Vietnam Tour – Highlights of Ho Chi Minh City – 5 Days 4 Nights

Most Ho Chi Minh City itineraries cram the city, Cu Chi and the Mekong into two or three tiring days. This 5-day private tour gives each one its own day. You land and rest on Day 1, spend Day 2 in Saigon’s historic center and the Chinese quarter of Cho Lon, go underground at the Cu Chi Tunnels on Day 3, and spend Day 4 on the rivers and canals around My Tho. Your driver is at the airport when you arrive, and your guide takes over from the first morning.

Tour Highlights

✦ Independence Palace: Walk through the former presidential residence, where the Vietnam War ended in 1975.
✦ Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office: See the French colonial buildings in the city center. The post office is still in daily use.
✦ War Remnants Museum: A serious visit, and we leave enough time for it.
✦ Ben Thanh Market: End Day 1 at the busiest market in the city, with street food, coffee and souvenirs.
✦ A full day at Cu Chi Tunnels: Watch the documentary, find the hidden trapdoors, walk through the underground kitchens, field hospitals and command rooms, and try boiled cassava with tea, the food that fed the soldiers.
✦ A full day in the Mekong Delta: Cruise to Unicorn Island, taste honey tea at a bee farm, and ride a rowing boat through the water coconut canals.
✦ Coconut candy and fruit garden: Watch candy made by hand, then sit down to fresh tropical fruit and live Southern folk music.

Who is this tour for?
First-time visitors to Vietnam who want to see the city, the war history and the countryside without cramming them together. Couples and families who prefer a private car and guide to a big group. Travelers who want a relaxed last morning before the flight.

DAY 1 | Arrival – Free Leisure 

Airport Pickup & Hotel Check-in
Your driver meets you at the arrivals hall of Tan Son Nhat Airport and takes you to the hotel, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Standard check-in time is 14:00. Early check-in is not included.

Free Time
The rest of the day is yours. Rest at the hotel, or walk around the center on your own. Your driver or the hotel front desk can point you to a good street for dinner, and we can arrange dinner with transfer if you prefer.

DAY 2 | Full Day Ho Chi Minh City Tour 

07:00 – 08:00 | Breakfast at the Hotel
Have breakfast. Your guide and driver pick you up at 08:00.

08:00 – 09:00 | Independence Palace (Reunification Palace)

Walk through the reception halls, the cabinet room and the president’s living quarters.

Go down to the basement, where the old war rooms and communication equipment are kept.

Stop in the garden, where a tank from the 1975 events is on display.

09:15 – 10:00 | Notre Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office

Photograph the red-brick cathedral from the outside.

Go inside the Central Post Office, a station-style hall with arched ceilings and old maps.

Send a postcard from one of the counters if you like.

10:15 – 11:30 | War Remnants Museum

Visit exhibitions on the Indochina wars, with photographs inside and military equipment in the courtyard.

Go at your own pace. Some images are graphic.

11:30 – 12:30 | Lunch
Not included. Your guide can recommend a local place, or we can arrange lunch with transfer for USD 13 per person.

12:45 – 13:30 | Ben Thanh Market

Wander through the stalls of food, coffee, dried fruit, textiles and souvenirs.

Ask for the price first and bargain politely.

14:00 – 14:40 | Thien Hau Pagoda, Cho Lon

Visit this historic Chinese temple in the city’s Chinese quarter.

Look up at the carved roof figures and the large incense coils hanging from the ceiling.

15:00 – 15:30 | Saigon River
Stop along the riverside for photos of the water and the city skyline.

15:30 – 16:00 | Return to Hotel
Your driver takes you back to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. Dinner is free, and we can arrange dinner with transfer if you want it.

DAY 3 | Full Day Cu Chi Tunnels 

07:00 – 08:00 | Breakfast at the Hotel
Have breakfast. Your guide and driver pick you up at 08:00.

08:00 – 10:00 | Drive to Cu Chi Tunnels
About 1.5 to 2 hours on the road. On the way, your guide gives you the background on the war and how the tunnel network came about, so the site makes more sense when you arrive.

10:00 – 12:30 | Cu Chi Tunnels

Watch the documentary on how the tunnels were built and how people survived in them during the war.

Walk through the forest and look for the hidden trapdoors your guide will point out.Explore the underground living quarters, kitchens, storage rooms, weapons workshops, field hospitals and command centres.

Go through sections of the maze-like tunnels and see the traps used for protection.Try boiled cassava with tea, one of the guerrillas’ staple foods.

Optional: AK rifle shooting, USD 30 per person for 10 bullets, arranged on request and paid on the spot.

12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch
Not included. Tell us when you book if you want us to arrange it (USD 13 per person), or stop at a local restaurant on the way back.

13:30 – 15:30 | Return to Hotel
Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. The rest of the day is free to rest. Dinner is free, and we can arrange dinner with transfer if you want it.

DAY 4 | Full Day Mekong Delta 

06:45 – 07:30 | Breakfast at the Hotel
Have breakfast. Your guide and driver pick you up at 07:30.

07:30 – 09:30 | Drive to My Tho
About 1.5 to 2 hours. Your guide will tell you about the delta, its rice and fruit farming, and how people live on the river.

09:30 – 10:15 | Motorboat on the Mekong River
Board a local motorboat at My Tho and cruise along the river, past working boats and local islands.

10:15 – 11:00 | Unicorn Island & Beekeeping Farm

Learn how natural honey is produced.

Taste honey tea and local wine.

11:00 – 11:45 | Village Walk & Rowing Boat

Walk through the village and see how local people live.

