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.
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Tours to Hoa Lo Prison
Hoa Lo Prison reviews
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This gives a very good history of Vietnam's fight for independence. The prison was originally built by the French and used to imprison Vietnamese "freedom fighters". The first part of the tour...
This gives a very good history of Vietnam's fight for independence. The prison was originally built by the French and used to imprison Vietnamese "freedom fighters". The first part of the tour... more »
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Very interesting visit to this grim and grisly prison of the old Vietnam war period. Well maintained with lots of written information in 3 languages along with photos and images. Plus life size...
Very interesting visit to this grim and grisly prison of the old Vietnam war period. Well maintained with lots of written information in 3 languages along with photos and images. Plus life size... more »
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Fantastic museum with a sad story to tell. A lesson to learn for future generations. Audio guide is excellent and its worth to take your time and go through the place slowly. Highly recommended
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Went on the special night tour which was amazing in every way possible! It was a roller coaster of emotions - pain, anger, sadness, and hope, but above all, PRIDE 🇻🇳 Everything was so carefully planned out, and you could feel the dedication and love that went into organising the tour. The staff were lovely. The tour ended with specialty sweet treats made in-house by the team as well! 100% would go again. Note that tickets to the night tour get sold out pretty quickly and need to be booked IN ADVANCE.
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