Binh Duong - Cu Chi: half day on boat from Bach Dang

From Bach Dang wharf on the Saigon River, canoes take tourists to Cu Chi and Binh Duong in half a day, half an hour shorter than by road. The itinerary includes a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels via Dinh wharf, lunch in Binh Duong and visits to craft villages. The total cost is about 1.8 million VND/person, according to Saigon River Star Sales Director Nguyen Xuan Bich Chi.

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Journey down the river: 8am departing Bach Dang

The tour departs at 8am at Bach Dang Wharf. Visitors must bring identification to complete check-in procedures and should arrive 15-20 minutes early. The canoe can accommodate up to 24 passengers; life jackets are required throughout the trip.

A light breakfast is served on the boat, including sandwiches, pate, fresh fruit, coffee, sugarcane juice, mineral water and cold towels. A Chinese tourist shared that this is a relaxing way to travel, without dust or traffic jams, and you can easily enjoy the peaceful river scenery on both banks.

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Cu Chi Tunnels via Dinh Wharf: 9:30 am arrival

The canoe arrives at Dinh wharf at 9:30. This is one of two passenger boat docks at the relic site, small in scale, quiet and less crowded. From here, the walking journey passes through points including M41 tank wreckage, B52 bomb crater, exhibition area recreating ancient battlefields, experience the tunnel system and national defense sports shooting.

The end of the year is the peak season for international visitors to Cu Chi. The experience of crawling into a secret tunnel camouflaged under layers of dry leaves always arouses curiosity: there are almost no traces on the outside, but inside there is enough space for living, sheltering, holding meetings, hiding documents and weapons. Visitors line up to visit the tunnel sections.

The tunnel system connects many functional areas: the leaders' living and working bunker, the medical bunker, the dining area, the food and weapons storage, the fighting cell, the water well, the Hoang Cam kitchen, the engineering workshop and the military uniform factory. Each point has a tour guide explaining in detail.

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Lunch in Binh Duong

Ending the tunnel tour at 11am, the group boarded a canoe to an eco-tourism area in Binh Duong for lunch (included in the tour). The menu served local specialties such as water hyacinth salad with shrimp and pork, banh beo, chicken soup with basil leaves, braised fish, and fried dumplings.

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Suburban craft villages: wooden clogs and clay pigs

Sau Deo wooden clogs: choose model and make on site

The first stop is the Sau Deo clog making facility of Mr. Nguyen Minh Trung’s family in the clog hamlet of Phu Van village (now Thu Dau Mot ward, Ho Chi Minh City) – an area once known as the “capital” of wooden clog making with a history of over 100 years. During its heyday, there were over 80 households making the craft, and now there are about 4 facilities left.

Visitors can see firsthand the process of cutting wood, making blanks, and shaping. At the workshop, they can choose blanks, strap designs, and measure their feet so that the craftsman can make a pair of unique handmade clogs. After choosing a model, the artisans can complete the process in about 5-10 minutes; the price ranges from 120,000-150,000 VND/pair, depending on the design.

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Lai Thieu Piggy Bank: bustling Tet season

Traveling another 10-15 km, the group arrived at the clay pig making village in Lai Thieu ward, visiting the workshop of Mrs. Duong Thi Nguyet Thu, 80 years old, a traditional clay pig making artisan. The craft village was established more than 50 years ago; from a few hundred households, now there are only a few dozen households keeping the craft.

November is the peak production season for Tet: the factory is busy painting, drawing, and completing orders. Small piggy banks about 10 cm cost about 15,000 VND; large ones 30 cm cost about 80,000-100,000 VND. Visitors can buy the decorated ones directly or order them according to their requirements. The golden horse mascot products for Tet 2026 are being painted, then painted, and arranged separately for packaging.

A batch of clay piggy bank goes through many stages: mixing clay, pouring into plaster molds, drying, firing, painting, and then shipping.

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Practical information and notes

Departure time: 8am from Bach Dang wharf; should arrive 15-20 minutes early to complete check-in procedures (ID required).
Vehicle: canoe maximum 24 passengers; life jackets required throughout the journey.
Route: 9:30 arrive at Dinh wharf (Cu Chi) to visit the tunnels; 11:00 end the tunnel tour and move to have lunch in Binh Duong; stop by Sau Deo clog village and Lai Thieu clay pig village before returning to Bach Dang wharf.
Cuisine: light breakfast on the boat; lunch includes water hyacinth salad with shrimp and pork, banh beo, chicken soup with perilla leaves, braised fish, fried dumplings.
Cost: The Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi – Binh Duong river tour costs about 1.8 million VND/person, according to Saigon River Star Sales Director Nguyen Xuan Bich Chi.
Craft villages: handmade clogs take 5-10 minutes/pair, price from 120,000-150,000 VND; 10cm piggy bank is about 15,000 VND, 30cm type is about 80,000-100,000 VND.
Season: Cu Chi welcomes international visitors at the end of the year; Lai Thieu pig village enters Tet production season from November.