Having visited both Hue and Hoi An on separate visits to Vietnam over the years, and enjoyed my time in each of them I can say they are worth going to see.

However, some people don’t find the time to see both and can’t decide whether to stay in: Hue or Hoi An.

Situated right in the middle of the country it’s pretty much inevitable you will plan to visit at least one of them if you are travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi or vice versa.

So this is my recommendation on whether you should visit Hue or Hoi An if you are short on time. They are each good for different reasons.

It will all come down to personal choice – do you want more history stuff, or do you want a more laid-back old town to stay in?

Hue or Hoi An

First of all both Hue and Hoi An are great to visit as you can find old cultural vibes in each. The main difference is the things to do in general.

If you are very short on time Hoi An is the closer one to visit as it’s only a 45-minute bus ride away from Da Nang, which you would transit through.

But that’s picking it a little bit as at the end of the day Hue is not so far from Da Nang either.

This is the comparison of Hue to Hoi An.

Disclaimer: I’ve added affiliate links in the article to where you can book Hue/Hoi An-related tours/hotels etc and I get a small commission at no extra cost to you if you book through them. This helps keep my website running and writing more guides. Thanks.

Hue

As far as what to do in Hue goes Hue is definitely the better choice if you have an interest in history. Without a doubt.

There you will find the epic 19th-century Citadel of Hue that you could spend hours exploring. Hue is one of the old imperial cities of Vietnam.

Inside the moat walls of the complex are the old Imperial Palace and many other historic attractions, such as the old theatre and Purple City.

Imperial Palace in Hue:

There is also plenty of old emperor tombs scattered in the countryside close to the city, and a good pagoda to visit.

The surrounding countryside is worth a trip alone if you get up into the mountains.

Getting around by motorbike is the best way to see a lot of the sites in one day. Rent your own if you know how to ride, otherwise, you can do a 6-hour city tour of Hue by motorbike.

Another option is to rent a bicycle (always one of the best ways to see a place) to get around as some of the traffic is not as crazy as in other parts of Vietnam.

But bear in mind the hot weather if cycling as Vietnam’s heat may be too much for some.

Part of the Hue Citadel complex:

In both Hue and Hoi An you can get onto the waterways in a traditional Vietnamese boat and go for a gentle ride, especially at sunset.

Hue is not as good as Hoi An as far as being on the relaxed side of things though when it comes to actual city vibes.

The area where many cafes and restaurants are gathered in the centre of Hue, where most tourists stay and eat, is nowhere near as good as Hoi An.

Where to stay in Hue

Hue is not as charming as Hoi An as far as places to stay go but you can find some decent ones. I use Agoda for booking places to stay in Asia as I often find they have some of the best deals:

Some cool tours to do in Hue when there:

Hoi An

Hoi An is a little gem of a place. It can be called the ‘lantern town’ due to how many lanterns are lit up at night.

It’s a different vibe in what there is to do differently from Hue, but also in how it feels in general.

Where Hue is more hectic and historic, Hoi An has an old town that is just perfectly chilled out, with no traffic allowed in some areas.

Hoi An at night:

Hoi An during the day is very relaxed and there’s not much going on, but Hoi An has a really good cafe scene, way better than Hue.

So if you just want to take it easy then relax in a cafe, maybe do a cooking class or a bicycle trip into the nearby countryside for a bit.

Although the things to do in Hoi An aren’t as numerous when it comes to actual sites in themselves compared with Hue, you can still find some fun activities.

Old cultural town in Hoi An:

Hoi An really comes into its own at nighttime.

At night lanterns are lit up in many areas of Hoi An’s old town, the restaurants are buzzing with activity, and a long souvenir-style street market follows the length of the waterway.

If you do have a bit more time to spare and plan a few days in the area, then technically you can do a long day trip from Hoi An to Hue, or vice versa, depending on which one you stay at.

However, that would mean getting up early and getting back late. But it’s possible.

If you want to enjoy the better (than Hue obviously) old-town vibe of Hoi An at night, then it may be best to stay in Hoi An and do a day trip to Hue’s Imperial City complex from Hoi An.

