Hiding Under the Streets of District 3 - Ho Chi Minh’s Secret Wartime Bunkers
Vietnam is full of surprises from its turbulent past. Buried deep in the ground, secrets of its wartime history lie hidden away. During the Vietnam War (or the American War as it is called in Vietnam), networks of bunkers, tunnels, supply and escape routes were built everywhere.
Today, most travellers heading to Vietnam have heard about the underground network of the Cu Chi Tunnels and the subterranean village of Vinh Moc. But what if we told you that in the heart of Saigon, the seat of American / South Vietnamese power, there were secret bunkers and tunnels? Hidden in the heart of District 3, down a nondescript side street lie two secret bunkers. Follow us as we explore this hidden side of Ho Chi Minh!
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The Vietnam War - A very brief history
This is a very brief recap of the Vietnam War and before you head to Vietnam, we’d urge you to learn a little bit about Vietnam’s past.
The Vietnam War ran from 1954 until 1975. The war was fought between the communist Northern Vietnamese government and its allies in the south, the Viet Cong who wanted to form a united Vietnam under Communist rule. Fighting against Northern Vietnam, was the government of Southern Vietnam and their allies the United States of America who wanted Vietnam to keep its ties with the West and create a united Vietnam with more western ideals.
What followed is decades of war within Vietnam. Each side (North and South Vietnam) faced huge civilian and military losses with casualties estimated to be over 1.3 million lives lost.
In 1973 after facing huge military losses, the US withdrew their support and in 1975, Southern Vietnam was eventually taken over by Northern Vietnamese forces. A new government was formed and on the 2nd July 1976, after decades of war, the country finally became united as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It was during this time that the capital of Vietnam was moved to Hanoi and the city of Saigon renamed as Ho Chi Minh City.
Again this is a super brief overview. To learn more about the Vietnam War itself, check out this Britannica Encyclopaedia article here.
Our time at the bunker
We visited the bunkers on a hot, humid and overcast day.
We arrived outside the ‘Secret Weapon’s Bunker’ and a man eagerly waved us in. Inside are lots of photos from the war, showing battles fought in the streets of Ho Chi Minh, war-time maps and photos of soldiers involved in the war. The man quickly opened up a small opening in the floor and directed us to head down explaining that the weaponry stored in the bunker below was used during the Tet Offensive that took place in Saigon in 1968.
As we clambered down we were greeted by boxes and boxes of guns, mortars, grenades, rocket launchers and other weapons. John’s face lit up as he went from shelf to shelf picking up the guns. After a good ten minutes playing with the guns, we emerged from the basement and we were dripping in sweat!
Just next door is another “museum”. You’ll know you’re in the right place as there’s a vintage grey Citroen van parked up in what appears to be someone's living room. The downstairs of this house museum has been decked out to what it used to look like during the war and there are lots of photos and information plaques hanging on the walls giving you a little insight into the family who lived here.
Our guide moved the coffee table and pulled up a small square opening in the chequered red and white tiled floor. We clambered down into the tiny basement below and were greeted with what the hideout would have looked like during the war. A small wooden bed, cooking utensils, first aid kits and weapons lay stacked in the small basement. We were led through the narrow room and clambered back up a steep ladder and through a small opening in the floor to emerge on the first floor. Upstairs there is more memorabilia and artefacts from the 1970s. Make sure to head outside to the balcony to get a great view over the busy streets below.
All the information you need for visiting Ho Chi Minh’s secret bunkers
Where is the ‘Secret Weapon’s Bunker?
The ‘secret weapons bunker’ can be found on a map here. If you’re struggling to find it, just look up to find the stone plaque and Vietnamese flags commemorating the men and women who fought during the war.
The other bunker is located next door opposite the cafe called Cà Phê Đỗ Phủ - Bảo Tàng Biệt Động Sài Gòn. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you can see the old grey Citroen van. You can find it on a map here.
Opening times of the bunker
The ‘secret weapons bunker’ is open Monday to Friday from 7.30am until 11.30am and from 13.00pm until 17.00pm. The bunker is closed on weekends.
The small bunker museum (opposite the cafe and just next door to the secret weapons bunker) is open everyday from 7am until 10pm.
Entry - cost of tickets
There is no entry fee for the ‘secret weapons bunker’. It is completely free to enter.
However for the bunker museum (next door and opposite the café), this is a little more dicey. We paid 50,000 VND each to explore the bunker opposite the café. We are not sure if this is the “standard” price as there were no boards to state what the entry cost would be and according to reviews, entry can vary from 40,000 VND to 100,000 VND. We didn’t feel too cheated in what we paid to enter as we had a full tour from the young guy. He talked us through the exhibits and told us all about the family who owned the bunker as well as answering our questions and taking photos for us.
It is very easy to mistake the bunkers for one another.
On our trip there we didn’t even realise there were two bunkers and only found the free one after going for lunch. Both are worth exploring, but if you’re on an ultra tight budget, the one on the right (under the plaque) is free, whereas the museum with the Citroen and sofa will cost you entry.
Other tips for visiting
Both bunkers are very small so you won’t need a lot of time visiting.
As both bunkers are ‘secret’ bunkers, there are no lift shafts, grand staircases or escalators to take you down. You will need to clamber down and in both sites, lower and pull yourself up through small holes in the floor. Both climbs down are not very hard and there are concrete steps / ladder footings to help you down but maybe leave your high heels behind!
