The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is one of the top places to visit in Hanoi for both Vietnamese and foreign visitors. It’s not only a place to visit and pay respect to the very well preserved body of Ho Chi Minh, but also to visit his work and residential place and the ancient temple One Pillar Pagoda, which is one of the iconic symbols of Hanoi.
The Mausoleum has strict rules, well-guarded, and only opening certain hours on certain days. If you’re not following the rules, you’re not allowed to go inside the complex.
So, to avoid the disappointment of arriving at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex only to find that you can’t enter, I’ll share everything you need to know before your visit, including the rules, opening hours, how to get there, and what to do at the Mausoleum.
Location of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is located in Ba Dinh district, around 1,5km west of Hanoi Old Quarter and 500m west of The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. It’s just a couple of blocks away from West Lake and ancient temples such as Tran Quoc and Quan Thanh pagoda.
The exact location of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is at 1 Hùng Vương street. The main entrance to the museum is at 19 Ngọc Hà street.
While you can view the exterior of the Mausoleum from surrounding streets such as Hung Vuong street, and Doc Lap street, If you want to go inside the Mausoleum, you need to go to the main entrance at Ngọc Hà street.
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex includes the Mausoleum, the Museum, the One Pillar Pagoda, and The work and residential Place of Ho Chi Minh.
Security Checkpoints at Ho Chi Minh mausoleum
To be able to go inside the mausoleum and Ba Dinh Square, you need to go through the security checkpoints. Otherwise, you can only take pictures along the surrounding streets such as Doc Lap street or Hung Vuong street.
The main security checkpoint to go to Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is at 17 Ngoc Ha Street. This checkpoint is usually open in the morning during the mausoleum opening hours.
After the mausoleum opening hour, if you want to go inside the square, you need to go through the checkpoints at either south or north side of Hung Vuong street.
At the north of Hung Vuong street, you can find the checkpoint next to the Presidential palace.
At the south of Hung Vuong street, you can find the one next to the Vietnam Government Information Gateway. It’s at the intersection between Hung Vuong and Le Hong Phong street.
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How to get to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum?
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is a large complex and there are several addresses leading to the area. If you want to go inside to see the body of Ho Chi Minh, you should get to the main entrance at Ngoc Ha Street.
If you just want to take photos of the Mausoleum from outside, you can either arrive at Hung Vuong or Doc Lap street.
Using ride share services such as Grab or GreenSM taxi and motorbike are the most popular ways to get to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. When you choose the destination from these apps, there are several address options for you to choose from, make sure to choose Ngoc Ha Gate for best exploration.
If you enjoy walking, it’s possible to walk from Hanoi Old Quarter to the Mausoleum. The walk is around 30-40 minutes depending on your location in the Old City. I walked this route a few times and quite enjoyed it. You’ll pass nice tree-lined streets and many French colonial buildings.
Opening Hours at the HCM Mausoleum, Museum, Stilt House, and One Pillar Pagoda
Each attraction within the HCM Mausoleum complex (which include Mausoleum, Museum, Stilt House, and One Pillar Pagoda) has a bit of a difference in opening hour and day. To see all of these attractions, it is best to follow the opening time of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
I recommend visiting the HCM Mausoleum early in the morning (around 8-9am) on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, so you can have time to go inside to see the body of Uncle Ho and the rest of the morning explore other sites before their lunch break.
If you missed the chance to go inside the Mausoleum as it’s only open in the morning on certain days, you can admire its exterior or visit other sites within the complex such as One Pillar Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Museum, and Ho Chi Minh’s stilt House.
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The Mausoleum is only open in the morning Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s closed on Monday and Friday.
In summer from April to October, it’s open from 7.30am to 10.30am from Tuesday to Thursday, and 7.30am to 11am on Saturday and Sunday. The opening hour is a bit longer on weekends. When I was at the mausoleum on Saturday, the door to the mausoleum was closed around 10.45am.
In summer from November to March, it’s open from 8.00am to 11.00am from Tuesday to Thursday, and 8.00am to 11.30am on Saturday and Sunday.
The museum is only open on Monday and Friday if these days fall on some public holiday such as Ho Chi Minh’s Birthday 19th May, Independence Day 2nd September, and 1st day of the Lunar New year.
The museum is closed for some periods in June, July, and August each year for periodic maintenance.
