Ho Chi Minh & Cu Chi Tunnels: Full-Day Tour with Pickup

Summary

Cu Chi tunnels, city streets, stories and flavors on a full day out

You’ll squeeze through real Cu Chi tunnels outside Ho Chi Minh City with a local guide, share stories over lunch, wander markets and grand old buildings downtown, and feel both laughter and quiet reflection along the way. This full-day tour includes hotel pickup, entry fees, an English-speaking guide and plenty of small moments you’ll remember long after your shoes are clean again.

What’s the experience like?

“You want to try?” That’s what our guide, Minh, asked as he pointed to the tunnel entrance — this tiny, dark hole in the red dirt outside Ho Chi Minh City. Honestly, I hesitated. The ground still smelled faintly smoky from some old demonstration nearby, and the cicadas were so loud it was almost funny. But we’d come all this way for the Cu Chi Tunnels day trip from Saigon (I mean, Ho Chi Minh City — Minh always called it Saigon), so I took a breath and squeezed in. It was hotter than I expected down there, kind of close and earthy. You could hear muffled voices above but everything felt muted. I can’t imagine living like that for months; my knees started complaining after two minutes.

Back up in daylight, we wandered past these huge bomb craters — they’re just part of the landscape now, kids playing nearby like it’s nothing. Minh told us about his grandfather’s stories from the war. There was this moment when he picked up a handful of dry leaves and showed us how Viet Cong fighters used them to disguise air vents. The details stick with you more than any museum display ever could. Lunch was at some local spot on the way back to Ho Chi Minh — nothing fancy but the lemongrass chicken was honestly perfect after all that crawling around (and yes, I spilled chili sauce on my shirt).

The afternoon felt like a different world: suddenly we were surrounded by scooters and neon signs again. We stopped at Ben Thanh Market first — total sensory overload (in a good way). Then Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, that old French post office with its yellow walls and creaky fans overhead… It’s weird how you can go from jungle tunnels to colonial architecture in one day here. Our group kept joking about who’d sweat through their shirt first (spoiler: me), but nobody seemed to mind.

I still think about that quiet moment inside the War Remnants Museum — there’s this heavy silence you don’t really shake off right away. By 4pm we were back at our hotel with dusty shoes and too many photos on our phones. If you’re looking for a full-day tour of Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels that actually feels real (not just box-ticking), this is it. Don’t wear white though — trust me.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour

• Pick up customers 7:30-8:00 AM
• Travel to Cu Chi Tunnels
• Explore Cu Chi Tunnels for 5 hours
• Return to city for lunch
• Visit Ben Thanh Market
• Visit War Remnants Museum
• Visit Reunification Palace
• Visit Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Central Post Office
• Return to hotel around 4:00 PM

Top questions

How long does the Ho Chi Minh & Cu Chi Tunnels day trip last?

The tour runs from about 7:30–8am pickup until around 4pm drop-off at your hotel.

Is hotel pickup included for this tour?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included if you’re staying in District 1 or 3.

Are entrance fees covered?

All entrance fees are included in your booking price.

Is lunch included on this full-day tour?

A stop at a local restaurant is included; lunch is provided with certain groups or available at your own expense depending on booking type.

What sites do we visit in Ho Chi Minh City?

You’ll see Ben Thanh Market, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office.

Can I try crawling through the actual Cu Chi tunnels?

Yes! You can enter sections of the original tunnels if you wish—though they’re pretty tight inside.

Is this suitable for travelers with mobility issues?

The tour is not recommended for those with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health due to walking/crawling sections.

Are guides English-speaking locals?

Your guide will be an English-speaking local familiar with both city history and rural sites.

What’s included

Your day includes air-conditioned van transfers with hotel pickup and drop-off in central districts, all entrance fees covered for both Cu Chi Tunnels and city landmarks like Ben Thanh Market and Reunification Palace, cool towels plus bottled water along the way, an English-speaking guide sharing personal stories throughout—and a stop for lunch at a local restaurant before heading back into town together.