The Battle of Long Tan

This full-day private tour, which can be tailored to ex-GIs and ex-diggers who fought on the battlefields in the Vietnam War, takes you to your choice of sites where you'll meet people who either survived the war or came of age in the postwar years. Whether you're an American or Aussie veteran, or a history buff with an interest in war sites and artifacts, you’ll see Vietnam as it is today. Visit Long Tan and Nui Dat, key sites of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps’ involvement in the Vietnam War, or opt for a tour of Bien Hoa and Long Binh, which were both major bases used by the US Army. Option 1: Long Tan and Nui Dat Task Force Base After hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh CIty, your first stop on this full-day private tour is the former site of Australia’s Nui Dat Task Force Base (Nui Dat SAS Hill). Because the ANZAC occupation of Nui Dat required the removal of all inhabitants from within a 2.5-mile (4-km) radius of the base, the people of Long Tan and Long Phuoc villages were forcibly resettled. In the late afternoon of August 18, 1966, D Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment — despite being heavily outnumbered — fought off a large Viet Cong assault of regimental strength during a grueling 3-hour battle. Little remains of this military camp today except the columns of the main gate. Your guide will show you the former runway, now a street in the local village, and the old helipad, which now functions as a soccer field. Afterward, drive past the location of Horseshoe Fire Support Base (access is not permitted due to the continued presence of land mines) to the Discourtesy Rubber Plantation. Visit the Long Tan Cross Memorial, a focal point for remembrance, before continuing on to the Long Phuoc Tunnels. Like other tunnel systems found in Vietnam, Long Phuoc included meeting areas, first aid stations and fighting pits underground. Hear fascinating commentary from your guide as you explore each site and drive to Ba Ria for lunch before returning to Ho Chi Minh City, with drop-off at your hotel.