Cu Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Best Vietnam Travel Guide

During the rough times of war, Cu Chi Tunnels were the main way Vietnamese soldiers use to transport communication, supplies, army weapons as well as a lay booby trap, troop houses, and mount surprise attack. To carry out successfully such tasks, the South Vietnamese Forces were trained hard to navigate the tunnels as well as detect booby traps and enemy troop presence.

I. Introduction of Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnels, widely known as Vietnam Tunnel Rats, are an extensive network running underneath Cu Chi District in Saigon, Vietnam. These underground routes were dug from 1946 to 1948 by Vietnamese Communist guerrilla troops also known as Viet Cong. Located 70 kilometers to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels were 250 kilometers and much larger than any other tunnels of Vietnam. With the strategic aim of combating these guerrilla tactics during Indochina War and Vietnam War, Cu Chi Tunnels consisted of infirmaries, kitchen, vaults, rooms, offices, and tunnels. Thanks to its strategic location, which was cited as the “Vietnamese Steel Land”, at the end of Ho Chi Minh Trail, Cu Chi Tunnels played an important part in combating better-supplied American and South Vietnamese Forces (Vietnamese soldiers).

During the rough times of war, Cu Chi Tunnels were the main way Vietnamese soldiers use to transport communication, supplies, army weapons as well as a lay booby trap, troop houses, and mount surprise attack. To carry out successfully such tasks, the South Vietnamese Forces were trained hard to navigate the tunnels as well as detect booby traps and enemy troop presence. The Vietnamese soldiers were capable of doing it quickly and proficiently as a master. That’s the reason why they’re called “tunnel rats”. 

At present, Cu Chi Tunnels only features the total lengths of 120 kilometers which is divided into three main parts namely Ben Dao, Ben Duoc, and, Tan Phu Trung Tunnel. They’re protected properly by the local government and are used to serve tourists. Thanks to its great historical value, Cu Chi Tunnels now are an attractive destination for visitors to Ho Chi Minh City, especially of the history lovers and veterans. 

II. Historical highlights of Cu Chi Tunnels

The militiaman of Tan Vu Trung and Phuoc Vi An Hamlet began digging these underneath tunnels in the early 1940s. In its original form, Cu Chi Tunnels comprised some simple, fragmental tunnels and vaults which were mainly used for sheltering, hiding confidential documents and weapons.

Read more: War Museum Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam - Everything You Need To Know

Afterward, due to the need for communication amongst hamlets, the underneath tunnels were adjoined to create a complicated system. Then, this system was continued to expand to surrounding areas including six hamlets in the North of Cu Chi District. The quality of the tunnels was also improved to become suitable for combating these guerrilla tactics, communicating and supporting amongst Vietnam South Forces. 

From 1961 to 1965, the network of the hamlets in the North Cu Chi was chosen to be the “backbone” of the battle connecting all strategic points. On the ground, the militiaman of Cu Chi District also set up the plexus of communication trench perimeter. In addition, above ground were a system of the barricade, minefields, nail pits, and spike-traps, which formed a solid and invincible battlefield.

At the end of 1965, there were approximately 200 kilometers of tunnels completed and put into operation. At that time, Cu Chi Tunnels consisted of 3 floors of different depth. The top one was 3 meters under the grounds. The second one was 6 meters and the bottom was 12 meters under the ground. Back in those days, these tunnels were also a place for living, aiding, holding meetings, and storing weapons. 

At the event of Tet Offensive (1968), it’s the Cu Chi Tunnels that were used by the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam to carry out the full-scale attack to Saigon. Despite suffering continuously severe bomb rain of the enemy, the tunnels still remained steadily. 

In 2015, Cu Chi Tunnels were recognized as “Hero of Labour”, one of the noblest titles of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. On 12th February 2016 Cu Chi Tunnels was officially designated the Special National Monument. Every year, Cu Chi Tunnels attract nearly 2 millions of visitors all over the world

III. How to travel to Cu Chi Tunnels

1. Traveling to Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City by bus

As Cu Chi Tunnels are a popular site of Ho Chi Minh, there are several buses connecting it with the center city. The first and foremost advantage of traveling by bus is its reasonable prices which are around VND 15,000. In addition, a bus is a comfortable means of transport because you can travel no matter how the weather is. Last but not least, thanks to its facilities, the bus is suitable for those people traveling in the group.

