Hotels near Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of underground passages dug by Viet Cong fighters between the 1940s and the end of the Vietnam War. At their fullest extent the system ran for around 250 km, linking living quarters, field hospitals, kitchens, weapons workshops and command posts. Two sections are open to visitors. Ben Dinh, the closer of the two, receives most of the group traffic; Ben Duoc, some 15 km further on, is larger, quieter and visited more by Vietnamese families.

Guides demonstrate the camouflaged trapdoors and the bamboo traps used across the district, and one preserved stretch of tunnel has been widened so visitors can crawl through 20 to 100 metres of it. The passages are hot, unlit in places and genuinely tight. Entry to either site costs 125,000 VND (about 4.50 EUR). A firing range operates within the complex and charges separately per round, so the sound of gunfire carries across the grounds for most of the day.

Pro Tip: Book a morning departure and choose Ben Duoc if your schedule allows. Ben Dinh takes most of the coach tours before 11:00, while Ben Duoc stays quiet and its tunnel sections have been altered less. Wear clothes you do not mind staining with red clay, and skip the crawl if you are claustrophobic - there is no side exit once you are inside.