Next the Gardens! Turns out guide also loves to take photo's - Full Service Tour!
A quick stop at the original home of the supreme leader & 2 of the friendliest tour guides, who had to be so bored till we showed up
Then we finished the lap Around the Palace and saw some more of town, before wrapping up at the Palace Entry! Did I mention the PORTABLE FAN that came with the ride? Sadly the battery died 1/2 way thru the hour!
When we finally get the entry of the Imperial Palace we are starving and just not excited to go into the actual grounds - the signs are not in English, you can't go inside any of the rooms and there are no photos allowed at all! We found it more entertaining taking photos outside the entry and watching all the groups of people dressed up, go inside.
Instead, we went to get a quick bite at a Binh Minh shop and called our driver to take us back to Ship. We were going to end with a Cruise down the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda but it had also started to rain!
