Vietnam Museum of Ethnology

vi:User:Rungbachduong · CC BY-SA 3.0

A museum of the 54 ethnic groups, with a garden of full-size traditional houses outdoors.

This is the museum that does the best job of explaining who Vietnam actually consists of. The indoor galleries show clothing, farm tools, instruments and funerary objects from all fifty-four ethnic groups, decently captioned in two languages. But the part people remember is outside: a large garden of real houses — a Bahnar communal house with a dizzyingly steep roof, an Ede longhouse, a Tay stilt house, a Ha Nhi rammed-earth house, a Jarai tomb house ringed by carved wooden figures. Each one was built on site by craftsmen of that group, using materials brought from their home region, and visitors can climb up and go inside.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology?

Year-round; avoid midday, as the outdoor section has little shade

How much does it cost to visit Vietnam Museum of Ethnology?

40,000d (indicative — check at the counter)

How long do you need at Vietnam Museum of Ethnology?

2 - 3 hours

What are the opening hours of Vietnam Museum of Ethnology?

08:30 - 17:30, closed Monday

Did you know

The museum presents the cultures of all 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam.
Its outdoor section holds traditional houses built at full scale.
Each outdoor house was built by craftsmen of that ethnic group using materials from their home region.
The museum is in Cau Giay district, about 7km from the city centre.

Travel tips

Allow at least an hour for the outdoor section — that is the part worth coming for.
It is well outside the centre; a taxi or ride-hailing car is far easier.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Museum_of_Ethnology

Updated: 2026-08-16