Unseen Cu Chi Tunnels Ben Duoc Tour
Cost USD per person
Group
1 pax
2 pax
3-4 pax
5-6 pax
Adults
$138
$82
$72
$67
Children 6-11 years
N/A
$62
$54
$50
Children 3-5 years
N/A
$41
$36
$34
Children under 3
Free of charge
TOUR INFORMATION
The cu chi tunnels full day tour is designed to take in a different direction to the typical tourist route, as we divert from the crowds and specially constructed tunnels of ben dinh, and visit the unchanged ben duoc site preferred by the locals. Part of a complex system of underground passageways built for daily-life as well as military strategy, the Cu Chi tunnels celebrate the skill and ingenuity of the Vietnamese people in overcoming incredible odds.
What’s Included
- Private transport by modern air-conditioned vehicle
- Cu Chi tunnel entrance fee for specified stops
- Lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant
- Professional English speaking guide
- 02 bottles of mineral water per person
What’s Not Included
- Drinks, meals and any other incidental expenses not mentioned above.
- Firing range fees (optional)
- Travel insurance
Support: +84 91 238 8676
Email: info@detourasia.com
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY BY DAY
Unseen Cu Chi Tunnels Ben Duoc Experience
Begin your journey at 7:30 AM with a scenic two-hour drive out of bustling Ho Chi Minh City and into the quieter, rural surroundings of Cu Chi district. Along the way, your guide will share engaging stories of the region’s wartime history, the daily lives of local people, and even the music that shaped an era.
Unlike the crowded and commercialized Ben Dinh tunnels, we’ll take you 30 minutes further to the Ben Duoc site — a lesser-visited and more authentic section of the Cu Chi Tunnels, rich in historical context and emotional depth. This area is often missed by standard tours, but its preserved structures, peaceful setting, and local atmosphere offer a much deeper experience.
At Ben Duoc, you’ll explore underground passages used by Vietnamese soldiers during the war, learn how they lived, survived, and resisted under immense pressure, and discover rarely-seen reconstructions of daily life inside the tunnels. A highlight of the site is the beautiful memorial temple, honoring tens of thousands of lives lost — a sobering and powerful reminder of the past.
Following the tunnel exploration, we’ll take a break and enjoy a scenic riverside lunch featuring local dishes passed down through generations. Your guide will walk you through the cultural and historical significance of each item on the plate, offering insight into the culinary traditions of the region.
Before heading back, you’ll also learn how modern-day Cu Chi has evolved from its war-torn past — and how its people have adapted through time. We return to Ho Chi Minh City via a different route, with drop-off at your hotel around 4:30 PM, closing out a day of reflection, discovery, and deeper understanding.
TOUR NOTES
Note: we only run private and customizable tours. In addition, for a leisurely way to approach the network of tunnels, we recommend a join-in half day tour Cu Chi Tunnels by Speedboat via Saigon River.
Support: +84 91 238 8676
Email: info@detourasia.com
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TOUR REVIEWS
Customer reviews
Speak to a trip specialist on +84 912388676, Or, fill out the form and we reply within 12 hours.
Nothing beats local knowledge
I booked Detoured Asia through their website and they responded quickly. They had packaged tours advertised but I wanted a customized one consisting of the Cu Chi tunnels and Saigon city tour. Joseph, who apparently is the owner of this personalized tour group, obliged with my request and was on time at my hotel 8:30AM as scheduled.
It was my first time to ride pillion on a motorbike but Joseph made me feel at ease quickly with her safe driving. He was very enthusiastic in showing his local culture and I can feel that this was not simply a job for him. I felt like a close friend even if we only knew each other on that day.
The highlight for me was when He brought me to experience some exotic Vietnamese cuisines that I requested. You have to do this at least once in your life!
Extraordinary Service
This Cu Chi tunnels tour is not to be missed. Joseph was young, Vietnamese, and incredibly knowledgeable about the Vietnam war. We went to Cu Chi tunnels a few days ago and saw the editorialized version of history, it’s safe to say that Detoured Asia company maintains a much more accurate version of the war and its effects.
I can’t think of any better way to learn the history of the war than walking through Saigon with someone like Joseph and seeing it first-hand. He brings a folder of curated images that help you connect the dots through time. A must if you are in Saigon.
Less Crowded Ben Duoc Cu Chi Tunnels
The Ben Duoc site of the Cu Chi tunnels is about an hour further from HCMC than the Ben Dinh site, which means it is far less crowded and a more relaxed and informative visit. We saw none of the big tour buses which seem to overwhelm Ben Dinh and never felt rushed or crowded.
The Cu Chi tunnels themselves are fascinating, as others have indicated already. Only a small portion of this experience involves moving through the tunnels, and you have to hunch over and almost duck-walk through, as the tunnels are 3′ to 4′ high. People with bad backs, bad knees or claustrophobia may want to skip this element of the visit, but by no means does that mean you should avoid the Cu Chi experience. Most people scoot through a short section that takes maybe 2 or 3 minutes, while one can easily spend 2 hours visiting the site and its exhibits. At Ben Duoc many of the visitors are Vietnamese, as opposed to the foreign faces more prevalent at Ben Dinh. Both have shooting ranges where visitors can pay to fire off rounds from AK-47’s and M-16 rifles, but be aware that the cost is on a per-bullet basis (expensive if you use an automatic setting) and also make sure that the hearing protection they provide fits tightly. I did not do so, and had tinnitis for a few months after this visit.
Our family of five had a private minivan tour from our hotel in HCMC, and we opted to make it a full day tour by going a further 20 approx. to the west of Ben Dinh and visited the Cao Dai Holy See, located at Tay Ninh. This is a fascinating, eclectic, multicolored, flamboyant (some might say garish) modern temple which holds daily Buddhist-inspired services that are interesting to watch. The Cao Dai religion is a twentieth century Vietnamese invention merging Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism that takes its organizational cues from the papacy and the Vatican. On a combined tour, your guide will schedule things so that you will be able to see the worshippers, robed like Buddhist monks, in their daily service, from viewing galleries. Flashless photos are permitted. I’d recommend doing this along with the Cu Chi tunnels and making it a full day trip out of HCMC.