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Planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City? You’re in for an epic adventure!
Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, can feel very chaotic at first. There are motorbikes zooming everywhere you look, street food all around, and a LOT of noise. But don’t worry, because having a plan makes it so much easier to soak up the best of the city without feeling overwhelmed.
We’ve visited Saigon several times now, and one of the things we love about it is that we always find something new! So in this three-day itinerary, we’ll take you through the highlights and the hidden gems so you can see the best of Vietnam’s largest city.
Don’t Miss Out On Our Top Choice!
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our personal FAVORITE thing we did in Ho Chi Minh was this Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta tour! As two of the most iconic sights, this tour made it easy to learn the history and experience Vietnam’s stunning outdoors in one day.
Check out the 6,100+ 5-star reviews and book this tour here!
Itinerary Overview
To say that Ho Chi Minh City is big and bustling would be quite an understatement. However, the central areas are fairly walkable, although you may have to dodge a few mopeds and street food carts along the way.
For longer distances, the best way to travel is using the Grab app. You can either hail a car or a motorbike. Motorbike rides in Saigon can be a little hair-raising, but it’s faster than traveling by car and a fun way to get around!
Day 1: Kick off your trip with a jeep tour through Ho Chi Minh City’s historic landmarks, then refuel with a steaming bowl of pho for lunch. Spend the afternoon market shopping before diving into the city’s legendary street food scene on a guided evening tour.
Day 2: Head out of the city for a full-day adventure to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta, learning about Vietnam’s wartime history and countryside life. Back in the city, unwind with craft beers at Heart of Darkness Brewing before enjoying rooftop dining at Secret Garden.
Day 3: Start your morning with a market visit and cooking class to master Vietnamese dishes. In the afternoon, choose between city views from the Saigon Skydeck, exploring the quirky Cafe Apartments, or revisiting key sights. Then, end the night with a stroll along lively Bui Vien Walking Street.
Day 1
Morning – Learn about Ho Chi Minh City’s history on a U.S. Army Jeep tour
We’re kicking off your first day in Saigon with this Jeep tour. It hits everything you need to see, comes with a private guide, and it’s a fun way to explore the city in the open air without going straight in at the deep end on the back of a motorbike!
Hotel pickup is included with this tour, which is nice and handy, and you can choose the start time. I recommend choosing the 9 am slot (or even earlier if you’re up for it) because it gets very hot in Ho Chi Minh City.
This tour takes you to places like the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace, which are must-see places. It’s so interesting to learn about the Vietnam War and how its legacy still affects the country to this day. And with a private guide on hand, you’ll learn a ton!
I also love that it stops at the prettiest buildings in the city, such as the Central Post Office and Saigon Opera House. You also get to see the Emperor Jade Pagoda, Nguyen Hue Walking Street, and Ben Thanh Market.
This tour shows you so much of Saigon in a short time, and it’s a fantastic way to get your bearings in this very overwhelming city, where it can be hard to know where to start. No wonder it has over a thousand 5-star reviews!
Book this popular Jeep tour here with free cancellation – before it sells out!
Lunch – Phở Việt Nam
Today is your first day in Vietnam, so obviously pho is on the menu! There are pho restaurants on almost every corner of this city, so feel free to stop by any place that looks good. However, this particular spot has been recommended by the Michelin guide, and it’s also just a few minutes’ walk from our next stop: Ben Thanh Market.
Be sure to grab some Vietnamese coffee to go with your lunch. The best coffee typically comes from little street carts, or Ca Phe Linh is just a minute’s walk from the pho restaurant.
Afternoon – Explore the Ben Thanh Market
This morning’s tour briefly stopped by Ben Thanh Market, but it’s a huge market, so it’s worth coming back to explore on your own! There is so much on offer here, so take time to work your way through. The outer “layers” of the market mainly feature clothes, luggage, and accessories, and there’s also a big section dedicated to fabric. Then in the center you’ll find food stalls, as well as stands selling Vietnamese coffee, fruit, and other snacks.
One thing to know about this market is that it’s pretty chaotic, and vendors do tend to hassle tourists. Be firm, and don’t be afraid to haggle to get a good price – it’s expected, after all! As a general rule of thumb, start by offering 25% of the first price you’re quoted and don’t pay more than half. If you start to walk away to another vendor, prices often suddenly come down.
If Ben Thanh Market gets too much, you can always head to Saigon Square instead. It’s not as famous, but it’s just a 4-minute walk away, and it’s much calmer. Personally, I think the selection of products here is better, too.
Once you’ve finished shopping, I recommend heading back to your hotel to rest and refresh. Market shopping can really take it out of you, so take some time to chill because we have a lively evening planned.
Evening – Street food tour
We’re major foodies who love to get out of tourist trap areas, so we think that this private street food tour is hands down the best way to spend your first evening in Saigon.
