The city down south may have his name, but only Hanoi has the man himself, entombed in distinctly Lenin-esque fashion. Against his wishes, but that's how it goes. No talking, revealing clothing (shorts should be knee length and no exposed shoulders), or other signs of disrespect allowed while viewing; photos are allowed only from outside, in the grand Ba Dinh Square. Purses are allowed into the tomb, but expect them to be searched by several bored soldiers along the way. Left luggage is handled in a complicated scheme: there is an office near the street for large bags, with separate windows for Vietnamese and foreigners, and a further office for cameras, which will be transported to a third office right outside the exit of the mausoleum. Items checked in at the first office, however, will stay there. The mausoleum is closed for a couple months around the end of the year, when the body is taken abroad for maintenance. It is closed in the afternoons for maintenance.
Tue-Thu 06:30–10:30 Sat Sun 07:30-11:30 · Free
Hanoi Hilton
This prison was built by the French at the turn of the 20th century, in classical French prison design. Two thirds of the prison was torn down to make way for the Hanoi Towers, and the rest was converted into a museum. This is where the French imprisoned and executed Vietnamese freedom fighters. The museum exhibits the plight of jailed political revolutionaries under the French colonial regime and the struggle of the Vietnamese people against imperialism in chilling detail. Later, during the America-Vietnam War, the prison held US prisoners of war that sarcastically referred to it as the "Hanoi Hilton". This period is not emphasized, except to present the official narrative of how humanely the POWs were treated, such as showing photos only of prisoners being treated well and playing basketball and playing chess. The museum claims to have the flight suit of John McCain, the most notable POW held here, from when his plane was shot down. Most of the exhibits have detailed English information, but you can also get an audioguide for 50,000 dong.
Daily 08:30-12:00, 14:00-16:30 (Mon & Fri from 08:00) · 50,000 dong · Heritage listed
This gleaming white museum and its gloriously ham-handed iconography is the perfect chaser to the solemnity of the mausoleum. The building, completed in 1990, is intended to evoke a white lotus. Some photos and old letters are on display on the second floor, but the main exhibition space is on the third floor. It includes cars crashing through walls to represent the chaos of post-war American capitalism, soldiers charging around with bombs that looked like electric plugs, a cave hideout re-imagined as the inside of Ho Chi Minh's brain, and several other postmodern confections integrated with the detailed main story of the man's life and his country's struggle. There are plenty of photographs, prison documents and newspaper cuttings tracing his life along the way. The tour ends with a burnt bridge signifying the separation of Vietnam, followed by a reconstructed bridge showing the unification of Vietnam after the war. One of the more informative museums in Vietnam. Free guides are available in English, French, Chinese and Russian. The displays are labelled in English and French.
Daily 08:00-11:30, and Tue-Thu Sat Sun 14:00-16:00 · 40,000 dong · Wheelchair accessible · Entry 40000 VND
Bảo Tàng Mỹ Thuật
Only party-approved art is shown here with information in English and Vietnamese. On three floors of a colonial building, with another three galleries in the west wing. Pieces include soldiers on boats depicted on prehistoric bronze drums, Buddhist art, and revolutionary art of the 20th century wars. Also some interesting lacquer and silk paintings.
Daily 08:30-17:00 · Adult 40,000 dong · Entry 40000 VND