Hanoi to offer free admission to 17 tourist attractions, historic sites on National Day

The free-entry program will cover several of the capital’s most popular destinations, including the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the Temple of Literature, Ngoc Son Temple, Hoa Lo Prison, the Huong Pagoda complex, and Duong Lam Ancient Village.

Other sites include Kim Ngan Communal House, De Quan Temple, the Hanoi Old Quarter Cultural Exchange Center, Quan Thanh Temple, Thay Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda, Hanoi Museum, the Co Loa historical site, Bach Ma Temple, the heritage site at 22 Hang Buom Street, and the heritage house at 87 Ma May Street.

Hanoi will also provide free public transport for five days from August 29 to September 2.

During the National Day holiday, the city will operate more than 17,000 bus trips per day, while urban railway lines 2A and 3.1 will run at intervals of around 10 minutes.

A fleet of 42 reserve buses will be on standby to handle sudden increases in passenger demand.

The capital will also hold a series of celebrations on September 2, including 15-minute fireworks displays at five locations starting at 9:00 pm, along with art performances and film screenings across communes, wards, and selected cinemas.

Vietnam marks National Day on September 2 each year to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh’s reading of the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi on September 2, 1945, which proclaimed the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The country is celebrating the 81st anniversary of National Day this year. Employees are entitled to two paid days off for the holiday under the 2019 Labor Code.

For 2026, the official National Day holidays fall on September 1 and 2.

Civil servants and public employees will have a five-day break from August 29 to September 2 after the August 31 working day was moved to Saturday, August 22, linking the holiday with the preceding weekend.