Hanoi is the capital city of Vietnam located in the northern part of the country. Hue was the ancient capital of Vietnam, located in the central part of the country. Both cities are steeped in history and culture, offering numerous attractions to explore.
In this article, I will compare Hanoi and Hue, focusing on their location, accommodations, attractions, shopping, nightlife, food, and proximity to the beaches.
I’m Vietnamese and I have traveled extensively around the country, visiting many places, including Hanoi and Hue. I’m originally from Hanoi. So I hope to give you some useful information based on my first-hand experiences.
Is it better to stay in Hanoi or Hue?
I would recommend visiting Hanoi if you’re first-timers to Vietnam. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, which has a wide range of history & culture attractions, great nightlife, shopping, and classic Vietnamese food. The city offers a strong impression of what Vietnam is like.
Hanoi is one of the country’s two main gateways, making it a more accessible and popular destination. From Hanoi, you can easily explore other places in North Vietnam such as Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Sapa, or Ha Giang.
Hue is a good place to visit if you’re interested in imperial history, visiting royal palaces, ancient tombs, and pagodas. If you want a more laid-back atmosphere, away from the more touristy cities of Da Nang and Hoi An, this is a great place to stay in Central Vietnam.
Most visitors choose to visit either Da Nang or Hoi An first when they visit Central Vietnam. From these two popular cities, they take day trips to Hue. If their time is not allowed, they visit Hue on their second, or third visits to Central Vietnam.
Hanoi is a more developed city, so it has more nightlife and shopping options. So, if you want the convenience of a big city with many choices of bars, night clubs, and modern malls, Hanoi is a better choice.
If you have time, you can combine your visit to Hanoi and Hue in a single trip. Both cities have their own airports, so it’s easy to get a direct flight between them. The journey is around 1 hour and the flight is also relatively cheap.
You can spend at least 2-3 days within each city to explore the major sights. The heart of Hanoi is the old quarter, packed with a maze of narrow streets, markets, craft shops, street food stalls, cafés, temples, and historical attractions.
The city center of Hue is also very compact. Within a day, you can explore all major sights such as the walking street, imperial citadel, Huong River, or Dong Ba Market.
My recommend hotels in Hanoi:
- Luxury: Capella Hanoi
- Mid-range: The Rex Hanoi Hotel
- Budget: The West Hotel & Spa
My top hotel picks in Hue:
- Luxury: Melia Vinpearl
- Mid-range: White Lotus Hue Hotel
- Budget: Hue Four Seasons Hotel
Location and How to Get There
Hanoi is located on the bank of the Red River, in North Vietnam. Hue is located in Central Vietnam, around 660km South of Hanoi. There is direct air and train connection between these two cities. The flight takes about 1.5 hours, while the train journey takes 11 to 13 hours.
Both cities have their own international airport, so you can reach them by air. Hanoi is served by Noi Bai International Airport, located 25km north of Hanoi Old Quarter. Hue is served by Phu Bai International Airport, located 15km south east of Hue City Center.
Hanoi Airport is more popular, so most visitors arriving in Vietnam land here first before heading to other parts of the country. From each international airport, you can easily get a local taxi or Grab taxi to get to the city center.
If you’re already in Vietnam, you can easily take trains and buses to either Hanoi or Hue. Taking the train is slower but safe, and it is a favored mode of transport for many foreign tourists. The sleep buses are also good ways to travel in Vietnam, and you can save money on hotels.
Historical influence
Hanoi has been the capital of Vietnam for more than 1000 years. Hue was the capital of Vietnam for nearly 150 years from 1802 to 1945, under the Nguyen Dynasty.
Hanoi became the capital of Vietnam in 1010 when King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu Ninh Binh to Thang Long (now Hanoi). Thang Long Imperial Place and the Old Quarter were built during this period.
Hanoi was the capital for many dynasties including the Ly dynasty, Tran dynasty, and Le dynasty.
