Hanoi City Tour: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Pagodas & Museums
One Pillar Pagoda is the most unique pagoda in the world.
A full-day guided tour of Hanoi covering five major sites: Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and its surrounding complex, One Pillar Pagoda, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam university, and Hoa Lo Prison Museum. The tour includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide with at least five years of experience, lunch, entrance tickets, transport by shuttle bus, and bottled water. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes Mondays and Fridays, and shuts for maintenance mid-June through mid-August, though you can still photograph the exterior and visit the surrounding area during that period. The museum stop applies on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Explore Hanoi's historical and cultural sites
- Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda
- Tour Ho Chi Minh complex and One Pillar Pagoda
- Explore Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
- See Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam
- Visit Hoa Lo Prison Museum
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Entry included 1h
- Vietnam Museum of Ethnology Entry included 1h
- Hoa Lo Prison Entry included 1h
What’s included
- The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off.
- an English-speaking guide with at least five years of experience.
- lunch.
- entrance tickets to Tran Quoc Pagoda, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (on applicable days), and Hoa Lo Prison Museum.
- shuttle bus transport throughout the day.
- and a bottle of water.
Times
- Every day 08:00
Last departure this season: 31 Dec
Another time? ›Before you book
Operated by Inbound Vietnam Travel
Prices and times updated 4 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
Tran Quoc Pagoda sits on a small peninsula on the east side of Hanoi's West Lake and holds the distinction of being the city's oldest pagoda, with roots stretching back more than 1,500 years. The tour moves next to the Ho Chi Minh complex, where you see the embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh, then walk the gardens to view the two houses where he lived and worked between 1954 and 1969. One Pillar Pagoda, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy, stands nearby. It is architecturally singular in the world.
The itinerary then branches depending on the day: on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the tour includes the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, a research centre and public museum documenting the cultural and historic heritage of Vietnam's ethnic groups. On other days, you visit the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam's first university built in 1070, where gardens and preserved architecture offer a window into the country's past. The final stop is Hoa Lo Prison Museum, originally built by French colonists for political prisoners and later used by North Vietnam to hold American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War: American POWs called it the "Hanoi Hilton."
An English-speaking guide leads the full day, which runs eight to ten hours. Hotel pickup is included, as is lunch, entrance tickets to all sites, shuttle bus transport throughout Hanoi, and a bottle of water. Modest dress is required at pagodas and the mausoleum: cover from shoulders to knees, and avoid shorts or sleeveless shirts at Tran Quoc Pagoda.
Is this one for you?Book this if you prefer a structured itinerary hitting five major sites in one day rather than piecing together your own route. Note that the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is only open Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, so choose your date accordingly.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years): free; Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What is Tran Quoc Pagoda and why does it matter?
Tran Quoc Pagoda is Hanoi's oldest pagoda, with a history dating back more than 1,500 years. It sits on a small peninsula on the east side of West Lake and is the first stop on the tour.
Can I visit Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on any day?
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum closes on Mondays and Fridays. It also shuts for annual maintenance from mid-June through mid-August, though you can still photograph the exterior and visit the surrounding area during that period.
What is One Pillar Pagoda?
One Pillar Pagoda is dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy and is architecturally unique in the world. It is part of the Ho Chi Minh complex visited on the tour.
Which museum does the tour include?
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is included on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On other days, the tour visits the Literature Temple and Quoc Tu Giam, Vietnam's first university built in 1070, instead.
What was Hoa Lo Prison used for?
Hoa Lo Prison was originally built by French colonists in Indochina to hold political prisoners. During the Vietnam War, North Vietnam used it to detain American prisoners of war, who called it the "Hanoi Hilton." The museum documents both periods.
What does the tour include?
The tour includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, lunch, entrance tickets to all five sites, shuttle bus transport throughout Hanoi, and a bottle of water.
Hanoi City Tour: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Pagodas & Museums
8h–10h · EN
from US$ 51.11 per person
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