Khai Dinh Emperor's Mausoleum in Hue

Khai Dinh Emperor's Mausoleum in Hue

Hue, Vietnam

The Khai Dinh Mausoleum is the tomb of the twelfth Emperor of the Nguyen dynasty of Vietnam. Khai Dinh reigned from 1916 to 1925 and the tomb was built between 1920 and 1931, finishing the works 6 years after the death of the emperor. In 1993, the tomb was integrated in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Complex of Hué Monuments.

It’s located about 8 km from the center of Hue. The best way to get there is renting a scooter (~120.000 VND). Hue is busier than Ninh Binh, but riding around Hue is still much safer than in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. Once you get out of the city it will be less chaotic.
There is a parking area (here). There could be someone asking for money (don’t give them more than 10.000 VND), be careful with the change and DO NOT leave any valuables in the trunk, as many visitors have been robbed here.

The individual entrance fee for this tomb is 150.000 VND. However, there are interesting packages that encompass some other monuments such as the Imperial Citadel and Minh Mang mausoleum for 420.000 VND. Depending on how many days you want to spend in Hue you can get the one that suits you better.

This tomb is not spread out over a large area x like the others do, so it's quick to explore. Actually, it’s the smallest royal tomb but the most expensive and the one that took the longest time to be finished. As it’s a small enclosure, you can visit the whole area in 30 minutes. There you will find a beautiful three door gate, statues of soldiers and animals, a pavilion and more than 100 steps that might get slippery if it rains. At the highest point there is the tomb in a room with beautiful porcelain decorations on the walls and ceiling.

If you want to avoid the crowds brought by tourist buses, you should go early in the morning or before it closes. The opening hours go from 07:00 to 17:00 (it might vary).

There is a bar next to the entrance, but it doesn’t have a very good reputation among the visitors.

As we have said before, there are organized excursions to the tomb. If you are interested you should have a look in Klook.

It’s beautiful and quick to visit. The price is high (like the other monuments in Hue) compared to other museums / monuments in Vietnam.