Place · South bank (Lê Lợi and Phạm Ngũ Lão)
An Định PalaceCung An Định
Forty minutes in Khải Định's European-style palace on the An Cựu canal, south bank: painted wall panels, gilded ceilings and the rooms where the last royal family lived after 1945. Best as a rain or heat stop, not a morning slot.
Key facts
- Time on site
- 35–45 min
- p95 70 min
- Price
- about ₫50,000 (≈ US$2)
- adult, 2026 estimate
- Hours
- 07:00–17:307:00 AM–5:30 PM
- typical, check
- Best time
- unknown
- 28″ bags
- Yes
- South bank (Lê Lợi and Phạm Ngũ Lão): ok
- Getting there
- Phan Đình Phùng street, on the An Cựu canal; 15–20 min walk or 5 min by car from Lê Lợi
- Rain or heat stop
- Short visit
- South bank
- Works with kids
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 8Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…Do the royal tombs by car or with a driver before 11
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Vietnam ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Vietnam ↗Crossing streets: walk slowly and steadily; motorbikes flow around you — do not stop or run.
- Vietnam ↗Carry Vietnamese đồng in small notes; many stalls and taxis are cash-only.
- Central Coast ↗September–December is typhoon and flood season on this coast: build a spare day into any plan and check the storm forecast before booking boats, passes or beach nights.
- Hue ↗Do the royal tombs by car or with a driver before 11:00; they are 6–12 km apart with little shade, and cycling them in summer heat ends most afternoons early.
- Hue ↗October–November is Huế's rainiest time: floods can close the tombs and roads for a day or more, so keep a spare day or come in another season.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Usually 07:00–17:30Usually 7:00 AM–5:30 PM
- Crowds
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Quietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about ₫50,000 (≈ US$2) (2026 estimate)
children pay less (check)
- Time to spend
- 35–45 min · up to 70 min if you linger
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
25min
Worthwhile
35min
Typical
45min
p95
70min
Hours and last ticket not printed until verified.
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Queues
- Good as the rain-day or afternoon slot when the tombs are too hot or flooded.
- Dress code
- Neat clothing; no special code, but shoulders covered is polite.
- Photos
- Banned, as at all monuments.
- What's closed
- WeeklycheckReported open daily.
- Flood dayscheckCanal-side streets flood first in October–November.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | about ₫50,000 (≈ US$2) (2026 estimate) | check |
Inside, in order
Khải Tường Lâu
The main two-storey building, rebuilt under Khải Định in the late 1910s with European columns and Vietnamese motifs.
Painted wall panels
Landscape and still-life murals in the reception rooms, a mix of French and Vietnamese decorative taste.
Royal family rooms
After 1945 the former empress mother and relatives of Bảo Đại lived here; the rooms show that later period.
Gate over the canal
Ornate ceramic-and-glass gate on the An Cựu side; the classic photo.
What to see, in order
01
Khải Tường Lâu
The main two-storey building, rebuilt under Khải Định in the late 1910s with European columns and Vietnamese motifs.
02
Painted wall panels
Landscape and still-life murals in the reception rooms, a mix of French and Vietnamese decorative taste.
03
Royal family rooms
After 1945 the former empress mother and relatives of Bảo Đại lived here; the rooms show that later period.
04
Gate over the canal
Ornate ceramic-and-glass gate on the An Cựu side; the classic photo.
How to do it well
- 1Buy the ticket at the gate (about ₫50,000 adult, 2026 estimate, check).
- 2Combine with a south-bank lunch; it is a short hop from the hotel streets.
- 3Good as the rain-day or afternoon slot when the tombs are too hot or flooded.
Facilities
- toilets
- At the site (check).
- tickets
- About ₫50,000 (≈ US$2) adult (2026 estimate, check); may be part of some combo tickets (check).
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Phan Đình Phùng street, on the An Cựu canal; 15–20 min walk or 5 min by car from Lê Lợi
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- on site · official site
- Stairs
- site: Front steps to the main building (Khải Tường Lâu); upper floors by stairs
- Shoes
- Shoes on unless a sign asks otherwise.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Rarely busy; small groups mid-morning.
- Sensory load
- 2/5
- Exposure
- low
Bailouts
heat
The palace interior itself: shaded rooms and a garden
rain
Stay inside; the south-bank cafés are a short ride away
Nearest rescue anchor: H — Café near the Huế Cultural Centre (field-verify)
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partlysite: Front steps to the main building (Khải Tường Lâu); upper floors by stairs
- Lifts: no · no
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: partly · partly
- Stroller: partly · partlycaution
Level garden; steps into the main building and stairs to the upper floor.
Combine with
- 12 minVincom Plaza (AC, food court)
- 15 minBún bò Huế Bà Tuyết · eat
- —Imperial City (the same combo tickets sometimes include it, check)
Walk the South bank (Lê Lợi and Phạm Ngũ Lão) area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
Red lines
- No touching the painted wall panels.
- Flash photography may be restricted in the main rooms (check signs).
More on the groundWith kids
With kids
- with kids
- Short visit; little for small children beyond the colourful gate.
- child price
- children pay less (check)
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
Is it worth it if I have only two days?
Only as the rain or heat slot. The Imperial City and two or three tombs come first.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is it included in the Imperial City combo?
Some combos have included it and others not; read the list on the current ticket board (check).
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
- ClusterSouth bank (Lê Lợi and Phạm Ngũ Lão)320 m · 5 min walk
- PlaceTrường Tiền Bridge850 m · 14 min walk
- EatChè Hẻm (Hùng Vương alley)950 m · 15 min walk
- ClusterĐông Ba Market and Trường Tiền Bridge950 m · 15 min walk
- ClusterImperial City (Đại Nội)nearest point: Flag Tower lawn kiosks1.0 km · 16 min walk
- EatQuán Hạnh (Phó Đức Chính)1.0 km · 17 min walk
Sources
- officialHue Monuments Conservation Centre
- secondaryWikivoyage — Hue