# St Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi > St Joseph’s Cathedral is Hanoi’s main Catholic church, a neo-Gothic landmark from 1886 with twin towers modelled on Notre-Dame de Paris, a five-minute walk west of Hoan Kiem Lake. Entry is free and 20–30 minutes is enough. The square is always open; the interior, unofficially, about 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00 via a side gate, and during Mass. Web page: https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-cathedral - City: [Hanoi](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi), Vietnam - YesGo score: 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - Entry: Free - Opening hours: Square and facade any time; interior unofficially about 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00, and during Mass - With kids: Fine with kids - Admission: Free; donation box inside - Getting inside: Unofficial: about 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00 through the side gate left of the facade; closed at lunchtime - Mass: Unofficial: weekdays around 5:30 and 18:00–18:30; Sundays several between 5:00 and 20:00; no sightseeing during Mass - English Mass: Unofficial: Sunday 11:30 - Square and facade: Open around the clock - Address: 40 Nhà Chung, Hoàn Kiếm; in Grab, ‘Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội’ - Dress: Shoulders and knees covered, hats off inside - Payment: Nothing to pay; carry small VND notes for donations and street tea - Coordinates: 21.02860, 105.84900 - Facts checked: 05.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1886** — the cathedral was consecrated at Christmas; Vietnamese Wikipedia gives 1887 (source: English Wikipedia; vietnamtourism.com; Vietnamese Wikipedia) - **31.5 m** — height of the two square bell towers topped with stone crosses (source: Vietnamese Wikipedia; vietnamtourism.com (English Wikipedia: 31 m)) - **Notre-Dame** — Notre-Dame de Paris was the model for the twin-tower front (source: English and Vietnamese Wikipedia) - **1884** — construction began (source: English and Vietnamese Wikipedia; vietnamtourism.com) - **64.5 × 20.5 m** — length and width of the church (source: Vietnamese Wikipedia; vietnamtourism.com) - **Cathedral** — the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hanoi (source: English and Vietnamese Wikipedia) - **1,850 pipes** — in the organ brought from Itami, Japan, and inaugurated with a concert in 2022 (source: English Wikipedia; The Examiner) - **France** — where the stained glass was made before being shipped to Vietnam (source: English Wikipedia; tonkosti.ru) - **Neo-Gothic** — pointed arches and rib vaults, with local touches in the tiled roof and carved woodwork (source: English and Vietnamese Wikipedia) > **Front doors shut? Use the side gate** The big front doors open only for Mass. Visitors get in through a **side gate to the left of the facade** as you face it from the square. It usually closes over lunch, which is why so many people turn up at midday, find everything locked and leave. Come in the morning or after 14:00, and if the gate looks shut, ask the guard. ## What are St Joseph’s Cathedral opening hours? The cathedral doesn’t publish visiting hours. Unofficially, the interior opens **roughly 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00**; some guides give evening hours up to 20:00. The square and facade are open around the clock, so you can always see the outside. You go in by the side gate to the left of the main doors. Sightseers are not let in during Mass, when the church belongs to worshippers. The surest way to see the interior is to attend Mass itself: sit quietly at the back and stay until the end. Hours change around Christmas, Easter and the feast of St Joseph, when the cathedral is busy with services and effectively closed to sightseeing. Check the notice board by the gate for the current schedule. ## Mass times at St Joseph’s Cathedral Mass is said every day, in Vietnamese. Unofficially, weekday Masses are **early morning around 5:30 and in the evening around 18:00–18:30**, with Saturday evening Mass around 18:00. Sunday is busiest, with several Masses from 5:00 to 20:00; one Vietnamese guide lists 5:00, 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00. **English Mass** is listed by Catholic travel sites for Sundays at 11:30; ask at the gate which hall on the grounds it is held in. Sunday evening Masses are packed, and the prayers are relayed by loudspeaker to the square outside. On Christmas Eve the square fills from late afternoon and the main Mass runs late into the night. To see the lights and nativity scene in comfort, come on a morning in the days before Christmas, and keep your phone and wallet close. > **St Joseph’s Cathedral dress code** This is a working church. Cover your shoulders and knees and take your hat off inside. No sarongs or shawls are handed out, so carry a light scarf. Swimwear or very short shorts can get you turned away. Keep your voice down, don’t eat or drink inside, and during a service don’t walk the aisle or use flash. ## Is St Joseph’s Cathedral free to enter? Yes — there is **no ticket**, only a donation box inside. Bring a few small Vietnamese dong notes for it and for iced tea on the square: street stalls take cash only. Foreign cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants, and