Detour Asia: Free Walking Tours, Local Eats & Custom Journeys — Local services in Ho Chi Minh City

After looking at all the positive reviews here on TA, we booked their “Ultimate Cu Chi Tunnels” trip on 30th December through Viator - which is a TA company that sells tours online

After booking this trip (2 months in advance) , I got an email confirmation from Viator with a booking reference. Being a vegetarian, I had specified in the booking about my dietary restrictions as lunch was provided as part of the tour. On the booking confirmation was a local Vietnamese number of Detoured Asia. I was under the impression that there will be some form of communication from this company to acknowledge/ confirm our booking - right until our departure to Vietnam, nothing.

As soon as I arrived in Vietnam (2 days prior to the tour) , I organised a local SIM card and texted the local number on the email but got No response. Tried calling the number twice and it went unanswered. Later that day (I was in the middle of another tour with another company) I received a call from someone who knew nothing about my booking and he wanted the booking reference which I sent him later that day as soon as I got back to my hotel. I again asked him to confirm pick up time and also about the vegetarian lunch and he replied saying the pick up time is 8 AM, no mention about the vegetarian lunch.

On the day of tour we were picked up promptly from our hotel, however the tour guide (who was a young kid probably still studying) was sick, had a throat infection couldn’t talk much. He still tried his best to make conversation with us on the way to the tunnels. He did mention this was his first time to the Ben Duoc tunnels and he wasn’t familiar with that area - which was when things started getting from bad to worse. Upon arrival at the tunnels, he asked us to follow a bunch of local vietnamese tourists who had their own guide and our guide would translate what was being said to that group to English. The whole time we felt rushed as we were trying to catch up with the other touring party so he could listen to what was being said and translate to us. He had no clue about the history of the area we were visiting. To make matters worse, we got lost in the jungle on our way to the main tunnels and it was not comforting to know that the tour guide was blindly following a trail without knowing where it would lead us to. After about 30 minutes of aimlessly wandering and a buggy ride we finally reached the main tunnels. There we saw other people and their tour guides explaining about the significance of each tunnel, we felt completely ripped off.

Only consolation for me that they got me the vegetarian lunch at the end before making our way back to Saigon.

I made contact with the booking company who contacted Detoured Asia and we received a $20 refund, which was a bit of an insult.

This company was completely unorganised right from the start and they let us down. We will not be booking future tours in Vietname with company nor would we recommend this...

I took the Vietnam War Walking Tour: Bunkers, Resistance & Local Stories with Joseph and trainee guide Peter, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the very beginning, they welcomed us with warmth and genuine hospitality.

The tour was filled with powerful stories, rich historical insights, and personal reflections that truly brought the past to life. I was especially moved by the resilience of the Vietnamese people — their strength during the war and the way they’ve rebuilt their country into a vibrant, culturally rich nation is nothing short of inspiring.

We also learned about local customs, spiritual beliefs, and daily life in Vietnam, which added so much depth and meaning to the experience.

Thank you so much, Joseph and Peter, for your passion, knowledge, and kindness. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a deeper connection to Vietnam’s...

This was our first ever walking tour in our first day ever in Vietnam. And they didn’t disappoint, they also set a very high bar for anyone that will follow. So knowledgeable and they made it a real nurturing, fun experience. We did tip them at the end and you get a little parting gift, they also treated us to a delicious delicacy that was included.

The thing I appreciated the most was that I am very overwhelmed and intimidated by a big city so this was a perfect fit and taught us so much about the extensive history of the wonder that is Vietnam.

Can’t thank them enough for that experience, it will be a cherished...