However, it’s a bit complicated to catch a bus especially when you visit Ho Chi Minh City for the very first time. You have to arrive at the exact bus stop or bus terminal on the due time, otherwise, you’ll miss the bus. Besides, there is no direct bus running between the center city and Cu Chi Tunnels. It means that you have to catch two buses, which will take a lot of time waiting. In order not to get on the wrong bus, remember to read the following guidelines carefully. If you’re still not sure which bus route you should choose, let’s check the bus route on the Online Google Map. 

From Ho Chi Minh City, there 3 ways of catching a bus to Cu Chi Tunnels as follows:

The 1st way: Catch the bus No.13 at Trong Dong Bus Terminal. Then, get off at the Cu Chi Bus Terminal. Next, catch the bus No.79 to Ben Duoc Tunnels or the bus No.63 to Ben Dinh Tunnels.

The 2nd way: Firstly, catch the bus No.94 at Cho Lon Bus Terminal to Cu Chi Bus Terminal. Then, get on the Bus No.79 to Ben Duoc Tunnels or the bus No.63 to Ben Dinh Tunnels.

The 3rd way: The first step is getting on the Bus No.04 near Ben Thanh Market and go straight to An Suong Bus Terminal. Then, transfer by the bus No.122 and get off at the Tan Quy Bus Terminal. Lastly, catch the bus No.70 to arrive at Ben Dinh Tunnels.

Here are addresses of must-know bus terminals:

Trong Dong Bus Terminal

Address: No.01 Pham Ngu Lao Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 01, Ho Chi Minh City

Cu Chi Bus Terminal

Address: Quater 08, Cu Chi-Town, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cho Lon Bus Terminal

Address: No.46 Le Quang Sung, Ward 14, District 06, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tan Quy Bus Terminal

Address: Thach An Hamlet, Trung An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Here are the timetable and price table of buses to Cu Chi Tunnels:

 

2. Traveling to Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City by taxi

No one can deny that traveling by taxi is convenient and comfortable. Whether it is a 4-seat or 7-seat car, it still has enough space for your luggage. When traveling by taxi, you don’t have to worry about climate condition. Moreover, taxi is one of the most flexible means of transport due to allowing you to travel whenever you want. 

The drawback of this kind of transport is its high price. It may cost you VND 600,000  to VND 750,000, depending on the quality of the taxi, the price list of the taxi operators, and even on the weather. You can book a taxi simply by using a mobile app called “Grab”. Alternatively, you can book a taxi of some following reliable taxi companies:

3. Traveling to Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City by private car

The most convenient way of traveling to Cu Chi Tunnels is taking a private car. Thanks to its modern facilities, the private car can bring you not only the relaxing moment but the private space. In addition, the private car is outstanding in case you travel with a lot of luggage. The pros of the private car are its higher price when compared with other means of transport. However, if you travel in the group of 3 or 4 people, it’s a quite economic way. Here are some reliable car rental shops in Ho Chi Minh City. Let’s visit their website to check the updated version of prices:

Saigon Private Car

Address: Room No.503, the 5^th Floor, No. 607-609 Nguyen Kiem Street, Ward 09, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City

Tel: (+84) 902-689- 426

Mobile:  (+84) 902-689-426 (Viber , Whatsapp, Line, Wechat, Zalo)

Email: info@saigonprivatecar.com or saigonprivatecar@gmail.com

Website: saigonprivatecar.com 

Vietnam Budget Car Rental

Address: No. 117 -119 Ly Chinh Thang Street, District 03, Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam

Tel 01: (+84) 838-48-6868

Tel 02: (+84) 988-038-301 (WhatsApp,Viber)

