Vietnam Itinerary: 10 Days in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, was our base for this 10-day Vietnam itinerary.
How to get from Ho Chi Minh International Airport to
District 1
Back to South-East Asia after our last month trip to Hong Kong, we arrived in Ho Chi Minh
after midnight and spent almost one hour and a half to pass through
immigration. Our choices to get to District 1 where our hotel was located,
were limited. Basically we had to chose between taking a taxi or a using Grab services. The two
recommended taxi companies in Saigon are Mai Linh (green) and Vinasun (white). In the end we opted
for calling a Grab under the belief that would be cheaper. We paid 189,280 VND (Vietnamese Dong),
around 10 CAD (Canadian Dollars) but given the time of the night and the high demand, it probably would have been a similar price with either one. At the end of our trip, upon leaving Ho Chi Minh very early in the morning we paid only 115,440 VND, about 6 CAD. We were please with the Grab service,
arrived to the hotel in no time and paid the fare through the app, no need to
watch the meter in a regular taxi.
Our Accomodations in Ho Chi Minh
We stayed at Elios Hotel in
District 1, close to Saigon Central Park and in walking distance to most of
the main attractions. The hotel had all the necessary amenities, was clean, the room was serviced daily, had a kettle with good coffee and tea, great working AC, laptop size safe and beach-like slippers. Bottled water was provided daily which seems to be a must in Vietnam as nobody recommends drinking
tap water. The staff was very friendly and helpful.
There was also included an amazing breakfast, best we ever had in a hotel, served at the top level and also having a rooftop with great views of the city. The continental breakfast was also offered to outsiders at a cost of 215,000 VND (approx.11CAD)
On our last day they
offered us packed breakfast packages because we check out at 3 am.
Discovering Ho Chi Minh City in 10 Days
This was our first time in
Vietnam and visiting Ho Chi Minh City was a pleasant surprise. We had ample
time to visit almost all the major attractions in the city and area. We listed
our attractions in the order of visiting rather than by making a top list, as
we enjoyed them all.
Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh Market is a well
known landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, mostly for its lively atmosphere and wide
range of goods sold here. It offers everything from fresh produce and local street food
to souvenirs, clothing, and handicrafts, making it a popular stop for both
locals and tourists. While we enjoyed the bustling vibe, we did not do much
shopping here because prices were often slightly higher than elsewhere, the vendors
seemed more aggressive and bargaining was seen as part of the experience,
something we don’t like to engage into too much.
Not far from Ben Thanh
Market, we visited this nice park, a quiet escape from the busy streets and the
crowded markets. Known for its tall trees, walking paths, and early-opening
coffee shops, the park is a popular spot for locals to exercise and relax.
This modern, upscale
shopping mall can be found in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City and features international
brands, dining, and entertainment. It was all decorated for Christmas and provided
a brake relief from the hot weather outside.
People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City
The People’s Committee of
Ho Chi Minh City is the city’s main administrative authority, responsible for
managing local government, implementing policies, and overseeing economic,
social, and urban development. Being a government building, ordinary visitors
generally cannot go inside but everybody takes pictures of the historic exterior, a
grand French colonial style structure, featuring a symmetrical facade, arched windows,
ornate details, and a central clock tower, all perfectly maintained. Right across the street in front there is an imposing statue of Vietnam national hero Ho Chi Minh who was responsible for Vietnam unification and independence. A very impressive area and probably can be considered the heart of the city. Every time we
walked by it, during the day or in the evening, we felt compelled to take
pictures again and again.
The lively pedestrian
boulevard stretches from the City Hall to the Saigon River and is the best place
to experience modern Saigon. The street is an open space, with street
performances, cafes, nearby landmarks, and great photo opportunities.
Especially in the evening when the area comes alive with lights and local
activity. The famous Cafe Apartments is located here and every weekend
different expositions, displays and concerts are taking place here attracting big
crowds of locals and tourists alike.
This street is famous for
its energetic nightlife, bright an colorful lighting and was just two minutes
from our hotel. Lined with bars, clubs,
street food stalls, and budget hostels, the place offers a lively atmosphere
that appeals to visitors looking for a taste of the city after dark. If we were
to describe it in a different way, it would be, as you can see on our trip to Las Vegas, the Fremont Street Experience at superlative.
The Saigon Skydeck is an
observatory on the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower in District
1 and a very popular attraction for visitors that want a 360-degree view of the
city. The tower has 68 floors and its design resembles a blossoming lotus bud,
which is Vietnam’s national flower. The ticket cost was 240,000 VND per person,
about 13 CAD.