If you want to avoid crowds, it’s best to avoid weekends and public holidays. I visited the mausoleum around 8am on Saturday, the queue was quite long but it moved pretty quick. It was around 30-45 minutes in the queue and 1 minute inside the Mausoleum.
Other sites within Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex
The One Pillar Pagoda is open from 6am to 11am and 2pm to 6pm each day. On the full moon day and the 1st day of each month on the Luna calendar, the pagoda is open from 6am to 9pm.
The Ho Chi Minh Museum is open everyday from 8am to 12pm, and 2pm to 4.30pm. On Monday and Friday, the museum is only open in the morning. It has lunch break time, so avoid visiting at lunch time as it’s usually closed for 2 hours from 12pm to 2pm.
Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house has different opening and closing times in summer and winter. It’s open everyday except Monday afternoon. Similar to the HCMC museum, it’s closed for lunch break from 11am to 1.30pm, so avoid visiting this time.
In Summer from April to October, Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house is open from 7.30 am to 11am and 1.30 pm to 4pm. In Winter from November to March, it’s open from 8am to 11am and 1.30pm to 4pm.
Entrance ticket to HCM Mausoleum Complex
All the sites within The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex are free to Vietnamese citizens. There are audio options and guided tour services at the Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house area for an extra fee.
If you’re a foreigner, you can enter the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum for free but you need to pay a ticket to visit the Ho Chi Minh museum and Ho Chi Minh’s stilt house.
The entrance ticket to the museum is 40k VND and the ticket to the HCM’s stilted house is another 40k VND. There are no tickets for the One Pillar Pagoda.
The visitors for visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum has very strict rules for visitors. You must follow the rule, otherwise you’ll be disappointed knowing that you’re not allowed to enter when traveling all the way from your hotel to this place.
The most important factor is the dress code. You must cover your shoulder and knee. I saw a girl queuing, but she was wearing open-shoulder tops, so a staff member asked her to leave the line. Some other people have to buy long pants nearby to be able to go in.
There is also a security checkpoint like in the airport. If you have a big bag, they’ll guide you where to store it. There are luggage storage areas at multiple points along the line.
If you bring a digital camera, you have to put it in the storage area near the entrance to the Mausoleum. The staff will show you where to do it while in the queue. I had the action camera, but the staff told me it’s alright to keep it in my bag and not use it.
After security points, they are allowed to bring bags and phones into the mausoleum. It’s best to keep your phone in quiet mode. I didn’t see anyone taking photos inside as the line kept moving but people were still taking photos from the outside mausoleum.
Other rules include Do not carry weapons, explosives, and dangerous objects. Do not smoke, do not chew gum and litter on the street, do not walk on the grass or pick flowers. Do not walk or sit on the pebble pavement beside the bamboo garden.
What to do in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex
From the main entrance at 19 Ngoc Ha Street, you can follow the instructions of the staff to get in the queue to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. After the mausoleum, you can follow the direction to visit his stilt house, HCM museum, and one Pillar pagoda.
1. See the embalmed body of Uncle Ho in the Mausoleum
It’s worth going inside the Mausoleum to see the embalmed body of President Ho Chi Minh, the outstanding leader of Vietnam and a world cultural figure.
The queue can be long and the visit is brief (around one minute) but it’s a great experience. The Mausoleum is only open for 3-4 hours each day. It’s closed late in the morning so make sure to arrange your time to be able to go inside.
President Ho Chi Minh passed away on September 2, 1969. The construction of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum began on September 2, 1973, and it was officially inaugurated and opened to the public on August 29, 1975 with the assistance of Soviet experts.
Before the inauguration of the mausoleum, the remains of Uncle Ho were moved a total of six times due to various reasons and the American war.
The K9 site in Ba Vi, on the outskirts of Hanoi, was the first place where his remains were preserved during the war years. You can visit this site, located around 70km from Hanoi Old Quarter.
The Ho Chi Minh mausoleum draws inspiration from Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow but bears a strong imprint of Vietnamese culture. It is 21.6m high, shaped like a stylized blooming lotus flower, consisting of three levels: the roof, the body, and the base.
The outer surface of the mausoleum’s body is clad in dark red granite, while the columns and roof are made of silver-gray granite.
When entering the mausoleum, I recommend keeping absolute silence, removing your hat, and slightly bowing your heads to pay respect to the Great fFather of Vietnam.