Email: support@vietnamtrustcarrental.com

Website: vietnambudgetcarrental.com

4. Traveling to Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City by motorbike

Vietnam is famous for its crazy traffic. However, numerous foreign travelers when visiting Vietnam is hungry for experiencing driving motorbikes and joining such crazy traffic. This fact implicates that driving motorbike is really an interesting experience. If you’re seeking for something new and challenge, don’t hesitate to hire a motorbike and go straight to Cu Chi Tunnels. Take it into consideration that the distance of 70 kilometers is not an easy thing. You’ve to prepare carefully before starting your trips such as choosing a good and suitable motorbike, filling up your fuel tank, carrying a map, turned on the Google Map and reserving the contact information of the motorbike rental shop to contact when you need.

Driving motorbike is not only a cool, flexible way but also a cheap way of traveling. Hiring a motorbike for a day often costs you from VND 100,000 to VND 120,000. Here is the address of some reliable motorbike rental shops in Ho Chi Minh City:

5. Traveling to Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City by boat

Thanks to the development of the waterway, now you can travel to Cu Chi Tunnels by boat from Ho Chi Minh Center City. At present, there is no company operating boats between two such destinations. In other words, you have to book a waterway tour from a travel agency. Traveling with a tour is not a bad choice. The operator will prepare everything for you including pickup service, convenient vehicle, entrance ticket, breakfast, lunch, tour guide, etc. As a consequence, you don’t have to worry about anything. Another advantage of going on a tour is the chance of admiring the peaceful beauty of Thanh Da Islet and Tan Cang Terminal. Let’s check the information of some following tour to choose a suitable one

IV. Things to do in Cu Chi Tunnels

 Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, you will have a golden chance of learning more about the history of Vietnam as well as of the world. In addition, you can discover the difficult and risky life of the Vietnamese soldiers and militiaman during Vietnamese War and Indochina War. Despite being a national historical monument, there are many interesting activities for you to try. You also find here a number of food vendors serving delicious local foods and the foods which the Vietnam South Forces lived on during wartime.

1. Crawling the historical relic tunnels like a rat

As mentioned above, Cu Chi Tunnels now are only 121 kilometers long. This heroic wonder is divided into 2 main part, namely Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc Tunnels. They both are under the protection of the government and are open to serve tourist.

Ben Duoc Tunnels

Address: Phu Hiep Hamlet, Phu My Hung Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City

Tel: (+84) 83-794-8820

Role during the war: Committee Area basement, Command Ministry of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Military Zone

Title: Information as National Historic Site (by Ministry of Culture under with Decision No. 54 / VHQD April 29th, 1979)

After passing the guard, the first thing you’ll see is an exhibition of the various weapon such as bomb, artillery, the cannon which were used by the Vietnam South Force during Vietnam War and which were left by the American Army. Then, you’ll go forward to the forest while listening to the beautiful melody which is a combination of Vietnamese war songs and bird songs. To give the visitors chances of learning more about the history, there is a hall located in the heart of the forest where you can find a lot of historical documents related to Cu Chi Tunnels. There are several female tour guide in the black South Vietnam pijama, broad-brimmed hat introducing thoroughly the development of Cu Chi Tunnels as well as some momentous historic events including the Tet Offensive 1968. 

Afterward, you will visit the underground network system of Ben Duoc Tunnels including the office of Command Ministry of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Military Zone, weapon storage,  living vaults, vaults for surgery, water well, breathing-holes, Hoang Cam Oven, ammunition sewing house, etc. You also can find out the creative way of how the people can hide the smoke from Hoang Cam stove while still preparing foods. In addition, the visitors can try the typical food of Vietnam South Force which has become specialties such as rice ball (compressed rice) and cassava served with grilled salty peanuts.

Ben Dinh Tunnel 

Address:  Ben Dinh Hamlet, Nhuan Duc Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City 

Role during the war: Cu Chi District Commissioner Basement

Title: National Historic Site (by Ministry of Culture - Information  under Decision No. 101/2004 / QD-BVHTT on December 15th, 2004 )

Thanks to its strategic position on the solid land, Ben Dinh Tunnels was chosen to be the principal commissioner basement as well as the headquarter of Viet Cong during tough wartime from 1968 to 1975.

