Should you visit Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc at Cu Chi, what does it cost, and how do you get there from Ho Chi Minh City?

Which of the two to choose

Ben Dinh if you are short on time, want a structured tour with hotel pickup, or are travelling with people who want the easy version. The tunnels here have been widened and concreted so that international visitors can physically get through them, which is either considerate or inauthentic depending on your view.

Ben Duoc if you want the historical site rather than the attraction. The tunnel network is far larger, much of the original structure is preserved, and there is a striking memorial temple to fallen soldiers. Standard cheap group tours rarely go here — you need a private tour, a Grab, or public transport.

Our view: Ben Duoc is worth the extra hour each way. The difference in atmosphere is not subtle.

What it costs

Independent entry: about 135,000 VND (≈ $5.2) per foreign visitor, usually split as roughly 35,000 VND (≈ $1.4) admission plus a 100,000 VND (≈ $3.9) visitor service fee. There is no way around the service element.

Group tours (usually Ben Dinh): $15 to $35 per person for a half day, typically including air-conditioned transport, District 1 hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide and entry.

Private tours (either site): $50 to $135+ per person depending on group size and vehicle.

Speedboat tours: $60 to $100+, running up the Saigon river to avoid the highway traffic.

Extras: firing live ammunition at the shooting range costs around 50,000 to 60,000 VND (≈ $1.9–2.3) per bullet, usually with a minimum purchase of about ten. Tapioca and tea inside the site are free.

Getting there on your own

Grab or taxi: about 250,000 to 350,000 VND (≈ $9.7–13.6) one way to either site. For Ben Duoc, negotiate a round trip with waiting time — roughly 600,000 to 800,000 VND (≈ $23–31) total — because getting a return car from there can take a long time.

Public bus (cheapest, slowest): from the District 1 depot near 23/9 Park take bus 13 or 94 to An Suong bus station in District 12, then bus 79 all the way to Ben Duoc. Total fare around 32,000 VND (≈ $1.2) return, and about 2.5 hours each way. Five hours of travel for a five-dollar saving; do it for the experience, not the efficiency.

Organised tour: the most common choice, and honestly reasonable if you are time-limited. Just check which site the tour goes to before booking — that is the detail operators do not lead with.

We visited from Ho Chi Minh City in May 2023, at the end of a month going north to south, and hired a car for the day rather than joining a group.

Practical notes

The tunnels are hot, humid and very confined. Anyone with claustrophobia should stay above ground — there are surface exhibits and the forested site itself, which is worth walking regardless.

Wear shoes you can crouch and crawl in. The tunnel sections you can enter involve bending double, and the exit hatches are small.

Go early. The sites open in the morning, and Ben Dinh in particular becomes a convoy of minibuses from about 10:00. Ben Duoc is quieter but not empty by midday.

The site is a war memorial as well as a tourist attraction. Read the panels, and expect the presentation to be from the Vietnamese perspective — that is the point of going, and it is more interesting than a neutral account would be.

Frequently asked questions