Bao Dai Palace 1 — what makes it different from Palace 3
What it is
Bao Dai Palace 1 is a neoclassical European villa set on roughly 60 hectares of pine-forested hillside, about 4 kilometres east of Dalat city centre at an elevation of 1,550 metres. Unlike Palace 3, which was purpose-built as a royal family retreat, Palace 1 was not originally Bao Dai’s at all — it was constructed before the 1940s by a French official and purchased by the king in 1949 to serve as his political headquarters. The building has two floors, a large garden, and grounds that dwarf those of Palace 3. It feels less like a home and more like a working estate.
Who was Bao Dai?
Bao Dai was the thirteenth and final emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, which ruled Vietnam from 1802 until its collapse in 1945. Educated in France and crowned at thirteen, he abdicated in August 1945 as Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary government took power, before being brought back by the French in 1949 as head of the State of Vietnam — the period during which Palace 1 became his base of operations. His legacy remains complicated: a modernising figure to some, a instrument of colonial interests to others.
Read more about the last emperor of Vietnam
The three Bao Dai palaces in Dalat
Bao Dai had three palaces in Dalat, none of them in the same location. Palace 1 is the subject of this guide, sitting on the eastern edge of the city. Palace 3 — the most visited of the three — is about 2 kilometres south of the city centre and is the palace most travellers are looking for when they search for Bao Dai’s Summer Palace. Palace 2 is not open to the public. If you are trying to decide between Palace 1 and Palace 3, the two are different enough in character to warrant separate visits — but Palace 3 is the better starting point for most travellers.
Current status — is Bao Dai Palace 1 open?
Bao Dai Palace 1 has been closed to visitors since April 26, 2024. No official reopening date has been announced. Before planning a visit, check the current status through Google Maps reviews or by asking a local tour operator in Dalat — these tend to reflect the real situation faster than published guides.
If Palace 1 is still closed when you visit Dalat, Palace 3 remains open and is the more accessible of the two.
See our guide to Bao Dai’s Summer Palace (Palace 3)
History of Bao Dai Palace 1
Unlike Palace 3, which was conceived and built for Bao Dai from the outset, Palace 1 has a different origin. The building was constructed before the 1940s by Robert Clement Bourgery, a French official and owner of a power plant in Shanghai, who built it as a private villa in the middle of a pine forest on the eastern hills of Dalat. The location was chosen for its elevation, its views, and its proximity to the hunting forests that made the Dalat highlands attractive to the French colonial elite.
Bao Dai purchased the property in August 1949, shortly after being installed by the French as head of the State of Vietnam. The choice reflected his political situation at the time: he needed a base that functioned as a working headquarters rather than a family residence. Palace 1 became exactly that — an administrative centre where he managed affairs of state, received officials, and operated during a period of intense political pressure between French colonial interests and the growing independence movement. He used it as his primary working base until 1954, when the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu effectively ended the arrangement and Bao Dai left Vietnam for France.
After his departure, the palace passed to Ngo Dinh Diem, who became president of the newly declared Republic of Vietnam in 1956. Diem made significant modifications that give Palace 1 its most distinctive feature today. Concerned about security, he had the building heavily fortified: doors reinforced to weigh several hundred kilograms, bulletproof glass fitted throughout, and cannons positioned around the perimeter. Most intriguingly, he commissioned a secret escape tunnel with its entrance concealed behind a bookshelf in the bedroom — leading underground to a small helipad hidden behind the hill. The tunnel was designed as an emergency exit in the event of a coup or attack. Diem was assassinated in 1963, but the tunnel remains.
After Diem, the palace continued as a highland retreat for successive South Vietnamese leaders until 1975. It then fell into a long period of disuse and gradual deterioration before being restored and reopened as a tourist site. It operated as one of Dalat’s historical attractions until its closure in April 2024, with no confirmed reopening date at the time of writing.
Highlights of Bao Dai Palace 1
1. The grounds and approach
The first thing that sets Palace 1 apart from Palace 3 is the scale. The estate covers around 60 hectares of pine-forested hillside, and the approach alone makes an impression — a long stone pathway flanked by two rows of tall, old Melaleuca trees planted by the original French owner, their canopies forming a natural corridor leading to the main building. The trees are as old as the palace itself. The surrounding pine forest is dense and well-maintained, and the grounds are large enough to walk through at a genuinely unhurried pace.
