Cuchi ( Ben Duoc ) Tunnels Experience

Detailed itinerary:

Built by local fighters during the Indochina conflict, the Cu Chi tunnels served as a base from which the Viet Cong could operate from close to the Southern Vietnamese capital. For this tour, leave the hustle and bustle of Saigon city to explore one of the relics from one of the most significant local historical events in recent memory.

Drive about 1,5 hours west towards the Cambodian border. Before arriving at the Cu Chi tunnels, we will visit to some rubber plantations for photos opportunity.

Continue on to the Cu Chi tunnels. The location of the tunnels was of significant strategic importance: they are at the end of the infamous Ho Chi Minh trail, and within striking distance of the southern Vietnam capital. Initial construction started in 1948 when the Viet Minh required somewhere to hide from French air attacks, and by 1965, the tunnels complex was estimated to consist of 200km of tunnels which included hospital, schools, meeting rooms, kitchens, and sleeping area. Life was so difficult for the inhabitants, and to protect against outside intruders, booby traps were laid throughout the complex.

Nowadays, the Vietnamese government have preserved approximately 75km of the Cu Chi tunnels as a memorial park, and in some areas the tunnels have been widened and low powers lights installed so that tourist can now fit through the complex.

Our local guide will take you on a fascinating tour of the Cu Chi tunnels, where you will learn more about the conditions the people lived in, the hardship they faced, and the amazing ingenuity employed to maintain life in the tunnels. We walk past huge bomb craters – evidence of the heavy bombing campaigns in the region during the Indochina conflict, discover hidden entrances right beneath your feet, wander past tiny little chimneys in the ground that dispersed smoke from the underground kitchens, sample some of the simple cuisine that local fighters would have survived on, and have an opportunity to venture into the tunnels and explore the complex.

Tour snapshot:

Good morning Saigon! Start the day right away – with an up close and personal history lesson on guerrilla warfare. Climb into the underground tunnel system that used to play a crucial part in the war and imagine what it would have been like to eat, sleep, work, cook, drink….even go to school underground as a conflict raged above.

Highlights:

• Delve into an underground world of guerrilla warfare in the incredible Cu Chi tunnels.
• Gain insight into the tenacity and resourcefulness of the Vietnamese.
• Visit the former Vietminh underground stronghold at Cu Chi.
• Visit to local rubber plantations.

Inclusions: 

• Local English speaking guide
• Private air-con car/van/bus
• Entrance fee as indicated
• Bottled mineral water ( one each )

Exclusions:

• Items of a personal nature
• Tips/gratuities for guide and driver
• Travel insurance
• Other things that are not mentioned in the itinerary

Duration: 5-6 hours