Hotel pickup and drop-off is available for this tour, so you can go chill out and freshen up after the market before heading out again. You can book the tour for 5:30, 6, or 6:30 pm, and it lasts for 4 hours so you’ll be finished by 10:30 pm at the latest.
We absolutely loved this tour because our local guide, Charlie, took us to areas we would have never found by ourselves. And even if we had, we wouldn’t know what to order! And since it was a private tour, we got to talk to Charlie the entire night about Vietnam, its food, and life as a local.
The amount of food we tried was staggering, so arrive hungry! We had pork noodle soup, BBQ seafood, bahn mi, and spring rolls – I was in foodie heaven! I especially appreciated that Charlie kept feeding us beer and rice wine. A little buzz makes all of the food taste even better if you ask me!
What really impressed me, though, was Charlie’s vast knowledge of both the food we were eating and the history of the areas we were in. As someone who likes to learn the story behind the food and the city, I was eating up every word he said!
As far as food tours go, this is as good as it gets. It was one of the best experiences we had in Saigon, and we loved being able to experience the city like locals.
Read over 2,500 glowing reviews and book this epic food adventure here!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
Day 2
Full day – Explore the Cu Chi Tunnels
Visiting the famous Cu Chi Tunnels is a MUST while you’re in Ho Chi Minh City. They’re about 2 hours from the city, and they’re a key part of Vietnamese history.
Honestly, I did not love the idea of getting on a motorbike and driving out to the tunnels, and the local buses can be unreliable, hot, and uncomfortable. So, we booked this full-day tour instead, and it made everything so easy.
The tour starts early with hotel pickup at around 7:15 am. Since this is a VIP tour, we got to cruise in a luxurious limo with great air-con and comfy reclining seats.
When we arrived at the Cu Chi tunnels, our guide made their history come to life through fascinating stories from the war. But the highlight for me had to be jumping into the tunnels and seeing where Vietnamese soldiers lived, often for months at a time. It was crazy – I wouldn’t want to stay down there for more than a few minutes!
History buffs will especially get a lot out of this section since it’s all so well-preserved and hands-on. There’s even the opportunity to shoot old rifles, which is a lot of fun.
I especially enjoyed the second half of the day when we took a slow boat down the Mekong Delta and followed it up with a rowboat to a village hidden down small canals. The scenery here is incredibly lush, and the villagers even treated us to a performance of traditional music.
We loved how well put together and comfortable this tour was, and can’t recommend a better way to see two of South Vietnam’s best stops. Honestly, this tour is a must-do in Saigon!
Book this tour with THOUSANDS of 5-star reviews here!
Evening – Heart of Darkness Brewing
We found this brewery near our hotel, and it turned out to be an amazing spot, so stop by for a pre-dinner drink! It’s definitely geared towards Westerners, but the craft beers are absolutely fantastic. It’s very popular among Saigon’s expats, and I highly recommend trying Kurtz’s Insane IPA.
Dinner – Secret Garden Restaurant
Secret Garden is a super cute little restaurant just a 7-minute walk from Heart of Darkness. It’s set on a rooftop in an old colonial building, and it’s decorated with lots of plants and lanterns. There are a ton of classic Vietnamese dishes on the menu, but my favorites include banh xeo (savory rice pancakes), roasted chicken and sticky rice, or deep-fried tofu with lemongrass and chilli. Yum!
Related Read: Need a few more fun activities to fill your time? Check out our list of the best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City for our top recommendation!
Day 3
Morning – Learn how to cook Vietnamese food with a market visit
I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love Vietnamese food, and this cooking class lets you in on all the secrets necessary to recreate classic dishes yourself! At the end, you’ll even get a specialized cookbook with over 25 recipes to bring home with you.
The tour meets at Ben Thanh Market. Book it for 9 am, because it means you’ll get to do the market visit before it gets too hot and busy. I know we went to this famous market yesterday, but trust me, going with a local and shopping for wet ingredients is a very different experience.
After exploring the market, you’ll be whisked off to the cooking school, where you’ll get your own kitchen station to work at. We loved how patient our guide, An, was as she guided us through making lots of different dishes. I loved making Bo Bia rolls and Vietnam’s iconic pho. It’s famously difficult for Westerners to make, so having a local to guide us through the process was invaluable!
The tour lasts for around 4 hours, so you should finish up around 1 pm. I can confidently give this cooking class the chef’s kiss, and I was beyond impressed with the quality of the food we learned how to make. We ate a lot too, so you’ll definitely be full until dinner time!
Don’t miss out – book this food tour here and get FREE cancellation before you go!
Afternoon – Your Choice!
