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Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi

Grey granite Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum with columns, the Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh inscription and honour guards in white
Photo: Gregor Dodson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free
Hours, November–March
Tue–Thu 8:00–11:00; weekends and holidays 8:00–11:30
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h
With kids
Better without small kids
Admission
Free
Hours, April–October
Tue–Thu 7:30–10:30; weekends and holidays 7:30–11:00
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Closed
Mondays and Fridays, except a few national holidays
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Annual closure
About two months a year for scheduled maintenance; dates are announced in advance and vary
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Dress code
Shoulders and knees covered, no tank tops or shorts; remove hats at the door
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Not allowed
Photos or video inside, food and drink, talking; phones switched off
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Children
Unofficially, under-2s are not admitted; older children with an adult
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Entrance
Main gate from Hùng Vương / Độc Lập streets; exit towards Ông Ích Khiêm street or the Ho Chi Minh Museum
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Next door, paid
Presidential Palace grounds and stilt house; unofficially 40,000 VND for foreign visitors
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Coordinates
21.03667, 105.83472YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

Freeentry to the mausoleum, one queue for everyone
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaTuoi Tre NewsGreen SM
Mornings onlyTuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; closed Mon and Fri
2 sourcesTuoi Tre NewsEnglish Wikipedia
≈ 2 monthsa year closed for scheduled maintenance, dates vary
3 sourcesVietnam+ citing the Mausoleum CommandTuoi Tre NewsHa Tinh provincial site
1973–1975built; opened at the end of August 1975
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
21.6 mheight of the building
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
41.2 mwidth of the building
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
Grey graniteoutside; polished stone inside
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
Garol Isakovichchief architect
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
1049the One Pillar Pagoda, a few minutes' walk away, was founded
SourceEnglish Wikipedia

Is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum free?

Yes. There is no ticket and no booking: foreigners and Vietnamese join the same queue at the main gate. You pass a security check, leave large bags and cameras at the deposit, and walk in line along Ba Dinh Square to the building.

Money only comes in next door. The Presidential Palace grounds with Ho Chi Minh's stilt house charge foreign visitors a small fee — unofficially 40,000 VND, though guides quote anything from 25,000 — and the Ho Chi Minh Museum has its own ticket. Bring cash in VND for those desks; card acceptance there is unconfirmed. Grab takes foreign cards in the app if you ride over.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening hours and the annual closure

It opens on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. From November to March the doors are open 8:00–11:00; from April to October, 7:30–10:30. Weekends and public holidays get an extra half hour. Mondays and Fridays are closed, apart from a handful of national holidays.

Once a year the mausoleum closes for about two months of scheduled maintenance. The dates are announced months ahead and they shift — some years in summer, others in autumn. During that time Ba Dinh Square, the One Pillar Pagoda and the palace grounds usually stay open, so you can still see the building from outside.

The management board's own website didn't load when we checked, so the hours here come from Tuoi Tre News and reference sources that agree with each other. Ask your hotel to confirm the day before.

Dress code and rules inside

  • Cover shoulders and knees. Tank tops, shorts, short skirts and ripped jeans get turned away at the gate. Light long trousers and a T-shirt with sleeves are fine.
  • Hats come off before you enter the building; carry them in your hand.
  • Bags and cameras go to the deposit at the security check and are collected after your visit. Travel light and you skip that step.
  • Phones may come with you but must be switched off or silent and stay in your pocket. No photos or video inside.
  • No food, drinks, gum or cigarettes.
  • Silence from the moment the line reaches the steps. Hands out of pockets, no pointing, no stopping beside the glass case.
  • Children: unofficially, under-2s are not admitted; older kids walk with an adult and follow the same rules.

What's inside and how the visit works

You walk up the steps, through a cool stone corridor and into a single dim hall where Ho Chi Minh's body lies in a glass case, with honour guards standing at each side. The line splits into two files, walks round three sides of the case and leads straight out. The whole thing takes two or three minutes.

Guards keep the line moving and will quietly correct anyone who talks or slows down. Outside, you're free to photograph the façade: the square granite columns, the Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh inscription and the guards in white at the doors.

