Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide & Itinerary
Here is a Ho Chi Minh City travel guide and itnerary for dummies! This simple guide will focus on the must-eat restaurants, must-visit attractions, hotel recommendations, and a 4 days 3 nights itinerary. Hope it will halve the worries, double your joy!
Length of Traval
2 days is enough to visit Ho Chi Minh City Centre. If you go to the Mekong River and Cu Chi Tunnels, it will take at least 4 days in total. Beware if you need a visa to enter Vietnam.
» Start the guide with...Where to GoBest Day TripsWhat to EatWhere to StayItinerary
Transportation in HCMC
If you travel from other cities in Vietnam, consider taking flights from Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar and Vietjet; the 3 airlines have domestic flights to Ho Chi Minh City every day.
The flight duration from other cities in Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City are 1 hour 20 mins from Da Nang and 2 hours 10 mins from Hanoi. » Book a private airport transfer to KLOOK
Attractions in HCMC
Apart from shopping and eating in Ho Chi Minh City, there are many attractions to visit. If this is you first Ho Chi Ming City travel, it will be great to learn about Vietnam’s history, you can go to the War Remnants Museum (recommended!); for culture and arts, the Saigon Opera House is a must-go; those who want to see the night view can go to Saigon River.
Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City:
◊ Landmarks:
- Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office : French colonial building, built in 1886, similar to old European train stations
- The Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon (Red Church): The red brick church was built by French colonists. Its left is the Central Post Office.
- Reunification Palace (formerly the residence of the President): the venue for governmental meetings and receptions of heads of states; also a historical sightseeing spots
- Tan Dinh Church Saigon : Pink Church, Very Girly, welcome to visit the mass
◊ Museums:
- War Remnants Museum : exhibition of U.S. military during the Vietnam War
◊ Enjoy the scenery:
- Saigon River : There are many French buildings on both sides of the river bank, and you can enjoy the night view by walking along the banks or taking a sightseeing boat.
- Bitexco Financial Tower : 360-degree panoramic observatory for night view. » Book Skydeck Ticket
◊ Leisure enjoyment:
- The Coffee Apartment : transformed from an old house, each unit becomes a café now; there are dozens of cafes from 1 / F to 9 / F.
- Pham Ngu Lao Street : A district with lots of hotels, restaurants, shops and travel agencies and backpackers. Experience the ‘ Lan Kwai Fong’ nightlife here.
◊ Culture and Arts:
- Saigon Opera House : The AO Show is very famous. It is a Vietnamese version of the Cirque du Soleil. It uses bamboo poles and bamboo baskets to show the local customs of Vietnam.
- Water Puppet Show : Vietnam’s national culture; staff on the backstage manipulate the puppets to dance on the pool, worth watching!
» Book tickets and shows for the most popular attractions at KLOOK
Attractions Around Ho Chi Minh City:
◊ Mekong Delta
- First go to My Tho (1.5 hours by car), then a boat
- The local tour of the cruise usually includes: admiring the endless paddy fields and orchards along the Mekong River, experiencing the local customs of Vietnam, and visiting temples, coconut sugar factories as well as bee farms
» book a Mekong Local Tour at KLOOK
◊ Cu Chi Tunnels (recommended!)
- When Vietnam was in resistance to the United States, Vietnamese farmers and soldiers dug tunnels for 20 years to build the Cu Chi tunnels! Cu Chi is a large military camp under the ground. There are hospitals, conference rooms, food and weapon caches, and military traps.
- 1.5 hours drive from the city center, half-day tour. » book an authentic half-day tour of Cu Chi at KLOOK
- Must-do: Enter the ultra-narrow Cu Chi tunnels
Food in HCMC
What to eat in Vietnam? The two most famous Vietnamese food are Pho and Bahn Mi. They are very delicious but cheap! You can find them everywhere in the city.
If you want to take a break, try a cup of Vietnam Coffee in a cafe. Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer after Brazil. Ho Chi Minh City is full of coffee shops just like the Coffee Apartment.
Recommended restaurants:
- Pho (Rice noodles with soup): Pho Ngheu Huong Thanh, Pho 24, Tiem an Cat Tuong, Pho 2000
- Bánh mì (French-Vietnamese Baguette): Bánh Mì Hùynh Hoa
- Gou Cuon (Vietnamese Spring Roll): Wrap & Roll
- Chè (Sweet soup): Che Nam Bo
- Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Pancake): Banh Xeo An La Gien
- Chạo tôm (shrimp surimi with sugar cane)
- Sinh Tố Mãng Cầu (fruit smoothie)
- French Cuisine: Le Bordeaux, Le Caprice, Le Mekong, Cmargue
- Food Street: Food Court@Diamond Plaza, Quan An Ngon
Top Rated Hotels in HCMC
It is recommended to stay in a hotels of District 1 Ben Thanh Market, because most attractions are within District 1, it will be easy to travel by walking. Most of the local tour only offer free shuttle service in District 1.
Recommended Hotels:
- Grand Hotel Saigon
Luxury; a colonial style building with a rooftop bar; convenient-very close to Opera House and Saigon River, many restaurants and shops around. Booking.com score: 8.8
Check price: Booking.com Agoda - Liberty Central Saigon Centre Hotel
Mid-priced; spacey room; convenient -next to Ben Thanh Market, 10 mins walk to the main attractions such as the Reunification Palace and the Notre Dame Cathedral. Booking.com score: 8.4
Check price: Booking.com Agoda - Elios Hotel
Economical; breakfast at the rooftop restaurant, close to the station of Pham Ngu Lao Street and FUTA, airport bus stop 109 nearby. Booking.com score: 8.0
Check price: Booking.com Agoda
Shopping in HCMC
- Diamond Plaza : a big shopping mall in the city
- Cho Binh Tay, An Dong Market, Ben Thanh Market : traditional Vietnamese markets, of which Ben Thanh Market is the symbol of Ho Chi Minh City
- Dong Khoi Street : Specializing for tourists, a place for buying souvenirs
» Continue the guide with...Where to StayWhere to GoWhat to Eat
4D3N Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary
Below is a Ho Chi Minh City Travel Itinerary for 4 days. It includes visiting popular tourist attractions in the city, a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and a day trip to Mekong River. It can be a sample itinerary for you to have more travel ideas for your coming Ho Chi Minh City Trip .
Day 1
Airport → Visa on arrival → Hotel Check In → Dinner → Saigon River Night Tour → Hotel
Day 2
Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Tour + Sightseeing in City
Cu Chi Tunnels → Ben Thanh Market → Lunch → Pham Ngu Lao Street → Thr Coffee Apartment → Watch Show (AO show / Water Puppet Show) → hotel
» Book Cu Chi Authentic Half-Day Tour-Klook
Day 3
Mekong Delta Local Tour
Mekong River → Back to Ho Chi Minh City at 5-6pm → Dinner → SPA → Hotel
» Book a 1-Day Mekong River Tour-Klook
Day 4
Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Central Post Office & Notre Dame Cathedral & Reunification Palace → Airport