1 The journey to find the flavor of the ancient capital in every step
Hue was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The layers of cultural sediments, royal palaces, mausoleums and peaceful lifestyle make this land a place that must be visited at least once. But what tourists will always remember when leaving Hue lies at the dining table. The cuisine here once served the kings, seemingly simple dishes are still prepared delicately, beautifully, and delicious in an unmistakable way.
Among countless options to explore Hue, Hue food tour is the closest way to understand the city. Going with locals, tasting each specialty, listening to stories about the Nguyen Dynasty and daily life is enough experience to make you want to come back a few more times.
A Hue food tour will take you through many streets, crowded markets and different stops. Illustration photo: RESTOUR – Vietnam Leading Tour Operator
2 A unique and unforgettable culinary experience
2.1 Why should you choose Hue Food Tour?
Hue is captivated with dishes that encapsulate the soul of the ancient capital. A true Hue food tour takes you through many local restaurants, enjoying dishes cooked by people who have been in the profession all their lives.
Highlights of the journey:
– Enjoy a variety of Hue cakes and street dishes at small shops familiar to locals.
– Learn the recipes, ingredients and cultural stories behind each dish.
– Feel the beauty of Hue at night, where incense and lights reflect on the Perfume River.
– Chat with people, listen to their simple lifestyle.
– Drink local beer, eat Hue dessert.
– Receive a small gift as a souvenir before the end of the tour.
This city has the rustic breath of the Central region, where people prefer clear, rich flavors, and cook in a way that preserves the truth of life. Illustration photo: Samtour Vietnam
2.2 Departure schedule and duration of Hue Food Tour
Most Hue food tours last about four hours. You can choose your departure schedule depending on your free time, usually starting at 9:00 am or 2:00 pm. If you want to explore Hue’s nightlife, you can choose an evening tour at 5:30 p.m.
The tour guide will pick you up at your hotel or homestay in the central area. At the end of the tour, you can return to the hotel or stop at the last stop to continue exploring the city.
3 9 must-try dishes on a Hue food tour
• Hue beef noodle soup – The first story of taste
No dish represents Hue better than beef noodle soup. A bowl of fragrant vermicelli with a strong scent of lemongrass, mildly spicy, clear and rich broth, served with soft slices of beef and fresh vegetables. A Hue food tour would not be complete without this flavor.
Address: O Be Beef Noodle Soup, 77 Nguyen Hue
Price: about 40,000 VND
• Banh beo – “little flowers” on the tray
The small, clear, soft banh beo are attractive to any diner. On top are dried shrimp, crispy pork rinds and onion fat. Dip into a cup of lightly sweet fish sauce and you will see the sophistication that Hue has preserved for many generations.
Address: Mrs. Do, 8 Nguyen Binh Khiem
Price: about 30,000 VND
Cute little banh beo served with dried shrimp and pork rind. Illustration photo: FB Ba Do Cake Restaurant
• Nem lui – The excitement of a self-rolled meal
The pork is rubbed finely, seasoned to taste, wrapped around lemongrass and grilled over charcoal. The fun lies in rolling your own: rice paper, raw vegetables, star fruit, banana… all blend when dipped in a cup of rich soy sauce.
Address: Quan Hanh, 11–15 Pho Duc Chinh
Price: about 25,000 VND
• Banh loc – A clear cake with the scent of Hue
Hue loc cake is always soft, chewy, and clear as dew drops. Filled with salty shrimp and meat, served with a light sweet fish sauce, simple but attractive.
Address: Mu Cai, 47 Dao Duy Anh
Price: about 30,000 VND
• Com Hen – Souls of people living on the Perfume River
A bowl of mussel rice is the whole working life of Hue: fragrant stir-fried small mussels, crispy pork rinds, raw vegetables, roasted peanuts and fish sauce passing by like a highlight.
Address: Hoa Dong, 64 Kiet 7 Nguyen Cong Tru
Price: about 20,000 VND
Mussel rice is a familiar breakfast dish of Hue people. Illustrative photo: Hoa Dong Mussel Rice FB
• Hue sweet soup – A sweet ending to every journey
Hue sweet soup is a vast world with countless varieties: beans, lotus seeds, potatoes, coconut milk. But the most unique is roasted pork sweet soup, salty and sweet mixed together, very Hue, very unforgettable.
