The Củ Chi Tunnels are definitely worth the day trip out of Sài Gòn; to see this is better than you could ever expect having heard about them back home.
Just 70km (40 miles) northwest of downtown, the Củ Chi area lies at the end of the Hồ Chí Minh Trail and was the base from which Vietnamese guerillas used to attack Sài Gòn. As a result, the whole area became a “free-fire zone” and was carpet-bombed in one of many American “scorched-earth” policies.
But the residents of Củ Chi took their war underground, literally, developing a network of tunnels that, at its height, stretched as far as Cambodia and included meeting rooms, kitchens, and triage areas — an effective network for waging guerilla warfare on nearby U.S. troops.
HI, EVERYONE IN THE WORLD!
My real name is Thông but they call me Slim Jim because I eat like a bird, drink like fish, and smoke like a chimney.
Actually, I was born in the North of Việt Nam but grew up in the South. In 1954, Việt Nam was divided into two parts, the North and the South, with the border at the 17th parallel according to the Geneva Agreement. Vietnamese people were allowed to move to either the North or the South within 300 days. So almost one million Catholics moved to the South, and I was among them. I ran away from the Communists in the North but in 1975 they followed me to Sài Gòn. I didn’t pay the bills.
In general, Việt Nam from 1954 – 1975 was like Korea today. We had two different armies supported by foreign countries. We fought against each other because of different thinking: communism in the North and capitalism in the South. Finally, the war was over. The North won and the South lost.
During the war, I was trained to fight for the South but I didn’t go into combat. I just learned how to fight so I was in the South Vietnamese Reserved Force – Army standby.
Okay, so come with me now. I’ll tell you the whole story about the Việt Nam War from my experience, not from a book. One can travel alone, but two can make the tour more enjoyable!
HIGHLIGHTS
● Guided tour by Slim Jim – a historical storyteller!
● Visit a state’s lacquer handicapped handicrafts – a famous and ancient art of Việt Nam.
● Explore the vast network of underground tunnels used during the Việt Nam War
● Learn about life in Việt Nam during wartime and see bomb craters and tank remains
● Great value tour with hotel pick-up, entrance fees, and round-trip transport included
● Private tour ensures a personalized experience
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and after leaving the city, we drive about 1,5 hours through the pleasant countryside before arriving at Củ Chi tunnels. We’ll stop along the way at a lacquer handicapped handicrafts for a short visit, refreshments and toilet.
Upon arrival, you’ll watch a brief propaganda video, which explains how the tunnels were used to successfully defeat American military forces in combat.
The tour continues and the guide explains some traps that were placed in the jungles of Việt Nam to either maim American soldiers or create panic amongst the ranks.
From here, you can enter one of the tunnel entrances and crawl through the tunnels, a real experience to imagine how people could live there for an extended period!
There is a shooting range where you can try to fire an automatic or semi-automatic weapon for a fee (this fee is not included).
Take some rest at the end for a taste of Củ Chi boiled tapioca and thinking what humans are capable of when having to defend their home.
We drive back to Hồ Chí Minh City and complete the tour by taking you back to the pickup point. End of services.
He carefully explains the booby traps laid out in the jungle.
There are various bunkers with narrow passageways, kitchens, a hospital, planning rooms, weapon areas, firing posts and even booby traps, the tunnels were like an underground village.
There were many types of booby traps- the spiked rolling trap, the window trap, the armpit clipper trap and several others.
Other exhibits and remnants are a tank body trapped in the woods, weapons, B52 bomb crater, tunnels entrance in actual size.
PRICE QUOTED
| No. of Guest(s) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | >=7 | Child | |
| Price/Person | VND * 1,000 | 5,000 | 2,800 | 1,900 | 1,500 | 1,300 | 1,000 | 950 | 850 |
| ~USD | $208 | $117 | $79 | $63 | $53 | $42 | $40 | $36 | |
Inclusions
- Private Air-conditional transfer
- Vietnamese English-speaking guide
- All admission fees
- Bottle of drinking water
- Boiled tapioca and local tea
- Local taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (applied for all places in Districts 1, 3, 4, Bình Thạnh, Phú Nhuận).
Exclusions
- Personal expenses
- Tips and Gratuities (recommended)
- Drinks (beer, soft drinks…)
- Travel Insurance
CHECK AVAILABILITY