Tomb Of Khai Dinh - Central Vietnam Guide

Basics that Every Traveler Should Know

What is the Tomb of Khai Dinh?

Tomb of Khai Dinh (or Mausoleum of Emperor Khai Dinh, Khai Dinh Royal Tomb, Royal Tomb of Khai Dinh King, Khai Dinh Tomb) is the burial place of 12nd emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. It’s the longest built, most expensive, most sophisticated and strangest of all 7 royal tombs in Hue. Located on a hill beside a wide road 10 km south of city center, this fantastic attraction is accessible by every vehicle. Because of steep staircases, visitors should ask old and little members of the family, go or not, before buying any ticket. Same to other mausoleums, there are lots of photo opportunities here.

Fact: The tomb was designed totally by its owner, Khai Dinh king who was seen as the bridge between East and West cultures in his lifetime. Up to date, many things from this unique building have been copied and inspired architects and artists.

Khai Dinh Tomb Opening Hours

Khai Dinh Tomb opening hours are from 6:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m in the dry season (March to August) and from 7 a.m to 5 p.m in the wet season (September to February).

Khai Dinh Tomb Entrance Fee and Ticket

Khai Dinh Tomb entrance fee is 150,000 VND for adults and visitors above 12 years-old or with a height over 1,3 meters. It’s 30,000 VND for ages from 7 to 12 or heights from 0,8 to 1,3 meters, and free for smaller ones. Not necessary to preserve in advance because can’t. Even during the peak seasons, tickets are still a lot.

On the other hand, three ticket combos are also available for visitors who plan to see more than just a tomb. The first combo includes the Imperial city and Minh Mang Tomb. It costs 420,000 VND for adults and 80,000 VND for childrens. The second combo is with Tu Duc Tomb addition. Its price is 530,000 VND and 100,000 VND respectively. The last selection allows sightseeing in all places in the Complex of Hue Monuments. An adult will pay 580,000 VND and 110,000 VND for their little ones. The validity is within 3 days from the day when visitors buy the ticket. Because of being physical, ticket holders should keep careful.

*The all-site ticket covers the admission to these places: the Imperial City & Forbidden Purple City, Museum of Royal Antiquities, Tombs of Gia Long, Minh Mang, Tu Duc, Duc Duc and Khai Dinh kings, An Dinh palace, Nam Giao altar, and some others.  

Travel Tips

Khai Dinh Tomb has 127 steps and much of which are steep. If traveling with kids or elders, asking them that can they climb up or not before purchasing the tickets. While it’s raining, the staircases are slippery, waterfall-like. So, shouldn’t visit this attraction at the time. After the rains, the temperature is cooler and it’s perfect to walk up and sightsee. In the dry season, visitors should come in the early morning or late afternoon, to avoid the midday heat. Because of without shaded trees,

Dress code is required if visitors would like to walk in the worshipping palace. Just ensure that the clothings cover enough to express the respect to the king. Armpits, navel and knees are needed to cover. See-through fabric garments are not thought to be okay by locals. Keep in mind to remove the sunglasses, hat/cap, umbrella or raincoat. Don’t need to take off shoes. According to official regulations, sightseers are not allowed to take photos with flash light (to preserve better heritages).