If you are travelling to Ho Chi Minh City, your are in for an exciting time. This city is so vibrant, so fast paced, and so jam packed with things to do that it’s hard to fit them all into a short space of time. Here is a suggested 3 day Ho Chi Minh Itinerary.
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Things to Know Before You Go To Ho Ch Minh City
English Speaking
In Ho Chi Minh City you won’t have too much trouble getting around using English. Most people in the hospitality and tourism industries will have some English skills, and you will find that many have studied English for 4 years at a University.
Leave the big smoke, and you will have trouble finding anybody who speaks any English. It is well worth mastering Google Translate on your smart phone, this is invaluable in the back blocks of Vietnam. In case you didn’t know, Google Translate will quickly translate anything into Vietnamese, You can then spell it and speak it to your Vietnamese friend.
Money
It’s nice to know that you will be an instant millionaire when you go to Vietnam. That’s because 1 million Vietnamese Dong is worth around 50 US dollars. You will need to get hold of some Vietnamse Dong (VND) when you arrive.
ATM’s are simple to use in Vietnam, however the fee for using them are ridiculously high. And places like airports only let you withdraw a small amount, thus increasing the fees you need to pay. For example, an airport ATM has a maximum of 2,500,000 VND, but if you find a Citibank ATM you will be able to withdraw 8,000,000 VND. It really is worth carrying a Citibank of HSBC ATM card if you can to reduce excessive fees.
Note that US dollars are accepted widely, and many vendors will quote prices in US dollars. It’s a good idea to have a few USD tucked away. And most visa requirements will only accept USD.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City
Most people will arrive by air at the Ho Ch Minh City airport. This airport is in the middle of the city, and it is quite cheap to get to your hotel in the city.
There are very strict visa requirements in Vietnam, and it’s imperative that you research before you arrive. Generally for less than 15 days, many countries are allowed a free visa on arrival. For greater than 15 days you will need to pre-arrange an invitation letter and pay a fee upon arrival. And they will only accept USD. The key is to do your research and be prepared.
Getting around Ho Chi Minh City
Taxis are cheap in Ho Chi Minh City, however like most popular tourist cities you will be at the mercy of shady taxi drivers. Ho Chi Minh taxi drivers are up there with the best (or worst) of them, they know every scam in the book and aren’t afraid to use them.
Thank goodness for Grab taxi’s. Make sure you have a Grab app set up on your phone, and use Grab for each trip. With Grab in Ho Chi Minh City you can’t go wrong. These are splendidly cheap, costing around 25,000 VND for an average trip around District 1.
To get from the airport to District 1 will cost about 80,000 VND using Grab, whereas a taxi will cost 130,000 to 150,000 VND, plus whatever scam you are hit with.
Grab Motorbikes
Grab also let you take motorbike taxis to get around, which is cheaper yet again. Whilst I have not tried these, they are very popular and seem to be a reliable way to get around. Unless you have a suitcase, then you probably should go for a car.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is divided up into districts, and District 1 is the recommended place to stay for those looking for adventure. District 1 in Ho Chi Minh is the equivalent of the Old Quarter in Hanoi, meaning it is where most of the tourists head for. It is jam packed with restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, hostels, tour agencies, massage parlours, markets, convenience stores, ATM’s… everything you could possibly need as a tourist.
All the major attractions in central Ho Chi Minh City are easily accessible from your Hotel in District 1. You can do a circular walking loop in about 2 hours and see the major attractions. Or you can go to any of them for 25,000 VND in a Grab taxi.
Our favourite place to stay is the Duc Vuong Hotel, which is on the edge of District 1. This hotel is great value and has an amazing rooftop restaurant and bar.
Our second favourite place to stay is opposite the massive Ben Thanh markets in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, the Anpha Boutique Residence. If you want to do some shopping, just walk across the road from this hotel and you step into the markets. Amazing.
If you’re looking for luxury you can’t go past the Grand Hotel Saigon. This is a restored colonial building in a prime location near the Song Saigon River. And best of all, there are often heavily discounted rooms available online for this 5 star hotel.
Once you’re settled in to your hotel, it’s time to figure out what to do in Ho Chi Minh for 3 days. Now is a great time to pick up some tour brochures from your hotel travel desk.
Best Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City has 2 main themes for the best day trips. Firstly, it played an important role in the Vietnam – American War, and has many historic sites dedicated to the remnants of this period. Secondly, Ho Chi Minh City is located near the Mekong River Delta. There are many amazing water based communities and attractions in this wide spread area.
There are also some great day tours in Ho Chi Minh City itself. This is why our Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary covers a mixture of surrounding areas and city based attractions.
Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary Day 1 – Cu Chi Tunnels
On Day 1 you take a combined tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels, and a half day city tour. This is a popular tour which can easily be booked through your hotel or a nearby tour agency. If you really get stuck head on over to Luxury Group Tours. Cost should be around 1 million VND per adult for the day, including lunch and water.
