Why visit the Cu Chi Tunnels?
Cu Chi is a rural area about 30 to 40 km from Ho Chi Min that’s famous for a legendary spiderweb of tunnels used in the 1960s by the Viet Cong to control the area during the Vietnam War. There’s two sets of tunnels: Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. Ben Dinh is the most touristy one because it’s easier for tour buses to reach it. Ben Duoc is the best one in my opinion because it’s not touristy. There were only a handful of people when we went.
(I’ve found conflicting sources that state that Ben Dinh was constructed only for tourists and Ben Douc is part of the real tunnel network. I can’t find a reliable source to verify this. Lonely Planet says that Ben Douc was widened for tourists but is less touristy. (There are stairs going into some of the tunnels, which clearly can’t be original.) Once you are inside the tunnels, they are pretty tight!
While it’s easy to find tours to visit Ben Dinh, there aren’t many tours going to Ben Douc. I recommend taking the public buses (they have air conditioning!) to Ben Douc for a more authentic experience without the crowds!
Logistics:
Time: 6-8 hours
Total Cost:$5.15 USD
Bus – 32,000 dong roundtrip ($1.37 USD)
Entrance fee – 90,000 dong ($3.78 USD)
Bus Route to Ben Douc Tunnel
First, take Bus 13 from Ho Chi Minh (Cong Vien 23/9 bus terminal in District 1). This station is just past the September 23rd park. It’s large so you can’t miss it so keep walking if you don’t see it yet. Here’s the address on Google Maps: 210Bis/, 7 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam.
Take the bus to the end of the line, which is the suburban district of Cu Chi. Depending on traffic, it can take 1.5-2 hours. (Cost: 10,000 dong each way)
From Cu Chi, take Bus 79. Ask the driver to let you off at Ben Douc. (There will likely be a few other travelers on the bus so you won’t be alone. Plus, the driver knows that’s where all the foreigners are going.) This takes about 30-45 minutes. (Cost: 6,000 dong each way.)
Both buses had air conditioning! The total cost of both buses was $1.37 USD.
From the bus stop, follow the signs to the entrance. You’ll have to walk a little further to where the tour starts. The entrance fee is 90,000 dong ($3.78 USD). This is a really short walk – 10 minutes or so.
Ben Douc Tour Information
We did an English tour, and there were about 10 people on our tour. The tour follows a trail through the woods so it’s an easy walk to the different tunnels and displays. First, they show you a propaganda video. There’s a lot of displays of the traps and models of how various rooms were used in the tunnels. The first tunnel is really short but worth doing. There’s a few other tunnels you can go through and a 30 meter long one at the end. If you’re claustrophobic, avoid the long one. The tunnels are tight – you’re hunched over most of the time. My backpack was in the way a bit, but the guide said not to leave it outside for safety reasons.
There’s a few small shops by the bus stops and a restaurant by the entrance. (Bring water and snacks with you since prices are higher here!) There’s technically two roads into the entrance. We got dropped off at the farther entrance and walked back to the lower entrance. (See map at bottom of post.) There’s several old helicopters and tanks near this entrance on display. We only waited about 10 minutes for the return bus. I heard the last bus was around 7 p.m. but can’t verify that. Be sure to ask when you get off the bus!
How long does the trip take?
We left about 10 a.m. and got back around 5-6 p.m. We got stuck in the worst traffic I’ve ever seen in my life on our way back. We sat still for about 30-45 minutes. We thought about walking but motorbikes were driving on the sidewalk so there was no point in trying to walk! (Check out the video in my Instagram story on Vietnam to see it!) I’d recommend going earlier in the day and getting back earlier.
Overall, it was one of the best days I had in Vietnam. It was great way to escape the chaos of HMC and avoid the mainstream tourist trail. It felt like a much more authentic visit. Plus, the bus was fun and a great way to see the area!
Download Offline Maps
I recommend downloading the free Maps.me app and saving the Vietnam map offline. I marked the Ben Douc tunnels on the map and followed our route so I knew when to get off. As long as you load the map BEFORE you start the trip, then it will still update even if you don’t have service. (The driver made sure to tell us where to get off. You won’t miss the stop even if you don’t have it on your phone because the driver’s are looking out for you!)
For more information about Vietnam, check out my guide to Vietnam:
Other location guides are available here!