Ride a rowing boat through a narrow water coconut canal. Your paddler does the work.

11:45 – 12:30 | Coconut Candy Workshop

Watch how coconut candy is made, step by step.

Try it while it is warm, and buy some to take home if you like.

12:30 – 13:30 | Tropical Fruit Garden

Sit down to a plate of fresh tropical fruit.

Listen to a short performance of traditional Southern music.

Lunch is not included. We can arrange lunch with transfer for USD 13 per person.

13:30 – 15:30 | Return to Ho Chi Minh City
Drive back to the hotel. Dinner is free.

DAY 5 | Ho Chi Minh Departure 

Morning | Breakfast & Check-out
Have breakfast at the hotel and check out. Standard check-out time is 12:00.

Free Time
Free time until your departure transfer. Walk to a nearby café, pick up last souvenirs, or rest.

Departure Transfer
Your driver takes you to Tan Son Nhat Airport, timed to your flight.

Tour Price

Please contact our travel consultants for the latest quotation based on:

Travel dates

Number of travelers

Hotel category

Seasonal promotion

Hotel Options

★★★ 3-Star Hotel

Prague Hotel – Superior Room No Window (or similar)

★★★★ 4-Star Hotel

The First Hotel – Superior Room (or similar)

★★★★★ 5-Star Hotel

 Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City – Superior Room (or similar)

Optional Services

Cu Chi AK shooting: USD 30 per person for 10 bullets

Vietnam e-visa: USD 35 per person

Lunch with transfer: USD 13 per person per meal

Dinner with transfer: USD 16 per person per meal

Child Policy

Child under 12 sharing with 1 adult: 90% of adult fare

Child under 12 sharing with 2 adults, with extra bed: 75% of adult fare

Child under 12 sharing with 2 adults, without extra bed: 50% of adult fare

Child under 2 sharing with 2 adults, without bed: Free of charge

Package Includes
[✔] Accommodation with daily breakfast
[✔] Air-conditioned vehicle for all airport transfers and sightseeing in the itinerary
[✔] Professional English-speaking local tour guide as specified in the itinerary (Day 1 and Day 5 transfers: guide for groups of 5 or more only)
[✔] Meals as indicated in the itinerary
[✔] Entrance fees for all attractions mentioned in the itinerary
[✔] Complimentary mineral water during sightseeing and transfers (2 bottles per person per day)

Package Excludes
[✖] International or domestic airfare and airport taxes
[✖] Vietnam visa fees, including e-visa application and visa stamping fees, if applicable
[✖] Travel insurance (strongly recommended before you travel)
[✖] Personal expenses such as laundry, phone calls, minibar and optional activities
[✖] Cu Chi AK shooting (USD 30 per person for 10 bullets)
[✖] Drinks during meals, including alcohol
[✖] Early check-in or late check-out. Standard check-in is 14:00 and check-out is 12:00
[✖] Holiday or peak-season surcharges from hotels, if applicable
[✖] Any service not listed under “Package Includes”
[✖] Vehicle overtime beyond scheduled hours: USD 15/hour (4–7 seats), USD 25/hour (16 seats). Half-day service is a maximum of 4 hours, full-day a maximum of 8 hours
[✖] Optional tips for bellboys, boat crew and sampan drivers
[✖] Compulsory tip for local guide and driver: USD 3 per person per day, collected by the guide

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes. Day 2 involves a lot of walking, and the Cu Chi forest paths and Mekong village paths can be uneven.
• Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. The boat rides have very little shade.
• Light, breathable clothing, plus a thin rain jacket in the rainy season (May to November).
• Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees for the cathedral, the post office, the pagoda and the museums.
• Mosquito repellent for Cu Chi and the Mekong Delta.
• Small bills in VND for Ben Thanh Market, tips and souvenirs.

Health & Safety Note

• Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum involve a lot of standing and some stairs. Tell your guide if you need to go slower.
• Some exhibits at the War Remnants Museum are graphic and may not suit young children. Your guide can suggest which sections to skip.
• Thien Hau Pagoda is a working temple with a lot of incense smoke. Guests with asthma or sensitive airways may prefer to wait outside.
• The Cu Chi tunnels are narrow, hot and low. Guests with claustrophobia, heart conditions or back problems can skip the crawling and stay above ground.
• The traps on display at Cu Chi are reconstructions, but they are still sharp. Stay with your guide and keep children close.
• Wear the life jackets provided on all boat rides. Let us know in advance if anyone cannot swim or has mobility difficulties.
• Taste the honey tea and local wine only if you are comfortable with them. Tell your guide about any food allergies.
• Drink plenty of water. Ho Chi Minh City is hot and humid all year round.

Good to Know

• Day 1 has no fixed schedule. Please send us your flight number and arrival time at least 3 days before travel so your driver is waiting at the airport.
• Lunch on Days 2, 3 and 4 is not included. Let us know when you book if you want us to arrange it.
• Notre Dame Cathedral is visited from the outside only.
• On Day 1 and Day 5, the guide comes along only for groups of 5 or more. Smaller groups get a private driver.
• Day 2 is a city tour with a lot of stops. If you would rather spend more time at one place, tell your guide in the morning and we will adjust.

Payment Terms

• Deposit: 30% of the total amount when you confirm your booking
• Balance: 70% at least 15 days before arrival

Cancellation Policy

• 30+ days before arrival: Full refund minus administrative fee
• 15–29 days before arrival: 50% of tour cost charged
• Within 14 days of arrival or no-show: 100% of tour cost charged