Cu Chi Tunnels by Luxury Speedboat

Your small group will be picked up at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City in the early morning or late morning (depending on selected departure time) and leave your hotel by air-conditioned vehicle to Ho Chi Minh Pier. Next, cruise on a luxury speedboat made of high-quality teak and sink into soft furnishings as your vessel slips away. You’ll relax like a VIP or enjoy a window into traditional Mekong river life and wonderful photo opportunities while your captain effortlessly speeds you over the Saigon River toward the countryside and to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels. Within 15 minutes, the banks of the river change from city sprawl to lush jungle. Take advantage of wonderful photos of life along the riverbanks as your eco-friendly boat steers the shallow, jungle-fringed canals pass water hyacinths, leaving a small wake that minimizes any impact on the local environment. During the 1-hour trip, your experienced guide explains rural traditions and aspects of life along the waterway. Depending on departure choice, enjoy unlimited refreshments with a light breakfast of Vietnamese iced coffee, and sandwiches or pastries, fresh tropical fruits, or enjoy a late-morning snack, served on board. Upon arrival Cu Chi Tunnel before the larger bus groups, then watch a short introductory documentary before you follow your guide into the winding, vast underground network. You’ll be approximately 2 hours to explore the Cu Chi site, which consists of weapon and booby-trap exhibitions. Inside the narrow passageway of an authentic Viet Cong tunnel — part of a 75-mile-long (121-km) complex that was preserved as a war memorial park now — visit different underground bunkers featuring meeting rooms, ammunition depots, kitchens and hospitals. See a bullet-riddled tank and explore secret entrances hidden by fake termite mounds and other ingenious disguises. Find out how the VC defended the tunnels from American bombs and infiltrators, and marvel at a enormous crater formed by an American B-52 bomber. Try the local cassava root that sustained Viet Cong guerrilla fighters for years during the Vietnam War (known in Vietnam as the American War) and attempt to imagine what living here was like. After your tour, you can feast on fried spring rolls, chicken and beef dishes, and soup as you enjoy an authentic, traditional Vietnamese lunch by the river. If you’ve selected the later tour, you’ll enjoy a provided dinner. After your meal, leave Cu Chi to navigate back by speedboat to Ho Chi Minh City. After arrival at the central pier, driven back to your hotel by air-conditioned vehicle.