Initially created by communist forces fighting the French in the 1940s, the Cu Chi tunnels were expanded to a network of some 150 miles during the Vietnam war. Viet Cong soldiers used them as shelters, transportation and communications routes, hospitals, and food and weapons caches. Today, the tunnels are the site of a museum. The tour begins with an introductory video, really a propaganda film from 1967, that is unabashedly anti-American (it celebrates a number of Viet Cong soldiers who won the award “American Killer-Hero”). There are exhibits showing what entrances to the tunnels looked like, how the Viet Cong disguised their air vents, traps that were set for enemy soldiers, American weaponry, bomb craters, and the tunnels themselves. Though the parts of the tunnels that visitors can enter have been slightly enlarged, they are still no more than about four feet tall; visitors have to bend at the waist to walk through them, and it’s easy to feel claustrophobic.
We arranged a tour of the tunnels with Handspan Travel, and they did a great job. They picked us up from our hotel in Saigon, showed us the tunnels, and brought us back to Saigon for lunch and a tour of the Independence Palace and War Remnants Museum. They’ll work with you to customize the tour to your preferences.