New to Ho Chi Minh City ? This is an ideal place to start as we will give you some ideas for a Day trip in Ho Chi Minh Citya. Even for those who have frequented the city for many times, there are things you will need to consider doing again. From a walking tour to main spots such as Ben Thanh Market or the Reunification Palaceto drifting on Cai Be floating market, Ho Chi Minh City and the surrounding area has a lot to offer.

1. Ideas for a Day trip in Ho Chi Minh City
New to Ho Chi Minh City? This is an ideal place to start as we will give you some ideas for a
Day trip in Ho Chi Minh Citya. Even for those who have frequented the city for many times,
there are things you will need to consider doing again. From a walking tour to main spots such
as Ben Thanh Market or the Reunification Palaceto drifting on Cai Be floating market, Ho Chi
Minh City and the surrounding area has a lot to offer.
The walking tour described in Tour #1 is best suited to families or travellers who do not want to
rush around. If you are into cooking and culinary arts, skip to Tour #3 where we provide an
overview of cooking classes offered in Ho Chi Minh City. For those environmentalists, you can
not afford to miss Can Gio Ecological Tour with mangroves and tropical forest like no others in
the country. Last but not least, Cu Chi Tunnel will throw you into a moment of history where
people live underground and survive on cassava. Discover and don’t forget to check it out.
A Tour Around Ho Chi Minh City
If it is the first time you’ve been to Ho Chi Minh City, you should spend a full day exploring the
city center highlights such as: Ben Thanh Market, The Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post
Office or the War Remnants Museum. With a map, you can travel on foot around the city
downtown on your own. A package tour is also available at any tourism agency if you want a
tour guide to explain about these places.
Your first destination can be Ben Thanh Market located right at the city center. In Ben Thanh
Market, you have various choices for your breakfast: all kinds of noodles such as: Pho (the most
famous Vietnamese cuisine), hu tieu and bun. Besides, you can also try banh xeo (Vietnamese
Crunchy Pancakes) or banh uot, banh beo and many other dishes. Then, you can go shopping
around in Ben Thanh market. Do not forget to look at some signs “Fixed price” above your head
which implies you cannot bargain in these kinds of stores. If there is not any “Fixed price” sign,
remember to bargain to get a good deal.
The Opera House and the Peoples’ Committee Building, located on Dong Khoi street, can be
your next stop as they are within walking distance from Ben Thanh Market. Then, you can either
walk or take a taxi to the Notre Dame Cathedral which is 1.5 kilometers away from the Opera
House. The Notre Dame Cathedral is famous for its French colonial architecture. Nearby, you
may have a look at Saigon Post Office, one of the oldest and largest post offices in Ho Chi Minh
City.
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2. From Saigon Post Office, it takes you about 10 minutes to walk to the Reunification Palace on
Nguyen Thi Minh Khai-Nam Ky Khoi Nghia crossroads. The last impressive place you should
not miss is the War Remnants Museum on Vo Van Tan Street. In the evening, you can
experience Ho Chi Minh City nightlife by walking around Ben Thanh Market which you might
surprisingly find quite different from what you see in the morning. Street vendors and street food
stores open making the atmosphere more exciting. If you do not mind sitting at a small table or
sharing a table with other people, you should try some dishes here! You will never regret.
Cai Be Floating Market
Cai Be, a small division of Tien Giang Province, is highly recommended for foreigners who
never know about floating market. Floating market is a marketplace where sellers and buyers
travel on their boats to make deals or purchases. You will find this kind of market very common
in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam where waterway is closely attached to people’s daily life.
There are a lot of tourist agencies offering the tour to Cai Be. All you need to do is just sign up
for a package tour and be ready to get up early enough in the morning because you might need to
depart early. It may take about 1.5 hours to get to Cai Be.
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3. After getting embarkation, you will be amazed at the colorfulness and excitement of Floating Cai
Be Market. The sellers mostly sell fresh fruits. Besides, you can also accompany with the local
people to see them doing fishing. You can visit some ancient houses and local home-made
coconut candy factories where you can learn how they make coconut candy and try some “hot”
candies. If it is a nice day with no rain, you should not miss this interesting tourist attraction.
Cu Chi Tunnel
Cu Chi Tunnel is one of the greatest works constructed by Vietnamese people as a place to live
and hide from being attacked during wars. Cu Chi Tunnel is located in Cu Chi District, about 70
kilometers from the city center. It takes 1.5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to get there. If you are
not familiar with the public transportation system in Ho Chi Minh City, it is recommended to
book a package tour. The average price is $10-$12/person which includes transportation, a tour
guide and entrance fee.
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4. In the morning, you can experience walking on your knees inside the tunnel. You will also be
explained about the tunnel’s structure and people’s daily life during the war time. At the end of
the tunnel, you are invited to try “Khoai mi”, a specialty of Cu Chi- a kind of junk food which
can be eaten as a breakfast also. Then, in the afternoon you can visit Cu Chi Ethnic Minorities
Villages, which is about 8 kilometers from Cu Chi Tunnel. This brings you a chance to indulge
yourself in a peaceful countryside landscape.
In addition, you can learn about some ethnic minorities, who are now living in all parts in
Vietnam, their costumes, their musical instruments and other interesting stuffs. Cu Chi Ethnic
Minorities Villages is a miniature of Vietnam country, which has a diversified culture with more
than 54 peoples living in harmony. A day at Cu Chi Province will be a joyful and unforgettable
day for those who are keen on Vietnam history and its diversified culture.
Can Gio – Ecological Tour
Can Gio is now more and more popular for an ideal one day ecological tour. Located in a
Southeast suburb of Ho Chi Minh City center, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to get there. A
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5. package tour is recommended because public transportation to and from Can Gio might not be a
good idea for foreigners. If Ho Chi Minh city center is always crowd and exciting, Can Gio is
more quiet and relaxing with lots of natural landscapes. On a small boat along a tiny canal , you
can enjoy the fresh air and the cool atmosphere from the trees’ shadows.
Arriving at Vam Sat Ecological tourist center, you will have a chance to let your body float in a
lake like the Dead Sea in Jordan. Besides, if you want to show your braveness, you can try
feeding crocodiles with a rod on a secured boat! Another tourist attraction in Can Gio is the
Monkey Island. You must be startled at the number of monkey once you get there. Watch out
your belongings or else the funny naughty monkeys might take them! Can Gio is also famous for
its seafood at cheap price. You should try the fresh crabs, snowy crabs, shells and shrimps there!
It will be a good time hanging out with your friends in a natural landscape with great seafood!
Source from: halongmekongcruises.com
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6. package tour is recommended because public transportation to and from Can Gio might not be a
good idea for foreigners. If Ho Chi Minh city center is always crowd and exciting, Can Gio is
more quiet and relaxing with lots of natural landscapes. On a small boat along a tiny canal , you
can enjoy the fresh air and the cool atmosphere from the trees’ shadows.
Arriving at Vam Sat Ecological tourist center, you will have a chance to let your body float in a
lake like the Dead Sea in Jordan. Besides, if you want to show your braveness, you can try
feeding crocodiles with a rod on a secured boat! Another tourist attraction in Can Gio is the
Monkey Island. You must be startled at the number of monkey once you get there. Watch out
your belongings or else the funny naughty monkeys might take them! Can Gio is also famous for
its seafood at cheap price. You should try the fresh crabs, snowy crabs, shells and shrimps there!
It will be a good time hanging out with your friends in a natural landscape with great seafood!
Source from: halongmekongcruises.com
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