Are you a museum lover? Want to get a complete list of museums in Vietnam?
Vietnam is a fascinating country with 4000 years of history and a variety of cultures. You might be overwhelmed when you go to Vietnam for the first time, but as many other travelers said before, Vietnam’s true beauty can only be discovered slowly. Taking your time to explore Vietnam by going to the top fascinating museums is an excellent choice.
We honestly believe this article will help, but if you are still indecisive, hiring a professional local travel agency that puts together a Vietnam holiday package that fits your needs is an option too.
Wondering about which one you should go to when you are in Vietnam?
Hoa Lo Prison Museum
Address: 1 Hoa Lo Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Ticket fee: From 15.000 to 30.000 VND
Opening time: All week, from 8AM to 5PM
Hoa Lo in Vietnamese literally means “stove of hellfire”, depicting the brutal history of the prison. It was a prison used by French colonists in French Indochina for political prisoners and later used by North Vietnam for U.S. war prisoners during the Vietnam War.
During the later period, it was known to American POWs as the Hanoi Hilton. The prison was demolished during the 1990s, though the gatehouse remains as a museum.
For most of travelers, Hoa Lo Prison Museum is a must-go-to museum in Vietnam. You might get goosebumps when visiting this museum, reading and seeing the story behind it and walking across the narrow cold ceiling hallway. All of this will bring you unforgettable understanding about a part of Vietnam’s history.
Vietnam Military History Museum
Address: 28A Dien Bien Phu street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi
Ticket fee: 40.000 VND
Opening time: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, from 8-11:30AM to 1-4:30PM
The museum consists of various buildings which showcased different eras of Vietnamese military history. The Flag Tower of Hanoi is within the boundaries of the complex as well.
It is possible for visitors to enter the first two tiers of the tower, however, the spire is inaccessible. The museum also includes a display of decommissioned, captured or destroyed military equipment and vehicles used by the United States and the Vietnam Army during the Vietnam war.
This display, located right next to the Flag Tower of Hanoi, has become known as “The Garden of Toys”.
National Museum of Vietnamese History
Address: 1 Pham Ngu Lao Stress, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Ticket fee: 20.000 VND (extra 15.000 VND if you want to use a camera inside the museum)
Opening time: 8AM – 4:30PM
The museum building built by the French government is more than 100 years old. This used to be an archaeological research institution.
After the acquisition of the Vietnam government in 1958, the artifact collections were expanded to cover eastern arts and national history.
This museum highlights Vietnam from the prehistorical time (about 300,000–400,000 years ago) up to the Revolution of August 1945 and the foundation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. It has over 200,000 exhibits in five major sections.
The museum displays 18 national treasures of Vietnam.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Address: Nguyen Van Huyen Street, Cau Giay district, Hanoi
Ticket price: 40.000 VND
Opening time: From 8:30AM to 5:30PM (closed on Mondays)
Vietnam has 54 ethnic groups living from far north to deep south. Although all the ethnic groups live harmoniously under the same flag of Vietnam, they have very different ancestry, language, history, society… These cultural distinctions help to differentiate themselves from others.
It will be extremely difficult for you to actually see all the ethnic groups in Vietnam. Luckily, it is more simple and convenient to go to museums to discover them. This museum is located on a 43,799-square-metre (10.823-acre) property with a variety of artifacts and houses. It will take you a day to discover everything.
Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture
Address: 2, September 2nd Street, Hai Chau district, Da Nang
Ticket price: 60.000 VND
Opening time: Everyday, from 7AM to 5PM
The establishment of a Cham sculpture museum in Da Nang was first proposed in 1902.
Prior to the establishment of the museum, the site was known as the “garden of sculptures”. Many Cham sculptures that was collected in Da Nang, Quang Nam and elsewhere were brought there over the preceding twenty years.
The museum was expanded twice. The first expansion was in the mid-1930s, with two new galleries providing display space for the objects being added in the 1920s and 1930s.
In 2002, the Museum expanded again with the two-story building providing an additional 1000 square meters. The new building not only provides space for display, but also for storage, a library, a restoration workshop, and offices for staff.
The museum houses the world’s largest collection of Cham sculpture and is a popular tourist destination.
Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum
Address: 26 Phan Boi Chau Street, Hoi An
Ticket price: Free entrance
Opening time: Everyday, from 8AM to 8PM
The museum was established by French photographer Réhahn, who has spent the last 8 years travelling into the deepest, tucked away corners of Vietnam to document and preserve the stories, photographs and traditional costumes of all of Vietnam’s diverse tribes.
To date, Réhahn has documented 51 of the 54 recognized ethnic groups in the Precious Heritage Museum.
His love for photography has taken him to more than 35 countries but his heart resides in Vietnam, where the immense diversity of the Vietnamese people has inspired his most passionate projects to date.
You might find yourself sharing the same passion when coming to the museum. An image can tell more than a thousand words.
Cu Chi Tunnels
Address: 15 Highway, Phu Hiep District, Ho Chi Minh city
Ticket price: 80.000 VND
Opening time: Everyday, from 7AM to 5PM
Cu Chi tunnels are the most visited site when coming to Ho Chi Minh city, although you can only visit a part of the much bigger tunnel system that underlies much of the country.
The Cu Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War and were the Vietnam Army base of operations for the Tet Offensive in 1968.
The tunnels were used by Vietnam Army soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food, and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous Vietnamese soldiers that came all the way down from the North.
The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Vietnam Army in their resistance to American forces and helped to counter the growing American military effort.
Coming to this museum, you can try to go down to the tunnels system which has been made wider and taller to accommodate tourists. Moreover, you can also see all the trap systems made by the Vietnam Army to scare away American soldiers.
Independence Palace
Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Ticket price: 40.000 VND
Opening time: Everyday, 7:30AM – 11AM, 1 – 2PM
The Independence Palace is a landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, designed by Architect Ngô Viết Thụ. It was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
It was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the “Fall of Saigon” on 30 April 1975, when Vietnamese Army tanks crashed through its gates.
This special museum could tell you the long history of this land from the end of the 19th century to the end of the Vietnam War. Do not miss this museum when visiting Ho Chi Minh city.
