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Cu Chi Tunnels by Speedboat & Cao Dai Temple Tour

CU CHI TUNNELS CU CHI TUNNELS BY SPEEDBOAT & CAO DAI TEMPLE TOUR

  • Adult

    4,099,000 VND*
  • Child

    4-12 years old

    2,899,000 VND*
  • Infant

    0-3 years old

    Free of charge

Departure Time: 7 AM

Finish Time: 4 PM

This combined tour is designed to take you on a journey of discovery through two of the most popular destinations near Ho Chi Minh City. In just one day, you’ll explore the historic Cu Chi Tunnels and experience the fascinating Cao Dai Temple – the world’s youngest and most mysterious religion.

Your Les Rives tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and escort you to the Saigon Water Bus Station, where a modern speedboat awaits you. Relax as you enjoy a light breakfast on board, while cruising comfortably along the Saigon River and taking in the lively sights of riverbank life.

Your first stop is the Cu Chi Tunnels, a small but significant sample of the vast network of tunnels used during the US-Vietnam conflict. Your expert guide will lead you through the historic tunnels, dug by resourceful guerrilla fighters to provide communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches, and living quarters during numerous conflicts. You’ll learn about the incredible ingenuity and perseverance of the guerrilla fighters and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they faced.

Next, hop on a comfortable minivan and travel to Tay Ninh Province to visit the famous Cao Dai Holy Temple. This unique temple is a fascinating fusion of Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism, and a few other religions, and it boasts a stunningly ornate and colorful architecture. Learn about the temple’s organization and the unique Cao Dai religion, which espouses a philosophy of universal love and peace. Watch the noon mass, and soak in the tranquil atmosphere.

After an insightful and enriching day, enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch before the van brings you back to your hotel, with memories of an unforgettable Les Rives tour that blends history, culture, and adventure.

*Minimum 4 peopler per booking is required for this tour. If your group size is less than 4 people, kindly contact us to check for availability.

ITINERARY

Premium servicesAvailable in small group tourGuided by local experts Meal included (breakfast & lunch)Pick-up and drop-off included

7:00 am: Early in the morning, your guide will meet you at your hotel’s lobby and bring you by car to your boat at Saigon Water Bus Station.

7:20 am: Then you will depart Saigon by speedboat. Within 15 minutes, the banks of the river change from city sprawl to lush jungle. A light breakfast of sandwiches or pastries, fresh tropical fruits and Vietnamese iced coffee (Ca phe sua da) is served, as your guide explains rural traditions and aspects of riverbank life.

8:50 am: You will arrive at the Cu Chi Tunnels site before the majority of larger bus tours arrive. Watch a brief introductory ‘propaganda’ video to the Cu Chi area.

9:00 am: Explore the Cu Chi site, which includes weapon and booby trap exhibitions, navigating authentic Viet Cong tunnel, visiting different underground bunkers (kitchens, meeting rooms, ammunitions etc.), a firing range and much more. Try the local cassava root that sustained Viet Cong fighters for years.

11:00 am: Depart for Cao Dai Holy See Temple, a mixture of a few different religions, located in Tay Ninh province.

12:15 pm: Walk around the temple to see its marvelous and mysterious architecture and watch the noon mass.

1:15 pm: You will have lunch at a local restaurant for a delicious Vietnamese cuisine.

1:45 pm: Depart for Ho Chi Minh City

4:00 pm: Arrive back to Saigon to be dropped off at your place of stay.

Please note that due to the individual nature of the tours, times are approximate and can vary slightly.

Dress code: Proper wear is strongly recommended when visiting Cao Dai Temple and pagodas.

Inclusions: Light breakfast, lunch, unlimited refreshments and local fruit, English-speaking guide, all entrance fees, pickup and drop off at centrally located hotels.

Exclusions: Food and drinks (unless specified), gratuities (optional),  surcharge for halal meal options (if required).

Please note we only pickup and drop-off at hotel located in district 1 and district 3.

All transactions on our website are processed by Trekksoft. You can choose to use conversion rate of Trekksoft or of your credit card issuers. This option is displayed before checkout. Please check and choose the option which you find more advantageous. Les Rives will hold no accountability for currency conversion issues.

REVIEWS

PHOTOS

WHAT TO EXPECT

Explore the winding, underground passageways in your Cu Chi Tunnels tour

Cu Chi Tunnel Historical Site tour will include visiting an American weapons gallery, and later on even a bullet riddled tank. You will be shown a variety of ingenious and rather brutal booby traps used by the VC. And you’ll try to discover secret entrances hidden by fake termite mounds and other creative disguises.