Saigon Waterfront
We enjoyed walking the
waterfront, taking in the views of the Ba Son Bridge, an iconic cable-stayed
bridge, the prominent skyline and the river’s commercial and tourist traffic. The
Saigon Waterfront runs along the banks of the Saigon River in central Ho Chi
Minh City, primarily in District 1, near landmarks like the Bitexco Financial
Tower, Bach Dang Wharf and the Saigon River promenade.
Officially called the
Nguyen Hue Apartment Building, it was constructed in the 1960s as a standard
residential apartment block. After years of decline and many residents moving
out, entrepreneurs and artists began transforming the vacant units in the 2010s
into cafes, boutique shops, and creative spaces. So, the Café Apartments became
a unique and quirky attraction in Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists for
its creative use of an old residential building. Each floor is filled with
boutique cafes, small shops, and art spaces, offering a cozy, Instagram-worthy
experience. We enjoyed exploring the narrow hallways, discovering hidden spots,
sampling specialty drinks and admiring the building’s vintage charm.
Known as the Municipal
Theatre, it hosts a variety of performances, including opera, ballet, classical
music, and traditional Vietnamese shows. We only passed by it when strolling
downtown and admired the historic French colonial building and its ornate facade.
The Museum of Ho Chi Minh
City is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history, culture, and
heritage of the city and southern Vietnam. It highlights the city’s
development, colonial past, traditional customs, and significant historical
events. What we found very interesting, the museum was used for photo shoots by
many visitors, dressed in traditional Vietnamese costumes, probably for its
picturesque and authentic historic architecture. The price of one ticket was
30,000 VND (1.60 CAD).
The Independence Palace,
also known as Reunification Palace, is a must-visit landmark in Ho Chi Minh
City. Here you can explore grand halls, historic rooms, and wartime bunkers.
The palace also features period furniture, vintage cars, and exhibits that tell
the story of Vietnam’s political history. This is the place where the Vietnam
War officially ended when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates,
marking the fall of Saigon and the reunification of Vietnam The ticket cost was
40,000 VND, about 2 CAD.
Central Market and Asiana Food Town
Located at the east end of the Saigon Central Park, the underground market and the food court are located in the same building. The prices at the food court are more decent than in other places and there is a good selection of food available. At the Central Market you can find mostly clothes and shoes, compared to Ben Thanh Market but the prices are better and is easier to bargain.
The museum owns a wide
range of exhibits documenting the Vietnam War and its impact. Displayed on
three floors and in the outside courtyard, there are military equipment and
vehicles, Agent Orange and chemical warfare displays, prisoner-of-war and
torture artifacts, historical documents and personal testimonies. The visit to
this museum was emotionally intense but also provided a thorough and
educational perspective on the conflict and its lasting effects on Vietnam.
This street can be found
between two other iconic landmarks, Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon and the Saigon
Central Post Office. The street is lined up with book stores, cafes and is mainly
dedicated to reading, bookselling, and literary activities. But the fact that
is a pedestrian-only space, with lots of benches and shaded areas makes it
attractive to anybody looking for a peaceful place to linger with a book and a
coffee. Many visitors actually treat it like an outdoor reading lounge.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
The cathedral was
constructed during the French colonial era and is one of the most iconic
historic and religious landmarks in Ho Chi Minh. We were really looking forward
to visit it, knowing it was especially beautiful from the pictures on the
Internet. But upon our visit we discovered that the cathedral is undergoing a
major restoration project that began in 2017 and is expected to last until
2027. Being covered with scaffolding and protective coverings, we could not see
too much during the day but in the evening, even while under renovation, the
cathedral was illuminated with warm white and soft golden lighting.
The building has a grand
French colonial architecture, an impressive hall with a vaulted ceiling and two
historic wall maps, looking more like an European railway station than a
typical post office. Despite being a popular tourist attraction, Saigon Central
Post Office still functions as a working post office, which adds to its charm.
Many visitors actually like sending postcards or letters from here, with a
Vietnamese stamp. Souvenir shops selling stamps, maps, and local crafts can also
be found here and with decent prices.
This small but lively
neighborhood in District 1 is known for its strong Japanese cultural influence,
dining scene, and nightlife and is a popular spot for both Japanese expatriates
and tourists looking for a different side of Saigon. Japan Town is best known
for its food, with many places run by Japanese owners or chefs, so the food is
considered authentic and high quality. The area is busier and more alive in the
evening when izakayas and bars fill with crowds and neon Japanese signs light
up the streets, giving Japan Town a Tokyo-like evening atmosphere.
The unique pink facade and
the striking architecture makes this church into an eye-catching attraction for
visitors. The church was closed at the time of our visit so we could not see it inside.
