VN · Ho Chi Minh City · 11.06°N 106.53°E
cu chi tunnels
Squeeze into wartime tunnels on an easy half-day out of Saigon.
- Best time
- December to April is dry. In the rainy season, afternoon storms can make the grounds muddy. Go early in the morning to beat the heat and the tour buses.
- How long
- Half a day
- Getting there
- Fly KL to Ho Chi Minh City (about 2 hours). The tunnels are about 1.5–2 hours by road from the city centre, and some tours go by speedboat along the Saigon River.
cu chi tunnels
Dear group chat,Squeeze into wartime tunnels on an easy half-day out of Saigon.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingCu Chi TunnelsVN, Ho Chi Minh City
Photo: Mkckim · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Clay Gilliland · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.
Part of a huge tunnel network dug under the countryside northwest of Saigon and used by Viet Cong fighters during the Vietnam War. The tunnels were hiding places, supply routes, hospitals and living quarters, and a base for the 1968 Tet Offensive. Visitors can crawl through short sections and see the traps, kitchens and meeting rooms.
Makan
- Steamed cassavaServed with sesame salt and tea, the plain food the fighters lived on.Map ↗
Things to do
- Crawl through the tunnelsShort stretches, some widened for visitors, but still tight, hot and dark.Map ↗
- The trapsDisplays of the bamboo spike traps set for soldiers who found the tunnels.Map ↗
- Underground kitchensSee the smokeless Hoang Cam stoves, which let cooking smoke escape far from the kitchen.Map ↗
- Ben DinhThe site closer to Saigon, where most tours go.Map ↗
- Ben DuocThe quieter site further out, with a memorial temple.Map ↗
Good to know
- Skip the crawl if you're claustrophobic, and wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty.
- This is a war memorial site. Be respectful, especially at the memorial temple.
Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.