Vietnam War: Hidden History of Hanoi's Charm & Hoa Lo Prison
Hanoi Old Quarter, Vietnam
Beneath Hanoi’s peaceful charm lies an epic history forged through dramatic upheavals with the US, France, Japan & China. Explore Hanoi through a new lens to uncover wartime events and civilian life
Highlights
- Discover the Vietnam War and Vietnamese history
- Admire the unique subsidy-era architecture of Hanoi’s communal apartment block
- Hear untold stories and explore local life during wartime
- Explore Hoa Lo Prison, Long Bien Bridge, Dong Xuan Market, the French Quarter...
- Admire French architecture, uniquely blended with subtle Vietnamese touches
Description
As local guides living in Hanoi, we share a deep passion for Vietnam’s history and culture. Vietnam’s history has left a profound mark on the world stage, as this land once stood at the crossroads of global superpowers and served as the clash point between East and West.
What did the Vietnamese people truly endure? Why were so many global powers, from Asia to Europe and all the way to the Americas, so invested in Vietnam? Join us on a journey looking back across thousands of years of history, focusing on pivotal chapters tied to the US, France, Japan, and China, to understand Vietnamese wartime life and how Vietnam’s story fits into world history.
Tour Stops
1️⃣ Coffee Talk: Sip a cup of coffee (or another beverage) at a unique local café while retracing key milestones from feudal eras to modern times for an overview of Vietnam’s history. Vietnam's story will surely impress you with its profound depth and dramatic ups and downs alongside so many world powers.
2️⃣ Long Bien Bridge: A bridge over 120 years old dubbed the 'horizontal Eiffel Tower', a witness to the complex relationship between Vietnam and France, as well as its enduring resilience through fierce American bombing raids.
3️⃣ Hang Ngang Villa (Tuesday to Saturday) or Historic French Villa (Sunday & Monday): Visit the place where President Ho Chi Minh drafted the Declaration of Independence, or a century-old French villa to explore daily life under colonial rule. At these historic sites, step back into 1945 to discover the actions of French and Japanese forces, the trials faced by the Vietnamese, and the geopolitical chess game between the US and the Soviet Union during World War II.
4️⃣ Dong Xuan Market: Hanoi’s oldest and most famous market, preserving memories of fierce battles between the Vietnamese and the French, where you may occasionally hear authentic stories directly from the old locals.
5️⃣ Old Communal Apartment Blocks: Built mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, these blocks showcase unique subsidy-era architecture, where roughly 50 families share a common living space and hold fascinating stories about local life during and after the war.
6️⃣ Hanoi Opera House & the French Quarter: Inspired by Paris’s Palais Garnier, this lavish landmark sits in an area known as 'Little Paris in Hanoi.' Behind its colonial charm lie stories of French-Vietnamese conflict and cooperation, visible bomb scars you can see firsthand, and fascinating tales of American presence, from famous anti-war figures like Joan Baez (Queen of Folk) and Jane Fonda to recent visits by US presidents.
7️⃣ Hoa Lo Prison (Inside Visit): Built by the French in the late 19th century to detain Vietnamese political prisoners, it was later used to hold captured American pilots and became known as the 'Hanoi Hilton.' During the visit, we will reveal moving stories of the Vietnamese held here, alongside surprising and intriguing insights into the daily lives of American pilots during their detention at Hoa Lo.
Includes
- Guided tour of historical landmarks.
- Hotel pick-up & drop-off (If your hotel is in or near the Old Quarter and French Quarter)
- Transportation among destinations
- Water or other beverages (coffee, smoothie, milk, soft drink)
- Insights into Vietnam's History and untold stories
- Explore local life
- Entrance ticket of all places
Excludes
- Alcohol or Personal expenses.
- Tips for guide is appreciated.
Important Information
- Please provide a WhatsApp number so our tour guide can contact you before the tour starts and pick you up at your hotel. If you do not have WhatsApp, please stay in touch with us through the GetYourGuide messaging system
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
