Nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton" by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War, Hoa Lo Prison has seen generations of Vietnamese revolutionaries who fought against French colonialists. The prison was built by the French in 1896. By the 1930s, nearly 2,000 political prisoners were incarcerated in the cells originally constructed to hold no more than 450 inmates--in fact, hundreds of prisoners broke away over the years through the sewage system. During the 1990s, most of the prison was torn down, leaving only the gatehouse for the museum. See the notorious French guillotine, a ghastly relic of French colonial presence in Indochina. The exhibits include U.S. Senator John McCain's flight suit, which he wore when he was shot down and rescued by locals in 1967. Find out how to plan Hanoi trip without stress by asking Inspirock to help create an itinerary.
Create an itinerary including Hoa Lo Prison
Unable to display map at this time. Please try again later.
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tours to Hoa Lo Prison
Hoa Lo Prison reviews
-
A very sad moment in Vietnamese History, of the events of the war and what went on in Hoa Lo Prison. Arrested US pilots called it the 'Hilton Hanoi'. You can see how prisoners were treated and how... more »
-
At only 30k VND entry (50k VND for the audio guide, which is very good) this is definitely worth a trip to experience some of the horrors faced by Vietnamese prisoners during colonial rule. I say... more »
-
Decided to be touristy and try this place out, thought it was going to be small trek and for us to be in and out in half an hour but I was pleasantly surprised at the interesting history and wealth of information and exhibits provided, we spent 2 hours here! 30,000 dong entrance fee and would recommend paying the extra 20,000 for the little info booklet (we just bought one between the two of us) as it puts a lot in context and is a good read in itself! The exhibits were well laid out and informative as well as quite emotive, not to be a sad sap but I had tears in my eyes at a couple of points! Felt this has been one of my favorite excursions in terms of learning about Vietnamese history and brilliant value for an afternoon out. Would definitely recommend a visit!
-
Really enjoyed this visit. It’s well set out with good exhibits and it wasn’t too crowded. Entry was 30000 dong. I did the audio tour which made it so much better. You get to hear the stories behind the pictures you see. Really good. Of course, there is the odd bit of communist distortion of the truth/events so be open minded about what you hear regarding the war because not everything told is historically accurate. There is no mention of the extreme torture the captured American pilots were subjected to. In fact according to the prison narrative the prisoners were treated like it was home away from home. It's the biggest, most obvious lie presented by Vietnam in all the museums I've been to. The audio tour costs 50000 dong plus the same as a deposit which you get back at the end.
Plan your trip to Hanoi
Get a personalized trip
A complete day by day itinerary
based on your preferencesCustomize it
Refine your trip. We'll find the
best routes and schedulesBook it
Choose from the best hotels
and activities. Up to 50% offManage it
Everything in one place.
Everyone on the same page.
Popular things to do in Hanoi
Hidden gems in Hanoi
Museums in Hanoi
Side trips from Hanoi
Shopping in Hanoi
Nearby attractions in Hanoi
Trips to Hoa Lo Prison by other users
48 days in Asia
BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES
Tokyo
·
Kyoto
·
Miyakojima
13 days in Hanoi
BY A USER FROM VIETNAM
Zo Paper - Art & Craft
·
Old Quarter
·
Bach Ma Temple
13 days in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City
BY A USER FROM VIETNAM
Hanoi
·
Ho Chi Minh City
34 days in Chennai & Vietnam
BY A USER FROM INDIA
Chennai
·
Ganh Dau
·
An Thoi
6 days in Vietnam
BY A USER FROM OMAN
Hanoi
·
Hoi An
·
Ho Chi Minh City
28 days in Vietnam
BY A USER FROM ISRAEL
Duong Dong
·
Ho Chi Minh City
·
Nha Trang