Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Full Day Tour
Morning underground in the tunnels that helped change the course of a war. Afternoon inside the halls where that war was decided. One day, two sides of the same story.
This Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City full day tour follows a straightforward route: Cu Chi in the morning, an included Vietnamese lunch, and two major historical visits in the afternoon. You travel with your own party, an English-speaking guide and a vehicle suited to your group size, whether you are a solo traveler or a group of up to 12.
Suntrail’s private tour suits travelers who have one day for history and want enough context to understand what they see. We confirm your individual pickup time before departure and return you to your agreed drop-off point at the end of the day.
For many visitors, this is the most complete way to understand the war years in a single day departing from Ho Chi Minh City: you see where the fighting was hidden underground, then where it officially ended, with one licensed guide connecting the two stories for you.
- Licensed International Tour Operator
- Travel insurance for 100% of guests
- Licensed English-speaking guides
- 80+ Google reviews
- Private vehicle for your party
RouteHo Chi Minh City → Cu Chi Tunnels → Independence Palace → War Remnants Museum → Ho Chi Minh City
DurationFull day, approximately 07:30 to 17:00–18:00
StylePrivate tour for 1 to 12 guests
Best forFirst-time visitors, history lovers, and travelers who want tunnels and city history in one day
PriceFrom US$52 per adult (10–12 guests). Private from US$79 (up to 4 guests) · lunch included
The moment you’ll rememberStepping out of a tunnel built to hide an army, then standing in the palace where the war for that army officially ended
- Private tour with your own air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off, or start and finish at Suntrail Gallery
- Lunch and entrance fees included, plus complimentary coffee or tea at Suntrail Gallery
- Travel insurance included for every guest on the tour
Why Choose a Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Full Day Tour?
Most travelers who come to Saigon want to understand the war that shaped modern Vietnam. The problem is that the story is split across two places: the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 60–70 km northwest of the city centre, and the palace and museums in the middle of the city. Seen on different days, with different guides, the two halves rarely connect.
A Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City full day tour puts them in order. In the morning you see the war from the ground, through the eyes of the people who lived and fought in the tunnels. In the afternoon you see it from the top, in the rooms where decisions were made and where the war finally ended in April 1975.
Because the tour is private, your guide can spend more time on the parts your group finds most interesting, and the day moves at a pace that suits you rather than a coach timetable.
Suggested Itinerary
A full, well-paced day with an early start and a late-afternoon return. Finish times below include extra time for Saigon traffic, so you can plan your evening without worrying.
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Hotel pickup at your confirmed time
Your guide meets you at your hotel, or at Suntrail Gallery if you prefer to start there.
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Drive to Cu Chi and explore the tunnel system with your guide
Forest paths, hidden trapdoors, bunkers and a short tunnel section you can enter if you wish.
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Included Vietnamese lunch on the way back toward the city
A proper sit-down meal and a chance to rest before the afternoon visits.
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Visit Independence Palace, then the War Remnants Museum, with an optional photo stop at Notre Dame Cathedral or the Central Post Office
Photo stops near the cathedral and post office are from the outside and depend on time and access on the day.
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Return to your hotel or agreed drop-off point
Or finish at Suntrail Gallery with complimentary Vietnamese coffee or tea and souvenir photos.
Exact timing depends on your pickup location and traffic conditions on the day.
What You Will See
On a Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City full day tour, you visit three of the most important historical sites in southern Vietnam, in the order that makes the story easiest to follow.
- 3 sitesCu Chi Tunnels, Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum
- ~10 hrspickup 07:30–08:00, back around 17:00–18:00
- 1 luncha sit-down Vietnamese meal, included in the price
- 100%of guests covered by Suntrail’s travel insurance
Cu Chi Tunnels
Your guide walks you through the tunnel network that once hid fighters, kitchens and field hospitals just beneath the ground you’re standing on. You’ll see how the tunnels were built, crawl through a section yourself if you choose, and understand why this small stretch of countryside became so important.
Going underground is always optional. You can stay above ground and still see the camouflaged entrances, the bunkers and the displays in the forest.
