Overview

Cu Chi in the morning. Ben Luc by Tuk Tuk in the afternoon. Two completely different sides of southern Vietnam in one day.

Most day trips from Ho Chi Minh City visit either Cu Chi Tunnels or the Mekong Delta. This tour does both — and does them in a way that keeps group sizes small, avoids the larger tourist sites, and puts money directly into local communities.

The morning is Cu Chi. The tunnel network here stretches over 200 kilometres beneath the district — built during the American War as a base of operations, and now one of the most visited historical sites in southern Vietnam. Your guide will walk you through what daily life looked like underground: the ventilation shafts, the kitchens designed to disperse smoke, the sleeping chambers, the field hospitals. You can enter sections of the tunnel itself. It is a compressed and unsettling environment, and worth every minute.

After Cu Chi, the tour drives south to Ben Luc in Long An province, where the Mekong Delta begins. The afternoon here moves at a different pace. A Tuk Tuk — a three-wheeled open-sided vehicle — takes the group through the village roads and coconut groves that a minivan cannot reach. You stop at a guava orchard, taste fruit from the garden, visit a coconut farm, cruise a small canal by motorboat and rowboat, try traditional water-scooping, and end the day with lunch at a riverside farm. The food is cooked fresh on the premises using local produce.

The tour is designed around eco and animal-friendly principles: no animal shows, no riding activities, no wildlife in captivity. Activities support local farming families rather than commercial tour sites.

Why TNK Travel for this tour

Two destinations, one day, properly done: most combined Cu Chi–Mekong tours rush both stops. This itinerary gives Cu Chi a full two hours and the Mekong Delta a genuine afternoon — not a 45-minute token visit.

Tuk Tuk access: the Tuk Tuk leg gets the group off the main road and into the lane network connecting farms in Ben Luc — paths that the minivan stays on the highway to avoid.

Eco and animal-friendly: no animal performances, no elephant or ox-cart rides, no wildlife exhibits. All Mekong activities are based on actual farming practice.

Small groups only: maximum 12 people. Cu Chi at this group size means your guide can slow down and answer questions. Ben Luc at this size means the farm activities work as designed.

Trusted by over 1,000,000 travellers: TNK Travel has operated tours from Ho Chi Minh City since 2000, ranked #3 on TripAdvisor with over 24,000 verified reviews.

Tour highlights

Cu Chi Tunnels: two hours exploring the tunnel complex with a knowledgeable guide. Watch the introductory documentary, examine the trap systems and weapons displays, walk the above-ground trail, and enter an original tunnel section. The tunnels are narrow and low — designed for smaller frames — and the experience of being inside them is like nothing else in southern Vietnam.

Tuk Tuk ride through Ben Luc: the transition from Cu Chi to the Mekong Delta is made by minivan, but the afternoon in Ben Luc begins on a Tuk Tuk — an open three-wheeled vehicle that travels the village lanes between the coconut groves. The ride covers the kind of back-road terrain that gives you an actual sense of what the delta looks like at ground level.

Guava orchard: a stop at a working guava farm where the fruit is picked and eaten fresh on the spot. Guava grown in the Mekong Delta is different from what you find in supermarkets — softer, more fragrant, and eaten with salt and chilli by local

Coconut farm & sustainable agriculture: a visit to a coconut farm where your guide explains how the palms are cultivated, how every part of the coconut is used (oil, shell, husk, water), and how farming families in the delta have adapted traditional methods to deal with salt intrusion and changing water levels.

Canal cruise & rowboat: a motorboat on the Ben Luc canal network, followed by a rowboat (sampan) through the narrower sections under the palm canopy. The transition between the two — motor to paddle — marks the shift from the wider waterways to the shaded inner channels.

Water scooping & farming techniques: traditional canal bailing using a wooden scoop, and a short introduction to how delta farmers manage water levels across their plots. It is harder than it looks and requires a rhythm that takes a few minutes to find.

Hammock time: after the farming activities and before lunch, hammocks strung between the coconut trees. Deliberate downtime.

Farm-to-table lunch at the riverside: a full meal prepared on the farm using ingredients grown or sourced locally. The menu includes bánh xèo, chả giò, thịt nướng lá lốt, lemongrass chicken, fried eggs, minced pork soup, and steamed rice. Served at a table by the river.

Important information

Pickup

– Available from hotels in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (excluding Sài Gòn Ward and Tân Định Ward)

– Pickup time: 7:30 AM. Please wait in your hotel lobby.

– Exact pickup time confirmed by email or WhatsApp 24 hours before departure

– Hotels outside the pickup zone: meet at TNK Travel, 112 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1 by 7:15 AM

What to wear & bring

Clothing: light, breathable clothes. The Mekong Delta section involves walking on garden paths and farm tracks, so anything you don’t mind getting dusty or slightly muddy is appropriate.

Footwear: closed shoes or sandals with straps for the Cu Chi section (some paths are uneven and there is loose soil). Flip-flops are fine for the boat and farm sections.

Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. The Tuk Tuk ride and orchard visit are in open sun.

Insect repellent: recommended for the canal and garden sections, particularly in the wet season (May–October).

Cu Chi Tunnels: those entering the tunnel sections should be comfortable in very confined spaces. The tunnels are widened for tourists but remain low and narrow. There is no obligation to enter.

Physical requirements

– Moderate activity level. The tour involves walking at Cu Chi on uneven ground, riding a Tuk Tuk on village roads, and light activity on the farm.

– Entering the Cu Chi tunnel sections requires crouching or crawling and is not suitable for travellers with claustrophobia or limited mobility. The rest of the Cu Chi visit is accessible.

– The boat and sampan sections require stepping into low-sided vessels. Your guide will assist.

– Not recommended for travellers with severe mobility limitations.

Weather

– The tour runs in most weather conditions. Cu Chi is partly shaded; the Ben Luc section has both open and covered areas.

– Light rain: ponchos available if needed. The farm and canal activities continue.

– If TNK Travel cancels due to severe weather, you receive a full refund or can reschedule.