War Is Hell: So Say the Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi District, Vietnam - December 2025
When we left Ho Chi Minh City to drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn’t read anything about the role the tunnels played in the Vietnam War. We drove an hour and a half to the Ben Dinh Tunnels section. The site was complete with models, dioramas, maps, and tour guides, and the tunnels have been widened to accommodate tourists. In spite all of the visitors, the “historical park” feel, and the dripping heat, the place gave me a chill. Even more than the Hanoi Hilton, it demonstrated the realities of war.
Ben Dinh is one of two sections (along with Ben Duoc) accessible for tourists. It is part of a large system, commonly known at the Cu Chi Tunnels, formed between 1946-1948 during the Indochina/French War. The tunnel system ranges over 200 km (124 miles), stretching from the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City to the Cambodian border. Three different underground layers, 3, 6, and 12 meters, hid people, documents, and weapons. The Southern Liberation Army used the tunnel system during the 1968 Tet Offensive to reach and attack Saigon.
During our visit, my brother chose to crawl through the shortest tunnel, 20 meters from entrance to exit, and his back was scraping the ceiling of the tunnel.
I had to admire the toughness and ingenuity of the Vietnamese. Our guide showed us an example of sandals fashioned from rubber tire treads and he described how soldiers would wear them backwards so you couldn’t easily tell what direction they were walking. Vegetation and earth mounds disguised traps, and I couldn’t help but imagine American soldiers falling through trap doors into spiky pits. It felt creepy to see smiling tourists emerging from the tunnels and taking photos.
“It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.” ~ William Tecumseh Sherman
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Tips & Recommendations
This site provides tips for visiting the tunnels, including the best time of year to visit.
You’ll do a lot of walking, but the grounds are fairly level, with clear, easy paths.
The tunnel site is the home of the National Defence Sports Shooting Range, where you can pay to fire an AK-47. This review provides more detail on the experience.