Independence Palace
Once the residence and command center of the President of South Vietnam, Independence Palace is preserved almost exactly as it stood on the day the war ended. Walk through the war rooms, reception halls and rooftop, and see the tank photographed crashing through its front gate.
War Remnants Museum
One of the most visited museums in Ho Chi Minh City, this stop puts faces, photographs and personal stories alongside the history you saw that morning at Cu Chi. It’s a direct, sometimes difficult, and always memorable counterpoint to the tunnels.
Optional photo stops
When time and access allow, your guide can add short exterior photo stops near Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, two landmarks a few minutes from the palace.
Optional shooting range
Some guests choose to try the shooting range at Cu Chi. It is optional and paid separately at the site.
A hidden tunnel entrance
Forest camp at Cu Chi
Wartime aircraft on display
Artillery display
Your private vehicle and guidePhotos taken on Suntrail tours from Ho Chi Minh City. Tap any photo to see it larger.
French Colonial Landmarks in Central Ho Chi Minh City
The palace and the museum sit in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, an area known for its French colonial architecture. Nearby landmarks include the Saigon Opera House and the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, housed in the former Gia Long Palace.
Cu Chi and the City: Two Halves of One Story
Morning: Cu Chi Tunnels
- A preserved tunnel site in the forest northwest of the city
- Trapdoors, bunkers and short tunnel sections opened for visitors
- How families cooked, slept and stayed safe underground
Afternoon: central Ho Chi Minh City
- Independence Palace, where the war officially ended in 1975
- The War Remnants Museum and its personal stories
- French colonial streets around the palace
Cu Chi has two preserved tunnel sites, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. If you have a preference, mention it when you book on WhatsApp and we will confirm what works best for your date and group. Read Cu Chi Tunnel Ben Dinh: What to Expect Before You Go to learn more.
A Private Tour for Your Group
This tour is private for your party only — from a solo traveler up to a group of 12. The larger your group, the lower the price per person.
| Guests | Vehicle | Price per adult |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (solo) | 7-seat car | US$175 |
| 2 | 7-seat car | US$103 |
| 3–4 | 7-seat car | US$79 Private |
| 5–6 | 16-seat van | US$65 |
| 7–9 | 16-seat van | US$53 |
| 10–12 | 16-seat van | US$52 From |
| 13–20 | 29-seat vehicle | US$46 |
| 21–30 | 35-seat vehicle | US$42 |
| 31–40 | 45-seat vehicle | US$40 |
Prices are per adult, not per vehicle. For groups larger than 12, please see our full price list or contact us for a quotation.
Groups of 13 to 40 guests still travel together as one private party, in a larger vehicle with the same route and inclusions. Prices match our full day tour prices from Ho Chi Minh City. Schools, companies and travel agents can ask for a formal quotation, and if you prefer to pay in Vietnamese dong, we confirm the VND amount before you book.
What’s Included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup & drop-off
- English-speaking guide for the full day
- All entrance fees (Cu Chi, Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum)
- Vietnamese lunch
- Bottled water
- Travel insurance
- Complimentary coffee or tea and souvenir photos when you start or finish at Suntrail Gallery
Not included
- Personal expenses
- Tips
- Shooting range fees
- Additional drinks
Pickup, Drop-Off and Suntrail Gallery
We confirm your exact pickup time and location before departure, based on your hotel or address in Ho Chi Minh City. At the end of the day, we return you to your agreed drop-off point. Throughout the tour, your guide is happy to take photos for you at each stop — from the tunnels to the palace gates.
- Start or finish at Suntrail Gallery
- Complimentary coffee or tea
- Souvenir photos with hand-painted conical hats
Prefer not to wait at your hotel? You can also start or finish your private tour at Suntrail Gallery, our creative space in Ho Chi Minh City. Guests who stop by the gallery can relax with complimentary Vietnamese coffee or tea and take souvenir photos among hand-painted conical hats. Browsing our handmade Vietnamese gifts is entirely optional.
