I visited all three of Hue’s most popular royal tombs in one day, starting with Khai Dinh, then Minh Mang, and ending with Tu Duc tomb. As I mentioned in my other tomb articles, it would be helpful to brush up on your Nguyen dynasty history beforehand!
For instance, Tu Duc was the longest-reigning emperor of the Nguyen dynasty (from 1847 to 1883). He had over 100 wives, but produced no heir, and began designing and building his own tomb in 1864.
This tomb, along with several other sites around Hue, makes up UNESCO’s Complex of Hue Monuments. I purchased a 4-site combo ticket when I first visited Hue Imperial City, which included entry to Khai Dinh, Minh Mang, and Tu Duc tombs. The total cost for an adult 4-site ticket is 530.000 VND.
You can pay at each attraction separately. Each tomb costs 150.000 VND, and the Imperial City costs 200.000 VND. A combo ticket needs to be used within two full days.
Important note: the ticket booths at Hue Imperial City and the royal tombs only accept cash!
Tu Duc Tomb Visitor Info
| Location | Google Maps |
| Hours | 6:30 AM to 6 PM (summer) / 7 AM to 5:30 PM (winter) |
| Cost (cash only) | 150.000 VND (Adults) / 30.000 VND (Ages 7 to 12) |
| Walking tours | Tu Duc Tomb and Hue tours |
| Accessibility | Not for people with mobility issues |
| What to wear | Dress appropriately, modest clothing |
| How much time | Plan to spend at least one hour here |
| Best time to visit | February, March, April (morning or late afternoon) |
| Official website | https://hueworldheritage.org.vn/en-us/ |
Notes on Visiting Tu Duc Tomb
Getting to Tu Duc tomb: the Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc is about 6 km (15 minutes) south of the main area of Hue. The easiest way to get to the tomb is by using the Grab app (download it here) to order a taxi.
Alternatively, because there’s a lot to see in Hue, it’s one of the few cities I’d consider joining a site tour. You can visit the tombs on your own, like I did, but I had several days in Hue. A tour, like this one, has hotel pickup and options for seeing different sites in Hue.
There are a lot of souvenir sellers and vendors near the front entrance to Tu Duc tomb. They can be very pushy, so you’ll have to get in the habit of waving them off if you aren’t interested. This is a good tip for traveling anywhere in Vietnam and visiting tourist sites.
Inside Tu Duc tomb: There are bathrooms inside and to the left, and cold drinks for sale (note, they are slightly overpriced).
The grounds of Tu Duc’s tomb are definitely not wheelchair-friendly. There is a lot of flat ground here, but many smaller staircases lead to various structures on the grounds.
Of the three popular royal tombs, I found the layout of Tu Duc’s tomb to be the best. It’s sort of a walking loop, compared to Khai Dinh and Minh Mang’s tombs, where the paths are straight in and straight out.
It’s also built in a nice outdoor setting, with a good balance of trees, a lake, and some bridges. I found this tomb site a lot more pleasant to take my time exploring.
Maybe this is why Tu Duc’s tomb was noticeably busier than the other tombs I visited. I saw many more tour groups or people with personal tour guides wandering around. One in particular was a Vietnamese local speaking fluent French to two ladies on a private tour. Still, as you can see from my photos, the grounds are spacious enough to accommodate plenty of people.
Here’s a video I filmed from one of the wooden buildings over Luu Khiem Lake. To enter some of the buildings, you’ll be asked to take off your shoes.
For many of the structures and buildings around the site, there are signs out front to tell you what you’re looking at. The same goes for all of the other UNESCO sites in Hue, like the tombs and Imperial City.
Like I said in the beginning, I visited Khai Dinh’s tomb first in the morning, then went to nearby Minh Mang’s tomb, and finished with Tu Duc’s tomb. I spent at least an hour at Tu Duc’s tomb. And between all three royal tombs, I did over 10,000 steps. Prepare for a lot of walking when visiting Hue!
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