The Cu Chi Tunnel tour takes you 70 km north west of Ho Chi Minh City to the tunnel complex from the Vietnam – American War. This is at the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and you will get to climb through this amazing complex of underground tunnels. You also get the chance to buy some bullets and shoot some massive military guns on the firing range.
The Ho Chi Minh travel itinerary in the afternoon will take you to the biggest attractions in town, and take you on guided tours through each of them. They include:
- War Remnants Museum
- The Reunification Palace
- Notre Dame Cathedral
- The Old Post Office
- Jade Emperor Pagoda
- Ben Thanh Market
The War Remnants Museum is in my opinion the must see attaction in Ho Chi Minh. This is rated in the top 25 museums in the world on Trip Advisor, and is a particularly moving experience. Here you will learn about the darker side of the war, particularly Agent Orange and the after effects.
Ho Chi Minh Itinerary Day 2 – Mekong Delta Tour
Take another organised tour to the Mekong Delta. There are a couple of different popular areas on the Mekong Delta to choose from.
Option 1: My Tho – Ben Tre (Four Islands Tour)
The Four Island Tour is about 90 minute drive from Ho Chi Minh City and costs around 800,000 VND per adult. This will take you on several boat trips and other interesting activities, including the following:
- Vinh Trang Pagoda
- Motor boat rides
- Hand rowing sampan rides
- Floating fish farm visit
- Coconut candy factory tour
- Bee farm tour
- Traditional singing demonstration
- Bicycle Riding
- Horse and cart ride
- Zoo, including crocodile fishing
- Traditional lunch included
Option 2: Cai Be – Vinh Long (Floating Market Tour)
The Floating Market Tour is about 2 hours drive, and costs around 1,000,000 VND per adult. Activities include:
- Motorboat rides
- Stop on a local houseboat for fresh fruits
- Rowing Sampan ride
- Cycle around the village
- Cooking demonstrations in a local house
- Traditional workshops – Fresh fruits, snake wine, rice paper, coconut candy, pop rice.
That’s about it for day trips from Ho Chi Minh City. 2 consecutive tour days are fairly tiring, especially if the weather is hot and humid. Have a good rest for a busy day exploring Saigon tomorrow.
Day 3 – Motorbike Tour around Ho Chi Minh City
Take a 4 hour motorbike tour around Ho Ch Minh City to see some ‘off the beaten track’ sights. This will take you out of District 1 and into some of the other districts. This is a great tour for kids as well!
In the afternoon, take a trip to the markets. The day markets finish about 5pm, when the night markets take over. Try your skills at bargaining for some cheap souvenirs.
Skydeck
Late in the afternoon go to the sky deck. In fact get there for the sunset if you can, you will get amazing views of the pandemonium below, and of the entire city centre.
Things To Do as Time Permits
Here are a few things to tick off your Ho Chi Minh City bucket list. Do these whenever you get around to them, just make sure you tick them off your list before you leave
Eat a Vietnamese Pho
Pho is very much the national dish of Vietnam. This is a mixture of noodles, herbs and spices mixed into a noodle soup. Most commonly served with beef or chicken. These make for a great breakfast, but can be eaten for any meal. I try to eat at least on per day in Vietnam, Pho is definitely my favourite dish.
Eat a Banh Mi
This is a Vietnamese Baguette filled with chicken, herbs and spices. Normally you’d find lettuce and cucumber in there as well. These are best purchased from street vendors, but you can find them in many fast food or convenience stores as well.
Drink a Vietnamese Coffee
Vietnamese coffee is distinctive mainly because use the Robusta variety of cofee beans, rather than the usual Arabica. A traditional coffee is served with a small filter over your cup, and is sweetended with condensed milk. Careful, these are very addictive. And powerful.
Grab a Bargain at the Markets
The markets are definitely a tourist trap, and prices don’t seem all that cheap. Unless you practice your bargaining skills. You can probably get the normal price reduced by around 60-70% and score a great bargain. Our favourite are the Ben Thanh markets, the biggest markets in town.
Cross a Busy Street
This can be a scary experience for the faint hearted, but is memorable experience in Ho Chi Minh City nevertheless. If you find a local and walk right behind them you should be right. The trick is apparently to keep on walking (nice and slowly), and the traffic will go around you! In theory.
Top Attractions Ho Chi Minh City
After your whirlwind tour of Ho Chi Minh City, you cannot possible see all the top attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. Best to leave some time to go exploring at the end of each day, and do whatever takes your fancy.
If you only have 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City, you could just remove one of the day tours in surrounding areas. But 3 days in Ho Chi Minh gives you a much better feel for all this amazing part of Vietnam has to offer.
I hope you enjoy Ho Chi Minh City as much as we do. It has a completely different feel to Hanoi and the rest of Vietnam. In fact you haven’t experienced all that Vietnam has to offer until you visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Do Your Research
You can never do enough research for a trip of a lifetime. Here are some great hand picked books to help you along your way.
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