With a history of over one thousand years, Hanoi has a lot to offer to visitors that cannot be explored in a few days. Hence, many tourists opt to learn more about the city by visiting museums. There are more than 20 museums in Hanoi, but we have hand-picked seven of these cultural spots that you cannot miss when traveling to this wonderful city.
If you’re visiting Ho Chi Minh City, here are eight museums you should see.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Opened in 1997, the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is one of the most popular museums in Hanoi. Throughout the year, it hosts multiple meaningful events, especially on holidays like Lunar New Year, Hung Kings' Anniversary, or Mid-Autumn Festival. In the beginning, there were only two sections to visit, including a two-floor building named “Trong Dong" and outdoor exhibitions.
While the “Trong Dong" building exhibits artifacts about Vietnamese ethnicity, the architecture garden features 10 main architectural structures from different areas in Vietnam. In 2013, the museum opened the third building called “Canh Dieu," which is dedicated to outside-Vietnam ethnics, starting with Southeast Asian.
A ticket costs VND40,000. The museum is open from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm from Tuesday to Sunday, closed every Monday and Lunar New Year
Location: Số 1 đường Nguyễn Văn Huyên, phường Quan Hoa, quận Cầu Giấy
Hoa Lo Prison Relic
In the heart of the city, there is a prison that was once called “Hell on Earth," “School for Patriots," and “Hanoi Hilton hotel.” This is the famous Hoa Lo prison. Nowadays, this historical destination welcomes visitors to come and discover heritages of the war. Recently, the destination offers a new type of experience - nighttime at Hoa Lo.
For 80 minutes, you will travel back in time and see Hoa Lo in its purest form. Some travelers share that these night tours feel emotions that daytime tours cannot compare. However, this tour is very popular among locals and quick to be sold out. If you want to go, please visit the Facebook page in advance and book a reservation.
A ticket costs VND30,000 for in-day visits. For the special night experience, you have to pay VND299,000, only available from 7 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The museum welcomes the public all week, from 8 am to 5 pm.
Location: Số 1 phố Hoả Lò, phường Trần Hưng Đạo, quận Hoàn Kiếm
Vietnam National Museum of History
This museum is located in the heart of Hanoi, close to many sacred relics such as Turtle Tower - Hoàn Kiếm Lake; Thê Húc Bridge - Ngọc Sơn Temple – Bút Tháp Tower. The Vietnam National Museum of History is a place to preserve, display, and introduce Vietnamese history from prehistoric to the present through a system of extremely rich and valuable documents and artifacts, including many National Treasures.
As mentioned on the website, the museum has two locations, but not far away from each other. For a whole experience, you should start your visit at Trang Tien and then go across the road to visit the rest on Tran Quang Khai street, opposite the first one.
You can visit the museum every day except the first Monday of every month, from 8:00 am to noon and from 1 pm to 5 pm. A ticket costs VND40,000.
Location: Số 1 phố Tràng Tiền, phường Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội; Số 216 đường Trần Quang Khải, phường Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Most people have known about the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum but only a few people know about the existence of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, located in the Ho Chi Minh complex. As the name said for itself, the museum focuses on the life of Ho Chi Minh from 1890 to 1969.
The museum is available every day, except Mondays and Fridays. Opening hours are based on seasons: from April to October (hot seasons), it is open from 7:30 am to 10:30 am and from 1:30 pm to 4 pm, from 7:30 am to 11 am on weekends. From November to March, it is open from 8 am to 11 am and from 2 pm to 4 pm, from 8 am to 11:30 am on weekends. Foreigners have to pay VND40,000 per person.
Location: 19 Phố Ngọc Hà, phường Đội Cấn, quận Ba Đình
Hanoi Museum
On the Millenial Anniversary of Hanoi, Hanoi Museum was officially opened. At the time, flocks of citizens crowded the place, full of excitement to learn more about Hanoi's history. For others, this destination is also attractive for its extraordinary inverted-pyramid structure. Currently, it is not operating to focus on regular displays and will open again by the end of 2022.
The museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8 am to 11:30 am and from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Tickets are free of charge.
Location: Đường Phạm Hùng, phường Mễ Trì, quận Nam Từ Liêm
Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
The Museum draws a large number of national and international visitors not only by the quality of the collections but also by the artistic architecture of the historic building. In the past, this place was originally built as a boarding school for daughters of French officials.
Its beautifully arranged galleries house a unique collection of art treasures dating from every era of national life, from early prehistory and classical antiquity through the epic story of Vietnamese creative genius in the modern age.
Like most museums, it is closed on Monday but open on other days from 8:30 am to 5 pm. A ticket costs VND40,000.
Location: Số 66 phố Nguyễn Thái Học, phường Điện Bàn, quận Ba Đình
Vietnamese Women's Museum
In the historical and cultural development of Vietnam, women have always played a central role. Therefore, it is without a doubt that we have a whole museum dedicated to this half of the world. The museum consists of three permanent exhibitions: Women in Family, Women in History, and Women's Fashion. By providing the public with knowledge and understanding about Vietnamese women, the museum hopes to further promote gender equality in Vietnam.
Luckily, this amazing destination is open every day from 8 am to 5 pm. The ticket remains the same as other museums, VND40,000 per person.
Location: 36 phố Lý Thường Kiệt, phường Hàng Bài, quận Hoàn Kiếm