A Long Tan battlefield tour from Ho Chi Minh City is more than a sightseeing day trip, it is a quiet pilgrimage into one of the most defining chapters of the Vietnam War.
Long Tan Cross lies approximately 110 kilometer (68 miles) east of Ho Chi Minh City in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province, a journey of around 2.5 to 3 hours by private vehicle along the modern Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway.
The road takes you into the rolling rubber plantations where, on the afternoon of 18 August 1966, 108 soldiers of D Company, 6 RAR held off a far larger Viet Cong and North Vietnamese force in a torrential monsoon downpour.
Tourists visiting the Long Tan Cross memorial site on a historical battlefield tour in Vietnam
This full-day itinerary is designed for Australian and New Zealand veterans returning to the ground they once knew, for their children, grandchildren tracing a family story and for travelers who want to understand the Vietnam War beyond the museums of Saigon.
Across one carefully paced day, you’ll stand at the Long Tan Cross Memorial, walk the perimeter of the former 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat, look out from SAS Hill and Horseshoe Hill (Mong Ngua Mountain), and step underground into the Long Phuoc Tunnels used by Viet Minh and Viet Cong fighters.
Long Tan Battlefield tour from Saigon itinerary
7:00 AM: Greeting guide and start the trip
The Vietnam Trails Travel team meets you from your hotel lobby between 6:30 and 7:00 AM.
A professional tour guide providing a warm welcome and hotel pickup service for a family’s private excursion to Long Tan Battlefield
If you’re joining the Long Tan tour 1 day from Saigon straight off an overnight flight, the early start gives you the coolest part of the day for the long drive ahead.
7:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Drive from Saigon to Long Tan Commune
The Long Tan Battlefield Tour From Ho Chi Minh City journey east covers around 100 kilometer along the new Long Thanh – Dau Giay Expressway.
A short coffee stop is built in around the 90-minute mark, usually at a roadside café in Long Thanh where you can stretch your legs and try a Vietnamese drip coffee (at your own).
Your guide joins the vehicle in Vung Tau City and uses the final leg of the drive to walk you through the historical context of Phuoc Tuy Province in 1966.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Nui Dat SAS Hill and the Australian Task Force base
Your first stop is Nui Dat, the former 1st Australian Task Force base that operated from 1966 to 1972.
On this Nui Dat Australian base tour Vietnam, you’ll climb SAS Hill for a panoramic view of the 4-kilometre base perimeter.
Visitors at the site of the former Nui Dat Task Force base in Vietnam
From the top, your guide traces the old helicopter parking areas, the Luscombe Field airstrip, and the boundaries where 6 RAR, 5 RAR, supporting units lived, trained, and patrolled.
A man stands in a dry, grassy field at the base of SAS Hill and holding a laminated historical photo of the area
The view is striking and for returning veterans, often the most emotional moment of the morning.
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Mong Ngua Mountain (Horseshoe Hill)
A short drive takes you to Mong Ngua Mountain, known to Australian soldiers as Horseshoe Hill.
The site was once a Viet Cong shelter before being taken over as an Australian observation post.
Tourists visiting the historic site of Horseshoe Hill in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, a significant landmark during the Vietnam War
Today it offers a quiet vantage point over the surrounding rubber forest.
Your guide will explain how the two armies used the same terrain in completely different ways.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Long Tan Cross memorial
From Horseshoe Hill it’s a 15-minute drive through rubber plantations to the site that gives this Long Tan Cross memorial tour its name.
The original cross was erected by 6 RAR in August 1969 on the third anniversary of the battle and the replica standing there today marks the exact ground where the fighting was heaviest.
Australian travelers paying their respects and laying flowers at the Long Tan Battle memorial cross, a significant historical site for veterans in Vietnam
You’ll have a full hour at the cross to lay a wreath, to pay respects, to take photographs, or simply to stand among the rubber rows in silence.
Australian veterans and their families gather here every 18 August for Long Tan Day commemorations and the site honors both Australian and Vietnamese soldiers who fell.
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Drive to Long Phuoc and the Vietnamese perspective
A complete Vung Tau Battlefield Tour From Ho Chi Minh City has to show both sides of the story.
After leaving the cross, you’ll drive 30 minutes to the Long Phuoc Tunnels.
On the way, your guide shares the local Vietnamese perspective on the war and the years that followed, a perspective most foreign visitors never get the chance to hear in such detail.
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM: Long Phuoc Tunnels exploration
The Long Phuoc tunnel network was first dug by the Viet Minh in the 1940s and later expanded by Viet Cong fighters during the war with the Americans and Australians.
Travelers gathering around a historic tunnel entrance at Long Phước, learning about the underground defense network during a guided tour
You can walk through the restored sections, you’ll see underground kitchens, sleeping chambers, meeting rooms and combat positions used by local resistance forces, many of whom lived below ground for years at a stretch.
Tourists exploring the historic Long Phuoc Tunnels in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, experiencing the underground network used during the war
The tunnels offer a perspective that complements everything you’ve seen at Nui Dat: the same terrain, the same war, experienced from entirely different ground.
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM: Late Vietnamese lunch in Ba Ria
After the tunnels, you’ll sit down to a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant in Ba Ria.
The menu offer grilled pork, fresh seafood from the nearby coast, clay-pot fish, vegetables from local gardens, and a cold Saigon beer if you’d like one.
Tourists having lunch with local cuisine and fresh watermelon in Ba Ria, Vietnam
The atmosphere is unhurried, this is the moment of the day where conversations tend to deepen, particularly for veterans who’ve just stood on ground they hadn’t seen in fifty years.
Dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice.
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Return drive to Ho Chi Minh City
The return drive takes around two and a half to three hours depending on Saigon traffic, especially on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons when weekend travelers flow back into the city.
Your driver knows the alternative routes and will adjust accordingly, but a small delay during this window is part of any honest Vung Tau day trip from Saigon
Before stepping out at your hotel, take a moment to check the seat pockets, footwells, and overhead area for personal belongings.
Cameras, hats, glasses, and phone chargers are the items most often left behind after a long day. You’ll arrive back at your hotel between 6:30 and 7:00 PM.
Travel tips:
Respect the solemn memorial site: Spending time at the Long Tan Cross is an emotional and respectful experience for many visitors. Keeping voices low and wearing respectful clothing during this segment is highly appreciated.
Bring walking shoes for muddy terrain: Exploring the rubber plantations, climbing SAS Hill, and stepping inside the Long Phuoc Tunnels requires sturdy footwear. Choosing sneakers over sandals helps you navigate dirt paths safely, especially during rainy days.
Carry a flashlight and pocket tissues: Walking through underground tunnels and using local rest stops along the rural route can be dark or lacking amenities. Having a small torch or phone light and your own pack of tissues adds a lot of comfort.
Keep local cash (VND) on hand: Purchasing traditional drip coffee at the highway rest stop or buying small items from local sellers requires physical currency. Rural commune shops do not accept international credit cards.
Pre-check travel documents on the return drive: Reviewing your wallet, passport, and phone before arriving back in bustling Saigon traffic makes for a seamless hotel drop-off. A quick glance under the seats ensures no cameras or chargers are left behind.
