10,622Reviews18Q&A
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 3,829
- 4,878
- 1,625
- 219
- 71
Traveler type
Time of year
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Seeing first hand the Hanoi Hilton was very eye opening. You experience the brutal lifestyle of the people serving their time in Hoa Lo Prison makes you realize how much better life in the modern world really is. French Colonial prison exhibit is what I found the most interesting. Seeing artifacts left behind, the guillotine used for sentencing, and parts of the sewer system in which political prisoners used to escape was definitely an experience.…
Read more
Date of experience: September 2019
Helpful
A sobering visit to the Hoa Lo Prison is in order when visiting Hanoi. Although the original buildings have long since been demolished, the museum is a harrowing reminder of the atrocities that have taken place here. I would recommend getting an audio guide when visiting.
Read more
Date of experience: August 2019
Helpful
With the history behind it related to the "American War"...it was a site I wanted to visit. People of a certain age (me) know the story of the "Hanoi Hilton" as it pertained to captured US serviceman and their time spent here. I had no idea about the previous history when it was under French rule. Lots of history. Lots of sadness and pain for so many.…
Read more
Date of experience: February 2020
Helpful
+1
We spent about an hour here which cost 30,000D a person which is about $1.75CAD. More if you want a guide or head set. Everything was labeled so I wouldn’t recommend the headset. Hoa Lo Prison was used by the French colonists for political prisoners, then later by North Vietnam for US prisoners during the Vietnam War. The prison was demolished in the mid 1990s but the gate still remains as a museum. This building house a lot of nasty history. There are many Exhibits that show how it was used during the French colonists & Vietnam War. Which including the guillotine room. Artifacts from prisoners are on display, including flight suit and parachute of John McCain. It was very educational but very graphic. I was shocked to see people with small children.…
Read more
Date of experience: December 2019
Helpful
Traveler O wrote a review May 2020
Washington DC, District of Columbia629 contributions359 helpful votes
Heavy on the history of French colonial rule but scant info about the horrible mistreatment, torture, and death of U.S. prisoners kept here. All that remains is the gatehouse as the prison itself, which took up the block behind, was razed to construct office buildings and other modern structures within the last 20+ yrs. It's safe to say this is a part of history the Vietnamese want to forget as well, but it's unfortunate there's a gross omission of what really happened here. Take it with a grain of salt. Due to some gruesome pictures, best not to bring kids under 12 yrs old here.…
Read more
Date of experience: December 2019
Helpful
