Should I book a morning or afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tour? It takes about 6 – 7 hours to be transferred from Ho Chi Minh City center to one of the two sites of Cu Chi Tunnels – Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc, explore the area, join interesting activities, learn more about the history of Vietnam and wars in Vietnam. Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tours are the most popular choices for tourists in Saigon. They have two options including morning and afternoon, you can choose one of them to meet your expectations.
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Should I book a morning or afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tour?
When do morning and afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tours start?
A group morning Cu Chi Tunnels tour by car usually starts at 8:00 – 8:45 AM and ends at about 2:00 PM. A group afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tour by car usually starts at 12:00 – 1:00 PM and ends at 6:00 – 7:00 PM. If you book a private tour, you can choose to start at anytime you want.
Do half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tours include meals?
Budget small-group half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tours usually do not include meals such as lunches and dinners. On VIP tours by car or speedboat to the tunnels sold at higher prices, they often serve meals with Vietnamese dishes.
Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour in the morning
Pluses:
- Morning time is great for exploring the green jungle, joining many indoor and outdoor activities.
- In the rainy season, it is usually dry in the morning and rains in the afternoon and the evening.
- Saigon night is wonderful so you can spend your time enjoying the nighttime at ease after finishing your Cu Chi Tunnels tour and taking a rest at your hotel.
- Tourists can explore the tunnels when the sun is not too strong.
Minuses:
- Some tourists hate to wake up early in the morning. They usually stay up late, families with children or old tourists.
You should have breakfast before the start time to improves your energy levels and ability to walk, climb, crawl well at Cu Chi Tunnels.
You should bring some foods for a light and quick lunch or some snacks. Apples, candies, potato chips, nuts, dried fruits, boiled eggs, breads, smoked cheese, small milk boxes, energy drinks, energy bars, protein bars,… are good choices.
As mentioned above, Tourists usually have lunch late after finishing their morning tours. You can choose restaurants near your hotel to save time. After having lunch, you should spend your time relaxing and taking a rest at your hotel before continuing exploring Ho Chi Minh City. Visiting a few tourist attractions such as War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market, going shopping, enjoying some Vietnamese coffee, go to bars and lounges at nights, visit night markets such as Ben Thanh night market, food areas and food streets in the evening are amazing things to do after a morning Cu Chi Tunnels tour. For your information, War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Saigon Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market close at about 5:00 PM. They can be seen from outside if you arrive there later than the closing time.
You can choose to book an evening tour after your Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour instead of going around the city on your own. Experienced local tour guides from trusted companies can make your remaining time of the day amazing. The most popular tours are as follows:
- Saigon food tour by night (by motorbike or jeep)
- Saigon after dark (sightseeing and food)
- Dinner on cruise
- Water puppet show and dinner on cruise by cyclo
- Water puppet show by cyclo
- A O Show
- Saigon craft beer tour
- Ho Chi Minh City shopping tour
Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about Ho Chi Minh City tours and the best prices for your group
Should I book a morning or afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tour?
Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour in the afternoon
A group afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tour by car usually starts at 12:00 – 1:00 PM and ends at 6:00 – 7:00 PM.
Pluses:
- Tourists do not need to wake up early in the morning and have enough time to enjoy their breakfast in a relaxed way.
- Tourists spend their time in the morning to relax because they travelled the whole day yesterday or enjoying the city last night.
- Tourists have plans in the morning.
Minuses:
- The sun is the strongest from 12:00 to 3:00 PM so you start trip and travel in hot air. Do not forget to carry sun protection accessories such as hats, caps, masks, coats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and back up water,…
- Tourists arrive at the city center at 6:00 – 7:00 PM so they may not have enough time to have dinner, do popular things in the evening, and join some night tours which usually start at 5:00 – 6:00 PM. For example, the water puppet shows at Golden Dragon Theater start at 5:00 PM or 6:30 PM and tourists must be picked up at their hotels 30 minutes before. Guests must arrive at the harbor before 7:30 PM to check in for dinner on cruise.
- In the wet season, it usually rains in the afternoon, Cu Chi Tunnels sites become wet, slippery and muddy after raining. Tourists can not walking around if it rains heavily. They can wear raincoats if it rains lightly. Some tour agencies provide raincoats, you should prepare a raincoat for yourself, a travel stick, rain shoes, a waterproof bag,…
What to do in the morning if you book an afternoon half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour?
- Have breakfast and relax in your room until the departure time of the Cu Chi Tunnels tour.
- Walk around your hotel and enjoy the fresh air, learn more about the local life.
- Go to a few tourist attractions in the city center: War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market.
- Go shopping.
- Join a Ho Chi Minh City tour which lasts about 3.5 – 4 hours. Some good choices are as follows:
- Ho Chi Minh City tour by car/motorbike.
- Saigon sightseeing and food tour by motorbike.
- Saigon morning food tour.
- Saigon shopping tour.
- Saigon pagoda tour.
- Have lunch before the start time.
- Bring some snacks if your tour does not include dinner.
Should I book a morning or afternoon Cu Chi Tunnels tour?
All depend on your plans and expectations. You can book a morning tour to Cu Chi Tunnels if:
- You can wake up early in the morning.
- You and your family can finish working on personal hygiene and your breakfast before 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM.
- You did not travel so much yesterday and are strong enough in the morning.
- You would like to avoid getting caught in the rain in the afternoon and evening in Saigon during the wet season.
- You have plans in the early evening, booked evening tours.
You can book an afternoon tour if:
- You stayed up late or traveled so much yesterday.
- You need to save your strength and take a rest in the morning before joining a Cu Chi Tunnels tour.
- Your children are annoying and your family can not be ready before 8:00 – 8:45 AM in the morning. In fact, you can book a private tour and ask to start at the morning Cu Chi Tunnels tour at 9:00 – 10:00 AM.
