Presidential Palace
A golden French-era palace in tropical gardens, and the simple wooden stilt house where Ho Chi Minh chose to live and work.
- Hanoi
- Included in 5 tours
- Tours from $25
- Updated October 2026
About the Presidential Palace Hanoi
The Presidential Palace in Hanoi is a striking mustard-yellow mansion set in a large park just behind the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It was built by the French between 1900 and 1906 as the residence of the Governor-General of French Indochina, in a grand Beaux-Arts style with tall windows, balustrades and a sweeping drive. Today it is used for official receptions and state visits, so the building itself is closed to the public — but the gardens and the houses where Ho Chi Minh lived are open as a national relic site.
After independence, Ho Chi Minh refused to move into the palace, saying it belonged to the people. Instead he lived first in a small house that had belonged to the palace electrician — known as House 54 — and from 1958 in a simple wooden stilt house built behind it, beside a fish pond. He lived and worked there until shortly before his death in 1969.
Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House
The Stilt House (Nha San Bac Ho) was designed in the style of the houses of the Viet Bac mountains, where Ho Chi Minh had led the resistance. It is very simple: a study and a bedroom upstairs, open space underneath where he held meetings, and a few personal belongings kept exactly as they were. Visitors walk around it rather than through it, looking in through the open shutters.
The gardens and the fish pond
The relic site covers about 14 hectares of gardens, mango-tree alleys and flower beds. Highlights include the carp pond that Ho Chi Minh used to feed by clapping his hands, House 67 where he spent his last months, and the garage with the cars he used. The whole visit follows a one-way path and takes about an hour.
Our 2-hour and half-day city tours by jeep, electric scooter and with our female riders ride past the Presidential Palace and the Ba Dinh complex, with the guide telling the story. To walk inside the grounds, plan a separate morning visit combined with the mausoleum.
Is the Presidential Palace worth visiting?
Yes, if you are interested in Ho Chi Minh’s life or in French colonial architecture. The grand mustard-yellow palace itself is closed to visitors, but the relic site around it – his simple stilt house, House 54, House 67, the carp pond he fed by clapping, and 14 hectares of gardens – is open and follows a one-way path of about an hour. It sits right behind the Mausoleum, so the natural plan is to see both in one morning; the relic site costs about 40,000 VND.
Worth it?
Why visit Presidential Palace?
- The yellow palaceA grand French colonial mansion from 1906, seen from the gardens and the street.
- Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt HouseThe simple wooden home where he lived and worked from 1958 to 1969.
- Fish pond and mango alleyA peaceful garden walk past the carp pond and shady old trees.
- House 54 and the garageHis first home on the site and the cars he used, kept on display.
- Part of the Ba Dinh complexEasily combined with the mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.
Make the most of it
Things to do at the Presidential Palace
See the palace from the gardens
The yellow façade looks best from the lawn inside the relic site; you cannot enter the building.
Visit Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House
Walk around the house and look into his study and bedroom. Allow 15–20 minutes; the line moves slowly at busy times.
Walk past the fish pond
Ho Chi Minh used to feed the carp here. Benches and shade make it a pleasant stop.
See House 54 and House 67
His first residence on the site and the small house where he spent his final months.
Look at the vintage cars
The garage shows the cars he used as president.
Combine with the mausoleum
The usual exit from the mausoleum leads into the palace grounds; buy a ticket at the gate on the way in.
Continue to One Pillar Pagoda and the museum
Both are a few minutes’ walk from the exit of the relic site.
Ride past with a local guide
Our jeep, electric scooter and female-rider city tours pass the palace on the Ba Dinh loop.
Good to know
Tickets: visiting the Presidential Palace relic site
| Ticket | About 40,000 VND for international visitors (Vietnamese visitors often enter free) |
|---|---|
| Summer hours (Apr–Oct) | Morning 7:30–11:00; afternoon about 13:30–16:00 |
| Winter hours (Nov–Mar) | Morning 8:00–11:00; afternoon about 13:30–16:00 |
| Closed | Every Monday afternoon (Monday morning is open as usual) and during state events |
| Palace building | Not open to the public — used for state receptions |
| Time needed | About 1–1.5 hours on the one-way path |
| Dress | Shoulders and knees covered, as for the mausoleum |
Hours and closures can change for state events, so check on the day. The site often stays open while the mausoleum is closed for its annual maintenance.
