Cu Chi Tunnels: Choosing Between Bến Đình and Bến Dược
Compare the Cu Chi tunnel sites at Bến Đình and Bến Dược, check current ticket details and plan transport from Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo: Alan & Flora Botting / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Contents
Cu Chi has two preserved tunnel sites, Bến Dược and Bến Đình, and they are different places with different stories. Pick one before you book transport. Bến Dược was the base of the regional party committee and the Saigon-Cholon-Gia Dinh military command; Bến Đình was the base of the Cu Chi District Committee. Both are national historical monuments.[1]
What the two sites represent
Bến Dược lies in Phú Hiệp hamlet, An Nhơn Tây commune, and has been a national monument since 1979.[1] You watch a documentary film, walk down into the tunnels and see the underground living and working quarters of the commanders, a meeting room, an operating room, a kitchen with its smoke-hiding chimney, workshops and hidden hatches and air vents. Afterwards you can taste tapioca dipped in peanut salt, the guerrillas' staple, visit the memorial temple and climb its nine-storey tower for a view over the Saigon River.[2]
Bến Đình lies in Nhuận Đức commune on Provincial Road 15 and has been a national monument since 2004.[1] The base sits in more than 100 hectares of forest beside the Saigon River, and a tunnel passes under the road itself. Its sights include a documentary film, tunnels, trenches, a weapons workshop and the wreck of a US M41 tank that hit a guerrilla mine in 1970. Both sites also have a shooting range, souvenir stalls and a riverside restaurant.[3][2]
Things to Do
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Plan the visit
Both sites are open every day from 07:00 to 17:00.[1] For foreign visitors, the operator charges 35,000 VND per person for historical-site admission and 100,000 VND per person for the service and guidance ticket since 1 February 2026.[4] Come early: the morning is cooler, and the tunnel passages are easier before tour groups arrive.
Getting there
Both sites lie in the north-west of Ho Chi Minh City. By motorbike or car, follow Trường Chinh Street through the An Sương junction and Hóc Môn onto Provincial Road 15, which leads to the tunnels.[5] A driver or a tour that names the site, the pickup and the return time keeps the trip simple. Ask what the price includes: admission, guide, waiting time and the ride back. The site office answers on (028) 37948 830.[1]
At the site
Guides lead you through the forest and down into the tunnels. If narrow passages are not for you, you can still enjoy the forest paths, the exhibitions and the memorial grounds. Wear closed shoes and bring water and insect repellent.
For more planning ideas, see our Vietnam travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Cu Chi Historic Relics and Tunnel Complex: Cu Chi Tunnel Complex. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- [2] Cu Chi Historic Relics and Tunnel Complex: Bến Dược Historical Site. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- [3] Cu Chi Historic Relics and Tunnel Complex: Bến Đình Historical Site. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- [4] Cu Chi Historic Relics and Tunnel Complex: Foreign-Visitor Ticket Notice Effective February 2026. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
- [5] Cu Chi Historic Relics and Tunnel Complex: Transport to Cu Chi Tunnel Sites. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are two preserved tunnel sites that are both national historical monuments. Bến Dược was the base of the regional committee and military command, Bến Đình the base of the Cu Chi District Committee.
Bến Dược has the commanders' underground quarters, the memorial temple with its tower and a reconstructed village. Bến Đình lies on Provincial Road 15 with a tunnel under the road and a wrecked US tank. Choose by the story you want, then arrange transport to that site.
Both sites are open every day from 07:00 to 17:00.
For foreign visitors, historical-site admission is 35,000 VND per person and the service and guidance ticket is 100,000 VND per person, valid since 1 February 2026.
By motorbike or car, take Trường Chinh Street through the An Sương junction and Hóc Môn onto Provincial Road 15. A driver or tour that names the site, pickup and return keeps it simple.
Yes. The forest paths, exhibitions, memorial grounds and shooting ranges can be visited without going underground.
The passages are narrow and enclosed. If tight spaces are uncomfortable, skip the tunnel walk and enjoy the grounds above.
Decide on Bến Đình or Bến Dược, agree what your transport price includes and fix the return pickup time. The site office is on (028) 37948 830.
