Mentioning Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, many people will come to mind the crowded streets, ancient buildings, and historical and cultural attractions. To thoroughly understand this splendid city in a day, you can choose to visit Cu Chi Tunnels besides some famous places. Cu Chi Tunnels is a unique attraction in Saigon, appealing to both domestic and international tourists. Let’s explore Cu Chi Tunnels with Handspan Travel Indochina!

Through this article, you can get to know these pieces of information below.

• General information about Cu Chi Tunnels
• How to reach Cu Chi Tunnels
• Places to visit in Cu Chi Tunnels
• Services provided inside Cu Chi Tunnels

General information about Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnels is 70 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City center to the northeast. The tunnel was built in 1948 during the war against the French. At this time, the tunnel was served as the place for soldiers to hide from the enemy and to store secret documents.

After that, coming to the resistance against the US period, the tunnels were strengthened and expanded to 250 kilometers from Saigon’s outskirts to the Cambodian border. Since then, it had become a resistance base and underground defense system of Viet Cong soldiers during the war times. Known as an underground city, under the maze tunnels, you can find many rooms from dormitories to infirmary, kitchen, storage rooms, schools, theaters, etc., with a ventilation system to the forest’s bushes. The structures are connected or can independently terminate depending on the terrain. Some branches of the tunnels pour into the Saigon River so that in critical cases, soldiers can cross the river through Ben Cat base in Binh Duong. 

Cu Chi Tunnels

The tunnel system can resist the attack from shells and the weight from tanks, armored vehicles, and small bombs. Inside the tunnel, there are blocking buttons at some necessary points to prevent the enemy or chemical poisoning. There are also many traps, screw holes in some critical locations to destroy or prevent the enemy. 

Until now, Cu Chi Tunnels have become a well-known attraction in Ho Chi Minh City. Coming here, you can learn about the way people during the war times live and work underground and the fighting spirit of Vietnamese soldiers. Let’s go and explore Cu Chi Tunnels yourself!

How to reach Cu Chi Tunnels

From the city center of Ho Chi Minh City, you can reach Cu Chi Tunnels by these means of transportation below.

• By private motorbike or car

Many tourists choose to drive to Cu Chi Tunnels for sightseeing the scenery along the way. From Ben Thanh, going along the Cach Mang Thang Tam street to the An Suong overpass, you will get 22 Highway. Following 22 Highway, you can reach Cu Chi Tunnels. The entire route will take you nearly two hours. The road is quite complicated and hard to drive; therefore, you should choose to travel to Cu Chi Tunnels by taxi, public bus, or waterway if this is the first time you travel here. 

• By taxi

Taxi is the most convenient and comfortable means of transport to reach Cu Chi Tunnels. A skillful taxi driver will take a shorter time to drive you here than going yourself. A one-turn taxi trip to Cu Chi Tunnels will cost you from VND 500,000 to VND 600,000. 

• By public bus 

Public bus is a popular means of transport people choosing to get to Cu Chi Tunnels. From Ben Thanh bus station, you can catch the 13 bus (Ben Thanh - Cu Chi) or the 94 bus (Cho Lon - Cu Chi) to reach Cu Chi station. From here, the 79 bus will take you to Ben Duoc tunnel. 

If you are going to visit Ben Dinh Tunnel first, you will get off the bus at An Suong bus station, then get on the 122 bus to Tan Quy station. From here, staying on the 70 bus, you will get to the tunnel. 

• By waterway

You can take a boat or canoe from Tan Cang pier through the Saigon River to Cu Chi. By this means of transport, you will have the chance to admire the scenery along two river banks and enjoy floating on the water.

Besides these means of transportation, you can also take a transfer service from Handspan. Please contact us for more information!

Places to visit in Cu Chi Tunnels

Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, you will have a chance to explore these places below.

