Saigon – Cu Chi Tour (1 Day)

Detailed Itinerary for Sai Gon - Cu Chi Tour

• Duration: 1 day

• Location: Visit Independence Palace – Thien Hau Temple – Binh Tay Market & Explore Cu Chi Tunnels

MORNING – INDEPENDENCE PALACE - THIEN HAU TEMPLE - BINH TAY MARKET

08:00 – 08:30 AM: The bus and tour guide will pick you up at designated meeting points at hotels in the center of District 1 to start the Saigon - Cu Chi 1 Day Tour | Visit Independence Palace - Thien Hau Temple & Explore Cu Chi Tunnels “The Sun in the Darkness.”

The bus will take you to the first destination – Independence Palace. This remarkable historical site is one of the iconic landmarks of Ho Chi Minh City, featuring a harmonious blend of modern and traditional architecture.

As the residence and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the war, Independence Palace was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu. The palace is set within a 12-hectare complex and consists of more than 100 rooms decorated in various styles.

At the Palace, visitors will explore three main exhibition floors in the Permanent Area:

• First floor: Banquet Hall, Cabinet Meeting Room, and Grand Dining Room.

• Second floor: Map Room (National Security Council Meeting Room), President’s Office, Reception Rooms, Credential Presentation Room, Round Carpet, Stone Flower Curtains, etc.

• Third floor: Library, First Lady’s Reception Room, and Cinema Room.

In addition, the Palace grounds feature Special Exhibition Areas and Supplementary Sections displaying historical documents and images related to its formation and development. In 2009, Independence Palace was recognized as one of Vietnam’s first 10 Special National Monuments.

The journey continues with a visit to Thien Hau Temple, also known as Lady Temple in Cholon. It is considered one of the oldest Chinese temples in Saigon.

Built around 1760, Thien Hau Temple is dedicated to the worship of the Heavenly Queen (Thien Hau Thanh Mau) and showcases strong Chinese cultural influence. Here, you will admire the statue of Thien Hau carved from black wood, standing out in a serene and sacred atmosphere. In the central hall, you can also find one of the oldest ceremonial censers, with a history of over 130 years.

Beyond its artistic value in architecture and sculpture, Thien Hau Temple is also a sacred spiritual site where visitors light incense and pray for blessings.

Leaving Thien Hau Temple, the tour continues with a stroll through Cho Lon – Binh Tay Market, where you will witness the bustling trade activities between the Vietnamese and Chinese communities in Saigon. The vibrant pace, diverse goods, and lively exchanges paint a colorful cultural picture.

Noon: The bus and tour guide will take the group to a restaurant for lunch.

AFTERNOON – CU CHI TUNNELS

13:10 – 13:30: After lunch, we will continue the journey with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels.

15:00: After about 2 hours of travel, you will arrive at Ben Dinh Tunnels, the former base of the Cu Chi District Party Committee during the resistance war against the United States. This unique battlefield formation, recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Site in 2004, witnessed the fierce struggles of wartime.

The visit begins at the Weapon Exhibition Hall, where you will see American bombs and artillery alongside the guerrilla weapons once used by Cu Chi fighters.

Leaving the Weapon Hall, the group will continue through a tunnel approximately 100 meters long beneath Provincial Road 15 to reach the Film Screening Room.

15:15: At the Film Room, before moving into the main hall, the tour guide will introduce the underground tunnel structure using a cross-sectional map. Afterwards, you will watch a short documentary about the local guerrilla warfare and learn about the history, formation, and development of the Cu Chi tunnel system.

15:30: Continuing the exploration of Ben Dinh Tunnels, you will stop to visit and take photos at highlights such as: hidden trap doors, camouflaged bamboo spike traps, termite mound-shaped ventilation holes, trenches, bunkers, and guard posts.

A special highlight is the chance to see and take pictures with the legendary M41 Tank—an American tank destroyed by guerrilla mines in 1970, still resting in the forest as a powerful reminder of U.S. defeat in Cu Chi.

The journey continues with visits to the Trap Display Area, Engineering Workshop (featuring recycled weapons, homemade mines, blacksmithing), and a stop at the Souvenir Shop, where you can purchase unique items crafted from bullet casings such as oil lamps, lighters, pens, keychains, as well as lacquerware, fine handicrafts, and traditional Cu Chi bamboo, rattan, and leaf products.

After a short break, the tour moves on to the National Defense Sports Shooting Range, where you will have the chance to experience the thrilling activity of shooting real bullets.

Leaving the Shooting Range, you will visit the Anti-aircraft Bunker and the Guerrilla Life Display Area, which recreates daily life activities of local fighters such as rice milling, wine distillation, rice paper making, and even depictions of tunnel digging, helping visitors better understand the hardships of constructing the Cu Chi tunnel network.

Next, the guide will take you to the Rubber Sandal Making Area, where guerrillas crafted footwear from old tires during wartime. Here, you can observe the process and even buy a pair of these iconic sandals as a memorable souvenir.

The journey through Ben Dinh continues with a stop at the B52 Bomb Crater, a lasting scar of war left on the Cu Chi land. This site allows you to relive the heroic days of history.

Leaving the crater, you will proceed to explore the tunnel system itself with an authentic underground experience, visiting impressive chambers such as the Field Hospital and Meeting Room.

After the tunnel experience, the guide will lead you to the Hoang Cam Kitchen, a brilliant wartime invention used by guerrillas to conceal cooking smoke.

To conclude the tour, you will take a short break, wash your hands at a unique bamboo water system, and enjoy boiled cassava with peanut salt—the simple guerrilla meal of the past that has now become a Cu Chi specialty.

16:30 – 16:45: Farewell to Ben Dinh Tunnels, the bus and guide will bring you back to downtown Saigon.
18:30 – 19:00: Arrival in Saigon. The tour guide bids farewell and looks forward to welcoming you on future journeys.