You’ll learn everything from how the kitchens fed up to 10,000 fighters in the tunnels (and how they disguised the smoke), to how they defended the tunnels from American bombs and infiltrators. You’ll even see the huge crater formed by an American B52 bomber.

And of course, you’ll be able to explore the 1-metre high tunnels themselves. These tunnels have been enlarged slightly, but it can still be a pretty claustrophobic experience – imagine living down there for months! Fortunately, there are regular that allow you to exit easily if you wish. Original, unchanged tunnels can also be explored, although this is certainly not for the faint hearted!

At the end of the Cu Chi Tunnels tour, there is a firing range that allows you to fire real war-era weapons including the M66 and AK47.

Visit the Cao Dai Temple, a unique representation of the world’s youngest and the most fascinating religion

Cao Dai is a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, Catholicism and a few other religions. Founded in 1926 in 4 km east of Tay Ninh, the Cao Dai Temple, like the religion, is a fusion of world influences. The temple is charming in its colorful, mysterious, marvelous architecture.

As well as being a major center of pilgrimage, the Cao Dai temple is also one of Vietnam’s major tourist attractions.

Have any questions, comments, or requests? Feel free to contact us anytime by using live chat at the right corner or sending us a message.

CU CHI TUNNELS TOUR FAQ

How long does it take to get to Cu Chi Tunnels by speedboat?

It takes you approximately 1h15 to get to Cu Chi Tunnels by speedboat. Along the way, the boat will stop at some locations for our tour guide to give some insight about people life on Saigon River.

What happens in the case of bad weather?

In the event of bad weather or unsafe conditions, the tour may be rescheduled or canceled. We will notify you in advance and provide alternative options.

What should I bring with me on the speedboat tour?

We recommend bringing sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, comfortable clothing, and your camera! There are amazing photo opportunities both traveling to and from Cu Chi tunnel location and at the actual site itself. Don’t forget to bring any personal medication you may need.

Les Rives will provide insect repellent, waterproof ponchos and umbrellas.

I have claustrophobia. Will I be able to handle entering the tunnels?

The tunnels at Cu Chi have been enlarged, yet they can still be claustrophobic. But rest assure, our guides are trained to assist and support guests with claustrophobia. Please inform our guide about your condition, and they will provide guidance and reassurance throughout the tunnel exploration. If you prefer not to enter the tunnels, there are alternative activities available. You can explore the surrounding area, learn about the historical significance of the tunnels from outside.

Do I need to walk too much in the Cu Chi Tunnels?

The total distance that you will walk in Cu Chi Tunnels is about 600-700m. There also some stops along the way for you to rest.

Which tunnels do you visit in Cu Chi? Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc?

All of Les Rives’s Cu Chi Tunnels tours will take you to Ben Dinh, except for the Cu Chi Tunnels by Boat and Bicycle which will take you to Ben Duoc. However, upon requested for the private tour, we could take you to Ben Duoc.

Why does your price seem higher than some others?

We price all of our tours according to the value we provide. Most tour companies have hidden fees and don’t provide high quality services. When traveling with Les Rives , you won’t be reaching for your wallet as everything will be covered in the tour price (except for bullet fee in Cu Chi Tunnels). Each tour also helps out the local families we work with, who we also help out with sustainable business practices.

What languages do your tour guides speak?

Our tour guides are fluent in English. Please let us know your language preference in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate it, kindly note that there will be extra fees depends on which language your prefer.

How many people in one boat?

The maximum capacity of our speedboat is 20 people. However, we keep the group size maximum at 15 in order to ensure the safety and comfort for guests.

Where is the meeting point if my pickup location is not in district 1 or 3?

The meeting point will be the Saigon Water Bus Station, kindly open this link to get the direction to the meeting point.

How much is the shooting fee in Cu Chi Tunnels?

Guests will pay per bullet, it’s about 50000 VND per bullet ( approximately 2 USD) You will have around 15-20 min at the shooting range in Cu Chi Tunnels. Please note that the tour price does not include the shooting range fee.

Are you able to provide dietary requirements?

Yes we are able to do that. If you wish to have vegetarian food or some specific deitary requirements, do let us know in the booking form. For the Halal food, we will charge an extra $10 for 1 person.

  • Adult

    4,099,000 VND*
  • Child

    4-12 years old

    2,899,000 VND*
  • Infant

    0-3 years old

    Free of charge

* Includes mandatory Government Tax & Service Charge

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