The mustard-yellow Presidential Palace was built between 1900 and 1906 as the residence of the French Governor-General of Indochina, and Ho Chi Minh declined to live in it after 1954. He occupied first an electrician's cottage in the grounds and then, from 1958, a two-room teak stilt house beside a carp pond, which remains furnished as he left it with a desk, a field telephone and a bookcase. The palace interior is not open, but the gardens, garage of his official cars and the stilt house are all included in the ticket.
The Presidential Palace grounds and Ho Chi Minh's stilt house lie at 1 Bach Thao Street in Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Vietnam, north of the mausoleum inside the Ho Chi Minh complex. The mustard-yellow Presidential Palace was built between 1900 and 1906 as the residence of the French Governor-General of Indochina. After 1954, Ho Chi Minh declined to live there, considering it too grand, and it is now used for state receptions. The palace interior is not open to visitors, but its facade can be viewed from the gardens.
Ho Chi Minh instead lived first in an electrician's cottage in the grounds and then, from 1958 until his death in 1969, in a two-room teak stilt house beside a carp pond. The house is furnished as he left it, with a simple desk, a field telephone, a bookcase and a bedroom upstairs, and visitors view the rooms from the outside walkway rather than entering. The setting is deliberately modest, surrounded by fruit trees, flowers and a pond where he was known to feed the fish, and it contrasts sharply with the palace nearby. The ticket also includes the garage displaying his official cars and the grounds' mango-lined avenue.
A visit takes 45 minutes to one hour and follows a marked path through the gardens. The avenue is at its best in spring, and the pond and stilt house are most photogenic in soft morning light. Visitors are asked to walk quietly, avoid touching exhibits and dress respectfully. The complex is usually combined with the mausoleum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the One Pillar Pagoda, all within a few minutes' walk of each other.
Opening hours are daily 07:30 to 11:00 and 13:30 to 16:00 in summer, with 08:00 to 11:00 and 13:30 to 16:00 in winter. Admission is 40,000 VND for foreign visitors, 25,000 VND for Vietnamese citizens, and children under 16 enter free. Crowds are moderate, but tour groups peak mid-morning, so an early start or the afternoon session usually feels calmer. The entrance is on Hung Vuong or Ong Ich Khiem street, and visitors can walk from the mausoleum exit.
| Admission | 40,000 VND (~$1.54); Vietnamese citizens 25,000 VND (~$0.96); under 16 free |
|---|---|
| Hours | Daily 07:30-11:00 and 13:30-16:00 (summer); 08:00-11:00 and 13:30-16:00 (winter) |
| Typical visit | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| Best time | Mornings, combined with the mausoleum; the mango-lined avenue is at its best in spring |
| Getting there | Entrance on Hung Vuong or Ong Ich Khiem street; walk from the mausoleum exit |
| Address | 1 Bach Thao Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi |
Location
1 Bach Thao Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
21.0389, 105.8347 View on map
Highlights
- See the teak stilt house where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1958
- View the mustard-yellow French colonial Presidential Palace from the gardens
- Walk the mango-lined avenue and fish pond
- See the garage of his official cars
Tips for visiting
- Combine with the mausoleum and museum in one morning
- Adults pay 40,000 VND; children under 16 enter free
- The palace interior is closed; the stilt house is viewed from the walkway
- Spring is the best season for the mango avenue
- Note the lunch closure between 11:00 and 13:30
When to visit
Mornings are pleasant and the avenue is at its best in spring. Afternoons after 13:30 are typically quieter.
Accessibility
The garden paths are mostly flat and paved, so much of the route is manageable for wheelchair users. The stilt house is viewed from outside and its stairs are not open to visitors.
Visit, book or contact
Frequently asked questions
How long does a visit take?
About 45 minutes to one hour.
Can visitors enter the palace?
No, the palace interior is closed. The grounds, garage and stilt house are included in the ticket.
How much is admission?
40,000 VND for foreign visitors, with children under 16 free.
Where is the entrance?
On Hung Vuong or Ong Ich Khiem street, a short walk from the mausoleum exit.