In 1802, the Nguyen Dynasty was established after Gia Long defeated the Tây Sơn dynasty and unified Vietnam. He chose Hue as the new imperial capital as it has a central location between northern and southern Vietnam, making it easier to control the entire country.
The Nguyen Dynasty built the Imperial City on the north bank of Huong River, modeled partly after Beijing’s Forbidden City. You can still see the ruins of the Old Imperial City today. Hanoi was still an important city in North Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty.
Under French colonial rule in the late 19th century, the French chose Hanoi as the capital of French Indochina. They built the French Quarter with wide boulevards, villas, and government buildings.
You can still see important colonial buildings in Hanoi today such as Hanoi Opera House, Presidential Palace, or Hoa Lo Prison Museum.
In Hue, The French Quarter was built on the south side of Huong River, and connected with the Imperial Citadel on the north bank via Truong Tien Bridge. Several French colonial buildings still exist in the city center of Hue.
Under French rule, Hue remained the ceremonial imperial capital. The Nguyễn dynasty had very limited real power. The last emperor was Bao Dai, who eventually abdicated in 1945.
Hanoi was officially reinstated as the capital of North Vietnam in 145, when Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence on Ba Dinh Square.
Both Hanoi and Hue were heavily damaged during the Vietnam-American War. Hanoi was the political brain of North Vietnam directing the war. Hue was the important site of the Battle of Hue. which is one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the entire Vietnam War.
Today, Hanoi is the political and cultural capital of Vietnam. Hue is a smaller city focused on history, culture, and tourism with some popular sites such as Imperial City, Tomb of Khai Dinh, Tomb of Tu Duc, and Perfume River.
Accommodations
Both Hanoi and Hue have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. You can find cosy family-run guest houses, budget backpacker hostels, and luxury hotels.
In Hanoi, if you want an upscale atmosphere, you can stay in the French Quarter. If you want to be in the heart of the historic old town and don’t mind a little less space, the Old Quarter is a good choice.
In Hue, most hotels are concentrated in the compact city center. Hue has more budget-friendly guest house options. The city is generally more affordable than Hanoi in terms of accommodations, food, and drink.
Both Hanoi and Hue have some nice hotels that have French colonial architecture or are renovated from the buildings that date back to the French colonial period.
In Hanoi, you can check out the 5-star luxury Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. In Hue, you can stay at Azerai La Residence or Hotel Saigon Morin.
If you want a quality hotel at a good price, make sure to book in advance so you will have many choices to choose from.
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Hanoi or Hue for Nightlife?
Both cities have a lively nightlife scene, but Hanoi has a wider range of bars, night clubs, and a beer street with lots of beer bars.
The nightlife in Hanoi is centered around the old quarter and Tay Ho district. Some popular spots for nightlife in the old quarter are Ta Hien Street and Dong Xuan Night Market.
The nightlife in Hue is concentrated around the Walking Street area in Pham Ngu Lao Street, Chu Van An Street and Vo Thi Sau Street. You can find many street-side bars, night markets, streetfood stalls, and restaurants.
Additionally, you can take a stroll along the river banks, or boat rides on the Perfume River listening to traditional folk‑music performances on boats.
Hanoi or Hue for Shopping?
AS a bigger city, Hanoi is definitely the better place to go in Vietnam for shopping. The city has many modern shopping malls as well as markets, and independent shops to explore.
Popular places to shop for tourists are the local shops in the Old Quarter. This historical area is packed with a maze of streets with shops selling silk, fabrics, silver jewellery, and souvenirs. The indoor Dong Xuan Market is a popular wholesale shopping market in Hanoi.
If you want international brands, you can check out modern malls such as Vincom Center or Trang Tien Plaza.
Hue has small shops and the local Dong Ba Market. This is the oldest and biggest market in the city, and is a great place to experience local daily life. You can find handicrafts, local specialties, clothes/ fabrics, food items, and souvenirs.
Hanoi vs Hue Food
Hanoi is known for classic Vietnamese dishes such as Pho and Banh My. You can find a wide range of great northern street food varieties like Bun Cha (grilled pork and noodles), Banh Cuon (steamed rice rolls), or Cha Ca La Vong (grilled fish dish).