The only main downside to Hoi An is its immense popularity. 

That means especially at nighttime those ‘peaceful in the daytime’ streets and alleys become a wave of tourists, and you will have to push your way through sometimes or be prepared to walk slowly.

Where to stay in Hoi An

Hoi An I found has much nicer options for places to stay than Hue as many are situated in the old cultural town, as mentioned before.

Some cool tours to do in Hoi An when there:

Getting to Hue or Hoi An

Da Nang to Hue (and vice versa)

If you don’t want to ride on a motorbike (scooter) then take the train or bus.

Going by road on a motorbike, or bus takes you over one of the most beautiful mountain roads in Vietnam called the Hai Van Pass.

Although the train doesn’t go up as high as the road does it’s still a beautiful journey in its own right.

I would suggest riding a motorbike, or taking the bus to Hue, and then taking the train back to get a feel for both journeys.

You can book a bus from Da Nang to Hue via the Hai Van Pass if you don’t want to ride a motorbike but still want to experience the journey.

Da Nang to Hoi An

If you are in Da Nang already then the only real way to get to Hoi An is by bus, or taking your motorbike.

The bus ride is only around 45 minutes long so will be easy to get there. You can book the bus to Hoi An at most hotels/hostels in Da Nang that are used by travellers if you ask. Otherwise, head to the bus station.

If you want to go immediately from Da Nang Airport to Hoi An you can get a private shuttle transfer that does just that, for a very good price.

Going straight from the airport also saves time on not going to Da Nang. Also if you’re having to decide between Hue or Hoi An I’m guessing you are short on time so skip Da Nang then. 

Read my article about taking the bus and train from Hoi An to Hue.

However, if you have a bit of time free these are some things to do in Da Nang when there.

Cycling is a nice way to get around in either Hoi An or Hue.

Hue to Hoi An

In total, the distance from Hue to Hoi An is 121km.

If you thought you could take a Hue to Hoi An train then as said it’s not possible, you can only take the train from Hue to Da Nang and then switch to a Da Nang to Hue train.

The best overall if you can is to take a motorbike/scooter.

There are many options to get from Hanoi to Hue and then continue to Hoi An after, and I love travelling by train in any country that I am in.

Side note on Vietnam travel:

If you love coffee as I do then be sure to try some in Vietnam!

It’s some of the best coffee you can find anywhere in the world.

Hue and (especially) Hoi An have plenty of good coffee shops and cafes to try Vietnamese coffee.

The egg coffee is highly recommended and tastes way better than it sounds!

Whether to stay in Hue or Hoi An

Now I have given a rundown on both Hue and Hoi An to show the difference between the two, this is what I would recommend if you have two nights in the area.

Two nights seem to be the average time many travellers would have for it from what I have gathered speaking with people who have been.

Dun duun duuuuun… The winner is:

Both!

Yeah I know it’s a bit of a copout but at the end of the day they are not that far apart from each other and you can see both.

If I had known before visiting what I know now I would have stayed in Hoi An for two nights as it has a much better nighttime vibe than Hue, and do a long day trip to Hue to see the historic stuff.

The best of both worlds.

If you only have one night in the region then I recommend going to Hue. One of the main reasons for that is simply the beautiful journey just to get there and back from Da Nang, on the Hai Van Pass.

It is one of the most beautiful road trips in Vietnam.

Yes, Hoi An has that cultural old town but you can find that in other places as well, maybe not as good, but you can find it.

Having said that if all you want to do is to chill out, and maybe just do one or two things like a little bit of cycling around, then Hoi An is the one to go to.

Either way, you will enjoy your time in either!

Just be aware of the differences noted here.

Visit Hue and Hoi An

If you plan to visit Hue or Hoi An I hope this has helped in your decision.

If you want to get much more detail on things to do in both places then pick up the Lonely Planet Vietnam guide.

Or, if you’re travelling to other countries in the area the Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand guidebook is a good choice.

And for more advice on many other countries in Asia take a look at my Asia country guides.

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