Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour with Shooting Range

Crawl through the tunnels where soldiers hid, then fire live rounds at the range.

A half-day tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi Tunnels takes you through the 250 km underground network where Vietnamese soldiers lived and fought during the war. You crawl through an enlarged tunnel section, visit command centers and weapon workshops, watch a documentary, taste traditional cassava and tea, and optionally fire an AK-47 or M16 at a nearby shooting range. The tour includes a stop at a local market for fresh tropical fruit, hotel pickup and drop-off, and a guide who speaks English or one of five other languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cu Chi Tunnels exploration and shooting range

• Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi Tunnels
• Watch documentary on Vietnam War history
• Explore underground tunnels and facilities
• Crawl through enlarged tunnel section
• Taste traditional cassava and tea
• Optional shooting at AK-47 or M16 range
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City

The Experience

The drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi takes you through countryside most visitors never see — rice paddies, rubber plantations, and traditional villages pass the window before you arrive at the tunnels. A short documentary sets the context for what you're about to walk through: a network so vast and complex that portions remain dangerous, which is why you'll explore only the sections made safe for visitors. Your guide leads you through hidden entrances, command centers built underground, kitchens where soldiers cooked, field hospitals carved into the earth, and weapon workshops. The booby traps are still there, explained but no longer armed.

The crawl through an enlarged tunnel section is the moment most people remember. The passages are tight enough that you move on hands and knees, low enough that you can't stand, and long enough that you feel what confinement meant. Afterward, you surface and taste cassava and tea — the actual foods soldiers ate to survive — which shifts the tunnels from a historical site into something more immediate. If you want the shooting range, that's an optional add-on at checkout: you fire either an AK-47 or M16 on a controlled range with instruction, then return to Ho Chi Minh City. The tour stops at a local market on the way back, where you can buy fresh tropical fruit or just walk through and see what the neighborhood eats.

Pickup and drop-off happen at your hotel in central Saigon, and the car is air-conditioned. You get bottled water, a light snack, and a guide who speaks English or Spanish, Italian, French, or one of three other languages — choose your language at checkout if it's not English. The whole day runs five to six hours from the time you leave your hotel to the time you return.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Ho Chi Minh City.
• air-conditioned private car.
• English-speaking guide (or Spanish, Italian, French, or another language at checkout).
• bottled water and a light snack of cassava and tea at the tunnels.
• a stop at a local market for fresh tropical fruit on the return drive.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by VN Bike Tour

Is this one for you?Book the small group option if you want to share the cost and meet other travelers, or the private tour if you're traveling with family or friends and want the guide's full attention. The shooting range is optional — add it at checkout only if you want to fire live rounds; the tunnel and market portions work just as well without it.

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Top questions

How long is the tunnel crawl, and do I have to do it?

The crawl through the enlarged tunnel section is part of the standard tour experience, but the passages are made safe and wide enough for most visitors. If you have mobility concerns or claustrophobia, let the operator know when you book — they can arrange alternatives that keep you above ground while still showing you the command centers, workshops and booby traps.

What's included in the shooting range, and does it cost extra?

Firing an AK-47 or M16 at the range is optional and costs extra at checkout. When you add it, you get instruction and live rounds on a controlled range; the time and ammunition are included in that add-on price.

Do I need to speak English, or can I book a guide in another language?

Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, or one of three other languages — you choose which one at checkout. If you need a language other than English, there's a surcharge for that guide.

What's the local market stop like, and how much time do I spend there?

The market is a spontaneous local market where you can buy fresh tropical fruit or walk through and see what the neighborhood sells. It's a brief stop on the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, not a long shopping detour.

Will I have time to eat a full meal, or is the cassava and tea just a tasting?

The cassava and tea are a light tasting of the foods soldiers ate during the war — it's meant to give you a sense of what sustained them, not a full meal. If you have food allergies or special requests, let the operator know when you book.

Can I bring children or elderly family members on this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available in the car. Wheelchair accessibility is available — confirm your needs when you book.