Cu Chi Tunnels Ho Chi Minh: 5-Hour War History Tour & Pickup

200 Kilometers Underground: What the Viet Cong Built to Survive

You get picked up from your hotel, driven to Cu Chi district, and guided through 200 kilometers of preserved tunnels used during the Vietnam War. You'll walk through workshops, bunkers, and living quarters, go underground yourself if you choose, taste wartime rations, and watch rice paper being made by hand. The whole thing takes 5–6 hours with hotel return included, and groups stay small enough that you're not part of a tourist stampede.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cu Chi Tunnel Tour and Exploration

• Hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City
• Travel to Cu Chi Tunnels
• Briefing on tunnel map and model
• Visit Viet Cong traps and workshop
• Explore underground tunnels (optional)
• See underground kitchen, health care, meeting room, bunker
• Taste tapioca root
• Visit rice paper workshop
• Visit art studio for lacquer ware
• Optional shooting range (extra cost)
• Return to hotel

The experience

The pickup was supposed to be 7:30am, but the driver showed up at 7:15 and we weren't ready, which turned out fine because it meant we had time to grab coffee and actually talk to him about what we were about to see. He'd been driving the Cu Chi Tunnels tour for eight years and kept saying "you'll understand when you're down there," which made us nervous in a way we didn't expect. The tunnel network stretches 200 kilometers across the Cu Chi district, and what started as hiding spots during the French colonial war became something else entirely during the Vietnam War: a functioning underground city where the Viet Cong lived, worked, fought, and survived.

The morning tour runs 5 to 6 hours total, and the first part is mostly walking through the preserved sections with a guide explaining the traps, the workshops, the meeting rooms carved into the earth. There's a model and a briefing that help you understand the scale of it before you actually go down, and then you do go down, if you want to. The tunnels are narrow. Not claustrophobic-nightmare narrow, but narrow enough that you feel the weight of the dirt above you and understand why people had to crouch-walk through them for years. You see the smokeless kitchen where they cooked without giving away their position, the health care area, the fighting bunker. It's not a museum performance. It's a physical space that still smells like earth and history.

Between the underground sections there's tapioca root tasting (the actual food the Viet Cong ate when supplies ran low), and then a rice paper workshop where you can watch how it's made by hand. There's also a lacquer art studio on site if you want to see traditional Vietnamese fine art being made. The shooting range is there too, but that's separate and costs extra (minimum 10 bullets, around 600,000 Vietnamese dong). Groups stay under 20 people, which means you're not shuffling through in a crowd of 50, and the air-conditioned vehicle picks you up from your hotel and brings you back, so you don't have to figure out transport or negotiate with a taxi driver afterward.

You can choose afternoon departure at noon if mornings don't work: same tour, same duration, just a different time slot. Either way, you're spending a few hours underground learning how a network of tunnels became a strategy for survival, and then you're back in Ho Chi Minh City by early evening.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and return in an air-conditioned vehicle, a guided tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels with access to underground sections (optional), a model and briefing about the tunnel network, tapioca root tasting, a rice paper workshop, and a visit to a lacquer art studio. The shooting range is available separately at your own expense.

Options for this experience

2 options

The Legendary Underground Network: Cu Chi Tunnel TourGuide in English · 07:30 and 12:30Shared bus; pickup is included

Small group tour, superior classGuide in English · 07:30 and 12:30Maximum 12 people per group: morning departure at 7:30 am, afternoon at 12:30 pm. Duration: 5 to 6 hours. Group size maximum: 12 people. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:30 and 12:30

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (5 to 8 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by ACE TRAVELS

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand the Vietnam War from the ground up without arranging your own transport or navigating the tunnels alone: the guide and small group size mean you get context and safety in one package, and the pickup from your hotel removes the logistics.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 8 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What time does the Cu Chi Tunnels tour depart?

Morning tours leave at 7:30am, afternoon tours at 12:00pm. Both are 5–6 hours total including hotel pickup and return.

How many people are in a typical group?

Groups are capped at 20 people maximum, though smaller groups of 10 or 12 also run depending on bookings.

Do I have to go underground?

No. Going underground is optional. You can explore the surface sections, see the model and briefing, and skip the tunnels themselves if you prefer.

Is the shooting range included?

No. The shooting range is available on-site but costs extra. You need to buy a minimum of 10 bullets at around 600,000 Vietnamese dong.

What's included in the tour price?

Hotel pickup and return, round-trip transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, guided tour of the tunnels, tapioca tasting, rice paper workshop, and access to the lacquer art studio.

How far are the Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City?

The tunnels are in Cu Chi district, about 40 kilometers northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City. The tour includes transport both ways.

Can I book a private group instead of joining a group tour?

Yes. Private group options are available. Contact the operator for pricing and availability.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour involves walking and optional underground crawling through narrow spaces. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Check with the operator about your specific situation.