Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Day trip from Saigon
The tunnels at Ben Duoc, before the coaches arrive
We go to the quieter of the two tunnel sites and we go early, so you crawl a section with nobody queuing behind you and are back in District 1 by about half past twelve.
Overview
Why Ben Duoc, and why so early
There are two places you can visit the Cu Chi tunnels. Ben Dinh is the nearer one, about fifty kilometres out, and it is where nearly every coach from Pham Ngu Lao goes; by ten in the morning the paths are a queue and the crawl section moves at the pace of the slowest group. Ben Duoc is twenty minutes further up the road, beside the Saigon River, and was the base area of the district command during the war. It gets a fraction of the visitors, it has the original memorial temple, and the forest around it is quieter.
The extra twenty minutes of driving each way is the whole price of that difference, and we think it is worth paying. The early start does the rest: leaving at seven means we reach the gate around a quarter to nine, before the heat builds under the rubber trees and before the day boats and minibuses that do make it to Ben Duoc have arrived.
- Length
- About 5.5 hours
- Pick-up
- 07:00, District 1, 3 or Binh Thanh
- Back at your hotel
- Around 12:30
- In the vehicle
- About 3.5 hours in total
- On foot
- Roughly 1.5 km, mostly shaded
- Group
- Shared, 12 at most
Day by day
How the morning runs
Day 1
Saigon to Ben Duoc and back
The crawl section with no queue behind you
07:00 — your guide collects you from the lobby. Hotels in District 1, 3 and Binh Thanh are on the route; anywhere else we can usually arrange for a small supplement. The drive north runs through the industrial belt around Hoc Mon and then into rubber and cassava country, about an hour and three quarters in normal traffic.
08:45 — Ben Duoc. We start at the memorial temple, which most visitors never see, then walk the forest paths: the concealed entrances, the air vents disguised as termite mounds, the kitchen built so that smoke leaked out through the soil a long way from the fire. Your guide explains how a network of more than two hundred kilometres was dug by hand in laterite clay, and what life inside it was like for the people who stayed.
09:45 — the crawl. There is a stretch of tunnel you can go through, widened for visitors and lit, with exits every twenty metres or so for anyone who has had enough. Nobody is obliged to go in. There is also a firing range on the site; it is optional, paid separately at the counter, and we do not build time around it.
10:45 — cassava and tea at the reconstructed field kitchen, then back to the vehicle. 12:30 — drop-off at your hotel, or anywhere central if you prefer to go straight to lunch.
Price
Price
| Option | Per person (USD) |
|---|---|
| Shared, maximum 12 | from 35 |
| Private, 2 people | from 65 |
| Private, 4 people | from 45 |
The shared seat is the cheapest way to see Cu Chi properly. What moves the price is going private: your own car means you set the pick-up time, and a family of four pays only a little more per head than a couple sharing.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in District 1, 3 or Binh Thanh
- Air-conditioned vehicle and driver
- English-speaking guide throughout
- Ben Duoc entrance ticket
- Bottled water and cold towels
- Tea and cassava at the site
What it does not include
- The firing range, if you choose to use it
- Lunch
- Drinks beyond water
- Tips for guide and driver
- Travel insurance
Practical
What to wear and what to expect underground
Wear clothes you do not mind getting red dust on, and shoes with a grip; flip-flops are a poor idea on the roots. Long trousers help against mosquitoes in the wet months. Inside the tunnel it is warm, close and dark between the lamps, and you move bent double or on your knees. Most adults of average build manage it without trouble. If you are over about 1.85 m it is uncomfortable rather than impossible.
The site is presented from the Vietnamese side, as you would expect. Our guides will answer questions about the other side too, and about what the district looked like after the bombing — the craters are still visible in the forest.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
Anyone with real claustrophobia should know that even the widened section is tight, though the walk above ground is worthwhile on its own. It does not suit travellers looking for a relaxed morning either: this is a history site about a brutal war, and our guides do not soften it. And if you are hoping to combine Cu Chi with the delta, book the two-day version rather than squeezing both into one long day.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Why do you go to Ben Duoc instead of Ben Dinh?
Ben Dinh is closer and takes almost all the coach traffic, so it is crowded by mid-morning. Ben Duoc is about twenty minutes further, much quieter, and has the memorial temple. The tunnels themselves are part of the same network.
Do I have to go into the tunnel?
No. The crawl is optional and has exits every few metres. Many people walk the site and watch from the entrance.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes from about eight upwards, and children usually find the crawl easier than adults do. The subject matter is war, so talk to them about it first.
Can I be dropped somewhere other than my hotel?
Yes, anywhere central on the way back — Ben Thanh market and the War Remnants Museum are popular, and the museum pairs well with the morning.
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