# Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi

> The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is the old royal heart of Hanoi and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ba Dinh: Doan Mon gate, the Kinh Thien palace platform with stone dragons and the dig at 18 Hoang Dieu. Tickets cost 100,000 VND; it opens daily 8:00–17:00, Mondays included. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/thang-long-citadel

- City: [Hanoi](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi), Vietnam
- YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 1 h 30 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: 100,000 VND, same price for Vietnamese and foreign visitors
- Concessions: Under-16s free; Vietnamese students and Vietnamese seniors 60+ pay 50,000 VND
- Hours: Daily 8:00–17:00, no closing day
- Last entry: Unofficially around 16:30
- Night tour: Fri and Sat at 19:00, about 1.5 hours; 300,000 VND, under-12s half price, under-5s free
- Entrance: 19C Hoàng Diệu; the archaeological site is opposite at 18 Hoàng Diệu
- Not allowed: Walking on the grass, climbing trees, drones; filming needs permission
- Paying: Cash in VND is safest; card acceptance at the desk is unconfirmed
- Coordinates: 21.03250, 105.83972
- Facts checked: 05.11.2026

## Key facts

- **100,000 VND** — adult ticket, one price for everyone (source: official citadel website; Hanoi People's Council fee resolution via Thoi bao Tai chinh; Green SM)
- **Open daily** — 8:00–17:00, Mondays included (source: official citadel website; Green SM)
- **2010** — the central sector became a UNESCO World Heritage Site (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata)
- **1010** — Emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital here and began the citadel (source: English Wikipedia; Russian Wikipedia (Lý dynasty))
- **1428** — work began on Kinh Thien Palace under the Lê dynasty (source: official citadel website)
- **1467** — the two oldest stone dragons on the Kinh Thien steps were carved (source: official citadel website; English Wikipedia)
- **57 × 41.5 m** — the 2.3 m high Kinh Thien platform, all that remains of the main palace (source: official citadel website)
- **2002** — large-scale digging began at 18 Hoàng Diệu (source: Russian Wikipedia; travel guides)
- **1812** — the 33.4 m Hanoi Flag Tower was built (source: official citadel website; English and Russian Wikipedia)
- **18.4 ha** — protected central zone (source: English Wikipedia)

> **Yes, it's open on Mondays** Plenty of older guides say the citadel **closes on Mondays** and charges 30,000 or 70,000 VND. The official website says otherwise: it opens **every day, 8:00–17:00**, and an adult ticket is **100,000 VND**. Get to the gate by about 16:30 so you still have time for the dig across the street.

## Imperial Citadel of Thang Long tickets and prices

An adult ticket costs **100,000 VND**, the same for Vietnamese and foreign visitors. That's the figure on the citadel's official website and in Hanoi's city fee resolution for heritage sites. Buy at the gate at 19C Hoàng Diệu; the citadel also runs an official e-ticket booking service.

According to Green SM, **under-16s go free** (without ID, staff go by height — under 130 cm), and Vietnamese students and seniors get half price. The official page doesn't list concessions, so bring a passport or a photo of it for your child.

**Pay in cash.** Dong notes always work at the desk; one guide says cards are taken too, but we couldn't confirm it. Grab accepts foreign cards in the app, so the ride over is easy to pay. The night tour has its own ticket, covered below.

## Opening hours, and is it closed on Monday?

The citadel opens **daily from 8:00 to 17:00**, with no weekly closing day — that's what the official website states. Unofficially, last entry is around 16:30. Holiday hours, especially over Tết, can differ.

Go **early, before 10:00**. The trees give shade along the paths, tour groups haven't arrived and the open Kinh Thien platform isn't baking yet. School groups tend to come in the afternoon; in rain, the roofed excavation pits are the best place to be.

If you read that it's closed on Mondays, that comes from older travel guides. We've gone with the official site, but if Monday is your only chance, a quick call to the visitor line listed on the official site settles it.

## What is the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long?

**Thăng Long**, "Ascending Dragon", is Hanoi's old name, and **Hoàng thành Thăng Long** is the royal city at its centre. Emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital here in 1010, and the Trần, Lê and Nguyễn dynasties rebuilt it over the following centuries. The central sector was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

Set your expectations: this is **a shady park of gates, platforms and ruins**, not a palace with furnished halls. The main palaces are gone; what you see are stone gates, the dragon-flanked steps, a few restored pavilions and excavation pits where foundations from different centuries sit side by side. Later 20th-century buildings also stand on the grounds; this page sticks to the imperial monuments.

