Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum - 5 Things to Know Before Visiting

One of Vietnam's two most iconic temples. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar 1.25 m in diameter and 4 m in height, and it is designed to resemble a lotus blossom, a Buddhist symbol of purity. The emperor Lý Thái Tông constructed the temple in 1049, in gratitude for having a son.

Dedicated to the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam's revolutionary struggle against foreign powers. The museum documents Ho Chi Minh's life, with 8 chronological exhibitions.

Built between 1900 and 1906 to house the French Governor-General of Indochina. The yellow palace stands behind wrought iron gates flanked by sentry boxes, the only visual cues that it is located in Vietnam at all are mango trees growing on the grounds. The palace is not open to the public, but visitors can walk around the grounds for a fee.

This is not a Botanical Garden but a lush green park in the city center. The park was established in 1890 by the French and originally stretched over 33 hectares, but has since been squeezed to a mere 10 to make room for development.

A complex of historic imperial buildings located in the centre of Hanoi. The royal enclosure was first built during the Lý dynasty (1010) and expanded by the Trần, Lê and finally the Nguyễn dynasty. It remained the seat of the Vietnamese court until 1810, when the Nguyễn dynasty chose to move the capital to Huế.

Dated to the 11th century, this Taoist temple was dedicated to Xuan Wu, one of the principal deities in Taoism. It is one of the Four Sacred Temples that were built in four directions to protect Hanoi from malevolent spirits.