The An Dinh Palace is one of the lesser-visited UNESCO sites in Hue. I recently spent some time in Hue, and I visited the palace while exploring the city. The palace was built in the early 1900s and was the home of Emperor Khai Dinh and his son and future emperor, Bao Dai, who continued to live there after his ascension.
I filmed this video from the courtyard in front of the palace. There’s a large bronze statue of Emperor Khai Dinh inside the gazebo.
Important note: the ticket booths at Hue’s UNESCO sites only accept cash.
If you’re headed to Hue, don’t forget my guides to the Imperial City, the Thien Mu Pagoda, and the royal tombs of Emperors Khai Dinh, Minh Mang, and Tu Duc. You can find more things to do here.
An Dinh Palace Visitor Info
| Location | Google Maps |
| Hours | 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM (summer) / 7 AM to 5 PM (winter) |
| Cost (cash only) | 50.000 VND (adults) / Free for children under 12 |
| Hue sites tour | Hue Private City Tour (Customizable) |
| How much time | Plan to spend about 30 minutes here |
| When to visit* | February, March, or April (morning or late afternoon) |
| Accessibility | An Dinh Palace has two floors open for visitors, with no wheelchair ramps or elevators |
My Visit to An Dinh Palace in Hue
Getting here: The palace is inside the main part of Hue (though on the edge of it). I was staying at the Scarlett Boutique Hotel inside the city, and from here, it’s 2 km to the palace. I rode my scooter. Earlier in my trip, I stayed at the Indochine Palace, which is even closer (less than 1 km).
If you’re hotel is nearby, you can walk to the palace. The central area of Hue is very walkable. Otherwise, the easiest way to get here, or to visit any of Hue’s attractions, is to use the Grab app — this is an all-in-one app offering taxi services and food delivery. See my other recommended apps for traveling in Vietnam here.
The palace grounds are well-maintained. When I was here, a gardener was doing landscaping. There are bathrooms in the palace’s backyard to the right. The palace has two floors open for visitors, with the third floor closed.
Like many of Hue’s historic sites, the palace is a popular place for Vietnamese locals to take photos. There were several groups of locals having photoshoots: some women in Ao Dais, wedding pictures, and students.
I noticed two bronze statues at the palace. There is a big one in the front, a statue of Emperor Khai Dinh. And inside the palace, a smaller statue of Emperor Bao Dai. The smaller statue of Bao Dai inside the palace was made by French sculptor Paul Ducuing, who also made the statue of Khai Dinh sitting on his throne (currently inside Khai Dinh’s tomb).
There are two available floors to wander freely. A lot of locals were taking photos around the palace. There is a lot of artwork, murals, and smaller sculptures scattered around both floors of the palace.
The palace backyard was nice to check out, especially since the skies were blue when I visited. The bathrooms that I mentioned are in the building on the right of the picture below.
Bottom line: This is a nice bonus activity in Hue. Since it’s near the main area of Hue, it would be easy to set aside 30 to 45 minutes to visit. If you’re in Hue for a few days and want to see as much as possible, then I’d include it. But if you’re on a tight schedule, I would prioritize the palace lower on the list.