The building itself, designed by architect Garol Isakovich and opened in 1975, is 21.6 m high and 41.2 m wide. It faces Ba Dinh Square, the national ceremonial square, a broad grid of lawns you are not allowed to walk on.

How to get to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

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On foot

More tips

  1. Grab or taxi from Hoan Kiem Lake — about 10 minutes. Search for "Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh" or "Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum"; you'll be dropped by Ba Dinh Square on the Hùng Vương side.
  2. On foot from the Old Quarter — roughly 2.5 km west, 35–40 minutes via Hàng Bông or Điện Biên Phủ streets. The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is on the way.
  3. City bus: guides name route 09 from the lake area towards Ba Dinh; this is unofficial, so check the route and stop in a transit app. No metro line runs here from the lake.
  4. Head for the main gate on Hùng Vương / Độc Lập: security, bag deposit and the start of the line are there. Follow the arrows along the square to the mausoleum.
  5. The exit leads to Ông Ích Khiêm street or towards the Ho Chi Minh Museum — from there the One Pillar Pagoda is a 3–5 minute walk.

What's nearby: palace grounds, stilt house and One Pillar Pagoda

The Presidential Palace grounds start just behind the mausoleum. The yellow early-20th-century palace is seen from outside; the gardens hold Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, a carp pond and a mango-tree avenue. Foreign visitors pay a small fee; unofficially it opens mornings and afternoons, with Monday and Friday afternoons closed.

The One Pillar Pagoda is a small wooden shrine on a single stone pillar rising from a lotus pond. It was founded in 1049; what stands today is a reconstruction. Ten minutes is enough, and the grounds are usually free.

The Ho Chi Minh Museum, a large building beside the pagoda, has its own ticket. If time is short, skip it — the mausoleum, palace gardens and pagoda already make a full morning.

Is it worth it, and how long to allow

If you're in Hanoi on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or weekend morning, yes: it's free, quick and unlike anything else in the city. The hall itself is brief, but the guards, the order and the quiet leave a strong impression.

Allow about an hour for the mausoleum with the queue, and 2–2.5 hours with the palace grounds and the pagoda. Weekend and holiday lines are noticeably longer. Come at opening time on a weekday.

Skip it if you're only free on a Monday or Friday, or if you can't reach the gate before about 10:30 — you may miss the cut-off. Walk across Ba Dinh Square and see the building from outside instead.

Before you go

Ready: 0 of 7

Tick what's ready — your ticks stay in this browser.

Mausoleum, palace grounds or Temple of Literature

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleumyou are hereFreeMornings only, Tue–Thu, Sat, SunMon and Fri≈ 1 hour with queue
Presidential Palace grounds≈ 40,000 VND (unofficial)Morning and afternoonMon and Fri afternoons (unofficial)≈ 1 hour
Temple of Literature70,000 VNDDaily 8:00–17:00Never≈ 1 hour

Do the mausoleum and palace gardens in the morning, then walk 20 minutes south to the Temple of Literature, which stays open all day, every day.

Hanoi history: compare and choose

Historic places in Hanoi rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleumyou are here541 hFree—
Hoa Lo Prison521 h 15 min50,000 VND, under-16s free30 min walk
St Joseph's Cathedral4920 minFree30 min walk
Hoan Kiem Lake461 hFree35 min walk
Temple of Literature431 h70,000 VND, under-16s free16 min walk
Tran Quoc Pagoda4230 minFree22 min walk
Imperial Citadel of Thang Long391 h 30 min100,000 VND12 min walk
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre381 h100,000–200,000 VND35 min walk

A morning in Ba Dinh, then back to the lake

The mausoleum at opening time, then the Thang Long citadel, the Temple of Literature and an evening at Hoan Kiem Lake. Add it to your route — YesGo sets the timings and walks.

