The 15 Half-Day Tours in Ho Chi Minh City That Earn Their Price

1.Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour: Vietnam War Underground Network

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,587 reviews · from $23Our pick

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Duoc in an air-conditioned van with an English-speaking guide and up to 12 people. See a war-era documentary, learn how the 200-kilometer tunnel network was built, inspect traps, and enter selected tunnel sections before returning to District 1.

“Very informative. We had a good time and lesrned a lot about the time of the vietnam war.. guide was very knowledgeable!”

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2.Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour: Big Group Vietnam War Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,386 reviews · from $19

Travel by air-conditioned bus from central Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Duoc, where an English-speaking guide explains the Cu Chi tunnel network, wartime life, hidden entrances, kitchens, and medical rooms. The tour includes entry, water, cassava, and optional shooting at extra cost.

“Great tour to see the Cu Chí Tunnels. The guide was friendly and informative. Great price on the tour and is perfect duration for a day trip (approximate departure of 8am and return around 2pm in HCM). Take this trip if you want to skip the river portion the other tours do. Try going into the Tunnels. It's quite the experience.”

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3.Small-Group Cu Chi Tunnel Half-day Tour: Morning or Afternoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,521 reviews · from $40

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Dinh with a group of up to 12, then explore bunkers, traps, bomb craters, tank remains, and narrow tunnels. Guides such as Kevin, James, Dana, and Slim Jim add clear history and humor. Morning departures help you beat the crowds.

“Highly recommend this half day trip! It was great to experience the Cu Chi tunnels and have the option to shoot a gun! It felt like a real life experience!”

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4.Ho Chi Minh City Private Half-Day Tour by U.S Army Jeep

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,164 reviews · from $71

Ride through Ho Chi Minh City in a private open U.S. Army Jeep with a guide such as Kent, Hoa, Hao, or Kevin. Visit the Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum, Jade Emperor Pagoda, colonial landmarks, and Ben Thanh Market in about four hours.

“it was a fantastic experience. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about Vietnam. It was great driving around the city in a jeep.”

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5.Ben Duoc ‘Less-Crowded’ Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 712 reviews · from $34

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City in a group of up to 10 to explore the quieter Ben Duoc Cu Chi Tunnels. Guides such as Safa, Tommy, Ken, and Leo have led strong departures, covering traps, tanks, tunnels, Viet Cong food, and the Hoang Cam kitchen.

“This is a bit further than the more touristy tunnels so you should expect approximately a 2 hour drive to get there. There is also a stop at a craft shop where handicapped people affected by the war create different handmade items. The tunnRead more”

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6.Afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels – Small Group Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 481 reviews · from $25

Spend six and a half hours visiting Ben Dinh Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City with an English-speaking guide and a group of up to 12 people. Expect an afternoon departure, air-conditioned transport, an introductory film, tunnel exhibits, entrance fees, and hotel pickup in District 1 if selected.

“The experience was informative and well-organized. We learned some very interesting pieces of history. The stop at the handicapped people's art shop was not necessary and could have been improved if the people working on the art were INSIDE, in the air-conditioned room as opposed to the sweltering heat outside.”

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7.Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day History Tour with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 480 reviews · from $14Best value

Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels on a 6 to 7-hour group tour from Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll watch a documentary, explore bunkers and a command center, try tapioca and tea, and stop at a lacquer workshop. Pickup is included in central District 1.

“Really good tour, our guide Kevin was amazing, he is funny and very knowledgeable, 5 stars alone just for him. The place itself is a must visit and really hits home to how shocking this war was. I would advise doing atleast the 20 max people toRead more”

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8.Half-Day Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Exclusive Experience with Pick Up

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 439 reviews · from $25

Travel about 60 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cu Chi Tunnels with an English-speaking local guide. You’ll watch a war documentary, inspect underground kitchens and hospitals, learn about traps and handmade weapons, and try tapioca with pandan tea. Groups are capped at 12.

“The tunnels were amazing & well worth the 4 hour round trip to see them! Only 10 on the tour which was perfect. Our guide Andrew from Papa Holidays was fantastic. Very knowledgeable. We were limited by time & Andrew kept things moving so we were back on time. Highly recommend this tour especially if time is limited!”

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9.Ho Chi Minh City Half-Day Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 202 reviews · from $54

This four-hour private tour pairs an English-speaking guide with an air-conditioned vehicle and hotel pickup. You visit Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market, and Jade Pagoda. Guides such as Tony, Minh, Qui, and Harry have tailored visits to guests’ interests.

“Great experience with a knowledgeable and very friendly guide. Was very accommodating and i had s great time.”

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10.Private Ho Chi Minh City Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 160 reviews · from $54

Explore Ho Chi Minh City with a private guide and driver in about four hours. Visit the Central Post Office, Jade Emperor Pagoda, War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, and Notre Dame Cathedral, with morning or afternoon departures and hotel pickup from selected hotels.

“Tam provided an excellent overview of the four sites we visited on the tour. He handled ticket purchases and walked us through each venue providing unique historical insights. It was just the right amount of detail. Given the heat and humidity, it would have been a better tour if water had been available throughout, instead of as we were heading back to our hotels.”

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11.Half-Day Cu Chi Underground Tunnels Tour with Pick Up

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 116 reviews · from $25

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Dinh for a 6 to 7-hour Cu Chi Tunnels visit. Expect an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, bottled water, entrance, and a tunnel tour in a group of up to 20. One guide named James has been praised for explaining the war during the drive.

“Only at Saigon, should experience in a lifetime. How amazing the Vietnamese defeat of US and France army with the incredible tunnel.”

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12.Experience half-day cooking class with market visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · from $42

Meet your chef at Ben Thanh Market for a morning ingredient tour, then learn Vietnamese dishes from north, central, and southern kitchens. You will cook, carve fruit, eat your meal, and take home recipes, a certificate, and a souvenir. Afternoon and evening classes skip the market.

“We made a green mango salad, pork skewers and clay pot chicken. Great food and a great host. We even got given a recipe book at the end!”

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13.Half-Day Mekong Delta by Speedboat and Leisure Biking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 87 reviews · from $61

Travel by fast speedboat from central Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta, then cycle village lanes, visit a market, Cao Dai temple, rice-wine maker, and local family. An English-speaking guide, including Sandy on some departures, leads the five to six hour trip.

“Sandy made our Mekong Delta trip unforgettable with her energy, great explanations, and fun moments for our kids. The speedboat ride, local homes, market visit, and electric scooters through the rice paddies were perfect for seeing rural Vietnam in just a few hours.”

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14.Small-Group Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $48

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to the Cu Chi Tunnels in a group of no more than 10. An English-speaking guide such as Typhoon Honey explains the wartime site, weapons, traps, and underground life before you crawl through a tunnel and enjoy tapioca with tea.

“Typhoon Honey was a fantastic tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable about the history and happy to share. Would recommend this half-day tour for a quick trip out of HCMC - the countryside was beautiful.”

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15.Explore Ho Chi Minh City Tour Half-day by Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $36

Spend four to five hours exploring Ho Chi Minh City in a private vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Visit the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Independence Palace, and War Remnants Museum. Guides such as Nhu, Jason, and Ly Vinh Kien have earned praise for flexible, thoughtful service.

“We had a great time learning about the city and the history of Vietnam. Thanks Jason for accommodating the tour to our schedule.”

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