We only have one night in Hue and I am trying to decide how to spend the morning. The plan would be the Imperial City from about 8am to noon, then the train to Da Nang in the afternoon.
Is 3 to 4 hours inside the citadel enough to see the main things properly, or does it deserve a full day? I like history but I also do not want to be templed-out by lunch.
And is it worth hiring a guide at the gate, or is the signage good enough on your own?
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We did exactly this, 8 to noon, and it was plenty. Prioritise the Thai Hoa Palace, the Forbidden Purple City ruins and the Mieu temple area. We skipped some of the outer gates and did not feel we missed much. Go early though, the tour groups arrive around 9:30 and it gets busy.
Replying to Julie Nicholson
That is reassuring. Did you get a guide at the gate? I keep hearing mixed things about whether the signage is enough.
Replying to Cathy Mitson
We did not, the signs in English are decent and we had read up beforehand. But we saw guides charging around 300k for a couple of hours, and the groups with guides did look like they were getting more out of the history. If you are into the Nguyen dynasty stories, it is probably worth it.