Cu Chi Tunnels Private Tour by Speedboat from Ho Chi Minh

5.00

(36 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The morning air felt a bit cooler as we hopped onto the speedboat at 8:30 AM, leaving the city’s buzz behind. Gliding up the Saigon River, I caught glimpses of fishermen casting nets and kids waving from the banks—a side of Ho Chi Minh you don’t see from a taxi. Our guide, Linh, pointed out old French villas tucked between modern buildings before the skyline faded into green countryside.

Arriving at Cu Chi, there’s this quiet hum—cicadas and distant chatter—before you step into history. We watched a short documentary (only shown here), then Linh led us to the tunnels themselves. Crawling inside was honestly tighter than I expected; you can feel how tough life must’ve been down there. The underground rooms—meeting spots, makeshift hospitals—still smell faintly earthy and cool. There’s even a kitchen where they hid smoke using clever vents (the Hoang Cam kitchen). Outside, bomb craters dot the ground and there’s a display of old traps and rifles. If you’re up for it, you can fire an AK-47 at the range (extra fee). Before heading back, we tried boiled tapioca—the same food eaten during the war—and sat down for a proper Vietnamese lunch overlooking the river. The ride home felt quicker somehow, maybe because we were full and sun-warmed.