The Phu Quoc Prison (Di tích Nhà tù Phú Quốc), still often called the Coconut Tree Prison after the old Cây Dừa camp on the site, is the most important historical site on the island and one of its most visited: 4.3 on Google Maps from 9,847 reviews. It is a sobering place, built around life-size models of prisoners and guards that show how inmates were held and tortured. Entry is free, and it fits easily into a day in the south of the island.
The history in brief
The site began as a detention camp in the French colonial period. During the Vietnam War, the Republic of Vietnam opened a large prisoner-of-war camp here, in the valley near An Thoi, which operated from July 1967 until 1973. It held captured communist soldiers and political prisoners; Vietnam Airlines’ guide puts the number at more than 40,000 over the war, making it the largest prison camp in the south.
The camp was declared a national historic site in 1993, and in December 2014 a special national relic — Vietnam’s highest heritage ranking (Decision 2408/QĐ-TTg).
What you will see
- The prison compound, rebuilt behind rows of barbed wire and watchtowers, with barracks and cells.
- Life-size scenes of the treatment of prisoners, including the “tiger cages” — barbed-wire pens in the open sun. They are graphic, and reviewers often say the site is not suitable for young children.
- An escape tunnel you can walk through. Note that it leads to the exit, so see the rest of the displays first.
- The museum building, with photographs, documents and objects from the camp.
- The Martyrs’ Monument across the road, a large sculpture of hollow, chained figures among wave shapes.
Signs are in Vietnamese and English. Recent visitors say there is no overall map and the route is not well signposted, so allow 45–60 minutes and wander methodically. The displays present the official Vietnamese account of the war.
Opening hours and tickets
- Hours: Google Maps lists 7:00–17:00 every day (October 2026), but one visitor in September 2026 found it closed from about 10:30 to 14:00. Go in the early morning or mid-afternoon to be safe.
- Tickets: free. There is parking for cars and motorbikes.
- Restoration: parts of the site are periodically closed for restoration work; follow the signs to the open areas.
How to get there
The prison is at 350 Nguyen Van Cu Road (route DT46) in the south of the island, about 5 km north of An Thoi and close to Bai Khem and Sao Beach. Drive times on clear roads:
| From | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Bai Khem or Sao Beach | About 8 minutes |
| Long Beach (middle) | About 20 minutes |
| Duong Dong | About 25 minutes |
| Bai Dai and VinWonders | About 45 minutes |
Most “south island” tours stop here, and it combines well with a morning on Bai Khem or Sao Beach and the Hon Thom cable car in the afternoon — see our itinerary.
Press play and tour the Phu Quoc Prison
Rating, hours and visitor comments: Google Maps, 2025–2026. Drive times: OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM).
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