Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
Ho Chi Minh City has been the site of a huge amount of change over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, defined by French colonialism and civil war. On this Ho Chi Minh City Tour and Cu Chi Tunnels, we will peel back the history of Vietnam’s current second city and the capital of the south during the war.
We spend the first half of the tour in the city itself, learning of the fall of Saigon and the rise of Ho Chi Minh City. This is done at two important sites of French colonialism and two sites where we can gain a much better understanding of the Vietnam War and its end here on the 30th of April, 1975. Following this, we move onto the Cu Chi Tunnels, where we can head below the jungle floor and discover this incredible piece of wartime engineering, as well as the vital role it played in declaring victory for the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese.
Activities: Discover the biggest sites in Ho Chi Minh City before lunch, followed by the drive to Cu Chi Tunnels and exploration underground.
We await the pick-up from the guide and driver, who will arrive at your hotel lobby at around 8:00 am. From here, we will set out into the center of Saigon to begin our full-day Ho Chi Minh City tour including the Cu Chi Tunnels.
We begin at the Reunification Palace, which in the past has been called the Independence Palace and Nordom Palace. The site’s various names mark some of the biggest turning points in Vietnamese history, including the overthrowing of the French colonists and the reunification of the country at the end of the Vietnam War. The latter event happened directly at the palace’s gates, when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through in 1975, reunifying the country and bringing about the name ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ to replace ‘Saigon’.
After this, we make our way down Le Duan Road and end up in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral, built in beautiful and vibrant French colonial style during the 19th century. We have a look around here before moving onto the Saigon Central Post Office to see the more symmetrical and vivid architecture, standing out against the Vietnamese buildings around it and marking French occupation of the city over the 19th and 20th centuries.
We sit down for lunch in a local restaurant, ending our Ho Chi Minh City tour. The Cu Chi Tunnels are our next destination, so we board the bus and head to the northwest of the city, where we find the incredible tunnels snaking for a staggering 250km below the jungle floor. Take in the information from our short introduction to the tunnels before we climb down and have a look around. The tunnels were once cramped, dark, wet and the home of many venomous animals, making life down here incredibly difficult for the Viet Cong troops. The tunnels have been enlarged and made totally safe for tourism since then, so we will spend a while walking around here and learning of the actions of the Viet Cong in their underground hospitals, weapons storages and command centres.
Following this, we head out of the tunnels and explore the jungle explore itself, which is littered with ex-trap doors and entrance holes, presenting quite a challenge to find as they are so well-camouflaged. We end our time in Cu Chi with a special snack of green tea and cassava, a popular entry-boosting meal for soldiers during the war.
We end the tour in Ho Chi Minh City, where we will arrive and drop you back at your hotel in the late afternoon.
This will signal the end of our Ho Chi Minh City tour with Cu Chi Tunnels. We are very happy to have served you and we wish you well on the rest of your holiday throughout Vietnam!
See other Vietnam Group Tours for your holiday to Vietnam.
Meals: Lunch
Activities: Discover the biggest sites in Ho Chi Minh City before lunch, followed by the drive to Cu Chi Tunnels and exploration underground.
We await the pick-up from the guide and driver, who will arrive at your hotel lobby at around 8:00 am. From here, we will set out into the center of Saigon to begin our full-day Ho Chi Minh City tour including the Cu Chi Tunnels.
We begin at the Reunification Palace, which in the past has been called the Independence Palace and Nordom Palace. The site’s various names mark some of the biggest turning points in Vietnamese history, including the overthrowing of the French colonists and the reunification of the country at the end of the Vietnam War. The latter event happened directly at the palace’s gates, when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through in 1975, reunifying the country and bringing about the name ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ to replace ‘Saigon’.
After this, we make our way down Le Duan Road and end up in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral, built in beautiful and vibrant French colonial style during the 19th century. We have a look around here before moving onto the Saigon Central Post Office to see the more symmetrical and vivid architecture, standing out against the Vietnamese buildings around it and marking French occupation of the city over the 19th and 20th centuries.
We sit down for lunch in a local restaurant, ending our Ho Chi Minh City tour. The Cu Chi Tunnels are our next destination, so we board the bus and head to the northwest of the city, where we find the incredible tunnels snaking for a staggering 250km below the jungle floor. Take in the information from our short introduction to the tunnels before we climb down and have a look around. The tunnels were once cramped, dark, wet and the home of many venomous animals, making life down here incredibly difficult for the Viet Cong troops. The tunnels have been enlarged and made totally safe for tourism since then, so we will spend a while walking around here and learning of the actions of the Viet Cong in their underground hospitals, weapons storages and command centres.
Following this, we head out of the tunnels and explore the jungle explore itself, which is littered with ex-trap doors and entrance holes, presenting quite a challenge to find as they are so well-camouflaged. We end our time in Cu Chi with a special snack of green tea and cassava, a popular entry-boosting meal for soldiers during the war.
We end the tour in Ho Chi Minh City, where we will arrive and drop you back at your hotel in the late afternoon.
This will signal the end of our Ho Chi Minh City tour with Cu Chi Tunnels. We are very happy to have served you and we wish you well on the rest of your holiday throughout Vietnam!
See other Vietnam Group Tours for your holiday to Vietnam.
Meals: Lunch
| Destinations | 3 Star Class | 4 Star Class | 5 Star Class |
|---|
Taking the comfortable transit across the beautiful Red River Delta in an air-conditioned bus
Cruising around Halong Bay for 4-hours, absorbing the natural splendour on display at every turn
Eating a delicious local lunch served in full view of the verdant limestone mountains
Taking the private transfer to Ninh Binh across the splendid and ancient Red River Delta
Climbing to the peak of Hang Mua, a mountain offering the most beautiful views of Ninh Binh
Having a fantastic and filling lunch of regional and Vietnamese cuisines
Exploring Vietnamese wartime history around the many attractions of Ba Dinh Square
Stepping back 1000 years with the beautiful architecture and gardens at the Temple of Literature
Selecting and exploring a museum, understanding more about Vietnam along the way
Absorbing the green majesty of Ninh Binh in its mountains, rivers, rice paddies and wild jungle
Riding along the placid Ngo Dong River in Tam Coc, a serene alternative to the traffic of Hanoi
Having the freedom of choice between a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda or a cycle around Tam Coc
Enjoying the beautifully scenic ride between Hanoi and Mai Chau, with photo stops on the way
Having lunch in a highly traditional stilt house belonging to a family of the Thai ethnic group
Cycling along quaint paths and enjoying the explosion of colour and beauty on panoramic display
Taking the scenic drive through beautiful Ninh Binh to arrive in its tropical national park
Walking around a monkey rescue centre and seeing many different and protected species
Having a local lunch in a traditional stilt house, with a view onto the natural beauty of the park
