The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum faces Ba Dinh Square in central Hanoi. Construction began on 2 September 1973 and the building was inaugurated on 29 August 1975. Inside, Ho Chi Minh's body lies in a glass case in a cool central hall, watched by a military honour guard.
Closed until 2 November 2026. The mausoleum shut on 4 September 2026 for its periodic restoration and reopens to visitors on 3 November 2026. Vietnam's government news portal, Tuoi Tre and the national news agency's VietnamPlus all carried the notice.
Two soldiers stand guard at the entrance and change every hour. The rules for visitors, as Wikipedia summarises them: no very short or revealing clothes, no cameras, phones switched off, no food or drink, and silence inside.
Getting there
Measured in a straight line on map coordinates, the mausoleum is about 1.5 km from Hanoi railway station and about 2 km from Hoan Kiem Lake. Noi Bai International Airport is about 21 km away in a straight line; the road is longer.
Hours and fees
Visits are held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. There are none on Monday or Friday. These are the hours the Mausoleum Command announced for 2026:
| Season | Tuesday to Thursday | Saturday | Sunday and public holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool season, 1 November to 31 March | 8:00 to 11:00 AM | 8:00 to 11:30 AM | 8:00 to 11:00 AM |
| Warm season, 1 April to 31 October | 7:30 to 10:30 AM | 7:30 to 11:00 AM | 7:30 to 11:00 AM |
On 19 May, 2 September and the first day of Lunar New Year, visits go ahead even when the date falls on a Monday or Friday.
On fees, sources disagree. Wikipedia and a Hanoi tour operator's guide both say entry is free. One other travel site lists VND 25,000 for foreign visitors. None of the three closure notices we read mentions a ticket.
Our take
Check the date before you plan around this one. It's shut until 2 November 2026, and even in a normal week it opens on only five mornings, and only until late morning. If your Hanoi days fall on a Monday, a Friday or an afternoon, you'll see the outside only, and we'd spend the time on the rest of the Ba Dinh complex instead.
Nearby
- Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House: about 0.2 km in a straight line.
- Ho Chi Minh Museum: about 0.2 km in a straight line.
- Imperial Citadel of Thang Long: about 0.7 km in a straight line.
- Temple of Literature: about 0.9 km in a straight line.
Questions travelers ask
What is the visit actually like? Asked on r/VietNam, one reply described it:
"45 minute line up to get in. Have to wear lo ng pants and dont put hands in your pocket."
u/Independent_Bar_8771 on r/VietNam
Do you have to pay? In an older thread, a commenter answered someone who said they had paid:
"Entrance is free to the mausoleum."
u/chrononaut1 on r/VietNam
