Vietnamese Cooking Class and Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City

Pick your own ingredients, cook your own meal, understand how locals survived underground.

A full-day class in Ho Chi Minh City combining a hands-on Vietnamese cooking lesson at an organic farm with a guided exploration of the Cu Chi Tunnels. You pick fresh ingredients, prepare three dishes under a chef's instruction, eat what you make, then walk through the tunnel network to see how it was constructed and used during wartime. Hotel pickup, lunch and an English-speaking guide are included. The day runs about nine and a half hours.

The experience

The morning starts at an organic farm outside the city, where you learn how Vietnamese and Asian cooking balances opposing flavors: the principle of yin and yang applied to dishes. You walk the farm, pick your own ingredients by hand, taste fresh fruit, then move into the kitchen for a hands-on class with a chef. The three dishes you make are prawn wraps with coriander, special spring rolls, and your choice of papaya salad with grilled meat or seafood, plus stewed chicken or pho. Everything you cook, you eat for lunch, and you leave with printed recipes and a certificate.

The afternoon shifts to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a network of underground passages built and used by local fighters during the war. A guide walks you through the construction: how the tunnels were dug, how they were concealed, and how people survived for extended periods underground. You see examples of the traps and devices that were built into the tunnel system. The tunnels themselves are navigable. The passages are narrow and require ducking and crawling in some sections, which is part of what makes the engineering visible.

An air-conditioned vehicle picks you up from your hotel and returns you at the end of the day. The guide speaks English throughout. If you need a vegetarian version of any dish, let the operator know when you book.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• hands-on cooking instruction with a chef.
• three dishes you prepare and eat for lunch.
• fresh fruit tasting at the organic farm.
• guided exploration of the Cu Chi Tunnels.
• printed recipes and a certificate.
• English-speaking guide throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 70 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 5 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

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Western Asian Travel Service

Is this one for you?The day involves about nine and a half hours total, with hands-on cooking in the morning and walking and crawling through tunnel passages in the afternoon. Book this if you want to spend a full day learning rather than watching, and you're comfortable with physical movement underground.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

What three dishes do I actually cook in the Vietnamese cooking class?

You make prawn wraps with coriander, special spring rolls, and your choice of papaya salad with grilled meat, seafood, or vegetable, plus stewed chicken or pho. Everything you prepare is served as your lunch.

How much walking and crawling is involved in the Cu Chi Tunnels?

The tunnels require ducking and crawling through narrow passages in some sections. The walk is part of how you see the construction and concealment firsthand, though the guide controls the pace and you move at your own speed through the network.

What does the organic farm part of the day involve?

At the farm you learn about Vietnamese agriculture and nutrition from different plants, pick your own fresh ingredients by hand, taste fruit grown on-site, and study how Vietnamese dishes balance flavors. This leads directly into the cooking class.

Is hotel pickup included, and what time does the day start?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. The operator will confirm your pickup time when you book. The full day runs about nine and a half hours.

What if I'm vegetarian or have dietary restrictions?

A vegetarian option is available for all three dishes. Let the operator know your preferences at the time of booking so they can prepare the right ingredients.