It’s your final afternoon in Ho Chi Minh City, so take it at your own pace. You’ve already covered the major highlights, but this is the perfect time to enjoy something a little different or revisit a favorite spot from earlier in the trip. Here are a few ideas we recommend:
- Saigon Skydeck – For epic views, head to the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower. This is super impressive on a clear day, when you’ll get to see just how massive and sprawling Ho Chi Minh City really is.
- The Cafe Apartments – This dilapidated building was once a standard apartment block, but today each unit has been transformed into a stylish café or boutique. It’s fun to wander through the stairwells and pick a spot for coffee or a smoothie, and the balconies make for great people-watching views over Nguyen Hue Walking Street.
- Happy hour at the Social Club Rooftop Bar – Perched on top of the Hotel Des Arts in District 3, the Social Club is the most stunning bar in the entire city, with panoramic views and great cocktails. Take advantage of the daily happy hour between 3 – 7 pm!
- Ride the Saigon Waterbus – Fancy a scenic ride along the river? A round-trip ticket for the waterbus costs just 30,000 VND ($1.50 USD), and it’s a great way to enjoy skyline views. You can see the departure schedule and routes here.
- Return to any sights you missed – If there’s anywhere you didn’t have enough time to explore on Day 1, or would like to spend more time at, now’s your chance to circle back. Popular options include the Reunification Palace, Book Street, the Central Post Office, or the War Remnants Museum. Even if you’ve already stopped by, some of these places are worth a slower second look.
Dinner – Hai’s Restaurant
It’s your last night in Saigon, so head to Hai’s Restaurant for one final fill of authentic Vietnamese food. This top-rated restaurant offers both meat-based and vegan dishes, so there’s something for everyone. There are so many delicious dishes on the menu, from pho to bo luc lac (peppered beef) and Vietnam’s famous fresh spring rolls, so order whatever looks good and fill your boots!
Evening – Bui Vien Walking Street
Just a 10-minute walk from Hai’s Restaurant sits Bui Vien. This is the city’s central backpacker street. It’s never exactly quiet, but it REALLY comes alive at night. It’s chaotic, with loud music and neon lights, but the people-watching here is truly next level.
I highly recommend taking a wander along this crazy street, and since there’s no early tour tomorrow, stay out as long as you’d like! In general, I like to steer clear of the huge beer clubs and sit outside one of the smaller spots with a Saigon Special in hand. Happy Life Bar is a good spot for this! Or if you want to dance, TNR Saigon is a fun dive bar just off the main drag, and they serve Heart of Darkness beers.
One thing I will say is that I do recommend sticking to beer if you want to grab a drink along Bui Vien. Speaking from experience, drinking spirits around here might leave you feeling a little shaky tomorrow morning.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is jam-packed with places to stay, and it can quickly become overwhelming when trying to find the perfect place! We prefer to stay in District 1, as it’s close to a lot of HCMC’s top sights. Best of all, you can get a very nice hotel without breaking the bank, so I’ve left a few different suggestions below!
Luxury – $$$
Park Hyatt Saigon is my first choice if you’re looking for a luxury stay. It’s a large hotel with great service, and you have a range of rooms to choose from – but they are all modern and luxurious! They have a large outdoor pool and two onsite restaurants, and the hotel is within walking distance to the top sights in the area.
Prices range from $250 to $600+, depending on which room you choose and the time of year you visit. Check availability and book this stay on Booking.com.
Mid-range – $
The Caravelle Saigon is a legendary hotel! The rooms here are sleek and comfortable, and the hotel also features a spa, outdoor pool, and several excellent restaurants. Its location right next to the Opera House makes it ideal for exploring on foot. The rooftop bar, Saigon Saigon, is a must-visit for panoramic city views and cocktails at sunset, and it offers live music every night from 9 pm onwards!
Prices here range between $135 and $500 USD per night. See all the options and reserve your stay here!
Budget – $
Bay Hotel Ho Chi Minh is a well-priced hotel with comfortable and classy rooms. It’s walking distance to the Opera House, so you’ll be centrally located in the city. They offer a range of room types, and you can enjoy the restaurant or room service, the pool, and the fitness center.
Room prices range from $50 to $150 USD and can be reserved on Booking.com.
Related Read: For a deeper dive into each neighborhood with pros and cons plus hotel recommendations for every budget, check out our full guide on where to stay in Ho Chi Minh here.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
Ho Chi Minh just might be my favorite city in Southeast Asia, so I’m certain these three days will show you a good time! Whether you’re eating a delicious, steaming bowl of pho, crawling through the Cu Chi Tunnels, or haggling a price at the market, you’ll never be bored here and get a taste of authentic Vietnamese life.
If you need help planning the rest of your trip, check out our other Asia blogs! We have travel guides and tips for Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and beyond, so no matter where you go, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few related blogs to get you started – cheers!
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