Ho Chi Minh City Trip Overview
Embrace the spirit of Saigon – “Pearl of the Far East” with a day trip visiting the iconic landmarks of the city and soaking up the rich tapestry of history and culture. This Vietnamese metropolis can intimidate at first, but with a local to guide you on a Ho Chi Minh City tour, it’s never been easier to visit this incredible city. This city tour unravels Saigon’s turbulent past and also provides a glimpse into the fascinating variety the city has to offer.
High light
• Experience the special atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City
• Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch
• Learn more about the Vietnam War, explore the old and new Saigon, and admire the highlights of the city
• Admire magnificent pagodas, impressive buildings, and traditional markets
Additional Info
Duration: 8 hours
Starts: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Trip Category: Shore Excursions >> Ports of Call Tours
Explore Ho Chi Minh City Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vietnam
Embrace the spirit of Saigon – “Pearl of the Far East” with a day trip visiting the iconic landmarks of the city and soaking up the rich tapestry of history and culture. This Vietnamese metropolis can intimidate at first, but with a local to guide you on a Ho Chi Minh City tour, it’s never been easier to visit this incredible city. This city tour unravels Saigon’s turbulent past and also provides a glimpse into the fascinating variety the city has to offer.
High light
• Experience the special atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City
• Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch
• Learn more about the Vietnam War, explore the old and new Saigon, and admire the highlights of the city
• Admire magnificent pagodas, impressive buildings, and traditional markets
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: The Independence Palace, 106 Nguyen Du District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
You will start your tour with The Reunification Palace, used to be the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam. In 30 April 1975, when North Vietnam soldier set foot inside this building with red flag on hand, the whole world knew that Vietnam war was end.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, 01 Cong xa Paris Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Central Post Office, 125 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam
The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Emperor Jade Pagoda, 73 Mai Thi Luu, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Emperor Jade Pagoda, also known as Tortoise Pagoda, is one of the five most important shrines in Ho Chi Minh City. Built at the turn of the 20th Century by a community of Cantonese who migrated from Guangzhou province in Southwest China, this pagoda is a fine representation of Mahayanist branch of Buddhism that is practiced widely in Vietnam.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’, it’s a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War. Graphic photographs and American military equipment are on display. There’s a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb that weighs at 6,800kg. American troops had used these weapons against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Option 1:
Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much. The market is big, difficult to navigate at times and certainly best avoided during the hottest part of the day but all the same its well worth a look. When night falls, restaurants around the perimeter of the market open their doors creating a vibrant street side scene filling the air with the scents of wok-fried noodles, barbecued fish and meats. One of Saigon’s oldest landmarks, Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Minh Phuong Lacquer – Ware Gallergy, 40 Phung Khac Khoan Dakao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Option 2:
It located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh, is a great place to witness the traditional Vietnamese art form of lacquer work. This premises houses the work station as well as showroom that are open to public for tours. Visit the gallery and watch the artists create beautiful lacquer masterpieces and browse through their collection of paintings, furnishings, jewelry boxes, vases, coasters and wall dishes to take home as a gift and souvenir.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Bitexco Financial Tower, 36 Ho Tung Mau Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Option 3: Your sightseeing tour takes you a top Saigon’s newest landmark, the 262 m high Bitexco Financial Tower which has a shape of a lotus, Vietnam’s national flower. The high speed elevator takes you up to the observation deck where they can experience an amazing 360 degree view of Saigon city and its surroundings
Duration: 30 minutes
