Ho Chi Minh City Tour - 1 Day Excursion from Phu My Seaport 5*
Overview
Embrace the spirit of Saigon – “Pearl of the Far East” with a day trip visiting the iconic landmarks of the city and soaking up the rich tapestry of history and culture. This Vietnamese metropolis can intimidate at first, but with a local to guide you on a Ho Chi Minh City tour, it’s never been easier to visit this incredible city. This city tour unravels Saigon’s turbulent past and also provides a glimpse into the fascinating variety the city has to offer.
High light
• Experience the special atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City
• Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch
• Learn more about the Vietnam War, explore the old and new Saigon, and admire the highlights of the city
• Admire magnificent pagodas, impressive buildings, and traditional markets
High light
• Experience the special atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City
• Enjoy a delicious Vietnamese lunch
• Learn more about the Vietnam War, explore the old and new Saigon, and admire the highlights of the city
• Admire magnificent pagodas, impressive buildings, and traditional markets
Inclusions
- Private transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, including pick up and drop off at Phu My Port.
- English-speaking guide (other languages on request).
- Lunch as mentioned (Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required)
- Mineral water/bottle/pax/day
- All entrance and sightseeing fees.
- Entry/Admission - The Independence Palace
- Entry/Admission - War Remnants Museum
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’, it's a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War. Graphic photographs and American military equipment are on display. There's a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb that weighs at 6, 800kg. American troops had used these weapons against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ba Thien Hau Temple, 710 Nguyen Trai Cho Lon, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
One of the most important pagodas in the city, this richly decorated temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Goddess of the Sea and patron of sailors. She is said to travel over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to wherever she desires.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Chinatown (Cho Lon) - District 5, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Settled in the late 18th century, this labyrinthine section of Ho Chi Minh City bustles with restaurants, temples, exotic stores, and Binh Tay market (This is the main marketplace in China Town, where a great deal of wholesale trading occurs). Experience the commotion of this integral part of the city's daily business.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: The Independence Palace, 106 Nguyen Du District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
You will start your tour with The Reunification Palace, used to be the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam. In 30 April 1975, when North Vietnam soldier set foot inside this building with red flag on hand, the whole world knew that Vietnam war was end.
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass By: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, 01 Cong xa Paris Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
(Note: Until now, Notre Dame Cathedral has been repaired for 2 years)
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica.
Stop At: Central Post Office, 125 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam
The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Shopping (by tourist’s request)
Option 1: Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City
Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much. The market is big, difficult to navigate at times and certainly best avoided during the hottest part of the day but all the same it’s well worth a look. When night falls, restaurants around the perimeter of the market open their doors creating a vibrant street side scene filling the air with the scents of wok-fried noodles, barbecued fish and meats. One of Saigon’s oldest landmarks, Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: PHUONGNAM LACQUERWARE, 19 Võ Văn Tần, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Shopping (by tourist’s request)
Option 2: Phuong Nam Lacquerware (working hour: 08:00 – 18:00)
Add: 26A Tú Xương, Võ Thị Sáu, Quận 3
It located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh, is a great place to witness the traditional Vietnamese art form of lacquer work. This premises houses the work station as well as showroom that are open to public for tours. Visit the gallery and watch the artists create beautiful lacquer masterpieces and browse through their collection of paintings, furnishings, jewelry boxes, vases, coasters and wall dishes to take home as a gift and souvenir.
Duration: 1 hour
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: War Remnants Museum, 28 Vo Van Tan Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’, it's a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War. Graphic photographs and American military equipment are on display. There's a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb that weighs at 6, 800kg. American troops had used these weapons against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ba Thien Hau Temple, 710 Nguyen Trai Cho Lon, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
One of the most important pagodas in the city, this richly decorated temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Goddess of the Sea and patron of sailors. She is said to travel over the oceans on a mat and ride the clouds to wherever she desires.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Chinatown (Cho Lon) - District 5, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Settled in the late 18th century, this labyrinthine section of Ho Chi Minh City bustles with restaurants, temples, exotic stores, and Binh Tay market (This is the main marketplace in China Town, where a great deal of wholesale trading occurs). Experience the commotion of this integral part of the city's daily business.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: The Independence Palace, 106 Nguyen Du District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
You will start your tour with The Reunification Palace, used to be the residence of the President of the Republic of Vietnam. In 30 April 1975, when North Vietnam soldier set foot inside this building with red flag on hand, the whole world knew that Vietnam war was end.
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass By: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, 01 Cong xa Paris Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
(Note: Until now, Notre Dame Cathedral has been repaired for 2 years)
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica.
Stop At: Central Post Office, 125 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam
The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Vietnam
Shopping (by tourist’s request)
Option 1: Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City
Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much. The market is big, difficult to navigate at times and certainly best avoided during the hottest part of the day but all the same it’s well worth a look. When night falls, restaurants around the perimeter of the market open their doors creating a vibrant street side scene filling the air with the scents of wok-fried noodles, barbecued fish and meats. One of Saigon’s oldest landmarks, Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: PHUONGNAM LACQUERWARE, 19 Võ Văn Tần, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Shopping (by tourist’s request)
Option 2: Phuong Nam Lacquerware (working hour: 08:00 – 18:00)
Add: 26A Tú Xương, Võ Thị Sáu, Quận 3
It located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh, is a great place to witness the traditional Vietnamese art form of lacquer work. This premises houses the work station as well as showroom that are open to public for tours. Visit the gallery and watch the artists create beautiful lacquer masterpieces and browse through their collection of paintings, furnishings, jewelry boxes, vases, coasters and wall dishes to take home as a gift and souvenir.