Address: Che Hem, 29 Hung Vuong
Price: about 10,000 VND
All kinds of delicious Alley tea. Illustration photo: Minh Nguyen
• Banh nam – Gift wrapped from banana leaves
When the leaves are opened, the cake emits a light fragrance. Inside is a layer of soft dough and salty shrimp and meat.
Address: Mrs. Do, 71 Nguyen Hue
Price: about 30,000 VND
• Grilled pork vermicelli – a dish that balances flavor and color
Golden grilled meat, fresh green vegetables and light fish sauce. A seemingly simple dish but packed with layers of flavor.
Address: Mrs. Ty, 81 Ba Trieu
Price: about 35,000 VND
• Nam Pho noodle soup – Heartwarming in Hue night
The broth is thick, fragrant with shrimp and meat, and the noodles are thick, just enough to create warmth on a chilly evening.
Address: Quan Thuy, 16 Pham Hong Thai
Price: about 30,000 VND
The shop specializes in Nam Pho noodle soup and other types of banh beo, nam, and loc. Illustration photo: Huyen Nguyen
4 The most popular types of Hue food tours
4.1 Hue Food Tour by walking
Walking is the best way to see small details that vehicles often miss. You will hear the aroma from the street vendors and feel the slow pace of life.
4.2 Hue Food Tour by cyclo
Enjoy the peace of sitting on a cyclo, watching the flow of people passing by, then stopping at each small shop to enjoy banh beo, banh loc or spring rolls. No vehicle conveys the romance of Hue better than cyclo.
Take a cyclo to explore Hue cuisine. Illustration photo: Explore Vietnam
4.3 Hue Food Tour by motorbike
If you like to explore more places, a motorbike is the ideal choice. You will be taken to local shops that are hardly mentioned in the guidebook.
5 Suggested Hue night tour by cyclo
This is a type of Hue food tour that brings special colors when the street lights up.
• 18:00: The tour guide picks you up by cyclo. Hue night begins with leisure.
• 18:15 – 19:15: Enjoy banh beo, banh loc, banh nam, spring rolls and banh hoi. The flavor is gentle but enough to awaken all senses.
• 19:30: Stop to enjoy mussel rice, a simple dish but full of Hue’s lifestyle.
• 20:00: Cyclo takes you through quiet streets, where Hue wears the soft mantle of night.
• 20:15: Coming to Hue beef noodle soup – a familiar dish but more special when enjoyed in the evening.
• 20:45: Finish with a cool cup of Hue sweet soup.
• 21:00: Drop off passengers at Truong Tien Bridge, where the lights reflect on the Perfume River like a beautiful painting closing the whole journey.
6 Hue Food Tour morning and afternoon itinerary
If you choose a daytime tour, the trip will start from Dong Ba market. Here, you can both observe people buying and sell and see the ingredients that make up Hue cuisine. Stepping across Truong Tien Bridge, you feel the familiar lifestyle of the city.
After trying a few snacks and buying small gifts, you will be taken to restaurants familiar to the locals. Each cake and each bowl of vermicelli appears on time, enough for you to understand why Hue cuisine is so loved.
At the end of the journey, you sit down at a coffee shop to listen to stories about Vietnamese coffee drinking culture. With the evening tour, you stop at the night market and enjoy some street food.
Admire the pot of delicious broth directly. Illustration photo: LE HOAI NHAN
7 FAQ about Hue food tour
7.1 Who should choose Hue Flavor Street Food Tour?
If you want to explore Hue in the most natural way, choose this tour. It is suitable for people who like:
– Explore culture through food.
– Meet and chat with local people.
– Learn about the real lifestyle of Hue.
– Experience cuisine in a reasonable order.
– Go through areas such as Dong Ba market or Kinh Thanh without getting lost in the crowds of people and noise.
7.2 When should the trip start?
If you want to hear Hue at night and see the city lights up, choose the night tour. If you like to explore the daily life, choose a morning tour to see the rhythm of the market moving. No matter the time, Hue food tour still retains its inherent excitement.
From the street vendors on the riverbank to the small shops in the cave, each dish tells a story of the Hue people. Illustration photo: WikiDuLich.Com
A Hue food tour is not just a culinary journey. That is the way to understand the life of Hue people, where each dish is a story. There are stories that started in the Nguyen Dynasty, others that originated in markets, in small houses along the river. A culinary journey that lasts a few hours or a whole day becomes easier if you prepare your luggage neatly. If you are looking for a durable, light and beautiful suitcase to accompany you on your Hue food tour, you can refer to the suitcase lines at Vietnamtravelio.
