Tour & Activity Scams in Hue, Vietnam
Unlicensed guides, fake tickets, bait-and-switch excursions, and ticket scalping. Below are the tour & activities scams reported in Hue — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Lombok, Palawan, and Mandalay.
Last updated: April 2, 2026
3
Tour & Activities Scams
10
Total in Hue
How it works
Dragon boat operators outside the Thien Mu Pagoda quote prices for a Perfume River tour, then add charges for each temple stop along the river that were not disclosed upfront.
How it works
Street vendors and unofficial guides near the Hue Citadel sell counterfeit or heavily marked-up tickets to the royal tombs of Tu Duc, Minh Mang, and Khai Dinh. Travelers arrive at ticket gates to find invalid tickets or are forced to buy legitimate ones at double the price.
How it works
Men posing as official guides or temple volunteers approach visitors at the entrance to Thien Mu Pagoda and offer to explain the history of the seven-story Phuoc Duyen Tower and the surrounding grounds. Once the informal tour ends, they demand a substantial cash payment and become aggressive when visitors decline or offer a small tip. The pagoda itself charges no admission fee, which the fake guides never mention.
See all scams in Hue
10 total warnings across all categories