Arranged in order from east (Vietnamese coast) to west (Lao border):
Hien Luong Bridge crosses the Ben Hai River at the middle of the DMZ and marks the former border between North and South Vietnam from 1954 to 1972 when the North Vietnamese Army captured Dong Ha town in the 1972 Easter Offensive and pushed the border to the Thach han river in Quang Tri town, some 20 miles further south. During the partition of Vietnam, the bridge was painted with the two different colors. There is a monument on the north side.
Vinh Moc Tunnels where an entire village lived for two and a half years. 17 babies were born in the tunnels. There is a small but informative museum here, with photos of the construction of the tunnels, and of daily life underground.
Truong Son National Cemetery is Vietnam's national war cemetery.
Camp Carroll is the largest fire base of the U,S Marines below the DMZ. There were 24 big guns there to provide fire support for the Marines. In the 1972 Easter Offensive it was captured by the NVA when Ltn Colonel Pham Van Dinh of the Army of Republic of South Vietnam surrendered the entire 1.600 soldiers and 24 guns to the NVA.
The Rockpile was a Marine outpost built on top of a huge outcropping. Though it's inaccessible, it's a prominent sight from the highway.
Dak Rong Bridge is midway along Highway 9, and is the starting point of Highway 15, one of the main branches of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which leads south to the A Shau valley and the infamous "Hamburger Hill". Though not entirely legitimate, there is a monument commemorating it as a point on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, (called Đường Trường Sơn in Vietnam).
Khe Sanh Combat Base, just east of the Lao border, was the site of a U.S. base which fell under attack in early 1968. The attack of the NVA on Khe Sanh was a diversion for the 1968 Tet Offensive in the south. The old airfield of red dirt still remains.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about DMZ (Vietnam)
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in DMZ (Vietnam) - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount DMZ (Vietnam) hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
DMZ (Vietnam) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