Located in District 3, this
is one of the largest and most important Buddhist temples in Ho Chi Minh City.
Combining traditional Vietnamese Buddhist design with influences from Chinese
and Japanese temple styles, the temple features a large main hall, a striking
7-storey stone pagoda tower and detailed wooden carvings.
We learned about this place
from social media of other travelers. We liked the pictures that others posted
and wanted to visit it while in Ho Chi Minh City. This is a really photogenic coffee
place, a space with tropical plants, open light, water features and with koi
fish ponds integrated into seating areas so you feel like you’re sitting among the fish as you enjoy your drink or meal. The
coffee place was busier than usual when we visited so we could only find
seating upstairs, which was positive as we were being able to see the whole place
from above. The cafe has a diverse menu of drinks and meals, with decent prices
for such a place. We really enjoyed our escape here, far from the buzz and heat
outside.
Day trip to Mekong Delta
We booked the trip through
Viator and the stops were Vinh Trang Temple, Unicorn Islet and Ben Tre, a
coconut area. The cost of the trip was about 25 CAD per person with lunch and
bottled water were included. We left the city around 7:30 in the morning and returned around
17:30.
After one hour and half
driving we arrived at the Vinh Trang pagoda, the biggest pagoda
in the Mekong Delta region. Here we were given enough time to explore all the
temple grounds’ features: the large worship hall, smaller shrines and pagodas,
statues of Buddha, Bodhisattvas and
famous monks, and the beautiful gardens and koi ponds.
Next we drove to the
nearest pier where we boarded a traditional
Mekong Delta boat for a scenic cruise on the Mekong River. We passed by the
Turtle, Dragon, Phoenix Islets and arrived at the Unicorn Islet. Here we
stopped at a bee farm, had the opportunity to hold an active bee hive and savored honey tea, stopped at a coconut factory and
watched the process of making coconut products starting from the coconut fruit,
then tasted local fruits and enjoyed traditional music performed by the
villagers. Overall we learned a lot about the daily life of the locals.
Boat trip on Mekong Delta
We continued our journey by
riding in traditional sampan boats through the narrow waterways with
coconut palms lining both sides. The boat ride gave us an unreal peaceful
feeling, just watching the boats moving slowly on the canals and enjoying the
breeze and good weather. After we finished the boat trip we were taken to a
local restaurant where we had a delicious lunch with various Vietnamese dishes
and the star of the table being a fried elephant-ear fish. Upon our return, we
boarded again the Mekong River boat where we were offered coconuts to sip while
enjoying the ride. It was a full day activity, something we recommend doing while
visiting Ho Chi Minh City as we got to experience such unique places and taste traditional Vietnamese food and drinks.
This is a cozy, nostalgic cafe shop, beloved for its traditional Vietnamese egg coffee, a creamy, rich drink made with whipped egg yolk and strong coffee. It is styled to evoke the feel of old Hanoi, with warm lighting, vintage decor and a relaxed vibe. Besides its signature egg coffee, the cafe offers other drinks and light bites, making it a great stop for everybody not just for coffee lovers. We visited a location close to our hotel, tucked down a small alleyway, where we met a fellow Instagrammer Scarlett, turned we hope, in a dear friend, who is currently living in Ho Chi Minh City. Suggested by Scarlett, this coffee shop was the perfect place to meet and share information and experiences from our travels and get to better know each other.
Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens
This is one of the oldest
and most famous attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. It was established in 1865, during
the French colonial period, which makes it one of the oldest zoos in the world.
Even though this was not our first visit to a zoo, we particularly enjoyed this
one as it offered a mix of wildlife and plant collections. Here we saw for the
first time a white Bengal tiger or a Malayan Sun Bear. The cost of a ticket was
only 60,000 VND, or 3.20 CAD.
Day trip to Black Virgin Mountain, Cao Dai Temple
and Cu Chi Tunnels
We booked this one-day trip, through Viator website, mostly to see Black Virgin Mountain. This attraction was nowhere offered by itself, but always in combination with other attractions. The cost per person was 90 CAD. What helped in making the decision which trip to book from so many offers by different agencies was the fact that all entry/admissions to attraction and the return cable car ticket were included in the price. So many other trips seemed cheaper but specified that the cable car ticket was at your own expense, so in the end the cost would have been the same but you had to take car of purchasing the tickets for the cable car. We wanted a stress free experience and we were pleased with Viet FunTravel Company, the activity provider. We left Ho Chi Minh City very early in the morning, our group for the day was very small, only six persons including the two of us so it felt like a private tour.
