Vinh Moc Tunnels Monument

Address: Vinh Long Commune, Vinh Linh District, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam

Hours: Daily 7:30am-5:30pm

Admission: VND 45,000 (~US$2) - VND 100,000 (~US$4.25) for guided access to more sections (prices can change)

The Vinh Moc Tunnels are an underground complex near the village of Vinh Moc in Vinh Linh District, Quang Tri Province, central Vietnam. They were excavated during the Vietnam War to shelter civilians and protect them from heavy bombing.

The tunnel system comprises multiple connected galleries and chambers that include living quarters, kitchens, storage spaces and a maternity room where children were born while villagers lived underground. Several hundred local residents took refuge in the tunnels during intense bombing campaigns.

Construction began in the mid-1960s to protect the local population from sustained aerial bombardment, and the tunnels were actively used through the war years. The complex illustrates civilian wartime adaptation, with engineering focused on ventilation, water supply and the ability to sustain life underground for extended periods.

The tunnels lie near the coast in Quang Tri Province, an area that was heavily impacted by conflict during the Vietnam War and sits north of the former Demilitarized Zone in central Vietnam.

• Visitor conditions: A tunnel complex open to visitors that preserves intact rooms, corridors and surface shafts; many sections are low and narrow, requiring careful footing and crouching in places.

What to See#

• Tunnel levels: Three main levels of tunnel galleries carved into the coastal earth, with connecting shafts and passages that include living quarters, kitchens and storage rooms.
• Maternity room: A dedicated room used as a maternity area where births took place while villagers lived underground during bombing campaigns.
• Wells and ventilation shafts: Vertical wells and ventilation shafts that supplied air and freshwater to the underground complex and formed visible surface features.

From Dong Ha city (Quang Tri): take Highway 1 north for about 40 km to the Vinh Linh district, then follow local roads to the Vinh Moc site (roughly 45-60 minutes by car). Organized tours from Hue and Dong Ha commonly include transport. There is a small parking area at the site.

• Wear a headlamp or bring a bright flashlight; some tunnel sections are dim despite museum lighting.
• Expect narrow, low-ceilinged passages-people under 1.6 m (5'3") still have to stoop in places.
• Hire a local guide at the site to explain the numbered rooms and point out features like the maternity room and wells.