  1. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleumyou are here1 h · Free
  2. 12 min walk from the previous stopImperial Citadel of Thang Long1 h 30 min · 100,000 VND
  3. 11 min walk from the previous stopTemple of Literature1 h · 70,000 VND, under-16s free
  4. 30 min walk from the previous stopHoan Kiem Lake1 h · Free; Ngoc Son Temple 50,000 VND

4 places · about 5 h 23 min with walks · 53 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on your route

Temple of Literature

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1 h · 70,000 VND, under-16s free · 16 min walk

Hanoi Train Street

Hanoi, Vietnam

45 min · Free; drink at a café is paid · 21 min walk

Tran Quoc Pagoda

Hanoi, Vietnam

30 min · Free · 22 min walk

How to do it right

  • Arrive at opening time on a weekday — shorter line and the rest of the morning for the palace gardens and pagoda.
  • Wear light long trousers or a skirt below the knee: shorts are turned back at security.
  • Leave the backpack at the hotel — no deposit queue and no walking back for it.
  • Check that the mausoleum isn't in its annual maintenance closure before you set out.
  • Photograph the façade and guards from the square; inside, cameras are banned.
  • Carry small VND notes for the palace and museum tickets.

Questions

Is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum free to visit?

Yes, entry is free and needs no booking. Only the nearby Presidential Palace grounds and the Ho Chi Minh Museum charge foreign visitors.

What are the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum opening hours?

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings: 8:00–11:00 from November to March, 7:30–10:30 from April to October, with an extra half hour at weekends and on holidays. Closed Mondays and Fridays.

When is the mausoleum closed for maintenance?

Every year for about two months. Dates are announced in advance and change from year to year, so check before you travel.

What is the dress code?

Cover shoulders and knees — no tank tops, shorts or short skirts — and take off your hat before entering.

Can I take my phone or camera inside?

Cameras and big bags go to the deposit at security. Phones can come but must be switched off or silent; photos and video inside are not allowed.

How long is the queue?

Usually well under an hour on a weekday at opening time; weekends and holidays are busier. The walk past the glass case itself takes two or three minutes.

Can you see Ho Chi Minh's body?

Yes. The body lies in a glass case in a dim hall, with honour guards beside it. Visitors walk past in silence without stopping.

How do I get there from the Old Quarter?

About 10 minutes by Grab or taxi, or a 35–40 minute walk west from Hoan Kiem Lake. Enter from Hùng Vương / Độc Lập streets.

Is it worth visiting?

If you're in Hanoi on an open morning, yes: it's free, short and memorable, and the palace gardens and One Pillar Pagoda are right next door.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • Tuoi Tre News — seasonal hours, closed days (Monday, Friday), annual maintenance closure
  • Vietnam+ (Vietnam News Agency) — maintenance dates citing Mausoleum Command letter No. 1909/CV-BTL
  • Ha Tinh provincial website and Bao Lao Cai — previous summer closure and reopening
  • Green SM, VinWonders, vietnamtourism.com — dress, phones and cameras, hats, children, entrance and exit, weekend hours
  • English and Russian Wikipedia: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum; Wikidata Q874234
  • English Wikipedia: One Pillar Pagoda, Ba Đình Square
  • vietnamtourism.com and travel guides — Presidential Palace, stilt house and One Pillar Pagoda (unofficial)
  • YesGo pages Temple of Literature and Ha Long Bay — paying in Vietnam, Temple of Literature prices
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 05.11.2026 ·
How we checkedFree entry, open days and hours come from Tuoi Tre News and English Wikipedia; the extra half hour at weekends in winter comes from Wikipedia and Green SM, while Tuoi Tre mentions it only for the warm season. The management board's website (bqllang.gov.vn) refused the connection when we checked, so hours are marked as checking even though recent sources agree. The roughly two-month annual closure is from Vietnam+ citing the Mausoleum Command, plus last year's reports (Ha Tinh, Bao Lao Cai); dates differ from year to year, so we name no months. Dress, hat and silence rules agree across sources; on phones they differ — Wikipedia says camera phones are not allowed, Green SM says a switched-off phone is fine — so we give the lighter rule with a flag. The under-2 rule appears only in guides and is unofficial. Building size, years and architect are from English and Russian Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia gives both 28 and 29 August for the opening, so we say end of August 1975. Presidential Palace prices and hours vary between guides (25,000–40,000 VND) and we found no official page, so they are flagged. Bus 09 is named by three guides; we did not open an official timetable. thuvienphapluat.vn returned 403 and was not bypassed.

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1 h 15 min · 50,000 VND, under-16s free

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