Duration: 1 hour
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Vehicles are not allowed at the terminals; vehicles have to wait outside the parking area. It takes a 5-minute walk from the cruise terminal to the meeting point. Otherwise, there is an extra fee of US$50 per person if pickup inside the port is required.
- If your cruise is rescheduled, please call/message us, our contact details can be found on the ticket
- Waiting time will be 60 – 90 mins from pick up time if we don’t receive any info of amendment from passenger/Travel Agency, the driver will leave, and the booking will be marked as “CUSTOMER NO SHOW” with fully charged.
- Please dress modestly for the temple visits. Non-sleeve shirts and short trousers are not allowed.
- Program and schedules subject to change without prior notice, depend on weather condition and cruise schedule.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Lawrence_S
January 2020
We booked this tour at the last minute, literally a couple of days before our cruise ship arrived at Chan May, having not been inspired much by the overpriced excursions offered by the cruise company. This was a bit cheaper than the bus tour offered by the cruise ship, and we were expecting it to...
We booked this tour at the last minute, literally a couple of days before our cruise ship arrived at Chan May, having not been inspired much by the overpriced excursions offered by the cruise company. This was a bit cheaper than the bus tour offered by the cruise ship, and we were expecting it to be a similar group tour with a bus full of other guests. What a nice surprise it was to discover that it was actually a private tour. Me, my wife, a driver and a tour guide. I don't recall seeing the tour described as such, so it was a bit of a shock. Ahead of our arrival, the tour company made contact via Whatsapp, sending a picture of the meeting point just outside the port gate, which was really good - other tours I have done abroad, I tend to just have to hope that someone is holding an obvious sign up in the location that I am hoping is correct. This pre-contact made it a whole lot easier. The guide was lovely, young and bright (Vi was her name) and spoke good English, and took us round the sights listed, giving good information along the way, and was generally really helpful. She kept a good eye on the time to make sure we were on track to be back to the cruise ship in plenty of time. As for the tour itself, the Golden Bridge is a must see, and the cable car up the mountain has quite a view - sadly for us, we were very much inside a cloud, so visibility was pretty limited, but despite this our visit still felt worth it. Marble mountain was a great place to visit, quite strenuous even for youngsters like us, so I am glad that our visit was limited to the key sections of the site (which is quite extensive). We visited the Lady Buddha on the way back to the ship, and this was really worth a visit too (with the surprise that there were lots of monkeys living on the site who were quite used to humans). We also got taken to a restaurant for an authentic Vietnamese meal which was really tasty (quite a lot of food really, perhaps too much - lots of separate dishes, but it was all very nice). Booking and paying via the Viator app was really easy too. On the whole, this was a really enjoyable excursion for us, well beyond our expectations, and I would definitely recommend it. There wasn't anything on this trip that I didn't enjoy (aside from the weather up the mountain which the guide obviously had no control over).stefy1408
February 2020
La nostra guida e l’autista sono stati puntualissimi e ci aspettavano mentre noi stavamo sbarcando. Ci hanno accompagnato in città ( tra l’altro autista fantastico in quel traffico infernale), hanno assecondato i nostri desideri, facendoci visitare le cose principali ma anche portandoci a fare sh...
La nostra guida e l’autista sono stati puntualissimi e ci aspettavano mentre noi stavamo sbarcando. Ci hanno accompagnato in città ( tra l’altro autista fantastico in quel traffico infernale), hanno assecondato i nostri desideri, facendoci visitare le cose principali ma anche portandoci a fare shopping. Thang la nostra guida è stata eccezionale. Unico avvertimento,se,come noi,arrivate in nave,calcolate che dal porto di Phu My alla città c’è da fare circa un’ora e mezza di auto sia all’andata che al ritorno...CALCOLATE I TEMPI O LA NAVE VApaulshelton1
August 2023
Punctual pickup and drop off, very polite and welcoming guide, enjoyed the places we visited, were provided with one bottle of water, lunch was excellent and accommodating as one member had food allergies, only thing that was a negative and why we did not rate it higher was that the tour guide ne...
Punctual pickup and drop off, very polite and welcoming guide, enjoyed the places we visited, were provided with one bottle of water, lunch was excellent and accommodating as one member had food allergies, only thing that was a negative and why we did not rate it higher was that the tour guide needed to be speaking clearer English, our guide struggled to understand some of our questions asked and we would of liked to spend more time at certain stopsSIMON_B
February 2023
Great guide very informative!!! Overall good tour .disappointed with rubbish all over streets poor sanitation needs money spending in poor areas.
Great guide very informative!!! Overall good tour .disappointed with rubbish all over streets poor sanitation needs money spending in poor areas.Lee_S
January 2023
The most memorable moment of my experience was when the guide never showed up. He did send a picture of him, and our named flsign, but it was from another port in Ho Chi Minh City. Their tour has refused to give me a refund. I will do all I can to tell people about Viator
The most memorable moment of my experience was when the guide never showed up. He did send a picture of him, and our named flsign, but it was from another port in Ho Chi Minh City. Their tour has refused to give me a refund. I will do all I can to tell people about ViatorDavid_K
February 2020
Very informative guide, interesting to see the juxtaposition of the new sky scrapers with the old shops beneath. Little to long at independece palace, slightly less time here would have given more ti.e at war museum. Lunch was excellent.
Very informative guide, interesting to see the juxtaposition of the new sky scrapers with the old shops beneath. Little to long at independece palace, slightly less time here would have given more ti.e at war museum. Lunch was excellent.