Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta tour: Small group, non-touristy

Walk through 200 km of tunnels, then paddle a canal by hand in the Mekong

This small-group tour combines Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta in one day from Ho Chi Minh City, with hotel pickup, lunch, entrance fees and an English-speaking guide. You explore the underground network in the morning, then spend the afternoon in the Mekong countryside: riding a Tuk Tuk through villages and coconut groves, cruising a canal by rowboat, and learning traditional water-scooping techniques at a local farm. The tour runs about 10 hours and caps the group size to keep the experience intimate and away from the usual tourist crowds.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta Tour

• 07:30 AM pick-up at hotel or meeting point
• 09:00 AM explore Cu Chi Tunnels underground network
• 11:00 AM depart for Mekong Delta
• 12:30 PM enjoy local lunch by the river
• 01:30 PM ride Tuk Tuk through villages and coconut groves
• rowboat cruise along small canal
• learn traditional water scooping and farming
• stroll through coconut groves and rice paddies
• sip fresh coconut drink and relax in hammock
• depart for Ho Chi Minh City
• arrive at hotel, end of tour

The experience

The tunnels stretch over 200 km underground, and you walk through the sections that reveal how Vietnamese soldiers lived and survived during the war: the sleeping quarters, the kitchens, the storage chambers. A guide walks you through the network and explains the daily strategies and engineering that kept it functioning. By 11 AM you leave for the Mekong Delta, a drive of roughly 90 minutes, and arrive at Ben Luc for a farm-style lunch with views of the river.

The afternoon unfolds in the countryside. A Tuk Tuk takes you through quiet villages and coconut groves, stopping at a guava orchard where you taste fruit straight from the garden. At a local coconut farm you learn how the land is worked (sustainable methods, not industrial scale), and then you board a rowboat for a small canal. This is where you do the work: the guide teaches you the traditional water-scooping technique locals use, and you paddle through the rice paddies and coconut groves yourself. You finish with a fresh coconut drink in a hammock before the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Hotel pickup is included, and the group stays small enough that the guide can answer questions and adjust the pace. Bottled water comes with you all day. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though it is not recommended for pregnant travelers, and infants sit on an adult's lap during the transfers.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup or meeting point.
• entrance fees to Cu Chi Tunnels.
• farm-to-table lunch by the river.
• Tuk Tuk ride through villages and coconut groves.
• rowboat cruise on a small canal with traditional water-scooping instruction.
• visit to a guava orchard and local coconut farm.
• fresh coconut drink and hammock time.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• air-conditioned transfer by van.
• English-speaking guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00Last departure this season: 31 Dec

AgesAdult (10 to 70 years) · Child (4 to 9 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years): free

GroupUp to 50 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TNK Travel

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the commentary and ask questions without a language barrier. This suits travelers who want the history and culture explained clearly while staying in a small group, and who prefer hands-on moments (paddling, tasting, learning techniques) over a bus-window tour of the same two places.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 9 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is inside the Cu Chi Tunnels that I'll see?

The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground network stretching over 200 km, and you walk through sections that show the sleeping quarters, kitchens, storage chambers and survival strategies Vietnamese soldiers used during the war. Your guide explains the daily life and engineering that kept the tunnels functioning.

Do I actually paddle the rowboat myself in the Mekong, or does someone else row?

You paddle the rowboat yourself on the small canal through the Mekong Delta. The guide teaches you the traditional water-scooping technique locals use, so you're doing the work rather than watching from a seat.

What's included in the farm lunch, and where do we eat?

Lunch is a fresh, local-style meal served at a farm in Ben Luc with scenic river views. The meal is farm-to-table and included in the tour price, along with bottled water throughout the day.

How much time do we actually spend at each place?

You explore the Cu Chi Tunnels from 9 AM to 11 AM, then drive to the Mekong Delta for lunch at 12:30 PM. The afternoon countryside activities (the Tuk Tuk ride, orchard visit, coconut farm and rowboat cruise) run from roughly 1:30 PM until departure for Ho Chi Minh City. The full tour is about 10 hours from pickup to drop-off.

What makes this tour different from the bigger group tours to Cu Chi and the Mekong?

The tour is designed as a small group to keep it away from the usual tourist crowds, and it emphasizes sustainable, animal-friendly activities that support local communities. You're not just watching. You paddle the rowboat, taste fruit from the orchard, and learn farming techniques directly from locals rather than following a scripted route.