Hoa Lo Prison was built by the French colonial authorities at the end of the 19th century to hold Vietnamese prisoners, many of them political. Conditions were brutal, and several later leaders of independent Vietnam were held here. During the war with the United States, captured American pilots were imprisoned here and nicknamed it the “Hanoi Hilton”.
Most of the prison was demolished in the 1990s to make way for a tower; the surviving gatehouse and some cell blocks are now a museum. The exhibits focus mainly on the colonial period — shackles, cells, a guillotine — and present the official Vietnamese account of the later years. It is a sobering but important visit, near the French Quarter.
What to see and do: Hoa Lo Prison
Follow the audio guide
An audio guide is usually available in several languages and explains the cells and exhibits in order.
Join a history walk
A guide adds the context the panels leave out — see the Hoa Lo Prison and “Little Paris” walk.
Combine with the French Quarter
Continue east to the cathedral, the Opera House and the boulevards.
How to get to Hoa Lo Prison
- On foot: about 10–15 minutes south-west of Hoan Kiem Lake, on Hoa Lo street.
- By Grab: ask for “Nhà tù Hỏa Lò”.
Insider tips
- Allow one to one and a half hours.
- Some displays are graphic; consider this with young children.
- Check current opening hours — evening openings are offered on some dates.
Best tours & tickets for Hoa Lo Prison
These GetYourGuide experiences include Hoa Lo Prison or pair well with it:
History tour from €35 Hoa Lo Prison and Little Paris in Hanoi
A guided walk combining Hoa Lo Prison — the colonial jail later nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” — with the boulevards and buildings of the French Quarter.
- Hoa Lo Prison with a guide
- Colonial “Little Paris” architecture
- Rated 5 stars
History tour from €42 Vietnam War History Tour Through Hoa Lo Prison and Museums
A guided history tour through Hoa Lo Prison and museums covering the twentieth-century wars, with a guide to explain the context.
- Hoa Lo Prison
- Museums on the war years
- Guide-led context
City tour from €29 Hanoi: Guided Half-Day City Highlights Tour with Transfers
A guided tour of the classic sights with transport between them. Check the listing for the exact stops on your date.
- Hanoi’s main landmarks with a guide
- Transfers included
- Half-day or longer options
