Ho Chi Minh City: Cu Chi Tunnels & War Museum Full Day

Tunnels, then temples: a day between Vietnam's hidden past and its open city

You visit the Cu Chi Tunnels with a documentary and local food, then return to Ho Chi Minh City for the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, and two French-era landmarks: the Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with lunch, a guide, and all entry fees. Plan for a full day out. That's what fits both the tunnels and the city into one trip.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Saigon Central Post Office15m
2. War Remnants Museum45m · entry included
3. Reunification Palace45m · entry included
4. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral15m
5. Cu Chi Tunnels2h · entry included

Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour

• Depart from Ho Chi Minh City center
• Watch documentary film at Cu Chi
• Visit Cu Chi command center
• Enjoy steamed tapioca and hot tea
• Discover Hoang Cam smoke-less stove
• Explore fighting bunkers and traps
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City for lunch
• Visit War Remnants Museum
• Tour Reunification Palace
• See Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
• Visit Saigon Central Post Office

The experience

The tunnels are cramped and dark, barely wide enough for your shoulders. Then you step back into the afternoon sun and Ho Chi Minh City spreads out in front of you: motorbikes, cafes, French colonial buildings standing like they never left. That contrast is the whole day. You start at Cu Chi, crawling through the underground network where soldiers and civilians sheltered during the war, watching a documentary first so you understand what you're looking at, then moving through the command center and the booby-trapped bunkers. It's not a museum exhibit. It's the actual ground, the actual passages, and your guide walks you through how people lived down there for months.

After lunch (noodles with beef or chicken, tapioca, hot tea), you head back into the city proper. The War Remnants Museum comes first, and it's direct. The exhibits don't soften anything. Then the Saigon Central Post Office, built by the French in the 1880s, all high ceilings and colonial detail, where you can take photos if you want. The Reunification Palace is next, the former presidential residence, and the Notre Dame Cathedral across the square, also French-era, also photogenic. Your guide ties the pieces together: how the war shaped the city, what the French left behind, what the Vietnamese kept and what they changed. It's not rushed, but it's not slow either. The timing is built so you see the main things without doubling back.

Pickup happens from your hotel in District 1 or 3, and the driver confirms the time the night before via WhatsApp. The group stays small, and everyone gets an English-speaking guide. You're out for the better part of the day (eight hours or more), but you're not sitting on a bus the whole time. The stops are spaced so there's walking, looking, listening. Bring water. They provide mineral water, but the heat is real and the tunnels are cool, so the temperature swings are noticeable. By the time you're back at your hotel, you've moved through two very different versions of the same place.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in District 1 or 3, an English-speaking guide, all transportation between sites, entrance tickets to the Cu Chi Tunnels, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Saigon Central Post Office, and Notre Dame Cathedral, lunch with noodles and local specialties, mineral water, tapioca, and hot tea.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (10 to 85 years) · Youth (5 to 9 years) · Child (3 to 4 years) · Infant (under 3)

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 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by A Travel Mate And Trading Company Limited

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to understand Vietnam's war history and see the city's colonial architecture in one day without arranging transport or tickets themselves. The full-day pace (eight hours or more) is what makes fitting both the tunnels and the main city landmarks possible in a single trip.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 9 years); Child (3 to 4 years); Infant (under 3).

What's included in the lunch?

Noodles with beef, chicken, or pork, plus steamed tapioca and hot tea. The meal is included in the tour price.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. The tunnels involve some crawling and tight spaces, but there are passages for different comfort levels. Walking in the city sites is moderate.

What time does the tour start?

Pickup is from your hotel in District 1 or 3. The exact start time is confirmed the night before via WhatsApp, based on your address.

Is the guide English-speaking?

Yes, an English-speaking guide is included. Multiple guides may be used on the tour depending on group size.

Are entrance fees included?

Yes, all entrance tickets to the Cu Chi Tunnels, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, and other sites are included.

What should I bring?

Comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and a hat. Mineral water is provided, but bringing extra water is a good idea. The tunnels are cool, so layers help with temperature changes.