Cu Chi Tunnels Ho Chi Minh: Half-Day Tour & Shooting

Underground soldiers: what the Cu Chi Tunnels reveal about 20 years of war

You're picked up from your hotel, driven to the Cu Chi Tunnels site, crawl through restored tunnel sections, learn about traps and underground life from an English-speaking guide, eat cassava and tea as soldiers did, and have the option to fire period weapons. The return drive gets you back by early afternoon, with entrance fees and transport included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cu Chi Tunnels history and experience

• Meet guide Joshua Tran
• Travel by car to Cu Chi Tunnels
• Learn about underground soldier life
• Hear tunnel formation and digging stories
• Discover wartime traps and enemy equipment
• Experience shooting old battlefield guns
• Understand Vietnamese war history

The experience

Our guide Joshua stops the air-conditioned van at the entrance and before you step out, he's already pointing to the red earth around the site. That's the soil the soldiers dug by hand, he says, moving fast through the gate. The Cu Chi Tunnels sit about 40 kilometers northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, and what you're walking into is not a museum display but the actual network where Vietnamese soldiers lived, cooked, and fought for more than two decades during the American war. Joshua doesn't wait for you to feel small. He walks straight to a tunnel entrance and explains how the original passages were built: narrow, low-ceilinged, designed to keep out anyone who didn't know the layout.

The tour moves through the site in sections, and Joshua shows you the traps first: sharpened bamboo stakes hidden in pits, tripwires, booby traps made from unexploded ordnance. He talks about the well-digging, the underground kitchens where smoke had to be dispersed through hidden vents so American planes couldn't spot it from above, the sleeping quarters carved into the earth. You crawl through a restored tunnel section yourself (it's tight, disorienting, and maybe 50 meters long), and when you come out, the daylight feels strange. He hands you cassava and hot tea, the food soldiers ate down there, and the taste is plain, filling, nothing more. This is where the half-day tour separates itself from the quick visits: you're not just hearing about the tunnels, you're moving through them, understanding the space the way the soldiers had to.

After the tunnel walk, there's the shooting range. Joshua explains the weapons, old rifles used during the war, and if you want to fire a few rounds, you can. It costs extra and it's optional, but most people do it. The guide handles the safety briefing, loads the gun, and you take the shot. It's loud, the recoil is real, and standing there holding a weapon that was actually used in combat changes how you think about the tunnels you just left. By the time Joshua drives you back to Ho Chi Minh City, you've spent three to four hours underground and above ground, moving between the physical space and the history of it, which is harder to do alone.

What’s included

Your tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle, entrance fees to the Cu Chi Tunnels site, an English-speaking guide for the full duration, bottled water, and cassava with hot tea. The shooting experience is available for an additional fee and is optional.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (18 to 85 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12 · max 5 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vietnam Amazing Journeys

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to understand the Cu Chi Tunnels as a physical space, not just a historical fact: the guide, the tunnel walk, and the transport mean you don't have to arrange your own way out there or figure out what you're looking at once you arrive.

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Top questions

How long is the Cu Chi Tunnels tour from Ho Chi Minh City?

The half-day tour runs 3 to 4 hours, including pickup, the site visit, and return to your hotel.

What's included in the tour price?

Pickup and drop-off from your hotel, entrance fee, English-speaking guide, air-conditioned vehicle, bottled water, and cassava with hot tea.

Do I have to crawl through the tunnels?

You have the option to crawl through a restored tunnel section. It's about 50 meters long and low-ceilinged, but not mandatory.

Is the shooting experience included?

The shooting range is optional and costs extra. The guide handles safety and loading. You fire the weapon yourself.

Can I do this tour with young children?

Yes, infants can sit on an adult's lap, and the tour is suitable for all fitness levels. Crawling through the tunnel is optional.

What time does the tour start?

Pickup times vary depending on your hotel location. Confirm the exact time when you book.

Is the guide English-speaking?

Yes, the guide speaks English and explains the history and logistics of the tunnels throughout the tour.

What should I wear?

Wear comfortable clothes and closed-toe shoes. The tunnel section is tight and dusty, so avoid loose clothing.