Grab takes cash or a card linked in the app. Allow **20–30 minutes** for the facade, square and interior, or about an hour if you stay for Mass. ## A short history of Hanoi Cathedral In Vietnamese it is **Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội** — ‘the Big Church of Hanoi’ — and it is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hanoi. Building began in 1884 and the church was consecrated at Christmas 1886. Its designers took Notre-Dame de Paris as their model, hence the familiar profile: two square towers 31.5 m high and tall pointed windows. The 64.5 m-long church is built of brick faced with grey stone slabs, which more than a century of humid weather has darkened — part of what makes the facade so photogenic. The stained glass was made in France and shipped out. The cathedral is a living parish church: baptisms, weddings and daily Masses happen here. A statue of the Virgin Mary stands on the square in front, ringed by cafés, boutiques and shops on the edge of the old centre. ## What to see at the cathedral - **The twin-tower facade** — the main event. It looks best from halfway down Nhà Thờ street, where the towers rise above the shopfronts. - **The Virgin Mary statue** on the square — surrounded by flowers and a good spot for the wide shot. - **Rib vaults and stained glass** — the interior is dim and cool, and the coloured glass glows best on a sunny day. - **The sanctuary** — gilded carved wood, where Vietnamese craftsmanship meets Gothic form. - **The organ** — a 1,850-pipe instrument moved from Itami in Japan and first heard here at a 2022 concert. It plays at Mass. - **Nhà Thờ street and lemon tea** — upstairs cafés facing the towers and pavement stalls with low plastic stools serving iced lemon tea (trà chanh). The stalls come and go, so they may not be there when you visit. ## Is St Joseph’s Cathedral worth visiting? Yes, if you are already near Hoan Kiem Lake: it is a five-minute detour, free, and one of Hanoi’s most recognisable views. Don’t cross town just for the interior, though — it is modest next to Europe’s great cathedrals, and the doors are often shut. The best plan is a short morning stop when the side gate is open, then coming back in the evening for lemon tea with the floodlit facade in front of you. ## How to get to St Joseph’s Cathedral 1. **Walk from Hoan Kiem Lake** — 300–400 m west, about five minutes. From the west shore (Lê Thái Tổ street), turn into Nhà Thờ street, which ends on the cathedral square. 2. **From the Old Quarter** — 10–15 minutes south on foot via Hàng Trống street. 3. **By Grab or taxi** — set ‘Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội’ or 40 Nhà Chung. Grab takes cash or a foreign card in the app. 4. **On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings** the roads around the lake close to traffic, so drivers drop you at the edge of the zone. Set your pin on Lý Quốc Sư street, on the far side of the cathedral. 5. **No metro** runs here. City buses stop on the streets around the lake; walk the last few minutes. 6. From the cathedral, [Hoa Lo Prison](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoa-lo-prison) is about ten minutes’ walk south-west, and [Hoan Kiem Lake](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoan-kiem-lake) is the other way. ## Cathedral, pagoda or Temple of Literature? | | St Joseph’s Cathedral | Tran Quoc Pagoda | Temple of Literature | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Catholic cathedral, 1886 | Hanoi’s oldest Buddhist pagoda | Confucian temple from 1070 and first university | | Entry | Free | Free | 70,000 VND, under-16s free | | Getting inside | Unofficially 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00, plus Mass | Daily, safest 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–16:00 | Daily 8:00–17:00 | | Time needed | 20–30 minutes | 30–40 minutes | About an hour | | From Hoan Kiem Lake | 5 minutes on foot | About 3 km, 10–15 minutes by Grab | About 2 km, 25–30 minutes on foot | Pagoda and temple details are from their YesGo pages. The cathedral slots easily into a lakeside walk; the Temple of Literature takes longer but gives you more. ## Before you go Tick off what’s ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Clothes covering shoulders and knees, or a light scarf - [ ] Arrive in the morning or after 14:00, not at lunchtime - [ ] Small VND notes for a donation and lemon tea - [ ] Know the way in: the side gate, left of the facade - [ ] Check the Mass schedule on the board by the gate ## Temples and churches in Hanoi Hanoi’s places of worship scored by YesGo. - [St Joseph's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-cathedral) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Hoan Kiem Lake](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoan-kiem-lake) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; Ngoc Son Temple 50,000 VND - [Temple of Literature](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/temple-of-literature) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 70,000 VND, under-16s free - [Tran Quoc Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/tran-quoc-pagoda) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ## Central Hanoi morning: lake, cathedral, Hoa Lo and the Temple of Literature Start with a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, slip into the cathedral while the side gate is open, then Hoa Lo Prison and the Temple of Literature. