Hoa Lo Prison Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Hoa Lo Prison. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Private Walking Tour of Hanoi City

• Hanoi Heritage Premium Daily Tour

• Hanoi City Tour: Private Half-Day Customized With Train Street

• Hanoi City Highlights Walking Tour - Landmarks & History

• Private Guided Tour of Hanoi

Entry into Hoa Lo Prison costs 50,000 dong (around US$2) per person, making it one of the most affordable historical sites in Hanoi. This modest admission covers the full museum, including the French colonial exhibits and the American POW section. Plan to spend around 60 to 90 minutes to see everything at the site.

Yes, Hoa Lo Prison is worth visiting. This former prison now serves as a museum that uses artifacts and reconstructed cells to explore two distinct eras—French colonial rule and the Vietnam War. A guided tour is a great way to experience it, with many tours combining the museum with other Hanoi highlights to help you make the most of your time in the city.

Per one customer who booked the Hanoi City Tour: Private Half-Day Customized With Train Street, "Our private tour guide, Peter, took us to the Tram Quoc Pagoda, the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hoa Lo Prison, and Train Street. It was an excellent city tour. I learned so much about the Vietnam War. Train Street was so much fun. The tour was so enjoyable I wished it was longer than 4 hours. I would highly recommend this tour."

Hoa Lo Prison was first built by the French in 1896 to hold Vietnamese political prisoners. It was taken over by the Vietnamese in 1954 and used to imprison American prisoners of war (POWs) during the Vietnam War. Parts of the prison have been turned into a museum and memorial.

Some of the most famous former inmates held at Hoa Lo Prison include Senator John McCain, Admrial James Stockdale, Brigadier General James Robinson Risner, and Pete Peterson, who later was named the first US ambassador to post-war Vietnam. Do Muoi, a general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party in the 1990s, was also a former inmate.

No, Hoa Lo Prison is no longer used as a prison. Most of the original prison structure has been demolished, while a small portion has been preserved as a museum and a memorial. Today, you can see prison cells and exhibits on the prison’s use up to the 1950s and on some American POWs.

Yes, Hoa Lo Prison is open to visits from the public. Opening hours are typically from 8am to 5pm daily, including holidays. The prison is also open for special night tours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Some Hanoi sightseeing tours include a stop here.

Most visitors tend to spend between 1–2 hours at Hoa Lo Prison. Guided sightseeing tours of Hanoi that stop at Hoa Lo Prison typically allocate around one hour here. A special night tour of Hoa Lo Prison, which is available on weekends, takes around 90 minutes.

Hoa Lo Prison is partially accessible for visitors in wheelchairs: There is step-free access to the prison but some areas have steps, though prison staff are helpful and will provide assistance upon request. The second floor is not accessible, as there are around 20 steps, and there are no accessible restrooms.

There are many things to do other than visiting Hoa Lo Prison. Travelers to Hanoi recommend the following places:

• Ha Long Bay

• Hanoi Old Quarter

• Ninh Binh

• Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

• Tam Coc

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in and around Hanoi.