Best Private Temple Tours in Vietnam — Our Top 9

1.Royal Tombs & Pagoda Private Tour By Dragon Boat & Car

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 257 reviews · 3 - 5 hours · from $12Our pick

Start with a 30-minute private dragon-boat ride on the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, then visit the Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, and Tu Duc tombs by air-conditioned car. Choose a driver or guide option, and leave time for the colorful Thuy Xuan Incense Village.

“We had a great time. The activity was great. Our driver spoke very good English and explained a lot about the tours and Vietnam. He also took us to some very nice additional places. Perfect.”

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2.Royal Tombs Private Tour with 3 Best Tombs & Pagoda

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 213 reviews · 5 hours · from $11Best value

Spend five hours touring Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, and Tu Duc tombs with a private car and English-speaking driver. Choose driver-only or guide service, then add Thien Mu Pagoda and Hue’s incense village. Guides such as Duy, Tommy, Hai, and Vu are praised for clear explanations and flexible pacing.

“Duy was an excellent private driver and guide. He just happened to be the same guide we had on the imperial city tour the previous day. Gave us a lot of information about the tombs. Giving us moments of privacy to explore was much appreciated. Greatly appreciated the restaurant recommendations for dinner.”

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3.Custom Tour with Dragon Boat, Private Car & Motorbike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 199 reviews · from $27Top rated

Build your Hue day around a dragon boat ride, Thien Mu Pagoda, the Imperial City and selected Nguyen tombs. Choose a private car or motorbike with driver. Guides such as Nhien, Hung, Misa, Viet and Lynh are praised for clear history, flexible pacing and personal service.

“We had a lovely day timely pick up and the trip was very interesting and informative. Would definitely recommend great value for money. NIh (knee) our tour guide and our driver were both lovely.”

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4.Full-Day Perfume Pagoda Private or Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 174 reviews · from $67

Travel from Hanoi to Perfume Pagoda with an English-speaking guide such as Minh, ride a rowboat along Yen Stream, visit Thien Tru and Huong Tich Cave, and return after lunch. You can walk the mountain path or pay extra for the cable car.

“This tour was not for the faint hearted but was so worth it! The boat ride takes you on a peaceful journey to the pagoda. There’s a lot of stairs to climb and it can get very hot. Take the cable car unless you are starting very early in the morning before the heat. On the way the hospitality is outstanding with a delicious meal served with an access to cold water and fans. Our guide was very informative providing us with an excellent overview of the area and cultural significance of perfume pagoda. The views were sensational and it was a very enjoyable day.”

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5.Private Dragon Boat, Pagoda, and Royal Tomb Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 141 reviews · 150 - 450 minutes · from $13

You’ll ride a private dragon boat to Thien Mu Pagoda, then tour Hue’s royal tombs by private car or motorbike. Choose one, two, or three tombs. Guides such as Hung, Nhi, and Misa add clear history, local context, and flexible pacing. Entry tickets cost extra.

“Great day and great tour guide Nhien. She brought us to a beautiful place for dinner. Her English speaking was excellent also . Very enjoyable”

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6.Royal Tombs and Thien Mu Pagoda Private Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $74

Visit Minh Mang, Khai Dinh, and Tu Duc tombs, then see Thien Mu Pagoda beside the Perfume River. Your English-speaking guide, such as Hoa, explains the Nguyen Dynasty, handles tickets, and may adjust the plan for lunch or a local stop.

“We had a local’s perspective. Hoa was very informative, took care of the tickets and added a stop to the incense market where we got to make our own. We highly appreciate and recommend this tour.”

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7.Trang An & Bai Dinh Pagoda Full-Day Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 16 reviews · from $130

Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh with an English-speaking guide such as Leo or Phong. Visit Bai Dinh Pagoda by electric car, eat local goat dishes, then row through Trang An’s caves on a shared boat before returning to Hanoi.

“Amazing day out, great to get away from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and see more of the surrounding areas. Leo and his driver were fantastic, great knowledge, and so lovely. We had a magic day.”

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8.Royal Tombs- Thien Mu Pagoda- Dragon Boat Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 12 reviews · 4 hours · from $28

Spend four hours exploring Hue by private dragon boat and car. Cruise the Perfume River to Thien Mu Pagoda, then visit Minh Mang and Khai Dinh tombs with an English-speaking driver or guide. Ruby and Bin have both provided especially attentive service.

“Onze chauffeur, mr. Bin, was heel behulpzaam en vertelde het één en ander over de rivier en de bezienswaardigheden. Dat was heel fijn. Dat was heel goed geregeld. De tocht met de boot was leuk en het bezoek aan de eerste pagode (Minh Mang) was leuk en mooi, de tweede (Khai Dhin) vonden wij niet de moeite waard, zeker niet voor dezelfde prijs.”

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9.Private Chan May Port Shore Excursion: Hue Imperial City & Tomb

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $145

Meet your English-speaking guide at Chan May Port for a private Hue day with no shopping stops. Visit the Citadel, Thien Mu Pagoda, and Khai Dinh Tomb, then enjoy a local set-menu lunch in an air-conditioned vehicle. Guides such as Sang and Lam are available, with timing built around your ship.

“Absolutely fantastic tour - Lam is an excellent guide , so informative and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour . Amazing!”

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