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and walks. 1. [Hoan Kiem Lake](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoan-kiem-lake) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; Ngoc Son Temple 50,000 VND 2. [St Joseph's Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-cathedral) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 3. [Hoa Lo Prison](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoa-lo-prison) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · 50,000 VND, under-16s free 4. [Temple of Literature](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/temple-of-literature) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 70,000 VND, under-16s free > **Photographing the cathedral** For soft light and an empty square, come early, before about 7:30. The classic frame is from halfway down Nhà Thờ street. To keep scooters out of the shot, head to an upstairs café opposite the facade, where you see both towers whole. ## Don’t confuse Hanoi’s St Joseph’s Cathedral is not the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Saigon, which is in Ho Chi Minh City at the other end of the country. There are also St Joseph’s cathedrals in Zanzibar, Beijing and elsewhere that crowd search results. ## Tips - Skip lunchtime: the side gate is usually shut from 11:00 to 14:00. - To be sure of seeing the interior, arrive as Mass begins and stay to the end. - Carry a light scarf — a vest top is fine for the heat but not for the church. - The facade is lit at night; sit with a lemon tea on the square and watch the towers. - In the days before Christmas, visit in the morning — evenings on the square are packed. - Walk five minutes on to Hoan Kiem Lake; together they fill an easy hour. ## Questions ### Can you go inside St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi? Yes, through the side gate left of the facade — unofficially about 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00 — or by attending Mass. The front doors open only for services. ### What are St Joseph’s Cathedral opening hours? No official visiting hours are posted. Unofficially the interior is open about 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00, but not during Mass. The square and facade are open at all times. ### Is St Joseph’s Cathedral free? Yes. There is no ticket, just a donation box inside; bring small VND notes if you want to give. ### What time is Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral? Unofficially, weekdays around 5:30 and 18:00–18:30, and several Masses on Sunday from 5:00 to 20:00. The current schedule is on the board by the gate. ### Is there an English Mass at St Joseph’s Cathedral? Catholic travel sites list one on Sundays at 11:30. Ask at the gate which hall it is in. ### What should I wear to St Joseph’s Cathedral? Cover shoulders and knees and remove your hat. No shawls are provided, so bring your own. ### How long do you need at St Joseph’s Cathedral? 20–30 minutes for the facade, square and interior; about an hour if you stay for Mass. ### How do I get to St Joseph’s Cathedral from Hoan Kiem Lake? Walk 300–400 m west via Nhà Thờ street, about five minutes. By Grab, set ‘Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội’. ### When was St Joseph’s Cathedral built? Construction began in 1884 and the cathedral was consecrated at Christmas 1886, in neo-Gothic style modelled on Notre-Dame de Paris. ### Is St Joseph’s Cathedral worth visiting? Yes, as a short stop near Hoan Kiem Lake: it is free and one of Hanoi’s iconic views. It isn’t worth a special trip just for the interior. ## How we checked The cathedral posts no visiting hours, and the Archdiocese of Hanoi website blocks automated requests, so hours and Mass times come from travel and Catholic guides and are marked unofficial. Hours differ: 8:00–11:00 and 14:00–17:00 (vietnamtourism.com, vietjetair.com) or up to 20:00 (other guides); we give the first. Weekday evening Mass is 18:15 in one source and 18:30 in another, so we say around 18:00–18:30. English Mass at 11:30 comes from Catholic travel sites; the exact hall is unconfirmed. Consecration: English Wikipedia and vietnamtourism.com say Christmas 1886, Vietnamese Wikipedia 1887; we use 1886 and note both. Tower height: 31.5 m (Vietnamese Wikipedia, vietnamtourism.com) vs 31 m (English Wikipedia). Sources disagree on the number of bells, so we leave it out. The organ is confirmed by English Wikipedia and The Examiner. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi — dates, model, towers, stained glass, organ, side-door entry - Vietnamese Wikipedia: Nhà thờ Lớn Hà Nội — construction, dimensions, materials, statues - Wikidata Q1923783 — year, coordinates - vietnamtourism.com (English and Vietnamese) — address, unofficial hours, Mass, side gate, dress, walk from the lake, Christmas, time needed - greensm.com — Mass schedule - weekdaymasses.org.uk — weekday Mass - vietnamcatholictours.vn — English Mass - vietjetair.com — visiting hours - tonkosti.ru — stained glass, side entrance - The Examiner (Hong Kong) — organ from Itami, pipe count, 2022 concert --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.