How To Visit Cu Chi Tunnels In Ho Chi Minh – Budget Travel In Vietnam

Visit Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam to experience a glimpse of what life was like for Vietnamese soldiers in the American War.

Before arriving in Vietnam, one of the places I wanted to visit was the Cu Chi Tunnels. In my mind, this would involve exploring the network of tunnels used in the Vietnam war. The reality was quite different, and a little disappointing.

Are The Cu Chi Tunnels Built For Tourists?

Once we reached Ho Chi Minh and started to research the tunnels, we found a number of reviews expressing disappointment that the site wasn’t even part of the original network and had been purpose built purely for tourists. Whilst that is only partly true, we did find out that there are actually TWO sites, and only one allows you to go into the original tunnels (if you can fit).

Ben Dinh Or Ben Duoc?

It appears that both sites offer pretty much the same experience (though we only visited Ben Dinh). The major difference being that the tunnels at Ben Duoc are actual tunnels that were part of the original network. The tunnels at Ben Dinh are reconstructions. This put us off a little at first. However, the reconstructed tunnels at Ben Dinh have been made larger for tourists, most of whom would struggle to fit into the actual tunnels at Ben Duoc. It seemed pointless travelling further to the original tunnels to then be too big to go inside! This is why we opted for the site at Ben Dinh. Reviews on TripAdvisor seem split on which is the best site.

How To Get To Cu Chi Tunnels

The vast majority of tour operators in Ho Chi Minh will take you to the Ben Dinh site. You will not have any problems finding a tour operator in the centre of Ho Chi Minh offering trips to the tunnels. The packages all offer pretty much the same itinerary. Ask around to get the best price (don’t be afraid to haggle) and check reviews online.

Lacquer Painting By Disabled Artists

The bus journey took around 90 minutes. On the way, we stopped at a workshop where people affected by second and third generation agent orange from the Vietnam war produce incredible pieces of art. In the main gallery, photos are not allowed, so I am unable to show you the variety of goods on offer. The gallery can ship to any country. Unfortunately for us, the artists were not present as it was the Lunar New Year. We were not pressured into buying so this was a nice way to break up the journey and see some wonderful paintings and sculptures.

Arriving At The Cu Chi Tunnels

On arrival, we were shown a video explaining the history of the site. Whilst it was informative, the language was very anti-American which I did find understandable but also a little disappointing.

We then made our way through the site, with the first stop showing all the various traps laid by the Vietnamese in the jungles. You would NOT want to fall into one of these!

We were then given the opportunity to climb into a hiding space in the ground. This was not recommended for those with a claustrophobic nature. I was surprised that only me, Joanna and one other person from our group did this.

Guns Of Cu Chi

After seeing many more torture traps, we then ended up at a firing range. This is where you can shoot actually AK47, machine guns and other types. You pay by the bullet (approx $2, but you have to buy a minimum number). This was not something I was interested in so we were told to sit and ‘relax’ in a nearby cafe whilst we waited for those that took up this opportunity. Relaxing was a little hard with the continuous gunshots but it wasn’t long before we were on the move.

Entering The Tunnels

After a couple more stops to see how the Vietnamese made sandals out of tyres and to taste steamed tapioca, it was time to enter the tunnels.

The first thing that hit us about the tunnels was how cramped they were. Moving through them was only possible by crawling or crouching. We then remembered that these tunnels had been widened to accommodate tourists. We were not in the tunnels for that long (maybe 5 minutes) and there were points where we could exit early if it became too uncomfortable. We stayed the distance, though it was difficult. Some parts were more confined than others. The tunnels were lit which made it easier and there was no signs of any rabies-infected bats, which was also good. It was nice to get out, though! We all re-emerged from the tunnels looking like we’d been down there for days! It was pretty horrible down there.

Are Cu Chi Tunnels Worth Visiting?

Overall, I would say that they are worth a visit but don’t have too high expectations. I was left feeling the whole tour was a little rushed and a bit of a tourist money-maker. There was very little information so we were relying on our guide. Ours was nice enough, but he didn’t give us too much information about the history and building of the tunnels.

We were moved quickly through the site apart from when we were allowed to ‘relax’ next to the gun range!

It was an unusual place to visit so I would recommend it, but don’t feel like you’ve missed out if you don’t go.