Like visiting Ben Duoc Tunnels, when coming to Ben Binh Tunnels you can visit the hall learn more about the history and discover the extensive underneath network system. Besides, you can have chances of visiting the complicated system of combat trenches, vaults for making weapons, and the strategic tunnels leading to the garrison of the American Army Division No.25.

When visiting this relic wonder, you will have the feeling of coming back to the war times due to the bombing voices. You also can challenge yourself by trying shooting the Military & Sports Rifle Range. Especially, Ben Dinh Area features a floating, spacious restaurant on Saigon Market where you can enjoy a variety of delicious local dishes as well as admiring the peaceful scenery of a typical Vietnam Southeast rural land.

2. Trying sports shooting defense at Cu Chi Tunnels

If you’re seeking for something challenging and extreme, sports shooting defense is a way to go. Being a collective group of competitive and recreational activities, sports shooting sport requires many people involved. This activity will be a proficiency test of accuracy, precision as well as speed in using various types of ranged weapons, mainly referring to a rifle. At the beginning of the game, can choose the suitable types of guns.  After completing the guide, you can try to shoot the gun to the animal-shaped and moving targets before taking part in the game.

3. Joining paint shooting at Cu Chi Tunnels

Being the latest campaign game at Cu Chi Tunnels, paint shooting activity is attracting more and more visitors.  To win this game, in addition to the accuracy, the precision of shooting you should have the strategic mind, good judgment and the capability of cooperating with your teammate. The difference of this game is that you will play amongst the forest instead of in a motel room as you played before. Each participant will be equipped with mask, masks, uniforms, armor, and guns AR15 or AK47. All the participants have to complete the shooting guide and the regulation; therefore, this game will be guaranteed to be safe for everyone.

4. Going swan pedal and kayaking at Cu Chi Tunnels

If you love admiring the beauty of the landscape or enjoying relaxing moments amongst nature, going swan pedal and kayaking is a great choice for you. Swan pedal and kayak are available most of the time, which allow you to make an amazing excursion to enjoy the stunning scenery of the Vietnam Southeast land. The special thing is that the lake here stimulates the shape of the East Ocean. Besides, you can visit the stimulation of many islands of Vietnam such as Bach Long Vi Hoang Sa, Truong Sa, Con Dao, Phu Quoc Island as well as 3 models symbolizing for 3 main cities of Vietnam including One Pillar Pagoda (Hanoi), Ngo Mon (Hue Ancient Capital), Ben Nha Rong (Ho Chi Minh City)

5. Visiting souvenir at Cu Chi Tunnels

Away from the Cu Chi Tunnels is a special souvenir shop. There are more than 1300 items here, which give you a wide range of choice. Unlike other souvenir shops, you saw before, all souvenirs here related to war such as lamps, lighters, and beard sandals made from old tires and lacquer item. You can find here a considerable number of gifts made from shells of bullets such as ballpoint pens, strap, necklace. You also find some special things including art luxury goods, beautiful goods made of rattan, bamboo, and leaves. Most special products here are handmade products from the traditional villages in Cu Chi District.

V. What & where to eat at Cu Chi Tunnels

1. Enjoying local foods at Ben Nuoc Restaurant

Address: Phu Hiep Hamlet, Phu My Hung Commune, Cu Chi District

Tel: (+84) 87-948-8822 

Fax: (+84) 83-794-8822 

Being a floating market on Saigon Market, Ben Duoc Restaurant represents the essence of Vietnam Southeast Land. When visiting this restaurant, you will have chances of enjoying the beautiful, peaceful scenery which is a harmony of river and landscape. Ben Duoc Restaurant is a cluster of houses with thick grass roofs and built from bush materials, which make it always cool. Ben Duoc Restaurant serves a wide range of rural foods such as giang leaf sour soup, fish cooked with sauce, small fish girdle cake, banh xeo, and 7 special dishes made of beef. This restaurant often offers a lot of special promotion for customers traveling in the group.