The city itself is more of a backpacker party city with western bars and restaurants. The citadel is not very informative but is worth the detour. The ticket cost us 150kD per person and took us half a day to visit (don’t forget water and a hat! It was extremelly hot when we visited)…
Besides the citadel don’t miss out on the mausoleums south of the city ! They are really incredible. We only visited the Tu Duc tomb, and it is worth it. It was also a lot cooler than Hue due to the cover from a multitude of fragrant pine trees. We got a scooter for 80 000D and off we went.
The Mausoleums
The entrance to each tomb is 100 000D per person so we decided to visit only the most famous and popular:
Tự Đức’s tomb
Tự Đức’s tomb is not just a tomb. It was planned by the Nguyễn Emperor Tự Đức and served as a palatial retreat for Tu Duc and his many wives during his lifetime. It took three years to build from 1864–1867 and it is divided into a Temple Area and a Tomb Area.
* at the entrance of the tomb they asked us for a parking fee but we bought a bottle of water so they told us it was ok.
Handicraft village
The village by the tomb is famous for making incense cones and sticks. We went around with the scooter and stopped to see the workers in one of the small factories. They did not ask for any money and were very nice.
If you have any questions or additional information, do not hesitate to comment !
Elodie Travels 