The time inside the mausoleum is very brief, around 60 minutes as the queue keeps moving. If you’re visiting on weekends and public holidays, the queue may be very long. It took me 45 minutes to stay in the queue when visiting Saturday.
Some parts of the walkway are covered with fans hanging on the roof, which is helpful in the summer days.
3. Ho Chi Minh Stilt House and Relic site at the Presidential Palace
The Presidential Palace complex was the work and residential place of Ho Chi Minh from 1954 to 1969. Uncle Ho lived and worked in many places throughout his revolutionary life, but this place where he stayed the longest.
It’s located just a short walk from the mausoleum. You can explore the simple wooden stilt house and an office, with its lush green garden and lake, reflecting his modest lifestyle.
The Presidential Palace
The Presidential Palace was built during the French colonial period. It was built from 1900-1906 with the purpose of serving as the headquarters of French colonial rule in Indochina.
After the French colonial period, this place had been supposed to be the working and residential place of President Ho Chi Minh. However, he refused, saying it was inappropriate to live in a luxurious building while many people were poor and starving.
The building was a meeting place for the government and to receive high-ranking delegations of heads of state. Later, he renamed the Governor-General’s Palace to the Presidential Palace.
Today, The Presidential Palace is still used for official events and welcoming foreign national officials. You’re not allowed to go inside the building but can admire its architecture from outside when visiting the relic sites on the complex.
House 54
HCM chose a small house, also known as House 54, next to the Presidential Palace as the residential place. This house used to be the residence of an electrician who served the French government.
It’s called House 54 because Uncle Ho started living and working here from 1954. The house has three rooms including a working room, a kitchen, and a bed room. You can see all artifacts from outside through glass windows.
On the left side of House 56 is the small garage of Ho Chi Minh’s used cars. There are ZIS 115 and Pobeda, which were gifts from the Soviet government as well as The Peugeot 404, a gift from a Vietnamese expatriate in France.
The Stilt House and House 67
The stilt house was where he lived and lived from May 1958 to August 1969. Visitors can view documents and personal items through glass windows from outside.
The house has similar architecture style to the stilt houses in Northern mountainous areas of Vietnam. It has two floors. The lower floor was used as the meeting area, and the upper floor has his bed room, office and bookshelf.
The House 67 was built behind the stilt house when President Ho Chi Minh visited China in 1967. This house had walls and a roof made of reinforced concrete, capable of withstanding cluster bombs and shrapnel. It was where he passed away in 1969.
On the ground, you can explore the fish pond, the mango paths, and old trees.
4. Ho Chi Minh Museum
Ho Chi Minh Museum is located right next to the mausoleum. It has more than 2,000 artifacts about President Ho Chi Minh’s life and career, from handwritten letters to personal mementos.
The museum has a beautiful architecture style and it houses a grand bronze statue of President Hồ Chí Minh. It is a good place to learn about the history of HCMC life. The ticket for foreigners is 40k VND.
5. One Pillar Pagoda
After visiting Ho Chi Minh Museum, you can walk to the One Pillar pagoda, located next to the building. The One Pillar pagoda is one of the symbolic icons of Hanoi.
According to legend, the pagoda was built based on a dream of King Ly Thai Tong. In 1049, the king dreamed that the Bodhisattva Quan Am led him to a lotus throne. Upon waking, the king recounted the dream to his courtiers, and the monk Thien Tue advised him to build a pagoda.
The pagoda has unique architecture with the shape of lotus flower blooming on the water. The pagoda was destroyed by the French in 1954. It was rebuilt based on its original structure and completed in 1955.
6. Ba Dinh Square
This is a spacious square in front of Chi Minh Mausoleum. It is the venue for national events. It’s a good spot for taking photos.
The square was best known as the location of the Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945.
Ba Dinh Square was the western gate of Thang Long Citadel. It was a huge wasteland and newly filled-in ponds, adjacent to the French Governor-General’s Palace (later the Presidential Palace).
The name Ba Dinh Square was given by Dr. Tran Van Lai, who served as Mayor of Hanoi from July 20th to August 19th, 1945. He chose this name after the name of Ba Dinh base in Nga Son district, Thanh Hoa province. It was the location of the brave resistance of Dinh Cong Trang’s army against the French in the late 19th century.