2. Inside the palace
The ground floor follows a formal layout suited to its political function: a main reception hall, two large living rooms on either side of the building, an office, a transition room, a kitchen, and a small photo studio with a throne at the far end — added for tourists but easy enough to walk past. Photographs and historical documents line the walls, covering Bao Dai’s reign and the turbulent political period the palace witnessed.
The upper floor holds three bedrooms — Bao Dai’s, Queen Nam Phuong’s, and a room used by Bao Dai’s mother. Bao Dai’s bedroom is the most historically significant room in the building: it doubled as a meeting room during his time as head of state and later as a war council room under Ngo Dinh Diem. A cabinet room on the same floor was used for official meetings between 1949 and 1954. The staircase connecting the two floors is lined with photographs from the era, worth a slow look on the way up.
3. The secret tunnel and helipad
This is the feature that distinguishes Palace 1 from every other Bao Dai site in Dalat. The tunnel entrance is hidden behind a bookshelf to the right of the bed in the king’s bedroom — a detail that tends to catch visitors off guard even when they know it is there. The tunnel, built by Ngo Dinh Diem after 1956, runs underground and emerges at a small helipad concealed behind the hill, designed as an emergency escape route in the event of a coup. It is a rare and tangible piece of Cold War-era Vietnamese political history, and for many visitors it is the most memorable part of the entire visit.
4. Vintage cars and outdoor exhibits
The courtyard outside the main building holds a small collection of vintage cars and a horse-drawn carriage — modest exhibits, but they add to the period atmosphere of the grounds. The outdoor areas are worth time on their own, particularly the forested sections of the estate where the scale of the property becomes clear. A cafe was available on the grounds when the palace was operating, offering a practical stop after exploring the interior.
Location & getting there
Where is Bao Dai Palace 1?
Bao Dai Palace 1 is located at 1 Tran Quang Dieu Street, Ward 10, Dalat — on a forested hill about 4 kilometres east of the city centre. This puts it on the opposite side of the city from Palace 3, which sits south of the centre on Trieu Viet Vuong Street. The two are not close to each other, and combining them in a single half-day requires a deliberate plan rather than a casual loop.
As with Palace 3, searching for Bao Dai Palace on Google Maps returns more than one result. Make sure you select the correct pin — 1 Tran Quang Dieu Street, Ward 10 — before setting off.
Important: Bao Dai Palace 1 has been closed to visitors since April 26, 2024, with no confirmed reopening date. Verify the current status before making the trip, as it sits far enough from the city centre to make an wasted journey genuinely inconvenient. If it remains closed, Palace 3 on Trieu Viet Vuong Street is open and well worth the visit.
How to get there
When open, the easiest way to reach Palace 1 is by motorbike or taxi from the city centre — around 15 minutes depending on traffic. It is not a natural add-on to the southern part of Dalat where Palace 3 and Crazy House are located, so it works best as a standalone visit or combined with other attractions on the eastern side of the city.
Nearby — what to combine
Palace 1 sits in a quieter, less tourist-dense part of Dalat. The surrounding area is more residential and forested than central, which suits the mood of the visit but means there is less to combine it with directly. The drive back toward the city centre passes through some of Dalat’s more scenic hillside roads, which are pleasant on a motorbike. For a full day out on the eastern side of the city, ask a local guide or Easy Rider about what is currently worth visiting in that direction.
Practical tips & visiting information
Current status — closed since April 2024
Bao Dai Palace 1 has been closed to visitors since April 26, 2024. No reopening date has been announced. This section covers practical information for when the palace reopens, but verify the current situation before visiting. The most reliable way to check is through recent Google Maps reviews or by asking a local tour operator in Dalat. If Palace 1 is still closed, see the guide to Bao Dai’s Summer Palace (Palace 3), which is open and centrally located.
Entrance fee
When operating, Palace 1 offered two ticket types. A standard sightseeing ticket covered access to all areas of the palace and grounds. An all-inclusive ticket added costume photography, archery, horse-drawn carriage rides, and other activities. Prices varied across sources and increased over time, so treat any specific figures here as indicative rather than current. Cash is the expected payment method.
How long to spend
The grounds alone justify more time than Palace 3 — the estate is significantly larger and worth exploring at a slow pace. Allow at least 90 minutes for a comfortable visit that includes the interior, the secret tunnel, and a walk through the grounds. Two hours is not excessive if the weather is good.
Shoe covers
Shoe covers are required inside the building, as at Palace 3. They are provided at the entrance and go over your footwear. Wear closed shoes or shoes with socks rather than sandals alone.
