Guide to Cu Chi Tunnels: Experience Real Gunfire, Living Underground

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, cultural and historical discovery tours in Ho Chi Minh City have received much attention from tourists. Among them, the historical site of Cu Chi Tunnels (Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City) is a very popular destination.

In recent days, when the movie Tunnels: Sun in the Dark by director Bui Thac Chuyen became a hit in theaters, this place has received even more attention.

Foreign tourists enjoy crawling into the Cu Chi Tunnels (Photo: Jessiecarr, Patricio Parodi).

About 70km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels are known as a unique relic of the defense system during wartime. This is a work of sophisticated design, with passageways, meeting rooms, weapons storage and living bunkers arranged right underground.

Every detail in the tunnels was carefully calculated to be able to deal with surprise attacks from the enemy. After the war, Cu Chi Tunnels became a national historical relic.

Move

If you do not want to explore on a tour of a travel agency, visitors can proactively travel to Cu Chi Tunnels by motorbike, car or bus.

If traveling by private car, from the city center, visitors can follow the route Cach Mang Thang 8 - Truong Chinh, then join Highway 22 towards Cu Chi. This route is suitable for groups of friends traveling together because the road is wide, there are many stops, there are gas stations and cafes along the way.

Today, Cu Chi Tunnels has many interesting experiences that attract tourists (Photo: PN).

If you want to combine experiencing the countryside and discovering more about the lives of people in the suburbs, visitors can choose to take the Quang Trung - To Ky route to Hoc Mon and then turn onto Provincial Road 15 to reach Cu Chi Tunnels.

No matter which route you choose, remember to fill up your tank, bring all your vehicle documents, and keep an eye on the weather to avoid rain. The estimated travel time is 1.5-2 hours.

If you choose to go by bus, take bus number 13 from Ben Thanh bus station to An Suong bus station, then transfer to bus number 79 to go to Cu Chi Tunnels Relic Site.

Experience tunneling and real gun shooting

Coming to Cu Chi Tunnels, visitors will be introduced by tour guides about the resistance process of the Vietnamese people, the clever strategies of our people and especially the complex tunnel system, about 250km long underground, dug entirely by human power in the situation of "bombs falling and stray bullets".

This is also an opportunity for visitors to witness with their own eyes traps such as spike pits, automatic spike covers... along with many valuable historical artifacts such as guns used by our army during the resistance war, tanks, fighter planes...

Foreign visitors gather to listen to an introduction to the types of traps used during the resistance war (Photo: Moc Khai).

One of the most popular activities for tourists visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels is tunnel crawling. Currently, only a few sections of the tunnels are open to visitors.

If this is your first time visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels, you can choose to experience crawling a short distance in the tunnel, about 10m, 20m... These tunnels have been widened compared to before and are lit throughout for visitors to move around conveniently.

In particular, some tunnel covers are cleverly camouflaged by layers of dry leaves, surprising and exciting visitors. Many domestic and foreign visitors do not miss the opportunity to take photos and videos to record unique experiences in the tunnels.

Tourists experience tunnel crawling (Photo: Moc Khai).

In addition, Cu Chi Tunnels also has many special activities such as shooting, fighting... When using these services, visitors are equipped with armor, masks and are given careful and enthusiastic instructions.

Here, visitors can shoot defense sports guns with the following types of ammunition: AK47, M16, Carbine, Garand, M60, M30, M1, K54. In addition, you can also participate in paintball battles. This activity, in addition to its relaxing purpose, also helps players improve their judgment, team coordination and physical fitness.

Visitors shoot real guns at Cu Chi Tunnels (Photo: Document).

To participate in this activity, visitors will have to pay 250,000 VND/person for the cost of the prescribed costumes, the battlefield, the referee and 50 bullets loaded into the gun. Each battle will last about 60 minutes.

A piece of advice for tourists, if you plan to participate in shooting and fighting, you should go to the tunnels early to have more time to experience.

Expense

According to information from the relic site, the two main tourist areas at Cu Chi Tunnels, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc, both have attractive services to serve tourists.

Stories and images of the old Cu Chi Tunnels moved many people (Photo: Moc Khai).

The cost of visiting the relics at Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc is 35,000 VND/trip. If you want to visit the liberated zone reenactment area at Ben Duoc, you need to buy a ticket for 85,000 VND/trip. If you want a guide and service (for foreign visitors), you can pay an additional 90,000 VND/trip.

Coming here, in addition to learning about history, visitors can also participate in thrilling games such as zipline (pulley swing suspended on a cable), rowing basket boats, kayaking, inflatable boats, tandem water cycling, recreational fishing... The games have ticket prices ranging from 30,000 VND to 249,000 VND/turn.

Foreign tourists are excited after experiencing going underground (Photo: Moc Khai).

Right in the tunnel area, visitors can also rent tents to rest and avoid the sun at prices ranging from 100,000 VND to 320,000 VND/tent (each tent can accommodate 2 to 4 people).

In the liberated zone recreation area at Ben Duoc, visitors can also experience fishing. The fish caught by visitors can be processed and enjoyed immediately. If you are traveling in a group or with a large family and want to have lunch, you can contact the restaurant in the relic site to pre-order a meal.

Note when visiting

At the end of the Cu Chi Tunnels tour, visitors can stop by souvenir stalls to choose gifts meticulously made from bullet casings such as ballpoint pens, necklaces or sandals made from old tires and handicrafts made from bamboo and leaves typical of Cu Chi land.

Visitors should also not forget to enjoy cassava cooked with sesame salt and leaf water - rustic dishes associated with the old Cu Chi resistance area - right in the relic site.

In addition, Cu Chi is also famous for its dishes made from young beef. Visitors can stop by restaurants and garden eateries near the relic site to enjoy.

To make the trip go smoothly, visitors should wear comfortable, cool clothes and sneakers, avoid carrying too much weight that causes fatigue during the trip. In particular, visitors should apply sunscreen to protect the skin.

Cu Chi Tunnels are also suitable for nature lovers who enjoy tranquility (Photo: Moc Khai).

Almost everyone who comes to Cu Chi Tunnels wants to crawl into the tunnels at least once and explore the underground passages. However, visitors need to pay attention to their health. If you have any heart, respiratory or bone and joint diseases, you should consult a specialist before crawling into the tunnels.

In addition, because the tunnels are inherently narrow and have complex structures, people with claustrophobia should consider this.

To have the most profound experience when visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, visitors need to listen to the tour guide's sharing to better understand the resilience of the people of the "steel land" during wartime.

Foreign visitors attentively listen to the tour guide introduce the relic site (Photo: Moc Khai).

Coming to Cu Chi Tunnels, visitors will be able to capture many beautiful photos. However, they should comply with the regulations of not filming or taking photos at some locations. In particular, when coming here, visitors need to maintain public hygiene, avoid littering and spoiling the beauty of the place that preserves the heroic history of the nation.

According to many tourists, Ben Dinh area is closer to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, often crowded with groups of tourists. Meanwhile, Ben Duoc area is often less crowded, has a large space and many old features, suitable for those who like quiet, want to immerse themselves in nature.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/huong-dan-den-dia-dao-cu-chi-trai-nghiem-ban-sung-that-song-duoi-long-dat-20250413162404359.htm