The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is a popular attraction, and many sightseeing tours include a stop here, along with other top attractions such as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ngoc Son Temple, or Hoan Kiem Lake. Opt for a motorbike tour to experience Hanoi like a local, and consider add-ons like a water-puppet show or a food tour.
The museum features both indoor and outdoor exhibition areas. Find over 15,000 artifacts across two buildings, including clothing, jewelry, everyday objects, ceremonial objects, artwork, photographs, and audio and video recordings. Outdoors, there are life-size replicas of traditional homes, complete with authentic, indigenous foliage. A research center and library offer additional insights.
The museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in Vietnamese culture.
A visit to the museum may be particularly helpful for those planning to travel to different regions of Vietnam, including the north, where the hill tribes live.
There is a separate fee to take photos.
Displays are labeled in Vietnamese, English, and French.
The interior portion of the museum is wheelchair-accessible.
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is located in the Cau Giay district, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the center of Hanoi. It’s easiest to take a taxi there. Or take bus 14 from Dinh Tien Hoang Street, on the east side of Hoan Kiem Lake, and get off at the Nghia Tan stop.
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology is open daily, except Mondays and during the Tet holidays (Vietnamese New Year), which follow the lunar calendar. Expect to spend at least an hour or two here.
The outdoor exhibition area features 10 full-size replicas of traditional homes, including a Tay stilt house, a Yao house half on stilts, a Ba Na communal house, an Ede long house, and a traditional Viet house. Some model houses are displayed indoors for those who cannot access the outdoor areas.
