Ho Chi Minh: Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta Cruise

Underground tunnels and river villages in one day from Ho Chi Minh City

You're picked up at your hotel, driven to Cu Chi Tunnels where you explore the underground network and learn about the Vietnam War, then head to the Mekong Delta for a rowboat cruise under coconut trees, a motorboat ride to a local family's home, and time walking the countryside. Lunch, tropical fruit, honey tea, and live music are included. You return to your hotel in the evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Cu Chi Tunnels3h
2. Mekong Delta4h

Explore Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta

• Pick up from hotel in morning
• Travel to Cu Chi Tunnels
• Explore Cu Chi Tunnels
• Depart for Mekong Delta
• Lunch at local Vietnamese restaurant
• Boat ride through Mekong canals
• Cruise to Coconut Island by motorboat
• Visit local family for fruits and tea
• Watch live local music performance
• Stroll countryside and meet locals
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City
• Drop off at hotel in evening

The experience

You'll crawl through a tunnel barely wide enough for your shoulders, and for a moment you'll understand why the Cu Chi Tunnels were so hard to find. The network runs for miles beneath the Cu Chi district. Some passages so narrow you have to move on your stomach, others opening into small chambers where soldiers once slept and cooked. Your guide walks you through the history as you move through the darkness: how the tunnels were dug by hand, how they were used during the Vietnam War, what daily life looked like underground. It's not a comfortable feeling, but it's the kind of thing that sticks with you.

After you surface and catch your breath, the tour shifts completely. You're driven south toward the Mekong Delta, stopping for a proper Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant along the way: rice, vegetables, fish, whatever's fresh that day, and they'll make it vegetarian if you need. Then you're in a rowboat, moving slowly under coconut palms so thick they block out the sun. The water is narrow here, just wide enough for the boat, and everything moves at the pace of the oars. You switch to a motorboat to reach Coconut Island, where a local family welcomes you into their home. They serve tropical fruit, honey tea, and local wine, and you watch how they make coconut candy or honey the old way. There's usually live music. Someone playing guitar or traditional instruments while you sit in the afternoon heat.

The Mekong Delta tour includes time walking the countryside roads, talking to locals if you want to, or just standing still in the quiet. It's the opposite of the tunnels, open, slow, unhurried. You're back at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City by evening, picked up and dropped off in districts 1, 3, or 4. The whole day runs long, probably eight or nine hours, but it covers two completely different sides of Vietnam in one trip.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in districts 1, 3, or 4 of Ho Chi Minh City.
• driver and guide.
• entry to Cu Chi Tunnels.
• rowboat and motorboat rides in the Mekong Delta.
• Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant.
• tropical fruit, honey tea, and local wine at a family home.
• live music performance.
• mineral water and cold towel.
• air-conditioned transport throughout the day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English07:30

Guide in English07:30

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 47 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Lavila Travel

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want to see both the war history and the rural countryside in one day without arranging separate transport, tickets, or meals: the fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you're not making decisions all day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How long is the full tour?

It's a full-day tour, typically running from morning pickup to evening return to your hotel.

What's included in the lunch?

Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant along the way. Vegan options are available if you request them.

Do I have to crawl through the tunnels?

The Cu Chi Tunnels include passages of varying sizes: some narrow, some taller. You can move at your own pace, and your guide will show you the layout before you enter.

Is the rowboat ride safe?

Yes, it's a traditional rowboat used for touring the Mekong Delta canals. Life jackets and safety equipment are standard.

What if I'm not fit enough for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The tunnel sections vary in difficulty, and the Mekong Delta portion is relaxed and slow-paced.

Are infants welcome?

Yes, specialized infant seats are available. Let your provider know when you book.

Will the guide speak English?

The tour may be operated by a multi-lingual guide. Confirm the language when you book.

What should I bring?

Comfortable clothes you don't mind getting dusty, closed-toe shoes for the tunnels, sunscreen, and a hat or cap for the Mekong Delta portion.