The bunker is underground and is hot and very humid. As both sites are hidden bunkers, there are no windows and very little airflow. Both bunkers have been built under the houses and are both very narrow rectangle basements (about arms width wide). If you are a little claustrophobic it may not be the best place for you to visit.
As we explained above both bunkers are very small so you won’t need a lot of time to explore them, however the area around them is well worth a visit. We’d recommend visiting the bunker and then heading out for lunch or coffee afterwards (read more below for our recommendations).
How to get there?
The bunkers are located here on the corner of Nguyễn Đình Chiểu street and Võ Văn Tần street.
The easiest way to reach the bunker is by Grab, by either motorbike or car.
If you are confident with Ho Chi Minh’s traffic, then there is scooter parking available right outside the entrance of the bunker.
To use the Grab app in Vietnam you will need a Vietnamese SIM card.
If you’d rather avoid the hassle of buying one in Vietnam itself you can buy an eSIM in advance from Airalo. Click here to buy a Vietnamese eSIM.
Other war-time sites in Vietnam
The Vietnam War was fought all over the country and there are plenty of other sites to check out if you’re interested in learning more about this turbulent time.
Vietnam War sites in and around Ho Chi Minh City
In the heart of the city, only a short walk from the Presidential Palace, sits Saigon’s War Remnants Museum. Outside the museum are lots of wartime tanks, planes, shells and helicopters. Inside the museum is stuffed full of first hand reports, including newspaper cuttings, photographs and videos from the war. The museum doesn’t pull any punches so we would put a warning out if you’re travelling with children, as it’s very graphic.
Around an hour and half’s drive outside of Ho Chi Minh city are the Cu Chi Tunnels. This subterranean network of tiny tunnels were used by the Viet Cong as communication and guerrilla warfare tunnels. Today you can visit these tunnels and crawl through them.
To combine a visit to the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels, why not check out this tour with Get Your Guide here who offer this day trip to visit both sites.
Vietnam War sites in and around Hue
Just north of Hue sits the DMZ (demilitarised zone) that ran between North and South Vietnam during the war. The zone is full of wartime sites including the subterranean tunnels of Vinh Moc, the Khe Sanh Combat Base and the Hien Luong Bridge connecting North and South Vietnam.
There are plenty of tours running everyday from Hue to the DMZ. We had a fantastic all day tour here with Get Your Guide and learnt so much from our guide. We can highly recommend it. Book your tour here.
Vietnam War sites in and around Hanoi
If you’re in Hanoi don’t miss out on visiting the Vietnam Military History Museum and the B52 Victory Museum. Both museums are full with first hand accounts, weapons, tanks and planes from the war.
To book a guided tour of the war museums of Hanoi, we’d recommend checking out this Get Your Guide tour here.
Other things in the area - Visiting Ho Chi Minh’s District 3
The bunker is located in Ho Chi Minh’s bustling District 3. The area is abuzz with market stalls, street food and restaurants. After visiting the bunker we headed out onto the narrow streets to find some much needed lunch.
On our walk, we passed delicious looking bun rieu, bun bo hue, com tam, and pho joints. Each corner we turned and every street we stumbled upon seemed to have more and more food on offer. There was just so much choice and it all looked and smelt amazing! With choice paralysis on what to eat, we headed into the nearest restaurant, and lucky for us, it was a good one!
We enjoyed a delicious wonton soup. Unlike most wonton soups you get, this was full to the brim with six plump, meaty dumplings floating in a delicious broth topped with slices of pork and liver, a large prawn, quails eggs, chopped spring onions and a scattering of deep fried garlic. It was an incredible bowl. The wontons were sweet and juicy, and the broth packed a boney punch! The dumplings were even better when you dipped them in the sweet soy sauce. For a pro move, make sure you mix in some of the chilli’s into the soy to give a powerful fiery kick to the sweet and salty soy. Each bowl of wontons cost us 50,000 VND, an absolute steal for just under $2 a bowl!
Our delicious bowl of wonton soup!
If you’d like to know more about some of the best food to eat in Ho Chi Minh, then make sure you check out our food blog here.
After you’ve eaten your weight in noodles, it’s time to digest with a strong, Vietnamese coffee. As with every city in Vietnam, this area had no shortage of coffee shops to choose from. We’d recommend crossing the busy Võ Văn Tần road and heading into the warren of streets opposite the bunker as there’s plenty of coffee shops to choose from.
We enjoyed two delicious bac xiu’s (Vietnamese white coffee) from Đen Ca Phe (location). They were rich, sweet and the perfect pick-me up. If you do come here, make sure you keep an eye out for the incredibly sweet grey cat! When we visited he was curled up, sleeping on a chair under a table. To learn more about which coffee to order in Vietnam, make sure you check out our guide to coffee here.
Final thoughts
We found the bunker extremely interesting and loved that it was completely hidden away and invisible from the street. Both sites gave a small insight into the Vietnamese War and helped us to understand what a complicated conflict it was.
Even if you’re not into history, have no interest in the Vietnam War or don’t like guns, the bunker is well worth a visit. It’s a fun and unique place to go and see, and gives you a good excuse to escape the shackles of District 1. The area around the bunker is fascinating and is full of market stalls, local restaurants and great coffee shops. We’d recommend combining a little bit of history with some dining with the locals!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you’re planning to visit Vietnam, don’t miss out on reading our other Vietnam guides where we cover everything from riding the incredible Ha Giang Loop to visiting an early morning market in Hanoi.
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