Free tour

👷🏆 Hidden Bunker to Triumph: Vietnam War Stories with a Local

5.00

Excellent(2)

Ho Chi Minh City

Duration: 3 hours

Languages: English

Guru: Detour Asia

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 23 April 2023

Detour Asia offers an alternative tour experience for travelers in Southeast Asia, guided by local experts who know their cities inside and out. Skip the typical tourist spots and immerse yourself in authentic culture, discovering hidden gems and local favorites. Explore with those who love and understand their cities' secrets and surprises. Make your next adventure unconventional. Proudly featured in Lonely Planet Travel Guide (2016 & 2019).

Free reservation and cancellation

Pay-what-you-want tour, no set price, reservation and cancellation are free

Tour description

Duration: ~3 hours
Meet at: 7-Eleven, Tôn Thất Tùng, District 1
Language: English
Tour Type: Free walking tour (tip-based)

Walk through history in the very streets where it unfolded.

Join us on a powerful, eye-opening journey through Ho Chi Minh City's wartime past, where personal memories and national history collide. Guided by a local who grew up hearing firsthand stories of the conflict, this tour brings the Vietnam War to life in a way museums can’t.

From underground bunkers to poignant memorials and forgotten colonial remnants, each stop offers insight into the struggles, resistance, and resilience of the Vietnamese people. It's not just about battles and politics — it's about the human stories behind them.

🔍 Tour Highlights Include:

🕳️ Secret Weapon Bunker
Step into a hidden basement once used by the Viet Cong to store arms — a time capsule of wartime ingenuity and secrecy.
🏠 Visit a Local Guide’s Home
Hear intimate family stories from someone whose life was shaped by the war. A rare, personal perspective on the cost and complexity of conflict.
🔥 The Burning Monk Story
Stand near the intersection where Thích Quảng Đức’s self-immolation shocked the world — and learn why his act still resonates today.
⛪ Archbishop’s Residence
Discover how religion, politics, and resistance intertwined in this colonial-era building still steeped in mystery and power.
🏛️ War Remnants Museum
A stop at one of Saigon’s most visited sites — your guide will offer the stories behind the exhibits and help decode its powerful imagery.
🎓 Le Quy Don French School
See a beautiful colonial-era school that once served a darker purpose during the war — often missed by the average traveler.
🏰 End at the Reunification Palace
Finish your journey at the place where the Vietnam War officially ended in 1975 — a symbolic site of division and unity.

📣 Tip-based and truly immersive — this tour is perfect for history buffs, curious travelers, and anyone seeking a meaningful, off-the-beaten-path experience in Ho Chi Minh City.

Spaces are limited — don’t miss the chance to walk through the pages of living history.

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

23 Đ. Tôn Thất Tùng, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

7-Eleven - Tôn Thất Tùng, Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. For more information, feel free to contact me on WhatsApp at +84 91 238 8676.

Entry not included

Secret Weapon Bunker

Next, we take you to the Saigon Secret Weapons Bunker, a fascinating relic of the Vietnam War that's often overlooked by tourists. You'll be amazed by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Vietnamese people during this turbulent time in history.

Free entry

Visit Tour Guide's Family

Step off the tourist path and into the home of your guide’s family — where history lives in photos on the wall and stories told over coffee. As you sit together in their living room, you’ll hear firsthand how the Vietnam War shaped not just a country, but the lives of ordinary Saigon families. It’s a quiet, powerful moment of connection you won’t find in any museum.

Outside visit

Thích Quảng Đức Monument - The Burning Monk

Visit the Thích Quảng Đức Memorial, a moving tribute to the Buddhist monk who self-immolated in protest against the Vietnam War. From there, we’ll delve into the history of the war, uncovering the complex reasons behind the division between North and South Vietnam.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €15 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).