After we arrived at the gondola station, we had some free time for pictures at the SunWorld park located at the base of the mountain and then we embarked on the gondola. The weather was not ideal for our visit. This mountain is the highest in southern Vietnam, about 986 meters, and its tip was covered in clouds or a heavy mist, the winds were strong and some rain was falling too. From the top we were supposed to have panoramic views of rice fields, rivers, and Cambodia on clear days. To see the large Lady Buddha statue on top of Ba Den Pagoda complex, sacred caves and more statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, viewing platforms and landscaped temple grounds. What we saw instead was beautiful in a mystic, eerie way and we enjoyed it nonetheless. As the weather was not good to us we explored some of the attractions beneath the Buddha statue base. Among them a unique Buddhist art exhibition space that included photographs, paintings, and even a 3D presentation.
Cao Dai Temple
Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh City is the holy center of Cao Dai, a unique Vietnamese religion that unites
Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism and other faiths into one belief
system. The building architecture and the colours are striking and create the
feeling of walking into a poster. Pink columns wrapped with sculpted dragons, bright
blues, yellows, and golds and a sacred globe beneath the Divine Eye distinguish
it from others. We arrived at the temple around noon time when the midday
service prayer ceremony started and were able to watch the hundreds of worshippers in white robes perform
the ceremony to the end.
After stopping and enjoying
a tasty, traditional Vietnamese lunch we drove to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This
historic underground network near Ho Chi Ming City was used by Vietnamese
fighters during the Vietnam War, at it's peak it had almost 250km of tunnels and is probably one of the most visited attraction in
Vietnam. Here, we explored narrow tunnels, bunkers, and hidden entrances, saw
war relics, traps, and exhibits explaining guerrilla life and learned how
people lived, cooked, and survived underground. It was an eye-opening place
that had the quality of bringing history vividly to life. Short sections of the
tunnels could be walked, or rather crawled, but the tunnels are low and narrow
and really not recommended for big individuals. I was all right even if it was
a dark, hot and claustrophobic experience but Gabriel having wider shoulders
got some real bruises from the narrow passages. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City
after 7 pm due to the heavy traffic.
Located north of the city
center, along the Saigon River area, Van Thanh Tourist Village is a
recreational and cultural destination for locals and tourists. Here you can
stroll and relax, swim at the swimming pool, do camping, recreational fishing
and picnicking or just enjoy the cool restaurants for culinary experiences.
Vinhomes Central Park and Landmark 81
The large, modern
development in Ho Chi Minh City is an urban oasis in the city that includes
high‑rise residential buildings with shopping, entertainment, and observatory
spaces. Here you can walk by the riverside park and take in skyline views,
especially Landmark 81, that towers over the whole neighbourhood, as it is one
of the Vietnam’s tallest towers.
Day trip Monkey Island-Can Gio Biosphere
Can Gio Biosphere is a
UNESCO-recognized wetland and mangrove forest located about 50 km southeast of
Ho Chi Minh City, known for its unique ecosystem, wildlife and coastal scenery.
Mangrove forests span over 75,000 hectares and act as a natural barrier against
storms. The area has a dark recent history, during the Vietnam War it was intensively targeted by US chemical warfare which basically killed all the vegetation and wildlife. After the war the contaminated soil was removed and new vegetation was planted. Presently there is a diverse wildlife, including monkeys, birds, mudskippers, and
endangered species. This was the main reason we booked the trip, but also to explore
a little bit more of southeast Vietnam. We booked through Klook and the cost
per person was 36 CAD which included lunch too.
We were picked up from our
hotel early in the morning and drove south until we reached Binh Khanh Ferry.
We travelled by ferry across Soai Rap River, which separates Can Gio from the mainland.
From here we drove to Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve arriving at Monkey Island. Once there we walked through the quiet mangrove forest for 2 km one way and observed the monkeys, Monkey Island being home to over 1,000 long-tailed macaques and some short-tailed ones which were nearby in a different location, the two kinds apparently not liking each other. We were cautioned to take care of our belongings because the monkeys were mischievous, which was true. We witnessed many incidents with monkeys stealing drinks, hats or sunglasses. The guide, though, knew some friendlier monkeys as she put it, and we stopped to take turns having our photographs or movies taken with these monkeys. We also saw few crocodiles that survived the Vietnam War and also learned that once they die, no new ones will be brough in.
Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve is famous also for
the Rung Sac Special Zone which we arrived at the end of our walking
trail. This was a crucial Viet Cong base during the Vietnam War and now there
are reconstructed base camps and war relics showcasing the the history and sacrifices of the Rung Sac soldiers that performed guerilla
fights during the Vietnam War. We learned that from approximatively one thousand of them, less than one hundred survived, most being killed in action or ate by crocodiles while going or returning from sabotage missions.