Hue is known for its regional specialties with distinct flavours. Iconic dishes in the city are Bun Bo Hue, which is a spicy, lemongrass‑flavoured beef noodle soup.
Other local dishes are Com Hen, Bang Khoai, Banh Xeo, or Nem Lui. You can find cheap street food stalls at the market, or royal dishes at more fine dining restaurants in Hue.
Hanoi’s food has a light, fresh, subtle flavor. Hue’s food is royal, spicy, influenced by its history as the Nguyen dynasty imperial capital.
Both cities have a strong coffee culture. Hanoi is best known for its egg cafe. In Hue, the local specialty cafe is Salt Cafe.
Cultural Attractions
Hanoi has a wide spectrum of Vietnamese culture, packed with ancient temples, French-colonial buildings, historical sites, and museums. Many attractions date back to the 11th century when it became the capital city of Vietnam.
Some top cultural attractions in Hanoi include Temple of Literature (Vietnam’s first national university), Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple, or Tran Quoc pagoda.
The Old Quarter and French Quarter are the tourist heart of Hanoi where you can explore both traditional Vietnamese and French architecture buildings. There are tube houses, French colonial buildings, narrow streets, and wide tree-lined boulevard.
Hue is known for its imperial and royal attractions. The most famous historical site in Hue is the Imperial Citadel with pPalaces, throne halls, royal gates, lotus ponds. Additionally, you can visit various Royal Tombs and Thien Mu pagoda.
Hue also has several traditional craft villages such as Thuy Xuan Incense-making village, conical-hat making, or bronze casting village. In Hanoi, you can visit Bat Trang Pottery Village or Van Phuc Silk Village.
Outdoor Activities/ Day Trips
There are plenty of day trips from Hanoi. Some popular day trips are to Ba Vi National Park, Tam Dao, Duong Lam ancient village, Ninh Binh, and Halong Bay.Within Hanoi, you can cycle around the countryside or paddling or kayaking at West Lake.
Popular day trips from Hue are to Bach Ma national park, Hai Van Pass, or Lang Co Beach. These are ideal for nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts.
Cost of Living
Hue has a cheaper cost of living compared to Hanoi. Accommodations, food, and drink are usually more affordable. Rental apartments in Hanoi is around 500usd per month, while in Hue is around 150 usd per month.
Hanoi vs Hue Weather
Both Hanoi and Hue have four seasons, spring, summer, winter, and autumn. The winter in Hue is often warmer than in Hanoi. Hue and Central Vietnam often experience flooding and storms during the rainy season. Hanoi also experiences flooding, but it is not as severe as in Hue.
You can visit both cities all year around, but you might want to avoid Hue during storm seasons, which is typical from September to December.
Getting Around
Riding share services such as Grab Taxi and Grab Bike are available in both Hanoi and Hue. You can use a local taxi, but make sure to bargain the price before getting in the car.
You can rent a scooter to explore, but it’s not necessary in Hanoi, as taxis and Grab are plentiful and cheap. The traffic in Hanoi is also more chaotic, so it’s not an ideal place to drive.
Traffic in Hue is calmer than in Hanoi, so you can consider renting a scooter if you’re an adventurous traveler. Getting a Grab from the city center to more remote places to visit Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue and royal tombs can be difficult, especially on the way back to the city.
There are also plenty of sightseeing tours and guided day trips from both cities. You can consider taking these tours to avoid the stress of traffic and transportation
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So, you have it, my comparison between Hanoi and Hue. Overall, Hanoi is a better place to visit if you’re visiting Vietnam for the first time and you want to explore North Vietnam. Hanoi is the capital city, offering a broad taste of Vietnam’s energy as well as a wider range of nightlife, shopping, and restaurants.
Hue is a better choice if you’re interested in the history and culture related to the last royal family of Vietnam. It’s also a great location to explore the Central Part of the country.