Ho Chi Minh City

War Remnants Museum·Independence Palace·Notre-Dame Cathedral Saigon·Saigon Central Post Office·Ben Thanh Market·The Cafe Apartment

Be at the War Remnants Museum when it opens at 7:30am (40,000 VND, audio guide 80,000 VND) - it's heavy going, allow 1.5-3 hours. Independence Palace is a short walk away: tickets from 40,000 VND per adult (2026), open 7am-6pm. Notre-Dame Cathedral is closed inside for restoration, so you see it from outside; the Central Post Office is right next to it. Lunch at Ben Thanh Market (6am-6pm). Rest through the hottest hours, then walk Nguyen Hue walking street in the evening and go up The Cafe Apartment at no. 42 (stairs free, elevator 5,000 VND, often refunded if you order). The night market outside Ben Thanh starts around 6pm, and on Saturday and Sunday nights Bui Vien becomes a walking street from 7pm.

Jade Emperor Pagoda·Cu Chi Tunnels

Jade Emperor Pagoda opens at 7am and is free - go early. Then head to the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 70km northwest: bus 13 from Ben Thanh, a taxi (about 500,000 VND one way), or a tour. Entry is 35,000 VND plus 100,000 VND for the guided tour; open until 5pm, allow 2-3 hours on site.

War Remnants Museum·Independence Palace·Notre-Dame Cathedral Saigon·Saigon Central Post Office·Ben Thanh Market·The Cafe Apartment

Be at the War Remnants Museum when it opens at 7:30am (40,000 VND, audio guide 80,000 VND) - it's heavy going, allow 1.5-3 hours. Independence Palace is a short walk away: tickets from 40,000 VND per adult (2026), open 7am-6pm. Notre-Dame Cathedral is closed inside for restoration, so you see it from outside; the Central Post Office is right next to it. Lunch at Ben Thanh Market (6am-6pm). Rest through the hottest hours, then walk Nguyen Hue walking street in the evening and go up The Cafe Apartment at no. 42 (stairs free, elevator 5,000 VND, often refunded if you order). The night market outside Ben Thanh starts around 6pm, and on Saturday and Sunday nights Bui Vien becomes a walking street from 7pm.

Jade Emperor Pagoda·Cu Chi Tunnels

Jade Emperor Pagoda opens at 7am and is free - go early. Then head to the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 70km northwest: bus 13 from Ben Thanh, a taxi (about 500,000 VND one way), or a tour. Entry is 35,000 VND plus 100,000 VND for the guided tour; open until 5pm, allow 2-3 hours on site.

Phoenix & Unicorn Islands (Cồn Phụng & Cồn Thới Sơn)

Bus from Mien Tay bus station to My Tho takes about 2 hours (100,000-150,000 VND). Boat tours from the My Tho yacht port cost about 150,000-450,000 VND per person, private boats from about 1,000,000 VND. Typical stops: coconut candy workshops, a rowing boat down the small canals, a horse cart ride, don ca tai tu folk music and fruit gardens (best fruit season Jul-Oct). Con Phung islet and Vinh Trang pagoda are nearby. See the Mekong Delta page for more.

War Remnants Museum·Independence Palace·Notre-Dame Cathedral Saigon·Saigon Central Post Office·Ben Thanh Market·The Cafe Apartment

Be at the War Remnants Museum when it opens at 7:30am (40,000 VND, audio guide 80,000 VND) - it's heavy going, allow 1.5-3 hours. Independence Palace is a short walk away: tickets from 40,000 VND per adult (2026), open 7am-6pm. Notre-Dame Cathedral is closed inside for restoration, so you see it from outside; the Central Post Office is right next to it. Lunch at Ben Thanh Market (6am-6pm). Rest through the hottest hours, then walk Nguyen Hue walking street in the evening and go up The Cafe Apartment at no. 42 (stairs free, elevator 5,000 VND, often refunded if you order). The night market outside Ben Thanh starts around 6pm, and on Saturday and Sunday nights Bui Vien becomes a walking street from 7pm.

Jade Emperor Pagoda·Cu Chi Tunnels

Jade Emperor Pagoda opens at 7am and is free - go early. Then head to the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 70km northwest: bus 13 from Ben Thanh, a taxi (about 500,000 VND one way), or a tour. Entry is 35,000 VND plus 100,000 VND for the guided tour; open until 5pm, allow 2-3 hours on site.

Phoenix & Unicorn Islands (Cồn Phụng & Cồn Thới Sơn)

Bus from Mien Tay bus station to My Tho takes about 2 hours (100,000-150,000 VND). Boat tours from the My Tho yacht port cost about 150,000-450,000 VND per person, private boats from about 1,000,000 VND. Typical stops: coconut candy workshops, a rowing boat down the small canals, a horse cart ride, don ca tai tu folk music and fruit gardens (best fruit season Jul-Oct). Con Phung islet and Vinh Trang pagoda are nearby. See the Mekong Delta page for more.

Cần Giờ Monkey Island

Can Gio is about 50km south, via the Binh Khanh ferry. Monkey Island is open 7am-5pm; entry is 100,000 VND for foreigners (35,000 VND for Vietnamese) and includes the monkey show. A canoe trip deeper into the Rung Sac mangrove reserve costs about 600,000-1,000,000 VND return, depending on group size. The main beach at Can Thanh (30/4 Beach) has been fenced off since 2025 for a land reclamation and resort project expected to run until around 2029-2030; the old ferry pier nearby still has sea views.