Bike to CuChi tunnels - single track along Saigon river

Bike to CuChi Tunnels | Single track ride along Saigon river to CuChi

Bike to CuChi Tunnels  – Single track ride along Saigon river to CuChi – LaiThieu ThuDauMot CuChi one day.
Tour code: SBL4C
This is a cycling trip on the trail along Saigon river, bring you back to the old time of Saigon and BinhDuong, wandering on single track to old villages of LaiThieu and ThuDauMot area. Passing ancient temples, pottery villages, Chinese pagoda and rural countryside scenery of BinhDuong province. Our guide will tailor the route, depending on your fitness. The distance will be from 25km to 36km for bike to Cuchi tunnels at BenDinh.

Details itinerary: Bike to CuChi Tunnels
8:00 Depart from Saigon city center to the rural area of LaiThieu village, Binh Duong province where we start our bike to CuChi tunnels.
8:45 Arrive in LaiThieu village, we visit the local piggie bank house, a traditional handicraft of LaiThieu village, making traditional saving money box by terracotta in a pig – shaped. The tradition of saving money in a pig-shaped container is very ancient. This is a unique sight of the Chinese – Vietnamese families in northern Saigon. To this day, in Asian countries, it is customary to give “piggy banks” as gifts because they are, in fact, great gift ideas for home and office as well. Furthermore, among many deeply held beliefs, there is one saying that pigs bring luck and good fortune.

We have a quick stop at LaiThieu catholic church dated back in 1897, then we head down to Saigon river bank where we start our bike ride.
First stage will be 16km along LaiThieu river port, and experience the local activities in which you can see pottery everywhere. After few km on tarmac road, the single track start. We ride along the famous mangosteen gardens, we have a quick stop for photo at Niem Phat pagoda, where you can see a giant Buddha statue in the peaceful yard.  The we have 5k more on a winding river track, beautiful scenery to ThuDauMot market.  Slow down your bike when moving through the central market and learn how Vietnamese housewives bargain the price for their daily fresh food !!

We visit Chua Ba, the most famous holy site in town. Our van will pick us up here and transfer to TanAn village. Relaxing time in TanAn ancient temple. The second stage will be 20km more on dirt track to the main road DT744.  It was nice ride along the beautiful red-soiled river dike, a wonderful single trail with very quiet on-land traffic. Cross Saigon river by a very interesting local ferry. Join the provincial road 15 and we bike to CuChi tunnels at BenDinh.
Enjoy Vietnamese lunch at local restaurant.

Then we visit the CuChi Tunnels, the most famous historical site in Saigon. If the time permits, drop by a hammock coffee shop or the famous shop for sugar cane juice with durian.
You will have the opportunity to experience what life was like for the Vietcong guerrillas who lived and fought underground during the war with the Americans and the South Vietnamese. You will be able to crawl through 50 m (150 ft.) out of the some 200 km of tunnels which run under the Cu Chi area’s underground complex.

When you tour through the tunnels, you will find sleeping quarters, kitchens, meeting rooms, hospitals and schools. You can experience how difficult the life of the guerrilla fighters was! A fascinating trip across Cu Chi will give you the option to learn about the hardships Vietnamese used to experience and the stunning creativity with which these people sustained their lives in these tunnels.

Bike to CuChi tunnels and want to ride back. There is optional cycling 20k more through the rubber platation area to TL8, and through TanThongHoi commune until we meet the main HW22. Our van will pick us up and transfer to Saigon.

Tour price for Bike to CuChi tunnels:

  • 4,690,000 vnd (US$ 200) / person (Solo person).
  • 2,730,000 vnd (US$ 115) / person (2 people).
  • 2,180,000 vnd (US$ 95) / person (3 people).
  • 1,790,000 vnd (US$ 80) / person ( 4 – 6 people).

Services included:

  • Entrance fee for Cu Chi Tunnels, ferry fees.
  • Transport : A/c bus support with cold drinking water.
  • Guide: Experienced cycling tour guide.
  • Mountain bicycle
  • Lunch at CuChi BenDinh tunnels.

Not included: Insurance, personal expenses.

For experienced road cyclist: You can bike along Saigon river trail to CuChi tunnels and bike back HCMC in one day. Total distance will be ~ 115km. It’s a nice loop with Saigon river trail, and ride back via hw 22 parallel road. However, the last 10km to city center will be on main road with lots of motorbikes and cars. Let us know if you want to have a challenge day on road bike.  The loop details here: https://www.strava.com/activities/1421611613

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Photo of Bike to CuChi tunnels:

Bike to CuChi tunnels - Trail along Saigon river from LaiThieu to ThuDauMot
Bike to CuChi tunnels – Trail along Saigon river from LaiThieu to ThuDauMot
Bike to CuChi tunnels - single track along Saigon river
Bike to CuChi tunnels – single track along Saigon river
Bike to CuChi tunnels - Saigon river trail
Bike to CuChi tunnels – Saigon river trail
Bike to CuChi tunnels - ThienHau temple in LaiThieu
Bike to CuChi tunnels – ThienHau temple in LaiThieu
Bike to CuChi tunnels - Pottery in LaiThieu
Bike to CuChi tunnels – Pottery in LaiThieu
Bike to CuChi tunnels - single track from ThuDauMot to CuChi
Bike to CuChi tunnels – single track from ThuDauMot to CuChi

Working and living rooms of CuChi guerrillas were made of wood. Roof were covered by TrungQuan leaves – Ancistrocladus tectorius.

Living room and entrance to tunnel - CuChi tunnels tour
CuChi tunnels tour – Entrance to tunnel

TrungQuan plant is belonging family of Ancistrocladaceae grow throughout the forests of Indochina, also met in China and India. Grows wild in the mountainous region around the country as Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria Vung Tau. It frequently grows on the edge of the evergreen forests, flowering season from March to May.
CuChi guerrillas used Trung Quan leaves for roofing because the leaves of this plant are fire resistant (refractory) should be used very good roofing. And the whole plant used to cure back pain, and for women of childbearing to recover health.
Life in the tunnels:  For the Viet Cong, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food and water were scarce and the tunnels were infested with ants, poisonous centipedes, scorpions, spiders and vermin. Most of the time, soldiers would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge for supplies, tend their crops, or engage the enemy in battle.

CuChi tunnels tour - going inside the tunnel
CuChi tunnels tour – inside the tunnel

During periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Malaria was the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds.

CuChi tunnels tour - guerrilla trench
CuChi tunnels tour – guerrilla trench

Besides tunnels construction, the guerrillas have to dig a communication trench around their strong holds.

M41 tank attacked by VC in 1970 - CuChi tunnels tour
M41 military tank was attacked by VC delayed mine in 1970
Military jeep and tank - CuChi tunnels tour
Military jeep and tank remain at the battlefield

CuChi at the present time. Ending the war, the whole district of CuChi has 13 communes heroes, 28 heroic armed forces, 715 mothers Vietnam heroes, and 1,800 valiant herois soldiers. But behind her medals, Cu Chi lost 10,000 boys and girls at their age of youth.

CuChi tunnels tour - going through a 20 x 30cm secret entrance
Small secret entrance 20 x 30cm – hard to get in !!

Ben Duoc Temple named 44 357 heroes and martyrs in the country was sacrificed on this battlefield. Getting to CuChi cemetery of martyrs in the twilight afternoon, you may feel it is very peaceful cemetery as a park. To the north of this cemetery  is the Ben Duoc tunnels relics. The south is the Ben Dinh tunnels. In front is the Saigon River and across the Ben Cat (Binh Duong province). Where the heroes lay down is the focus of fierce battle in the war – the Iron Triangle.