On Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh read the declaration of independence in 1945, stands the grey granite Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Against his own wish to be cremated, his embalmed body lies in a glass case inside, watched over by honour guards. For many Vietnamese visitors it is a pilgrimage, and the visit is formal and silent.
Behind the mausoleum lie the grounds of the yellow Presidential Palace, Ho Chi Minh’s modest stilt house and the carp pond, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the small One Pillar Pagoda, a wooden shrine on a single pillar rising from a lotus pond, rebuilt after it was destroyed in 1954.
What to see and do: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda
Visit the mausoleum
Join the queue in the morning, leave bags and cameras as instructed, and file past in silence. The visit inside lasts only a few minutes.
Walk through the Presidential Palace grounds
The palace itself is not open, but the grounds, the stilt house and the garages with Ho Chi Minh’s cars can be visited for a fee.
One Pillar Pagoda
A short walk from the mausoleum exit; free and small. Combine with the Ho Chi Minh Museum next door.
How to get to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda
- By Grab: about 15 minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake. Ask for “Lăng Bác”.
- With a tour: a guided mausoleum visit helps with the queue and rules.
- On foot: from the Temple of Literature or the Imperial Citadel, around 20 minutes.
Insider tips
- Opening is limited to mornings and not every day of the week; the mausoleum also closes for a maintenance period most years (often around mid-year). Check before you go.
- Dress code: no shorts, short skirts or sleeveless tops; hats off inside. Keep hands out of pockets and do not talk.
- Photography is not allowed inside; bags and cameras may need to be deposited.
- Queues are longest on weekends and public holidays.
Best tours & tickets for Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda
These GetYourGuide experiences include Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & One Pillar Pagoda or pair well with it:
Guided entry from €14 Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Skip-the-Line Entry Ticket Tour
Help with the queue and the rules at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which opens only on certain mornings and closes for maintenance for part of the year. Check the listing for what is included on your date.
- Guided visit to the mausoleum complex
- Faster entry arranged
- Mornings only — check opening days
City tour from €29 Hanoi: Guided Half-Day City Highlights Tour with Transfers
A guided tour of the classic sights with transport between them. Check the listing for the exact stops on your date.
- Hanoi’s main landmarks with a guide
- Transfers included
- Half-day or longer options
Walking tour from €25 Hanoi City Highlights Walking Tour — Landmarks & History
A long walking tour through Hanoi’s landmarks with the history explained — a good first-morning orientation.
- Landmarks and history on foot
- Local guide
- Rated 5 stars