## What to see inside the citadel

- **Doan Mon (Đoan Môn)** — the southern main gate of the Forbidden City: a stone wall with five passages and a pavilion on top. In front of it, glass panels cover a stretch of older roadway uncovered by archaeologists.
- **Kinh Thien Palace platform** — the base of the main throne hall, begun in 1428: 57 by 41.5 m and 2.3 m high. The palace itself was pulled down in the late 19th century.
- **The dragon steps** — the southern stair up the platform, ten steps split by four stone dragons, two of them carved in 1467. The best photo spot in the citadel.
- **Hau Lau (Hậu Lâu)**, the Princess Pavilion — a two-storey Nguyễn-era building behind Kinh Thien, heavily rebuilt in the late 19th century.
- **Bac Mon (Bắc Môn)** — the North Gate, the last survivor of the Nguyễn-era gates, facing Phan Đình Phùng street.
- **18 Hoang Dieu archaeological site** — across the street from the main entrance: foundations, wells and drains from the pre-1010 Đại La period to the 19th century, under protective roofs. Guides say the same ticket covers it.
- **Hanoi Flag Tower (Cột cờ Hà Nội)** — an octagonal brick tower from 1812 on Điện Biên Phủ street, 33.4 m tall, about 41 m with the flagpole. It stands apart from the main grounds; view it from the street.

## The night tour: Decoding Thang Long

**"Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel"** is an evening tour on **Fridays and Saturdays at 19:00**, lasting about an hour and a half. You meet at 19C Hoàng Diệu, watch a short performance at Doan Mon over the glass-floored dig, visit the artefact gallery, light incense at Kinh Thien, see the 18 Hoang Dieu pits by night, play a laser-light decoding game and finish with lotus tea under a bodhi tree.

The official notice lists **300,000 VND**, half price for under-12s and free for under-5s; current travel guides quote the same price and days. The notice is not recent, though, so confirm the date, price and language by phone using the night-tour number on the official website. Resellers sell the same tour with hotel pick-up at a higher price.

## How to get to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

1. **Grab or taxi from Hoan Kiem Lake** — about 10 minutes. Search "Hoàng thành Thăng Long" or "19C Hoàng Diệu" and you'll be dropped at the main gate.
2. **Walk** — about 2 km, 25–30 minutes: west from the lake's south-west corner along Tràng Thi, then Điện Biên Phủ past the Flag Tower, and right onto Hoàng Diệu.
3. **Bus** — Green SM lists routes 22A and 50 stopping at "Đối diện tượng đài Bắc Sơn – Hoàng Diệu", about 250 m from the gate. Check how to connect from your area in the Tìm Buýt app. No metro line runs here from the lake.
4. **From the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum** — about 10 minutes on foot south-east from Ba Dinh Square, so it's easy to come straight after a morning at the mausoleum.
5. Buy your ticket at 19C Hoàng Diệu, walk through Doan Mon to Kinh Thien and the North Gate, then cross the street to the dig at 18 Hoàng Diệu to finish.

## Is it worth it, and how long do you need?

The main axis — Doan Mon, Kinh Thien, Hau Lau, the North Gate — takes **about an hour**. Add the 18 Hoang Dieu dig and the small finds displays and you're at **1.5–2 hours**. Archaeology fans can easily spend half a day.

**Worth it** if you like history or you're already in Ba Dinh for the mausoleum: this was Vietnam's seat of power for centuries, and it's a calm, green break from Old Quarter traffic. **Skip it** if you have one day and want lavish interiors — there aren't any, and many labels are in Vietnamese only. Spend that hour at the Temple of Literature instead.

It works with kids: lawns, big trees and wide paths. Stay off the grass, though, and expect steep steps up the platform; leave a stroller near the gate.

## Before you go

- [ ] At the gate by 16:30
- [ ] Cash in VND for the ticket
- [ ] Passport or a photo of it for a child's free entry
- [ ] Water and a hat — little shade on the platform
- [ ] Comfortable shoes for steps and pits
- [ ] Night tour: Friday or Saturday, booked by phone

## Citadel, Temple of Literature or mausoleum

|  | Imperial Citadel | Temple of Literature | Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Admission | 100,000 VND | 70,000 VND | Free |
| Open | Daily 8:00–17:00 | Daily 8:00–17:00 | Mornings only, Tue–Thu, Sat, Sun |
| Evenings | Night tour Fri and Sat (unofficial) | Night programme Wed, Sat, Sun | No |
| Time needed | 1.5–2 hours | ≈ 1 hour | ≈ 1 hour with queue |

Start at the [Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/ho-chi-minh-mausoleum), walk 10 minutes to the citadel, and after lunch head south to the [Temple of Literature](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/temple-of-literature).

