Hue is unusual in the sense that the city center is remarkably plain and mostly free of attractions, with the exception of the less-than-spectacular citadel that dominates the area north of the Perfume River. Most of the things to see are pagodas, temples, and craft centers that are best reached on a river cruise combined with a bus ride, and thankfully those are quite cheap.
Hotels are cheap, as you’d expect in Vietnam, and standards are fairly high. You can expect air-conditioning, a fridge, cable TV, and even Wi-Fi in most 2-star hotels starting around US$10 per night. There are plenty of 3-star and up options as well, with the biggest cluster being within a block or two of Pham Ngu Lao street. Several upscale hotels line the southern shore of the river, and you’ll pay a big price for the view.
Food and drinks are predictably cheap, with standards in tourist-aimed restaurants being unusually high. Many places in the hotel district have white table clothes and cloth napkins, yet still have similar prices to more basic places in the area. As usual, lager beer is the most popular drink, and finding deals on cold ones is easy, with even a few happy hours advertised at popular places.
