Ho Chi Minh City Trip Overview
See the highlights of Ho Chi Minh City – formerly Saigon – on a private sightseeing tour including Cu Chi Tunnels. You’ll hear captivating stories about Vietnam’s history, from French colonization to the Vietnam War, as you explore the city and the elaborate tunnel complex of Cu Chi. Visit the Saigon Central Post Office, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica and Chinatown (Cholon) before heading underground. Lunch and round-trip hotel transport by private vehicle are included in this full-day excursion.
Additional Info
Duration: 9 hours
Starts: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Trip Category: Private & Custom Tours >> Private Sightseeing Tours
Explore Ho Chi Minh City Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Vietnam
See the highlights of Ho Chi Minh City – formerly Saigon – on a private sightseeing tour including Cu Chi Tunnels. You’ll hear captivating stories about Vietnam’s history, from French colonization to the Vietnam War, as you explore the city and the elaborate tunnel complex of Cu Chi. Visit the Saigon Central Post Office, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica and Chinatown (Cholon) before heading underground. Lunch and round-trip hotel transport by private vehicle are included in this full-day excursion.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Central Post Office, 125 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam
After hotel pickup, your private sightseeing tour begins at two famous French-style architectural landmarks – the Saigon Central Post Office and Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica. One of the oldest buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, the Saigon Central Post Office was designed by Gustave Eiffel in the late 19th century, when Vietnam was part of French Indochina.
Admire the neoclassical-style of the post office interior as your guide points out the ainted maps of former Saigon, once the capital of South Vietnam. Afterward, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere inside the iconic Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, located on Paris Square and renowned for its neo-Romanesque architecture.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Ba Thien Hau Temple, 710 Nguyen Trai Cho Lon, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Next, visit Thien Hau Temple, built by the Cantonese Congregation in the early 19th century. Dedicated to Thien Hau – the goddess of seafarers – for her protection during Chinese migration to Vietnam, the temple is situated in the center of Chinatown. Explore this exciting quarter with your guide, including the dynamic Central Market, where the Hoa (Chinese minority) have achieved success trading a variety of goods and communicating in both languages.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Cu Chi Tunnels, Phu Hiep TL15 Phu Hiep, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
After lunch in Saigon, relax on a 2.5-hour drive northwest to the Cu Chi Tunnels, one of the few remaining monuments to the Vietnam War (known in Vietnam as the ‘American War’). At its peak, prior to the Tet Offensive of 1968, the 125-mile (200-km) tunnel complex – dug by hand – was used as a military base for almost 10,000 Viet Cong troops. The tunnels housed schools, hospitals, kitchens and military war rooms, and served as hiding places for food, people and weapons.
The Vietnamese government has preserved approximately 46 miles (75 km) of the Cu Chi Tunnels as a war memorial park. Although the tunnels remain largely untouched, some have been widened and installed with lights so that visitors can fit through the underground labyrinth.
At the end of your tour, you’ll be driven back to Ho Chi Minh City by private vehicle with drop-off at your hotel in the late afternoon.
Duration: 4 hours
