
TRAVEL GUIDENgày: 09-01-2023 by: tropicaltrekking
VIETNAM WAR TOURISM - HOW TO VISIT THE MAJOR VIETNAM WAR SITES
In the current day, Vietnam is well famous for a wide range of things, engaging tourists for a variety of reasons, including pho, xich lo and incredible natural beauty. It has long been firmly established on Southeast Asia's tourist map, and its success is well deserved. However, there is a side to Vietnam that deserves to be recognized and honored. Although learning about it is frequently unpleasant, it is an essential aspect of the past and is essential to comprehending the nation as it is today. The War in Vietnam. Many people have traveled to Vietnam over the years to learn about its history as well as to experience its incredible beauty and delectable cuisine. Vietnam War Tourism has grown in recent years.
A brief history of the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War, commonly referred to as the American War in Vietnam or the War Against the Americans to Save the Nation, lasted from 1954 until 1975. Throughout the whole war, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the Army of the Vietnamese Republic (ARVN) were at odds with one another. The anti-communist United States supported the South, while communist China and Russia supported the North. It is estimated that between 1.3 and 4.2 million people perished near or at one of the several Vietnam War sites.
The Vietnam War was a watershed moment in the twentieth century, and 40 years later, many people are still troubled by it. Vietnam is today a peaceful nation, but the conflict deeply scarred both the nation and its people.
Forty years later, the Vietnam War (also known as the American War) has deeply scarred the nation, its borders, and the Vietnamese people who hope for enduring peace. Any visitor who wants to comprehend Vietnam's contemporary identity must pay a visit to one of the many war memorials or historical sites in the nation.
A map of Vietnam War sites has far too many locations to view them all. Here, we've decided to concentrate on the most important ones. The list below will offer you an excellent understanding of war tourism in Vietnam, whether you are a history enthusiast or a veteran.
SAIGON
One of the key moments in the Vietnam War's history was the fall of Saigon in 1975. Even just being there is an amazing experience for history buffs.
The Rex Hotel
It was initially built in the late 1920s as an auto dealership and garage complex, but it was quickly transformed into a hotel in 1961 to accommodate the 400 American soldiers who had recently landed in town. The hotel hosted the American military command's daily briefings later in the conflict, and in the 1960s and 1970s, military leaders and war reporters frequently had evening beverages on the rooftop.
The "Five O'Clock follies" were the term for the regular war briefings in which officers boasted of exaggerated body counts. The extravagant, Vegas-style rooftop furnishings and the view are still there, even though the charts are no longer there. The bustling city below, crowded with motorbikes and the activity of hundreds of hungry entrepreneurs in the new Vietnam, appears much the same from the Rex rooftop as it did decades ago.
Today, it is a 5-star luxurious hotel where you can make reservations or just drop by for a drink at the rooftop bar to remember the good old days.
- Address: 141 Nguyen Hue, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

The Independence Palace
The Vietnam War came to an end at Saigon's Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Independence Palace. After President Diem was assassinated in 1963, General Nguyen Van Thieu assumed office at this facility, which served as South Vietnam's administrative center.
The South Vietnamese government had its headquarters here. With the opening of the "war chambers," tunnels, and communications center in the Palace basements, palace sightseeing offers some insights into how the War was organized. When a North Vietnamese army tank stormed through the gates to signal the Fall of Saigon, it became a symbol of the end of the Vietnam War.
The Evacuation Site
One of the most well-known photographs of the Vietnam War is one taken by Dutch photographer Hubert van Es on April 29, 1975, showing the final CIA chopper taking up Saigon evacuees.
Up until a Communist tank broke through the entrance on April 30, 1975, the Reunification Palace frequently underwent wind operations, the greatest helicopter evacuation in history. The Reunification Palace is open for visits right now; inside the bunker, you can still view the map showing the last army positions.
- Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Visiting hours: 7:30am to11:30am, 1:0p.m to 5:00pm
- Ticket sales hours: 7:30am to 11:00am, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
The War Remnants Museum
Before 1993, the War Remnants Museum was called the American War Crimes Museum. Anyone interested in the history of the Vietnam conflict should make a priority visit at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon.
The forecourt of the museum, which is home to a helicopter, two attack bomber planes, a tank, and a Daisy Cutter bomb, serves as a somber prelude to the succession of themed rooms that will follow, each holding gruesome imagery, historical artifacts, and eerie dioramas.
The museum's three levels are home to exhibits of military memorabilia, undetonated orders, and photo galleries showing the atrocities of war. Outside the museum are displayed armored vehicles, aircraft, helicopters, and other military equipment. Visitors can view the cages where the authorities kept political prisoners as well as the execution tool known as the guillotine. The photography exhibitions are especially upsetting, especially the series showing how generations of Vietnamese have been affected by Agent Orange, a herbicide that the US used as a weapon during the war.
- Address: No. 28 Vo Van Tan Street, Ward 6, District 3, City. Ho Chi Minh.
- Ticket price: Foreign visitors 15,000 VND / time / person
- Opening hours: War Remnants Museum is open every day of the week (including holidays and Tet). Opening time is from 7:30pm to 6:00pm.
Cu Chi Tunnels
Possibly the most well-known war memorial in Vietnam. One of the remarkable advantages of the forces in Southern Vietnam was their extensive network of tunnels. Wars that seem like scenes from a movie become an unthinkable reality.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a vast system of subterranean tunnels that previously served as a command center for North Vietnamese soldiers. They are located about 55 miles northwest of Saigon. The well-planned tunnel system includes housing developments, armament manufacturing, medical facilities, and even entertainment venues.
According to reports, the Cu Chi Tunnels go for more than 75 kilometers, all the way to the Cambodian border! It takes years to thoroughly flush out the tunnel, using gas, carpet bombs, and "tunnel rats"—soldiers trained in underground warfare. Viet Cong soldiers principally exploited this vast network of tunnels, which connect to a broader web of underground passageways spanning much of Vietnam, as a base for the Tet Offensive in 1968.
The Vietnamese government has since cleaned up some of the tunnel system's sections and made them accessible for tours.
- Address: 15 Highway, Phu Hiep, Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh
- Opening Hours: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Entrance Fees: The ticket is VND 90.000 (about USD 4)

Every step you take in the north, center, or south of our country was a part of the conflict at one point. One of the nation's last significant military confrontations was the Vietnam War, and its effects can still be seen everywhere in this country, along with many memories. In order to remember the Vietnam War, possibly stop and visit some of the memorials or significant sites when you're traveling across Vietnam.