Timing
Best time to visit Presidential Palace
Cool, quiet gardens and soft light — combine with the mausoleum at opening time.
Busier with school and tour groups; the Stilt House queue gets longer.
Quieter, but hotter in summer and the site closes around 16:00.
October to April is the most comfortable; the gardens are greenest after the summer rains.
Map & directions
How to get to Presidential Palace
- From the Ho Chi Minh MausoleumRight behind it — the exit from the mausoleum leads into the grounds.
- From Hoan Kiem LakeAbout 3 km: 10–15 minutes by Grab, about 25,000–40,000 VND by motorbike.
- EntranceThe visitor entrance is on the Hung Vuong / Ba Dinh Square side, near the mausoleum; ask for Phu Chu Tich.
- With a local guideOur city tours pass the palace, with free pickup from Old Quarter hotels.
Eat like a local
Where to eat near Presidential Palace
- Banh tom on West LakeShrimp and sweet potato fritters near Thanh Nien Road, about 10 minutes away.
- Local pho on Ngoc Ha and Doi CanSimple noodle soups for breakfast before the gates open.
- Cafés on Phan Dinh Phung StreetCoffee under the trees, 5–10 minutes by Grab.
- Quan An Ngon, 18 Phan Boi ChauDishes from all over Vietnam in a colonial villa garden.
For your camera
Best photo spots at Presidential Palace
- The palace lawnThe full yellow façade framed by palm trees.
- The fish pondThe pond with the Stilt House reflected in the water.
- Mango alleyShady paths lined with old trees in soft morning light.
Local advice
Tips for visiting Presidential Palace
Do
- Visit straight after the mausoleum in the morning
- Cover shoulders and knees
- Keep your ticket until you leave the site
- Follow the one-way path and the guards’ directions
- Carry water — there is little shade near the palace lawn
Don’t
- Expect to go inside the palace building
- Climb onto the Stilt House or touch the exhibits
- Stray from the marked path or walk on the lawns
- Arrive just before closing time — the gates close around 11:00 and 16:00
- Fly a drone anywhere near Ba Dinh
Visit with a local
Tours that visit Presidential Palace
Hanoi · Electric Scooter
Hanoi Electric Scooter City Highlights Tour
234+ booked
From $45
$38
per adult
Hanoi · Electric Scooter
Hanoi Half-Day Electric Scooter City Tour
463+ booked
From $60
$51
per adult
Hanoi · Electric Scooter
Hanoi Female Riders City Highlights Tour
345+ booked
From $47
$40
per adult
Good to know
Presidential Palace: questions & answers
Can you go inside the Presidential Palace in Hanoi?
No, the palace building is used for state receptions and is closed to the public. You can visit the gardens, the Stilt House and the other houses of the relic site.
How much is the ticket for the Presidential Palace Hanoi?
About 40,000 VND for international visitors. Buy it at the gate of the relic site.
What are the Presidential Palace opening hours?
Mornings 7:30–11:00 in summer and 8:00–11:00 in winter, plus afternoons from about 13:30 to 16:00. It is closed every Monday afternoon (Monday morning is open) and during state events.
What is Ho Chi Minh’s Stilt House?
A simple wooden house on stilts in the palace gardens where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1958 to 1969, instead of living in the palace.
When was the Presidential Palace built?
Between 1900 and 1906, as the residence of the French Governor-General of Indochina.
Is the Presidential Palace open when the mausoleum is closed?
Usually yes. The relic site often stays open during the mausoleum’s annual maintenance, but check on the day.
How long do you need at the Presidential Palace?
About 1–1.5 hours to follow the path through the gardens, the Stilt House and the other houses.
What can you see at the Presidential Palace site?
Not the palace building itself, which is closed, but the gardens and the houses where Ho Chi Minh lived: his wooden stilt house, House 54, House 67 where he spent his last months, the carp pond, mango-tree alleys and the garage with his cars. The one-way path takes about an hour.
Can I combine the Presidential Palace with the Mausoleum?
Yes, that is the usual plan. The relic site is directly behind the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, so most visitors see the Mausoleum first thing in the morning and then walk through to the Presidential Palace gardens and Stilt House, paying about 40,000 VND for the relic site.
Hanoi
