Private Full Day Cao Dai Temple and Cu Chi Tunnels Experience

Duration9h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Pickup offeredSee the meeting and pickup details below

Overview

Experience two sides of Vietnam on this full-day private tour from Ho Chi Minh City. Journey northwest to Tay Ninh, spiritual capital of Caodaism, Vietnam's unique religion blending ancient and modern beliefs.
Visit the spectacular Great Temple, an architectural masterpiece with vibrant colors. Witness the remarkable midday ceremony where followers worship saints including Victor Hugo, Joan of Arc, and Shakespeare, creating a spectacle combining Eastern and Western traditions.
After lunch, explore the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels, a vast underground network stretching over 250 kilometers. Built as defense against French forces and expanded during the American War, these tunnels served as the strategic base for guerrilla warfare. Discover secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living quarters, and meeting rooms demonstrating incredible ingenuity.
Adventurous visitors can crawl through authentic tunnel sections at multiple levels, while others observe excavated areas from above.

What's included

All entrance fees for visits as mentioned in the description.
Transportation by air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver
All applicable taxes and service charges
A full-day tour with a professional English-speaking guide
Lunch at a local restaurant is included (food only)

Personal expenses such as meals, drinks, tips and gratuities
Hotel accommodation in the destination of commencement
Single supplement charges for single travellers, where applicable
Any airline tickets, visa fees, additional transportation cost from and to the general meeting point
Supplements for transfers outside general pick up and drop off area
Hotel expenses of a personal nature, should an overnight be included
Travel insurance coverage for customers (highly recommendable)

What to expect

Cao Dai Temple
3h · Admission ticket included

Our guide and driver will wait for you in the lobby of your Ho Chi Minh accommodation, and we start our 70-kilometre drive in a north-western direction in the direction of Tay Ninh. The Cao Dai religion is unique to Vietnam and is a blend of both ancient and modern beliefs. The Great Temple at Tay Ninh is the centre of the religion, demonstrated by an exotic temple, often likened to something out of a fairy tale! Here followers of this eclectic religion worship saints such as Victor Hugo, Joan of Arch and even Shakespeare. A highlight of this tour is the very colourful yet formal service held at midday, which you are welcome to observe.
Cu Chi Tunnels
3h · Admission ticket included

After lunch at a local restaurant, we head out towards the Cu Chi Tunnels. The vast underground network of tunnels and rooms was built first as a defence against the French and later expanded during the American war. It was from here that the North Vietnamese waged their guerrilla warfare and you will marvel at their ingenuity and resilience. See secret trapdoors, underground kitchens, living areas and meeting rooms. The more adventurous ones may explore even the deeper second, and even third, level tunnels.

For those preferring to remain above ground, there is ample opportunity to view excavated areas from above. Your guide will explain some of the challenges and levels of difficulty for each tunnel one can expect before entering. Some are easily accessed by stairs, other passages require a bit more crawling and ducking. We recommend good walking shoes and sun protection for this tour and advise you may get a little dirty!

Additional information

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply
Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Ho Chi Minh City centre. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside the city, harbour and the Ho Chi Minh’s International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions
Customers are advised that during the TET celebrations (celebration of Vietnamese New Year), excursions and tours may be subject to supplementary charges and/or may see longer waiting times than normal
We will do all possible to comply with any dietary requirements during this excursion; it may not always be possible to confirm your wishes in advance based on the choice of local restaurant
We regret to inform you that this excursion is not suitable for wheelchair users
Guests are advised that some walking is required during this excursion; we always ensure that we take the most comfortable ways from the entrance of the sight to the sight itself
Entering parts of the Cu Chi Tunnels may not be suited for pregnant women, people with neck and back problems, those with limited mobility and visitors with claustrophobia
For any operational issues in which are not able to confirm the exact pick-up time in advance, we reserve the right to inform you the day before the departure of the tour
Please note pickup and drop-off services may not be confirmed for customers staying at private residences, apartment complexes, or other non-registered tourism accommodations. Customers may be asked to meet at a nearby hotel for pick-up and drop off
Natural elements of any kind have a destructive effect on electronic equipment. It is the customer’s own responsibility to ensure that any camera, mobile telephone or other device is properly wrapped and protected against these elements. We cannot be held responsible in any way for negligence and/or not following suggestions for any damage related to this
Please ensure that you bring sunglasses, a hat /cap and sunblock with a high SPF factor when traveling with us on this tour – even when it is cloudy, the sunrays still have an immense power
We reserve the right to make necessary changes to the excursion in case of unfavourable weather conditions or situations where we are forced to make alterations to guarantee the safety of our guests
It is the responsibility of the customer to provide us with the correct hotel information, should pick-up and drop-off services be included in the package. Any changes in accommodation outside 24 hours will be handled accordingly: changes within 24 hours may be on request
In the event of no-show or change of accommodation without prior consent and confirmation from us within 24 hours may result in the applicable cancellation charges as outlined in the terms and conditions

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.