Between the 16th and 17th parallels, Central Vietnam concentrates three cities over 200 kilometres, each of which has shaped the country's history: Hué, Da Nang and Hoi An. Our team sends most travellers to this region after the North or before the South, as it forms the cultural pivot of the country. The geography is legible here: to the west, the Truong Son mountain range closes the horizon; to the east, the South China Sea opens up 150 kilometres of coastline; between the two, a narrow coastal plain crossed by the Perfume River at Hué and the Thu Bon River at Hoi An.

Hué, the former imperial capital from 1802 to 1945, bears the imprint of the Nguyen dynasty. The citadel, enclosed by ramparts 10 kilometres long, houses the Forbidden Purple City, partially destroyed during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and restored since. Seven royal tombs open to the public are spread over some twenty kilometres south-west of the city: that of Tu Duc, garden-mausoleum of the poet-emperor, and that of Khai Dinh, with its darkened concrete façade and porcelain-encrusted interior, are the two we recommend as a priority if time is short. The local gastronomy, inherited from the court, stands out from the rest of the country: bun bo Hue (beef noodle soup with lemongrass and chilli), banh khoai (crispy prawn pancake), and a whole family of small rice cakes steamed in ceramic bowls.

100 kilometres to the south, Da Nang plays a different role. The country's fourth-largest city, deep-water port and regional aviation hub, it has experienced rapid development since 2010 along its My Khe beach. The Cham Museum houses the world's most important collection of sculptures from the ancient Champa kingdom, a Hinduised civilisation that dominated central Vietnam from the 2nd to the 15th centuries. 50 kilometres to the west, the My Son site features some twenty red brick temple towers set in a steep valley, dedicated to Shiva, with the oldest dating back to the 4th century.

Hoi An, 30 kilometres south of Da Nang, was between the 15th and 19th centuries an active trading post where Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and Portuguese merchants crossed paths. The old town, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, lines its few pedestrian streets with wooden houses with ceramic tile roofs, Chinese temples of Cantonese and Fujianese congregations, and the Japanese covered bridge built around 1593. The city is now Vietnam's bespoke tailoring capital: allow 24 to 48 hours to have a suit (€60 to €120) or silk dress made. As night falls, public lighting gives way to silk lanterns suspended above the streets and small floating oil lamps placed on the Thu Bon river.

Between Hué and Da Nang, National Highway 1 crosses the Cloud Pass (Hai Van) at 496 metres altitude. It is the country's real climatic frontier: to the north, the climate remains influenced by Tonkin monsoons; to the south, tropical heat sets in for good. We recommend making this 100-kilometre journey by private car rather than train, so you can stop at the summit of the pass and at Lang Co lagoon. Allow approximately 3 hours including stops.

Beyond the Hué-Da Nang-Hoi An triangle, the region has two extensions that our travellers explore less often but which we recommend: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, 200 kilometres north of Hué, which houses South-East Asia's largest karst network and the Son Doong cave, and the still largely undeveloped beaches of Quy Nhon, 300 kilometres south of Hoi An.

To discover

Royal tombs along the Perfume River. A day by boat then by car to visit the mausoleums of Minh Mang, Tu Duc and Khai Dinh, scattered in the countryside south of Hué, each conceived as a garden residence by the emperor during his lifetime.

Old town of Hoi An at dusk. Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets empty of motorbikes around 6 p.m.; ochre façades are lit by silk lanterns and fabric shops display their catalogues on their doorsteps.

Cham sanctuaries of My Son. Some twenty red brick towers dedicated to Shiva, nestled in a valley 50 kilometres west of Da Nang, a testament to the civilisation that ruled here for thirteen centuries before Vietnamese expansion.

Cloud Pass between Hué and Da Nang. Climatic frontier between North and South, Hai Van peaks at 496 metres and opens onto Lang Co bay. We travel it by private car to allow for photo stops, the train passing through the tunnel.

Imperial cuisine of Hué. Bun bo Hue at 7 o'clock in the morning on a Ly Thuong Kiet street pavement, banh khoai in late afternoon, and royal menu comprising a dozen small dishes inherited from the Nguyen table.

When to go

The Centre follows a different climate calendar to the rest of Vietnam, and this is a point we systematically explain to our travellers. The dry season runs from February to August, with temperatures gradually rising from 22 to 35 degrees. February to April offer the best compromise: clear skies, sea suitable for swimming at Hoi An, moderate heat for visiting Hué citadel and My Son ruins. May to August are hot (32 to 36 degrees during the day) but remain dry and favourable for swimming on An Bang or My Khe beach.

The rainy season is concentrated in September, October and November, with a peak in October that can exceed 700 millimetres of monthly rainfall in Hué, one of the country's wettest cities. Typhoons from the South China Sea hit the coast several times a season and cause urban flooding in Hoi An, whose old town regularly finds itself with water at its feet. December and January mark a transition: rarer rainfall but often grey skies and temperatures dropping to 18-20 degrees. We advise against planning a beach stay in Central Vietnam between October and January.

Practical advice

Allow a minimum of 4 full days for the Hué-Da Nang-Hoi An triangle, ideally 5 to 6 days if you wish to add a day at My Son, a day at the beach at An Bang, or an excursion to Bach Ma Park. The logistics are straightforward: Da Nang international airport receives direct flights from Hanoi (1h20) and Ho Chi Minh City (1h30), as well as regional connections to Singapore, Seoul and Bangkok. We arrange transfers between the three cities by private car with English-speaking driver as requested.

The Centre combines naturally with the Tonkin Delta to the north (domestic flight Hanoi-Hué or Hanoi-Da Nang) and with the South and Mekong Delta (flight Da Nang-Ho Chi Minh City). For travellers who have three weeks, we suggest inserting between the Imperial Centre and the South a stopover in the Central Highlands, accessible by road from Hoi An via Kon Tum. The level of hotel comfort is good to very good, particularly in Hoi An where charming guesthouses and beachfront resorts abound. The region is equally suitable for families (little walking, beaches, cooking and lantern-making workshops in Hoi An) and cultural travellers interested in imperial history and Cham civilisation.