Bao Dai Summer Palace (Dinh III)

Dinh III Bảo Đại

The Art Deco summer palace built in 1933–1938 among the pines for Bảo Đại, Vietnam's last emperor. Its 25 rooms retain their original furnishings, and visitors can dress in imperial robes for photos.

Bao Dai Summer Palace No. 3 sits on a small hill southwest of the city center, surrounded by pine forest. It was built in 1933–1938 by a French architect for Emperor Bảo Đại, the last emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty, as a summer and hunting retreat. Da Lat has three Bao Dai palaces. This one is the best preserved and the only one fully open to visitors. The building is a typical 1930s Art Deco design, with two-story yellow exterior walls, a flat roof and geometric lines. Its 25 rooms largely retain their original furnishings. The ground floor holds the office, where a telephone and seal sit on the desk, along with a reception room, a banquet hall and a screening room. Upstairs are the bedrooms of Bảo Đại and Empress Nam Phương, rooms for the crown prince and princesses, a family living room and a terrace with distant views. The walls display royal photographs and gifts from the Japanese emperor. In the courtyard, you can rent emperor and empress robes for photos for about 50,000–100,000 VND. There are also horse carriages and gardens. Entry costs about 30,000–40,000 VND. The palace is open 07:00–17:30, and a visit takes about 45–60 minutes. It is about a 10-minute walk from the Crazy House, so the two can form a half-day city tour. Dinh I, on the east side of the city, is a French-style mansion with gardens, costing about 40,000 VND to enter, and is also worth seeing. Notes: shoe covers are provided at the entrance and must be worn indoors. Do not touch the furniture. Rooms become cramped and crowded when tour groups arrive.

Bao Dai Summer Palace (Dinh III)

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