Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City (Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh): 1-Day and 2-3-Day Plans

By seven in the morning, the sidewalk cafes on the side streets are already busy, and the motorbikes on Le Loi (Lê Lợi) Boulevard surge forward at every green light. Central Saigon is compact enough to explore on foot, as long as you start early and spend the hottest hours indoors.

Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City in one day, or two to three #

On a single day, adding the Cu Chi Tunnels makes the central plan tight. Including the drive, the tunnels take most of a morning. If you still want to go, choose either the palace or the museum for the afternoon.

A third day suits a day trip into the Mekong Delta or an unhurried ride on the river bus and metro. Heading to Nha Trang next? The SNT2 night train leaves Saigon Station at 9:45pm, which frees up your last afternoon.

March to May is the hottest stretch, when the daily high "feels like" temperature averages about 38-39°C (100-102°F) on Open-Meteo model data for 2015-2024. Carry water and wear a hat. If you feel dizzy, nauseous or get a headache, rest somewhere cool straight away.

The central walk: post office, cathedral and Independence Palace #

The Saigon Central Post Office (Bưu điện Thành phố) and the cathedral face each other across Paris Commune Square (Công xã Paris), about a kilometer from Ben Thanh Market. Step inside the post office for the iron-vaulted hall and the old painted maps.

Notre Dame Cathedral has been under major restoration for years, with no completion date set. While the work continues, the interior is closed to sightseeing, although the church still opens for mass. The red-brick facade, seen from the square, is the part to come for.

Photo: Balon Greyjoy

Independence Palace opens from 7am to 6pm every day, including public holidays unless a closure is announced. Combined admission to the palace and the Norodom exhibition costs VND80,000 for adults, or VND40,000 for Vietnamese university students and visitors aged 60 or over. A palace-only ticket costs VND40,000 for adults. Children have their own VND20,000 ticket; ask at the ticket desk which ages it covers. The 1960s reception rooms and the command rooms in the basement are the highlights; allow an hour and a half.

Walking between sights is easy; crossing the road takes care. Use crossings with lights where you can. Look both ways, because motorbikes sometimes ride against the traffic or along the curb, and wait for a real gap rather than expecting riders to steer around you. Bag snatching by thieves on motorbikes is common in tourist areas, so carry your bag in front or on the side away from the road, check maps away from the curb, and if someone grabs something, let go.

War Remnants Museum #

A short walk from the palace, at 28 Vo Van Tan (Võ Văn Tần) Street in Xuan Hoa (Xuân Hòa) ward, the War Remnants Museum tells the story of the war from the Vietnamese side. It opens from 7:30am to 5:30pm, and the ticket desk closes at 5pm. A standard ticket costs VND60,000; children under six enter free.

The photographs of the war and of the effects of Agent Orange are hard to look at. Check the gallery list before bringing children, and plan something gentle for afterward.

Ben Thanh Market and what to eat #

We would go to Ben Thanh Market for the food stalls in the middle rather than the souvenirs around the edges. Where prices are not posted, ask before you buy and compare a couple of stalls. Outside the market, Saigon starts the day with broken rice and grilled pork (cơm tấm) and eats noodle soup at any hour, and most of the southern dishes worth trying are easy to find around the center. For a break, find a low stool at a sidewalk cafe and order iced coffee with condensed milk.

Cholon and Thien Hau Temple #

Around Thien Hau Temple in Cholon, about 5 km west of Ben Thanh Market by road, the streets are lined with herbal medicine shops, wholesalers and Chinese assembly halls. The temple, also called the Tue Thanh Assembly Hall (Hội quán Tuệ Thành), stands at 710 Nguyen Trai (Nguyễn Trãi) Street in what is now Cho Lon ward. It honors the sea goddess Thien Hau, and giant coils of incense hang from the roof of its courtyard.

Go in the afternoon, then wander the nearby streets or carry on to Binh Tay Market (chợ Bình Tây). Dress modestly, keep your voice down near people praying, and ask before photographing anyone.

Photo: Balon Greyjoy

Cu Chi Tunnels: a half-day trip #

The tunnel network is preserved at two sites: Ben Dinh (Bến Đình), about 44 km by road from Ben Thanh Market, and Ben Duoc (Bến Dược), about 58 km away. Both include a short film, tunnels and bunkers you can visit and a shooting range you will hear before you see; Ben Duoc also has a memorial temple. The site is open daily from 7am to 5pm. We would allow four to five hours in total and leave early, before the traffic and the heat.

Foreign visitors pay a VND35,000 site fee plus a VND100,000 service and guide ticket per visit. If you book a tour, ask whether its price includes both.

River bus, metro and ride-hailing #

The Saigon Waterbus leaves from Bach Dang (Bạch Đằng) pier, about 1.6 km on foot from Ben Thanh Market, and runs up the river to Linh Dong (Linh Đông). Each ride costs VND15,000. Eight boats a day leave Bach Dang between 8:30am and 9:20pm, with more at weekends and on holidays, and reach Thao Dien (Thảo Điền) in about 27 minutes. We suggest the 5:10pm boat, once the heat has eased, coming back on the 7:05pm, 8:35pm or 10:05pm from Thao Dien. Postpone if thunderstorms are forecast.

Photo: Cuong Tran

Metro Line 1 runs from an underground station at Ben Thanh toward Thu Duc (Thủ Đức), and most of the line beyond the center is elevated. Single fares run VND6,000-20,000 depending on distance and how you pay, and a day pass costs VND40,000. The gates take contactless Visa, Mastercard and Napas cards, but carry some cash in case your card is declined. Trains run from about 5am to 10pm Monday to Thursday and until 11pm Friday to Sunday; hours can change, so check the HCMC Metro HURC app. For this itinerary, the metro offers an elevated view of the city; Cholon and the Cu Chi Tunnels need other transport.

Photo: MekkongHero

For everything else, book Grab or Green SM, which show the fare up front; you will need an internet connection to book. Check that the plate and driver match the app, and book the whole trip there, not with someone who approaches you claiming to work for these companies. On a motorbike taxi, fasten the helmet and keep your phone in your bag.

Evenings on Nguyen Hue and Bui Vien #

Nguyen Hue walking street runs from the river up to the colonial-era city hall, and after dark it fills with families, street performers and people taking photos. Bui Vien, the backpacker street, is the opposite: bars, loud music and tables spilling onto the road. An hour there is plenty for most people.

If you drink alcohol, choose clearly labelled products opened in front of you and avoid drinks of uncertain origin, because methanol poisoning has been reported in tourist areas.

Rain and flooded streets #

The rainy season runs from about May to November, and afternoons account for much of the rain, so keep outdoor visits for the morning where possible. On long-term averages from Open-Meteo model data, about three fifths of the rain in these months falls between noon and 6pm. December to April is dry; around Tet (Tết), the Lunar New Year, many restaurants close for several days.

A Ho Chi Minh City itinerary for 2 days #

Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City: common questions #