I visited Cu Chi Tunnels as part of my 7-day trip in Vietnam, and booked this experience via Klook. As part of the experience, I also visited the Mekong Delta after as well.

The tour also includes a visit to Handicapped Handicrafts, a lacquer painting shop. At the end of the day, we also got to visit a local coconut sweet workshop and soaked in the atmosphere of local Vietnamese folk music performance.

Overview

Củ Chi tunnels - An extensive network of interconnected tunnels that are part of a larger underground system throughout the country. These tunnels played a crucial role during the Vietnam War, serving as hiding places for Viet Cong soldiers during combat and enabling the transportation of essential supplies such as food and weapons. The expansive and intricate layout of the tunnels posed significant challenges to American forces, countering the then increasing military presence from the Americans.

Handicapped Handicraft

The tour kicked off in the early hours of the morning, where the group met at 630AM in District 1 (The tour operator gives the exact location prior). We met our guide for the day and got on the bus which brought us on an hour-long journey to our first stop - Handicapped Handicraft. This factory cum shop holds a unique historical meaning as it featured handicrafts made by artists who were victims of Agent Orange from the Vietnam war.

As we stepped out of the bus, we were greeted by the workshop tour guide who brought us through the factory, where we got a chance to see the artists in action intricately doing lacquer painting.

We then entered the shop where we could purchase the products made by the artists, and spent around 15 mins admiring the work that was on sale before heading back up the tour bus. I was intrigued at some of the work produced - Here are some of my favourites:

Cu Chi Tunnels

A bus ride later and I arrived at Cu Chi Tunnels.

The entrance fee costs around VND 125,000 per person, but since I was with a tour, it was already covered. If not, tickets can easily be purchased at the info counter situated at the entrance. Parking lots are widely available too if you're driving or riding. Since the experience is mostly outdoors, I suggest preparing sunscreen and lots of water in advance.

The whole tour was an immersive one, and gives you the experience first hand of what life in Cu Chi tunnels looked like in the past. We got to see different kind of booby traps employed by the Viet Cong to deter American forces - Some are grossly ingenious, designed not to kill immediately but instead lead the victim to a slow and painful death. The idea, as we learnt, was to slow the enemies down as they try to cover distance with more and more casualties.

Above are 2 of many traps, featuring a floor booby trap that causes its victim to fall through and getting impaled by a cluster of sharpened punji sticks waiting below. The other shows a rolling trap which is designed to pierce a victim as he falls through the trap, leaving a bloody mess.

As the tour went on, we got the chance to take turns 'entering' the tunnels the way the Viet Cong did in the past, and were even taught how to camouflage ourselves while doing so! As you ease yourself down into the opening, hold the cover steady above your head so the leaves don't fall off. If done correctly, the entrance door will be nearly undetectable.
The way down was narrow enough such that I had to be careful not to knock my head against the sides. The design of it the narrow passageways in the Cu Chi tunnels were also a strategic decision to make it harder for the American soldiers who were naturally bulkier to manoeuvre inside the tunnels.

We were also introduced to the actual Cu Chi Tunnel network, where a portion of it is preserved for tourists. We got a chance to tour the inside of Cu Chi tunnel. This minute-long tour was tiring, because the only way to get through is to bend low and duck walk across since there is physically not enough space to stand or even straighten your legs. Here's what I mean -

The tour concluded with an opportunity to do firing at the shooting range. It’s totally optional and does come at a cost - You pay an amount based on the number of bullets you intend to shoot. If you opt out, you can chill by the cafe beside the firing range and grab a bite. Be warned - Without ear plugs, the sound of firing can be deafening for some. Bring earplugs or move to a separate location if you feel it’s too much. If you do decide to participate, there’s a range of arms available for choice, from a handgun to an automatic rifle to the heavy machine gun (no sniper rifles!). I went with the AK-47 because I wanted to get a taste of the powerful gun’s high recoil.

There’ll be an instructor at each lane who sets up everything for you (like loading the magazine and cocking the gun). After fitting on the ear muffs, all you gotta do now is pull the trigger. I wouldn’t describe this as a full shooting experience since every gun is secured to the ledge, so you can’t lift it off the platform and get a real shooting experience - Though it’s understandable to ensure the safety of participants.

And that's a wrap for a tour around the Cu Chi Tunnels. You can end your journey here or if you're here as part of the Klook activity, it's time to move on to the Mekong Delta.