Ben Duoc Tunnel

• Address: Phu Hiep Hamlet, Phu My Hung Commune, Cu Chi Province
• Ticket price: VND 90,000

Ben Duoc Tunnels

Ben Duoc Tunnel is the base of Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Party Committee during the war times. Before visiting the tunnel, you will see a documentary film and listen to a presentation about the formation and development history of Cu Chi Tunnels in general and Ben Duoc Tunnel in particular. After that, you will visit the tunnel with constructions located deep underground. They include the official leaders’ place of working and staying, meeting room, anti-collapse tunnel, weapon, and food storage room, secret covers, ventilation, combat pits, wells, Hoang Cam cookers, garment tailors, etc. You will especially have an opportunity to know how the Hoang Cam cooker’s smoke is hidden and try rice and cassava, the guerrilla food in the past.  

Besides the tunnel, when you come to Ben Duoc, you will also have the chance to visit the Ben Duoc memorial temple. This temple was built to memorize the soldiers who were sacrificed in two wars. Leaving the temple, you can use the electric car to visit the military liberation zone’s reenactment areas. You can also drop in the landscape lake simulating the East Sea, precious wood forests, and miniature models typical of 3 regions such as One Pillar Pagoda, Ngo Mon Gate, Ben Nha Rong, etc. 

Ben Duoc Temple

Military liberation zone’s reenactment areas

Entering this area, you can learn about the Cu Chi people’s house constructional architectures, life activities, and combat from 1961 to 1972. Inside the areas, you can find these spaces below.

• The first space

This space reenacts the special warfare between 1961 and 1964, introducing people’s lives in newly liberated areas and the Cu Chi people’s optimistic, trustful, and enthusiastic spirit. Coming here, you will feel like you are in ancient times, with images about the working and studying of people, guerrilla soldiers, and officers in Cu Chi. 

• The second space

Inside this space, you will see a ruined village scene and people’s traumatic lives during the war. The bombs destroyed and burnt down all of the life, houses, pagodas, and temples. Through these images, you will be more impressed with the resilient spirit of the Cu Chi people. 

• The third space

This space reflects the fiercest wartime in the South of Vietnam. At that time, the enemy threw down hundreds of tons of toxic chemicals, bombs, and artillery to destroy the land, turning this place into a desolate land with no houses, no doors, no life on the ground. All of the lives and activities of Cu Chi people were moved to Cu Chi Tunnels.

Ben Dinh Tunnel

• Address: Ben Dinh Hamlet, Cu Chi Province
• Ticket price: VND 110,000

Ben Dinh Tunnel is the basement of Cu Chi District Commissioner. Due to the stretching forests, high, solid, and hard to collapse land, and prime location on Saigon River banks, easy to withdraw when the enemy attacks, Cu Chi District Party Committee chose Ben Dinh as the basic base during the war. Until now, Ben Dinh has become the main attraction when tourists visit Cu Chi Tunnels. 

Ben Dinh Tunnel

Like coming to Ben Duoc Tunnel, when coming here, you can see the documents and listen to the presentation before exploring the underground system. This tunnel includes some exciting things below. 

• Accommodation, activities, meeting rooms of the leaders of Cu Chi District Party Committee
• Making weapons tunnel
• Self-made weapons displaying

Besides, you can admire the wreckage of the M41 army tank from the US caught in a guerrilla's mines in 1970 in the middle of the forest.

M41 Tank

Let’s prepare for your trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and learn about the history of Vietnam and Saigon during the war!

Activities provided inside Cu Chi Tunnels

Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, besides many places to explore, you will also have the chance to experience many attractive activities here. Below are some famous activities that many tourists prefer to join.

• Shooting sport defense guns

Shooting sport defense guns is a military sport attracting many tourists. You will feel excited about choosing a suitable gun and testing your shooting skills.

Shooting sport defense guns

• Paint spray gun shooting

Joining this activity, you will feel like you are a soldier fighting in the forest. You will be provided with masks, military uniforms, armor, and gun, to serve for your combat. 

• Swimming in the park

After visiting the tunnels, you can immerse yourself in the swimming pool to enjoy the fresh and cool atmosphere. 

Pedaling and kayaking

• Single and double biking 
• Camping

In conclusion, Cu Chi Tunnels is a must-visit during your trip to Ho Chi Minh City. You can choose to explore the tunnel yourself, or take a tour with Handspan! Please contact us for more detailed information!