After we finished the walk on Monkey Island, we drove to Hang Duong Market, a bustling seafood market, where local fishermen were selling their fresh catch. Here we saw a wide variety of fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish. For lunch we were taken to a local restaurant serving tasty, local cuisine. On our way back to the city we stopped at a local temple where the “Whale God” was worshipped, a protector of fishermen. We headed back to Ho Chi Minh City and arrived around 5 pm. All in all, we spent a rewarding day in this special area in Vietnam.
This is the must-visit spot
for experiencing Saigon’s street food culture. The narrow alleys are packed
with food stalls, lights, and crowds. Here you can enjoy affordable prices and
generous portions of Vietnamese street food, like grilled seafood, grilled meat
skewers, banh trang (mixed rice paper) and various tropical drinks. You can
observe locals cooking, chatting and you can eat sitting on tiny, kid like
plastic stools, which seems to be the way in Vietnam.
Also called Ten Thousand
Buddha Temple, this serene spiritual site is
a prominent multi-storey pagoda with intricate Buddhist carvings that houses
thousands of small Buddha statues displayed on walls, altars, and towers. To
reach to its location following Google directions we walked some very narrow
alleys where we felt more than once that we were in the wrong place but the
locals seemed to read our minds and just quietly point the direction to us.
Known locally as Cholon,
Saigon Chinatown is a historic and vibrant district in Ho Chi Minh City,
centered mainly around District 5 and parts of District 6. Typical for a
Chinatown, the streets were lined up with traditional shop houses, herbal
medicine stores, ornate Chinese temples and were filled with lanterns, incense
and altars. Being the time before Christmas, a lot of the markets and
long-established family businesses were selling Christmas decorations and
gifts.
In order to experience more
of the Vietnamese local’s life, we walked all the way from Saigon Chinatown to
downtown, wandering the streets and gaping at everything that our eyes laid on.
For a brief escape from the heat we stopped at Van Hanh Mall, located in
District 10. While this is just a regular, modern mall, exactly what you would
expect a mall to be like, the fact that we just walked from the Vietnamese
streets after being so immersed in sightseeing made us feeling like stepping in
a different world. The Mall carries a wide range of international and Vietnamese brands, has fashion,
electronics, cosmetics, and lifestyle stores, has a diverse food court and many cafés and restaurants. A nice,
regular mall that stands as proof for the direction Vietnam has taken, becoming slowly more modern and attractive to the world.
Vietnamese National Buddhist Temple
While walking in District
10 we visited this amazing place. The temple features a 13-storey tall tower, spacious
prayer halls and huge bell and drum towers. The temple serves as an important
center for worship, ceremonies, and national Buddhist
events.
Ho Thi Ky Flower Market
This is Ho Chi Minh’s
biggest flower market supplying flowers for all purposes: weddings, funerals, or for the daily life. In the evening the area transforms itself into the Ho Thi Ky Night Market.
Taking a WaterBus trip on Saigon River
The WaterBus started operating in 2017, so even if it is about 8 years old, it is a relatively modern public transport service, popular with both locals and tourists for sightseeing along the Saigon River. A trip on the river to the last pier stop takes one hour and costs only 30,000 VND, about 1.60 CAD for a return trip. It is the best way to have a relaxed, scenic view of Ho Chi Minh from the water. During the quiet ride you can see a mixed of historic landmarks, modern skyline and riverside life along the Saigon River. The ride is symbolically cheap but could use a more frequent schedule. The ride starts at Bach Dang Pier and ends to Linh Dong Pier .You have to pay attention to the printed timetable if you want to ride to the last pier stop as only few departures daily go all the way to Linh Dong. There are also different times on the weekend days.
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
is Vietnam’s largest and most energetic city. War museums, reunification
landmarks, pagodas, and colonial architecture coexist within a modern city
center. A city where sidewalk stalls and local cafes serve some of Southeast
Asia’s best food, fresh, affordable, and everywhere. Ho Chi Minh City is a city
where watching traffic could be an attraction in itself. Even if the traffic
looks chaotic at first glance, it operates on an unwritten system of flow and
cooperation that locals instinctively understand. Millions of motorbikes move
like a school of fish, constantly flowing, adjusting speed and direction rather
than stopping abruptly. Instead of strict right-of-way rules, drivers rely on
eye contact, anticipation, and gradual movement. Everyone expects others to
keep going, so sudden stops are avoided. During our stay in the city we learned
bit by bit to cross the streets almost like the locals. We felt in love with
the Vietnamese culture, people and their way of life so we promised ourselves
that we will come back and explored more of this beautiful and unique country.
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