Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh City Tour: War History Highlights

A Day Through Vietnam's War History: Tunnels, Museums, and Colonial Architecture

This full-day tour combines Cu Chi Tunnels (the legendary 220km underground network used during the war) with four key Ho Chi Minh City landmarks: the War Remnants Museum or Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Central Post Office. Your English-speaking guide and driver collect you from your hotel, handle all entrance fees, and include a Vietnamese lunch and traditional tapioca and tea tasting. The day runs 9 to 10 hours and covers both the rural tunnel site and the city's French colonial structures in one itinerary.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cu Chi Tunnels and City Highlights

• Hotel pickup by guide and driver
• Visit Cu Chi Tunnels and learn history
• See rural rice paddy scenery en route
• Visit Reunification Palace or War Remnants Museum
• See Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office

The experience

How do you fit both the Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City's main sights into a single day without renting a car or piecing together separate bookings? This tour solves that by starting with hotel pickup and moving through the city's landmarks first (the Central Post Office, then either the War Remnants Museum or the Reunification Palace depending on opening hours, plus Notre Dame Cathedral) before heading out to Cu Chi in the afternoon. The guide walks you through each stop and explains the history as you go.

Cu Chi itself sits in what was once a "Free Target Zone" during the war, and the landscape still carries that history. The rural rice paddies around the tunnels hold water buffalos and ducks, but the ground beneath shows the scars of bombing and mines. The tunnel system stretches over 220km and is now a heroic district for its role in the conflict. You'll walk through the tunnels themselves and see the remnants that prove how fierce the fighting was there. Lunch with Vietnamese-style cuisine and a tasting of traditional tapioca and tea happen during the day, so you're not stopping separately to eat.

The air-conditioned vehicle stays with you the whole time, which matters because the day is long and the route covers both city and countryside. Hotel pickup and drop-off in central areas are included, so you don't arrange transport to the start. Children from age 5 are welcome, though the tunnels involve crawling and climbing, so the physical layout is worth considering before you book.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in central areas.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
• professional English-speaking guide.
• entrance fees to Cu Chi Tunnels and your choice of museum or palace.
• lunch with Vietnamese-style cuisine.
• traditional tapioca and tea tasting.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (10 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 26

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 4 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SST TRAVEL

Is this one for you?The day is long and involves walking and crawling through tunnel sections, so it suits travelers who are comfortable with a full itinerary and some physical movement underground. If you want to see both the war history sites and the city's colonial landmarks without renting a car or booking separate tours, the fixed schedule and included transport make the day hold together.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What exactly are the Cu Chi Tunnels and why are they important to Vietnam's history?

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a 220km underground network that played a central role in Vietnam's war against American forces. Built over time, they served as shelter, supply routes, and military strongholds for Vietnamese fighters. The district is now considered heroic for its resistance, and visitors walk through sections of the tunnels to see how they were constructed and used.

Will I actually go inside and walk through the tunnels, or just see them from above?

You walk through sections of the tunnel system itself. The tunnels involve crawling and climbing, so it is a hands-on experience rather than a viewing platform tour. The guide explains the layout and history as you move through them.

What happens if the Reunification Palace is closed when we visit?

If the Reunification Palace is closed for renovation or tour scheduling, you visit the War Remnants Museum instead. The guide confirms the opening status and adjusts the itinerary accordingly, so one of the two is always part of your day.

How long does the whole tour take and when does it start?

The tour runs 9 to 10 hours total, starting with hotel pickup in the morning. You visit the city landmarks first, then travel out to Cu Chi in the afternoon, returning to your hotel by evening.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food will we eat?

Yes, lunch with Vietnamese-style cuisine is included in the tour price. You also get a tasting of traditional tapioca and tea during the day, so meals and refreshments are arranged as part of the itinerary.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the tour, or does the guide pick me up?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in selected central areas are included. Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel in the morning and return you there at the end of the day, so you don't need to arrange separate transport to the start.