Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Day trip from Saigon
The centre of Saigon, walked at the right hours
A full day on the sights every first-time visitor should see, ordered so the walking falls in the cool hours and the museum takes the hottest part of the day.
Overview
The obvious sights, in a sensible order
There is nothing obscure about this day. Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, the French-era post office and Ben Thanh market are the four places almost everyone visiting Saigon goes, and they are on the list for good reason. What goes wrong is the order: people walk between them at noon and give up by two. We walk in the morning, spend the hottest hours inside the museum and at lunch, and finish at the market as the afternoon cools.
It is a walking day, but not a march. The palace and the museum are a fifteen-minute walk apart, and where a walk makes no sense — a long stretch of boulevard with no shade at one o’clock — the van picks us up. Your guide is from the city and can explain both the history and what everyday life on these streets is like now.
- Length
- About 8 hours
- Start
- 08:00 at your hotel
- Finish
- Around 16:30
- On foot
- About 5 km, broken up
- In a vehicle
- Short hops only, under an hour
- Group
- 12 at most
Day by day
How the day runs
Day 1
Central Saigon on foot
The palace basement at opening time
08:00 — your guide meets you at the hotel. Anyone staying in District 1 or 3 is within a short walk or a five-minute drive of the start. 08:15 — Independence Palace, opening time, before the coach parties. The building was finished in 1966 and has been left almost as it was in April 1975: the cabinet room, the war room in the basement, the rooftop helipad.
10:00 — through the park to the War Remnants Museum. This is the hardest and most important visit of the day. Two hours is the right length; the upper floors contain photographs many visitors find very difficult, and your guide will say where to skip if you wish. Air conditioning in most rooms makes it the best place to be as the heat builds.
12:15 — lunch at a local place near the museum: broken rice with grilled pork, noodle soup or a bowl of beef stew with bread. 13:30 — rest. We can take you back to your hotel for an hour, or sit in a pavement café in the shade.
14:45 — the cathedral square, where Notre-Dame is under long-running restoration and viewed from outside, and the old post office opposite, still working and still selling stamps. 15:30 — along Nguyen Hue to the river, and on to Ben Thanh market for the end of the afternoon. 16:30 — we finish at the market or walk you back to your hotel.
Price
Price
| Option | Per person (USD) |
|---|---|
| Shared, maximum 12 | from 45 |
| Private, 2 people | from 85 |
| Private, 4 people | from 60 |
Entrance fees and lunch are in the price, which makes the shared day good value. A private guide lets you change the order, spend longer at the museum, or cut the day at lunch if the heat gets to you.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- City guide for the whole day
- Entrance to Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum
- Local lunch
- Short vehicle transfers where needed
- Water throughout
- Meeting and drop-off at hotels in District 1, 3 or Binh Thanh
What it does not include
- Drinks with lunch
- Shopping at the market
- Tips
- Travel insurance
Practical
Heat, clothing and the museum
From March to May the city passes thirty-five degrees by midday. Our schedule is built for that, but you still need a hat, sunscreen and a refillable bottle; we carry cold water all day. The palace does not require formal dress, though shoulders covered is polite. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else on the list.
The museum tells the war from the Vietnamese side and does not spare visitors. It is essential and upsetting in equal measure. Parents with children under about twelve should plan to skip the upper floor.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
If you have been to Saigon before and seen these places, the Cho Lon morning or the architecture walk will show you a different city. Anyone who cannot walk several kilometres in hot weather should book a private guide with a car on standby. And travellers who want to understand the war in depth should add the Cu Chi half day rather than expect a single museum to cover it.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Can we go inside the cathedral?
Not at the moment. It has been under restoration for several years; we view it from the square and explain the building.
Is the War Remnants Museum suitable for children?
The ground floor and courtyard are. The upper floors include graphic photographs, and we suggest younger children skip them.
Can I end the day early?
On the shared day, yes, at any point; your guide will point you back to your hotel. On a private day, we plan it that way from the start.
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