Suntrail Gallery: TK26/40-41 Nguyễn Cảnh Chân, Phường Cầu Ông Lãnh, Ho Chi Minh City · Get directions
A Licensed and Insured Tour Operator
Suntrail is operated by CÔNG TY TNHH SUNTRAIL, holder of International Tour Operator License No. 79-2714/2026/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT. Every guest registered on a Suntrail tour is covered by travel insurance, and every day tour is led by a licensed English-speaking guide.
On a history-focused day like this one, that matters: you spend the morning in a forest site outside the city and the afternoon in busy central Ho Chi Minh City, and you can relax knowing your guide, vehicle and cover are all arranged properly.
How Suntrail Compares with Many Cu Chi and City Tours
Many combined tours
- Shared coaches and a fixed, rushed timetable
- Entrance fees or lunch charged on the day
- Little context between the tunnels and the city sites
- Insurance and licence details hard to find
Suntrail Cu Chi Tunnels and city tour
- Private vehicle sized to your party, from 1 to 40 guests
- All entrance fees and Vietnamese lunch included
- One guide links the morning and afternoon stories
- Licensed international tour operator, 100% of guests insured
Is This Tour Right for You?
This full day tour suits travelers who want to cover Cu Chi Tunnels and the city’s most important historical sites in a single, well-organized day, without arranging separate transport or tickets themselves.
If you’d rather split the experience across two shorter visits, or want more time at each stop, consider our half-day Cu Chi Tunnels Tour or the Cu Chi and Mekong Full Day Tour, which pairs the tunnels with the Mekong Delta instead of the city sights.
Cu Chi Tunnels only
A half day of wartime history, back in the city by mid-afternoon. From US$30 per adult. See the Cu Chi Tunnels tour from Ho Chi Minh City
Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta
Tunnels in the morning, boats and canals in the afternoon. From US$59 per adult. See the Cu Chi and Mekong full day tour
Cu Chi and the city
Tunnels, Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum in one day, with lunch and entrance fees included. From US$52 per adult.
First-time visitors
If this is your first trip to Vietnam, this tour gives you the background that makes the rest of your journey easier to understand.
History lovers
Three key sites in one day, with a guide who can go deeper on the questions you care about most.
Families and small groups
A private vehicle and flexible pace make the day easier with children, older guests or friends travelling together.
Short stays and layovers
Only one free day in Saigon? This route covers the city’s essential history without planning separate trips.
Before You Go
This tour moves between a forest site and air-conditioned city buildings, so a little preparation helps. These are the tips our guides share most often.
Comfortable shoes
Closed shoes or sturdy sandals with good grip work for the forest paths at Cu Chi and the long corridors of the palace.
Respectful clothing
Light clothing that covers shoulders and knees is a good choice for the palace and museum, and keeps the sun off at Cu Chi.
Sun and heat
Bring sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. It is hot in the forest, so drink water through the morning.
Insects
The Cu Chi forest can have mosquitoes. A small bottle of insect repellent helps.
Cash for small extras
Carry some Vietnamese dong for the optional shooting range, extra drinks, souvenirs and tips if you wish.
Rainy season
The tour runs year-round. From May to November, showers are usually short, and the afternoon visits are indoors.
Popular Travel Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this tour private, or will I be grouped with other travelers?
Is lunch included?
Can I visit Cu Chi Tunnels in the afternoon instead of the morning?
What if my group is larger than 12 guests?
How much is the Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City tour?
How long is the tour?
Can I start or finish at Suntrail Gallery instead of my hotel?
Is the shooting range at Cu Chi included?
Is this tour suitable for families with children?
Is travel insurance included?
Do I have to go inside the tunnels?
Will we visit Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc?
Can I request vegetarian food or other dietary needs?
Can I do this tour in the rainy season?
Plan Your Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City Tour Today
One day, two essential sides of Vietnam’s history. Tell us your travel date and group size, and we’ll confirm your private tour.
Send us your hotel area on WhatsApp and we will reply with your pickup time and the price for your group, so you can book your Cu Chi Tunnels and Ho Chi Minh City full day tour in a few minutes.
