Bao Quoc Pagoda (Chua Bao Quoc) Tours and Tickets

Most visitors overlook Vietnam's former imperial capital, but this provincial city has a momentous story to tell. Huế is where the Nguyễn Dynasty established an opulent capital, the French mounted a campaign of colonial manipulation, and the Americans triggered a battle that would shock the world. On this self-guided audio tour, Huế's story is brought to life - but not through the popular sights. Instead, the tour moves through lesser-known neighborhoods, passing a centuries-old pagoda, the local train street, a labyrinthine market, a riverside garden house, a retro church, an army blockhouse and a forgotten tomb. At each stop, which you're likely to have all to yourself, a chapter of Huế's complex story unfolds before your eyes. By the end of this tour, you’ll have a sense of the link between Vietnam’s imperial past and Huế’s enduring cultural identity.