## Hanoi history: compare and choose

Historic places in Hanoi rated by YesGo.

- [Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/ho-chi-minh-mausoleum) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
- [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
- [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
- [Imperial Citadel of Thang Long](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/thang-long-citadel) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 VND
- [Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hanoi-water-puppet-theatre) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 100,000–200,000 VND

## A day in Ba Dinh, then evening at the lake

The mausoleum at opening time, then the citadel, the Temple of Literature and an evening at [Hoan Kiem Lake](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/hoan-kiem-lake). Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and walks.

1. [Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/ho-chi-minh-mausoleum) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
2. [Imperial Citadel of Thang Long](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/hanoi/thang-long-citadel) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · 100,000 VND
3. [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
4. [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

## Tips

- Start at Doan Mon and walk the north–south axis: Doan Mon, Kinh Thien, Hau Lau, the North Gate — nothing gets missed.
- Don't leave without crossing the road: the 18 Hoang Dieu dig is the most unusual part of the visit.
- Come at opening time — the Kinh Thien platform has almost no shade by midday.
- Photograph the Flag Tower from Điện Biên Phủ street on the walk from the lake.
- Carry small dong notes; change for big notes isn't guaranteed.
- Pair it with the mausoleum: mausoleum first, a 10-minute walk, and you're at the citadel before the heat.

## Questions

### How much is the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long ticket?

100,000 VND for adults, the same for everyone. Under-16s go free according to Green SM. Pay in cash VND.

### What are the opening hours?

Daily from 8:00 to 17:00, per the official website. Unofficially, last entry is around 16:30.

### Is the citadel closed on Mondays?

No — the official website lists it as open every day. The Monday closure appears in older travel guides.

### How long do you need?

1.5–2 hours with the 18 Hoang Dieu archaeological site; about an hour for the main axis from Doan Mon to the North Gate.

### Is the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long worth visiting?

Yes if you like history and you're near the mausoleum anyway. If you're after grand palace interiors, no — mostly gates, platforms and foundations remain.

### Is there a night tour?

Yes, on Fridays and Saturdays at 19:00, about 1.5 hours. The official notice lists 300,000 VND; confirm the date and price by phone first.

### What is 18 Hoang Dieu?

The archaeological site across the street from the main gate, where foundations, wells and drains from several dynasties lie under protective roofs. Guides say your ticket covers it.

### How do I get there from the Old Quarter?

About 10 minutes by Grab, or a 25–30 minute walk via Tràng Thi and Điện Biên Phủ. The entrance is at 19C Hoàng Diệu.

### Can you go inside the Hanoi Flag Tower?

The official site doesn't say whether it's open to climb or covered by the citadel ticket. It stands separately on Điện Biên Phủ street, so plan to see it from outside.

## How we checked

The 100,000 VND price and daily 8:00–17:00 hours come from the citadel's official website (its Ticket price page and site header); Hanoi's fee resolution, as reported by two business papers, and Green SM give the same price. Several English guides still quote 30,000 or 70,000 VND and a Monday closure; that conflicts with the official site, so we show the official data and say so. Concessions and free entry for under-16s come only from Green SM and are flagged. The night tour (Fri and Sat at 19:00, about 1.5 hours, 300,000 VND) is described in an older notice on the official site; current guides repeat the same days and price, but we found no recent official notice, so it is flagged. Last entry around 16:30 and the shared ticket for 18 Hoang Dieu come from guides only. On the dig: Russian Wikipedia dates the main excavation from December 2002, English Wikipedia ties finds to 2008 when an older building on the site was demolished; we give 2002 as the start. Kinh Thien dimensions and dragon dates are from the official site and English Wikipedia; the Flag Tower height from the official site and both Wikipedias (41 or 41.4 m with the flagpole, so we say about 41 m). The official site doesn't say whether the Flag Tower can be climbed or is on the ticket. Card payment at the desk is named by one guide only. Bus routes 22A and 50 are from Green SM only. UNESCO's site returned 403 and was not bypassed.

## Sources

- Official Imperial Citadel of Thang Long website (hoangthanhthanglong.vn) — ticket price, hours, visiting regulations, night tour, Doan Mon, Kinh Thien Palace, Hanoi Flag Tower
- Thoi bao Tai chinh Vietnam and Doanh nghiep Hoi nhap — Hanoi People's Council fee resolution for heritage sites
- Green SM — concessions, under-16s, bus routes and the stop near the gate
- English Wikipedia: Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long; Russian Wikipedia: Ханойская цитадель; Wikidata Q206219
- vietnamtourism.com — time needed, taxi and Grab (unofficial)
- YesGo pages Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum — paying in Vietnam, prices and hours of nearby sites

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