First-Timer's Guide to Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam

To be honest, before visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, I was quite afraid that it'll be a challenging place. I heard people mention about how small the tunnel is and how difficult it is to walk inside the tunnel. So, it wasn't until my second visit to Ho Chi Minh City that I decided to visit the tunnel.

TLDR: Is the tunnel worth the visit?

ABSOLUTELY!

I'm so glad that I visited the tunnel. As a history buff, I love how much history I learned from this visit.

And yes, the tunnel is small and dark but it isn't scary at all!! For Asian people, the tunnel size is actually quite manageable. And you don't have to enter the tunnel if you don't want, most of the time we are above ground anyway.

If you're planning for your first visit to Cu Chi Tunnel, I hope this guide can help your trip planning.

~ Chu Chi Tunnels Location ~

There are 2 Cu Chu Tunnel sites: Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc.

Ben Dinh is more popular and more crowded. It is closer to Ho Chi Minh City (~45km). Meanwhile, Ben Duoc is less popular and farther from Ho Chi Minh City (~55km).

Both sites feature more or less the same exhibits and tunnels. And both sites have shooting range. However, Ben Duoc has Monument Temple but Ben Dinh doesn’t. Most tours go to Ben Dinh (the popular one), unless otherwise stated.

~ Tour vs DIY ~

By tour:

Pros: less headache, less things to arrange, save time

Cons: more expensive, may include visit to souvenir places

DIY:

Pros: more flexibility, no need to visit souvenir places

Cons: more things to arrange, more time-consuming if taking public buses

Personally, I recommend joining a tour because tours are not that expensive (the cheapest I found costs ~SGD24/pax).

~ How Long Do You Need ~

If you're only visiting Cu Chi Tunnel, half day is enough. The tour will pick you up around 7.30am and return to HCMC at 2.30pm.

For us, since our tour visits Cu Chi Tunnel & Mekong Delta in a day, we needed to allocate an entire day for the tour (8am-7pm)

~ What to See & Do at Cu Chi Tunnels ~

1. Learn about the Underground Tunnel

There's a miniature showing how the underground tunnel looks like, and your guide will explain to you the history

2. Tiny Hiding Spot

Try your luck to see if you can fit into this tiny hiding spot. Spoiler: most people can!

3. Learn about various types of traps

See first-hand how various traps work, such as booby trap, armpit trap, rolling trap, folding chair trap, see saw trap, door trap, etc.

4. Shooting Range

For those who want to have the experience of shooting a real gun, you can do so at the Shooting Range. The guns you can choose from are: AK47, M16, K54, M60, carbine. Bullets are sold in a set of 10. If you hit the target for at least 2 times, you’ll get rewards.

5. The Bunkers

The bunkers are my favorite parts! There are various tunnel lengths that you can choose from, such as 20m, 40m, 60m and 100m.

6. Eat Tapioca at the Hoang Cam kitchens

At the end of the visit, you will be served steamed cassava root with peanut salt. These were what Vietnamese eat during the war time.

7. Lunch

We had lunch at Ben Dinh Restaurant, our lunch was included in our tour. Our menu consists of steamed rice, spring roll, omelet, soup, pork, chicken, vegetable and watermelon.

I hope this guide can be useful for you. If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments!

My complete experience here: https://trevallog.com/cu-chi-tunnels/

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