Bao Dai Palace (Palace 1)

King Bao Dai, the last ruler of the prestigious Nguyen Dynasty, built three residences in Da Lat numbered 1-3. Palace 1, built by French businessman Robert Clement Bourgery in 1940, was later used exclusively for Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. Located a few minutes from Da Lat Central Market, the mansion stands out with its bright yellow facade, green windows, and brick-red tiled roof bordered in white. The inside of the palace is a museum.

All the rooms have their furniture, decor, and items of everyday usage from the royal and presidential days intact on display. In King Bao Dai’s bedroom, a secret tunnel is hidden behind a bookshelf that connects the palace to the helipad behind the hill on which the palace stands. This emergency exit system was built by President Ngo Dinh Diem when he resided here. The entrance to the palace is lined by melaleuca trees believed to be as old as the palace. The first floor has a main hall, two living rooms, one office room, a toilet, a kitchen, and a transition room. Along the staircase to the second floor, there are pictures of significant moments from the past. On the second floor, three bedrooms were once used by the King, the Queen, and the king’s mother, the Queen Regent. There is also a cabinet room where important meetings took place. Wax figurines of the King and the Queen are also present on this floor. All around the palace, there are 18 hectares of flower gardens and pine forests that you can explore.