Place · Hoàn Kiếm Lake & French Quarter
Hỏa Lò Prison MemorialDi tích Nhà tù Hỏa Lò
The prison museum from the French colonial era to the war: an hour indoors, a good midday heat bailout; heavy subject matter.
- Source checked
- A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
- Field checked
- Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify
Key facts
- Time on site
- 50–70 min
- p95 90 min
- Price
- about ₫50,000 (≈ US$2)
- bring cash
- Hours
- 08:00–17:008:00 AM–5:00 PM
- typical, check
- Best time
- unknown
- 28″ bags
- Painful
- Hoàn Kiếm Lake & French Quarter: painful
- Getting there
- Hỏa Lò street, 10 min south-west of the lake
- Indoor: a midday heat bailout
- Heavy subject matter
- Bring cash
- Mostly indoors
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore…Old Quarter pavements are blocked by parked motorbikes an…
- Southeast Asia ↗Drug trafficking can carry the death penalty in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Brunei and Myanmar; never carry a bag or parcel for anyone.
- Southeast Asia ↗Carry a passport valid for at least six months from entry with two blank pages; airlines refuse boarding on less.
- Vietnam ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal; lookalike sites charge extra.
- Vietnam ↗Crossing streets: walk slowly and steadily; motorbikes flow around you — do not stop or run.
- Vietnam ↗Carry Vietnamese đồng in small notes; many stalls and taxis are cash-only.
- North Vietnam ↗Dec–Feb in the north is cool and damp (10–18°C): pack a warm layer.
- North Vietnam ↗Sa Pa and Hà Giang can drop near freezing in December–January and fog in for days; keep a spare night and do not plan a single-day summit.
- Hanoi ↗Old Quarter pavements are blocked by parked motorbikes and stalls: large suitcases go from the car to the door, never on a walk.
- Hanoi ↗Around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, streets close to cars on Friday–Sunday evenings; taxis drop you at the edge.
Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, what it costs, what to know, how long it takes
Go now?
hours and prices: check on the day- Open
- Usually 08:00–17:00Usually 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
- Crowds
- MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Quietest Mon–Fri · busiest Sat, Sun · desk estimate
- Tickets
- Adult: about ₫50,000 (≈ US$2) (2026 estimate)
check (reduced rate for children)
- Time to spend
- 50–70 min · up to 90 min if you linger
Weather here, next 7 days
Loading forecast…
Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.
Time on site
Minimum
40min
Worthwhile
50min
Typical
70min
p95
90min
Not printed until verified.
How much time do you have?
Room to linger: a typical visit is 70 min, people who stay on take up to 90.
With the other 20 min, these are a walk away (their own visit time is on their page):
- St Joseph's Cathedral10 min on foot · 10 min spare
- Hoàn Kiếm Lake (south end)12 min on foot · 8 min spare
- Tràng Tiền Plaza (AC, toilets)12 min on foot · 8 min spare
Visit times are typical figures, not promises; queues and closing times can change them.
Tickets & entry
- Where to buy
- Buy at the entrance on the day.
- Buy from the official site or the ticket desk; resellers add a fee for the same ticket.
- Bring cash; cards may not be taken (check).
- Free days
Free entry days in Hanoi (pick Hanoi in the tool; check)
- Photos
- Allowed, no flash in the dark cells.
- What's closed
- WeeklyOpen daily; hours on the board.
- TếtcheckShort closure possible on the first days.
“Check” dates move year to year: confirm on the official page for your date.
| Ticket | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult entry | about ₫50,000 (≈ US$2) (2026 estimate) | Audio guide extra (about ₫50,000–100,000 (≈ US$2–4), check). |
| Evening tour | separate ticket (check) | Runs on some evenings only; book through the official channel. |
On the ground
Getting in, crowds, and where to go if it does not work
Getting in
- Stop
- Hỏa Lò street, 10 min south-west of the lake
- Exit
- —
- Ticket
- on site · official site · bring cash
- Stairs
- none of note
- Shoes
- Shoes on.
Crowds and switching
- Crowd clock
- Tour groups mid-morning.
- Sensory load
- 3/5
- Exposure
- low
Which month is quietest
- Janbusy
- Febheavy
- Marbusy
- Aprbusy
- Maylight
- Junlight
- Jullight
- Auglight
- Sepbusy
- Octheavy
- Novheavy
- Decheavy
Quietest May–Aug · busiest Feb · Oct–Dec.
Estimate: desk reasoning from school-trip, weekend, season and holiday patterns; not counted. Holidays and events move these weeks.
Bailouts
fatigue
Café on Hàng Bài (field-verify)
Nearest rescue anchor: H — Lý Thường Kiệt south-west (convenience store, field-verify)
What to have on you
- CashThe ticket desk is likely to take cash only.
Rules and prices change: check the official site before you go.
Step-free check
- Step-free entrance: partly · partlyGround floor mostly flat; small steps between blocks.
- Lifts: no · no
- Accessible toilet: check · check
- Wheelchair: partly · partly
Ground floor mostly flat with small steps between the blocks.
Combine with
- 10 minSt Joseph's Cathedral
- 12 minHoàn Kiếm Lake (south end)
- 12 minTràng Tiền Plaza (AC, toilets)
Walk the Hoàn Kiếm Lake & French Quarter area · the cluster page has the walking order, rescue stops and after-dark notes
More on the groundRules on site · With kids
Rules on site
- tone
- A memorial: keep voices low in the cell blocks.
With kids
- with kids
- Life-size shackled figures and a guillotine: preview it for under-10s.
- child price
- check (reduced rate for children)
Deep dive
Questions, what is nearby, photos and sources
Questions and answers
How long does a visit take?
About an hour. The audio guide adds 20–30 minutes.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Is it suitable for children?
Older children with an adult; some displays of cells and a guillotine are graphic.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
Sources
- officialHanoi Department of Tourism