For anyone with even a passing interest in history. Sad and sombre, it's an important site to visit, to truly understand what the Vietnamese were fighting, to see France's near 70-year 'colonialisation' legacy and what a western country was willing to do, even up to the 1950s. The brutality, even against teenage resistance fighters, and the young toddler children of female prisoners, is awful to grasp. It puts some things into perspective.

Very interesting place. We paid the 50,000vnd for the audio guide and found it very helpful. Signs do have English translations but I think without the audio guide I would have been a bit confused so definitely worth hiring.

Loved it and wave scary then port Arthur in Tasmania Australia. I loved the death cell and the women one. Great audio tour at a cost of $100,000 dong. Lovely staff and also great gift shop.

Part Museum, larger part propaganda. Even though Vietnam's leaders have not acknowledged maltreatment if American prisoners of war the outright misrepresentation of their treatment as very kind and jolly is too much. Some acknowledgement of other stories is needed in any historical museum / exhibition. The statements that only 1 to 2 dozen Hanoi citizens died in the December 72 bombings are contradicted later in the museum and literally incredible. One can therefore credit nothing

I was truly impressed by the comprehensive exhibits and the haunting stories they tell. The prison's transformation from a place of suffering during the French colonial to a poignant reminder of resilience and determination during the American War is striking. The attention to detail in the exhibits and the informative audio guide made my experience much more worth it. Walking through the solemn halls and cells, I feel a sense of reverence for the strength of the Vietnamese people!!! Hoa Lo Prison is an essential stop for history buffs and curious travelers alike!

This is one of the best place to be in hanoi. You get to relive the struggle of the Vietnamese people against French and Americans. It makes you remember about the heroes of the country. It is must to be in here as understanding a country's history is the best way to start your trip. The place is at walking distance from st Joseph's cathedral.

The Hanoi Hilton, is possibly one of the hardest museums I have ever visited. This establishment has seen many deaths, hardships, and torture. It is important to remember the history despite how painful it is. The museum is huge and not even the full size as it once was. Visit on a weekday, the weekends are quite busy and crowded.

This relic is part of Vietnam's painful past and exploring it helped me understand more deeply the history and spirit of the Vietnamese people. Detailed stories, especially together with the photos of actual people who has been executed. I think it is an interesting historical place and worth experiencing for not only history lover.

Audio tour (100,000 vnd) was well worth it. Some sections of the exhibition were outside and it was raining when we went (though there were umbrellas provided) so byo jumper! Took about 2hrs to listen to all 30 audio chapters.

You will like it or just another visit to a museum. You need to have a bit of love in history to appreciate this museum, they try their best to give perspective on the history of the prison and the prisonners. Informative and a lot of photos and videos references inside. It is worth your time and money. Good for children to see what a prison lookalike especially in the old days.