7. Watch the morning flag-raising and evening flag-lowering ceremony in Ba Đình Square
The flag-raising and flag-lowering ceremony takes place in Ba Dinh Square, in front of Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum every morning and evening. These are national events.
The flag-raising ceremony is performed every day. In the Summer from April to October, it takes place at 6AM. In the Winter from Nov to Mar, it takes place at 6:30 AM. You can go early in the morning and combine with a visit to the Mausoleum later.
The flag-lowering ceremony takes place at 9 pm everyday. They have a similar ritual. The flag-saluting ceremony is performed by soldiers in the most solemn and sacred manner to uphold the image of the national flag.
If you want to go inside the complex, you need to go through a security check and the checkpoints are in the north and the south of Hung Vuong street or at 17 Ngoc Ha Street.
During the flag raising and flag lowering ceremonies, you should stand respectfully in place and facing toward the flagpole so that the ceremony can be held solemnly. You should follow the dress code covering your shoulder and knee to be able to go inside.
From the old Quarter, you can use Grab or GreenSM bikes to get to the mausoleum to watch the ceremonies. It cost me 20k VND each way using GreenSM. If you use Grab, it will be a bit more expensive in the peak hour.
To go straight to checkpoints, I recommend putting either “Presidentail Palace” or “Phở Thìn 35 hùng vương” as the destination in the riding share service app.
How long does it take to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum?
I would recommend spending a few hours to a half morning to fully explore everything that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum has to offer.
As the mausoleum is only open in the morning on certain days of the week and other attractions have a 1.5-2 hour lunch break, I recommend planning your visit in advance.
If you can wake up early, I recommend starting with the flag-raising in the Ba Dinh Square, then visit the mausoleum at 7.30-8.00am, followed by the President Palace, HCM Museum, and One Pillar Pagoda. I can’t wake up early, so I started my trip at 8am and finished everything at around 12pm.
The time inside the mausoleum is very brief, around 1 minute. But the time waiting in the queue can be up to 1 hour during weekends, public holidays and peak hours. So it really depends on the crowds, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour.
Visiting the Presidential Palace will take around 30-60 minutes with a few minutes at each site and time wandering around plus rest. The houses where HCMC lived and worked are small, take a few minutes at each point but the queue can be long.
The duration at the Ho Chi Minh Museum depends on how long you want to read the information boards. I think 1-2 hours is a good amount of time to read most provided information at the exhibits. I spent 30 minutes at the museum and had a quick look at everything that the museum has on display.
The One Pillar Pagoda is a small pagoda. It’ll take 20-30 minutes to watch around the halls, the pagoda on the lake, take photos, and rest.
Is it worth it visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum?
I personally think it is well worth it visiting Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex at least once when visiting Hanoi. The complex not only holds the remains of Ho Chi Minh, but also home to an ancient pagoda and the presidential palace where you can learn more about his life.
Each person has their own opinion about whether to visit the Mausoleum or not. But I recommend that if you have time in Hanoi, you can go to this place to experience it for yourself.
The ticket is not expensive. It’s free to visit the mausoleum, 40k VND ticket for the museum, and 40k VND entrance ticket for the Presidential palace. Additionally, it’s in a central location, easy distance from the Old Quarter, where most hotels are located.
You can combine a visit to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum with nearby attractions such as the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, West Lake, Tran Quoc pagoda, and Quan Thanh pagoda.
Facilities at the Ho Chi Minh Masoleam complex
There are several toilet areas on the ground of the complex at the museum as well as in the relic site at the Presidential Palace.
You can find vending machines installed throughout the ground. You can buy water and soft drinks such as coke from these machines by cash and card. The 500mil bottle of water is 10k VND. The free water station can be found at several places in the complex.
There are also restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops around the complex for drinks, food, and rest. The benches are set at several places around the presidential Palace and One Pillar Pagoda.
Along the waiting line from the main entrance in Ngoc Ha street to the mausoleum, there is a covered walkway to avoid the heat and the rain. Fans hang at the beginning parts of the line. There are water filters along the line as well as toilets.
After exploring the mausoleum complex, I recommend exploring the nearby streets such as Ngoc Ha and Doi Can street to find some good local eateries.
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There you have it, my guide about visiting Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, HCM museum, President Place, and One Pillar pagoda. I hope you’ve found some helpful information after reading my article.