Cu Chi Tunnels: Ben Duoc vs Ben Dinh Compared

Adult visitors to the Cu Chi Tunnels pay a city fee of VND 35,000. Foreign visitors pay that fee plus a VND 100,000 guide ticket from 1 February 2026. Ben Duoc has the memorial temple and the liberated zone; Ben Dinh has the M41 tank wreck. Both open 07:00 to 17:00 daily.

On this page
  1. Cu Chi Tunnels ticket prices and opening hours
  2. What to see at Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh
  3. Who it suits (and who should skip it)
  4. How to get to the Cu Chi Tunnels
  5. When to go and how long
  6. Nearby and how to combine it
  7. Before you go
  8. Common questions

Adult visitors to the Cu Chi Tunnels pay a city visiting fee of VND 35,000, whether Vietnamese or foreign. Foreign visitors also buy a service and guide ticket, VND 100,000 from 1 February 2026.

Narrow earth tunnel lit by a torch with a visitor crouching inside
A narrow tunnel passage at Ben Duoc.

The tunnels are preserved at two sites, Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh. Each site has its own section below, followed by a side-by-side table.

Cu Chi Tunnels ticket prices and opening hours

The complex is open every day from 07:00 to 17:00. The operator does not say whether 17:00 is the last entry or the closing time.

Ticket Price per person per visit
City visiting fee, adults, domestic and foreign VND 35,000
Service and guide ticket, foreign visitors, from 1 February 2026 VND 100,000
Service and guide ticket before that date VND 90,000

The VND 35,000 fee comes from the city People’s Council resolution on the Cu Chi Tunnels visiting fee, which applies from 1 January 2021. The operator’s own notice lists the same fee.

Free entry and half price

  • Exempt from the fee: seniors, people with disabilities, armed forces, people with revolutionary merit, the veterans’ association, poor households and children under 7.
  • Half price: children from 7 to under 16, pupils and students.

Foreign visitors: which price applies

The operator’s notice for foreign visitors lists the visiting fee at VND 35,000 and the guide ticket at VND 100,000 from 1 February 2026. MIA.vn lists VND 70,000 for foreign visitors, but that figure does not appear in the operator’s notice or the resolution.

VinWonders (5 December 2025) lists the tour guide service at VND 90,000, which matches the operator’s price before 1 February 2026.

The liberated zone recreation area has its own price. VinWonders (5 December 2025) lists VND 65,000, and MIA.vn (2026) lists VND 85,000. The operator’s pages list no price for it.

What to see at Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh

Some tunnel sections have two to three levels.

Ben Duoc

Ben Duoc is the base of the Zone Committee and the Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Military Region command. The Ministry of Culture recognised it as a national historic and cultural relic on 29 April 1979.

Temple-style gate with red tiled roofs and flower beds across a paved square under trees
A temple-style gate in the Ben Duoc grounds.

Before the ticket gate, visitors pass a display of bombs and artillery the US army used at Cu Chi. Inside, a documentary hall and guides introduce the history of the tunnel system.

The tunnel sights include the leaders’ living and working bunker, a meeting bunker, a surgery bunker and an A-shaped bunker. Visitors can taste the guerrillas’ food: rice balls and cassava dipped in peanut salt.

Green camouflaged aircraft with propellers on display on a lawn among trees
A military aircraft on display at Ben Duoc.

The Martyrs’ Memorial Temple has the largest ceramic mosaic in Vietnam on three walls and a nine-storey tower. After the temple, an electric car runs to the sand table of the defeat of the Cedar Falls operation.

The visit continues to the liberated zone recreation area, which shows peaceful village scenes. It covers 38.5 hectares and opened in 2003.

The grounds also hold a lake that simulates the East Sea (Bien Dong). Scale models show One Pillar Pagoda (Hanoi), Ngo Mon (Hue) and Nha Rong Wharf (Ho Chi Minh City).

Ben Duoc has a national defence sports shooting range. Visitors can also split into two teams for a mock battle with paintball guns. Ben Duoc Restaurant sits on the bank of the Saigon River.

Ben Dinh

Ben Dinh is the base of the Cu Chi District Party Committee. The Cu Chi committee chose it as its main base from 1968 to 1975. The Ministry of Culture and Information recognised it as a national historic relic on 15 December 2004.

The site lies on Provincial Road 15. It has a forest of more than 100 hectares beside the Saigon River.

Pit lined with grass mats and sharpened bamboo stakes seen from above
A booby-trap pit on display at Ben Dinh.

Visitors watch a documentary in a hall and hear about the history of the Cu Chi tunnel system. The site has a weapons-making bunker and a display house of homemade weapons.

Row of small tunnel entrance holes in a grass-covered display beside a wooden sign
Models of hidden tunnel entrances at Ben Dinh.

The best-known sight is the wreck of a US M41 tank hit by a guerrilla mine in 1970. Ben Dinh also has a national defence sports shooting range and a restaurant on the Saigon River.

Rusted tank with its gun barrel under a thatched shelter in a forest
A war-damaged tank under a thatched shelter at Ben Dinh.

Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh side by side

Ben Duoc Ben Dinh
Base of Zone Committee and military region command Cu Chi District Party Committee
Recognised 29 April 1979 15 December 2004
Highlights Memorial temple, liberated zone, lake and models M41 tank wreck, weapons bunker
Paintball Yes Not listed
Shooting range Yes Yes
Location An Nhon Tay commune Nhuan Duc commune

Who it suits (and who should skip it)

  • Visitors who want the most to see in one stop: Ben Duoc has the temple, the liberated zone, the lake and the models.
  • Visitors who want the tank wreck and a forest setting: Ben Dinh has the M41 wreck and more than 100 hectares of forest.
  • Anyone who dislikes tight spaces: some tunnel sections are narrow, and some are damp and stuffy.
  • Anyone who wants a shooting range: both sites have one.
  • Anyone who wants paintball: the operator lists it at Ben Duoc.

How to get to the Cu Chi Tunnels

The tunnels lie about 70 km northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City. Ben Duoc is in Phu Hiep hamlet, An Nhon Tay commune. The 2025 commune reorganisation merged Phu My Hung, An Phu and An Nhon Tay communes into the new An Nhon Tay commune.

Ben Dinh is in Ben Dinh hamlet, Nhuan Duc commune, Cu Chi district. The 2025 commune reorganisation merged Pham Van Coi, Trung Lap Ha and Nhuan Duc communes into the new Nhuan Duc commune.

Bus routes to Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh From Ben Thanh, as listed on the operator's directions page BEN DUOC Bus 13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi bus station Bus 79 from Cu Chi bus station to Ben Duoc BEN DINH Bus 13 from Ben Thanh to An Suong bus station Bus 122 to Tan Quy bus station Bus 70 to Ben Dinh bus station SaigonHelp.com · Sources: Cu Chi Tunnels operator directions page (undated) Verified 13 Oct 2026 · Re-checked every 6 months
Bus routes from Ben Thanh to Ben Duoc and to Ben Dinh.

The operator’s directions page lists these bus routes:

  • Ben Duoc: bus 13 (Ben Thanh - Cu Chi) to Cu Chi bus station, then bus 79 (Cu Chi - Dau Tieng) to Ben Duoc.
  • Ben Dinh: bus 13 to An Suong bus station, bus 122 to Tan Quy bus station, then bus 70 to Ben Dinh bus station.
  • From Cho Lon bus station, bus 94 (Cho Lon - Cu Chi) goes to Cu Chi bus station.

The page is undated, so check the route numbers in a map app before you leave.

By motorbike or car, take this route: Truong Chinh Street, An Suong crossroads, Hoc Mon, then Provincial Road 15. A boat from Bach Dang pier on the Saigon River is possible, but the cost is still high.

Cu Chi Tunnels - Ben Duoc
4FW5+HQ4, Phu Hiep, An Nhon Tay, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Ben Duoc in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Cu Chi Tunnels - Ben Dinh (Dia dao Ben Dinh)
Ap Ben Dinh, Huyen Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

Open Ben Dinh in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

When to go and how long

The complex is open from 07:00 to 17:00, so an early start leaves the most time at either site.

MIA.vn says the rainy season can make moving in and out of the tunnels harder.

Nearby and how to combine it

Nothing else on this site lies near the tunnels, which are about 70 km from the centre. The bus to Ben Duoc starts at Ben Thanh. See Ben Thanh Market for what is around that stop, and the tours hub for more sights.

Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh need separate bus chains. A visit to both in one day means two journeys.

Before you go

  • Foreign visitors: bring cash for both the VND 35,000 fee and the VND 100,000 guide ticket.
  • Check the exemptions: children under 7 and seniors are exempt from the city fee.
  • Wear comfortable dark clothes and sports shoes, as MIA.vn advises.
  • Carry only a small bag with essentials, as MIA.vn advises.
  • Arrive before 17:00 closing time.
  • Check the bus numbers in a map app, as the operator’s page is undated.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Cu Chi Tunnels - Ben Duoc on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Cu Chi Tunnels - Ben Dinh on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Jonahs Travel, O Chan Cong, Raymond, Paul Ciprian, LCC, Huongtravnsg.

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Not confirmed: Liberated zone price: the operator's pages list none. VinWonders (5 December 2025) says VND 65,000 and MIA.vn (2026) says VND 85,000. Bring cash for the higher figure if you plan to go in.

Common questions

How much is a Cu Chi Tunnels ticket?

The city fee is VND 35,000 for adults. The operator's notice lists a VND 100,000 service and guide ticket for foreign visitors from 1 February 2026.

Do foreigners pay more than Vietnamese visitors?

Not for the entry fee: the resolution sets one adult fee for domestic and foreign visitors. Foreign visitors are also listed a VND 100,000 guide ticket.

Which is better, Ben Duoc or Ben Dinh?

Ben Duoc has the memorial temple, the liberated zone and the lake. Ben Dinh has the M41 tank wreck and a forest of more than 100 hectares.

What are the opening hours?

The complex is open every day from 07:00 to 17:00.

How do I get to Ben Duoc by bus?

Take bus 13 from Ben Thanh to Cu Chi bus station, then bus 79 to Ben Duoc.

How do I get to Ben Dinh by bus?

Take bus 13 to An Suong bus station, bus 122 to Tan Quy bus station, then bus 70 to Ben Dinh bus station.

Are children free at the Cu Chi Tunnels?

Children under 7 are exempt from the city fee. Children from 7 to under 16, pupils and students pay half.

Is there a shooting range at the tunnels?

Both sites have a national defence sports shooting range.

Places in this guide

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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