Ho Chi Minh City tour (8 hours)

Ho Chi Minh City tour (8 hours)

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: Independence Palace, 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh 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: 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: 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. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red brick façade (which were imported from Marseille), stained glass windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City District 1

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Central Post Office, At the top of Dong Khoi St opposite Notre Dame Cathedral, 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: Giac Lam Pagoda, 565 Lac Long Quan, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam

Giac Lam Pagoda, built in 1744, is the oldest Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City and as such was listed as an important historical site by the Vietnamese Department of Culture in 1988. Situated in Binh Than District, the pagoda is surrounded by spacious, walled garden and fronted by statues of mythical dragons, the protective guardians to many temples here.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Ba Thien Hau Temple, 710 Nguyen Trai Cho Lon, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Ba Thien Hau Temple in Saigon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It’s believed that she protects and rescues ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud. Mazuism is connected with traditions and beliefs from both Taoism and Buddhism. Mazuism is therefore an incorporation of different aspects and traditions which have merged to form a new belief. You will find this temple in ‘Cholon’ (Chinatown) in District 5, which is roughly a twenty minute drive from the city centre.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam

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: 1 hour

Stop At: Minh Phuong Lacquer - Ware Gallergy, 40 Phung Khac Khoan Dakao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam

Option 2:

Minh Phuong Fine Arts & Handicraft (working hour: 07:30 – 17:30)

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