Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Experience
Five days in Vietnam's largest city — French colonial landmarks, the Reunification Palace, the sobering War Remnants Museum, and a journey underground into the Cu Chi Tunnels that once ran beneath the battlefields south of Saigon — with your transfers, hotel and guided sightseeing handled from arrival to departure.
Saigon's layered past — above ground and below it
Ho Chi Minh City, still widely known as Saigon, is Vietnam's largest city and its commercial heart — a fast-paced, tree-lined mix of French colonial landmarks, pagodas, sidewalk cafés and modern skyscrapers packed into a compact, walkable core. Five days here is enough to get properly under its skin, and to make the journey out to one of the country's most significant historical sites.
You'll walk the Paris Commune Square landmarks — Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office — tour the Reunification Palace, and spend time at the War Remnants Museum, whose exhibits on the First Indochina and Vietnam Wars are a sobering, essential part of understanding the country. Then it's out to Cu Chi, where a tunnel network begun in 1948 against French air attacks grew by 1965 into roughly 200 km of underground passages, kitchens, hospitals and sleeping quarters used by local fighters for decades of conflict.
Airport transfers, centrally located accommodation, daily breakfast and guided sightseeing are arranged for you. Prefer it fully private, want the museum day paired with Cholon's Chinatown, or a night added at the end? Every element here can be tailored — this itinerary is the starting point, not the ceiling.
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What you'll actually see
The Reunification Palace
Built on the site of the former Norodom Palace and renamed Independence Palace in 1954, this landmark became the symbolic site of Vietnam's reunification in April 1975. Its 1960s-and-70s interiors — war room, banquet hall, and presidential quarters — are preserved largely as they were.
Notre Dame Cathedral & the Central Post Office
Two French colonial-era landmarks facing each other across Paris Commune Square — a red-brick neo-Romanesque cathedral and a grand, Gustave Eiffel-linked post office still in daily use, complete with vintage telephone booths and hand-painted wall maps.
The War Remnants Museum
Established in 1975, this museum's exhibits on the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War are one of the most visited, and most sobering, stops in the city. Give it real time — it's essential context for everything else on this itinerary, and best suited to older children and adults.
The Cu Chi Tunnels
An underground network begun in 1948 as a hiding place from French air attacks, expanded by local fighters into roughly 200 km of tunnels, kitchens, hospitals and sleeping quarters by 1965. Widened sections let visitors walk — or, if you choose, crawl — a short stretch underground.
Your 5-day itinerary
A balanced pace — colonial-era city sightseeing on one side, wartime history and the Cu Chi Tunnels on the other — with breakfast daily and all listed transfers included.
You're met at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and transferred to your centrally located hotel. Settle in, then ease into the city at your own pace — Nguyen Hue walking street and the view from the riverfront are an easy first evening, along with your first bowl of pho or a plate of com tam from a local eatery.
After breakfast, a guided tour through the city's French colonial core: the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office facing each other across Paris Commune Square, then on to the covered stalls and food counters of Ben Thanh Market. There's time for lunch and a little browsing before the afternoon is yours.
A morning at the War Remnants Museum, taking the time its exhibits deserve. In the afternoon, head across to Cholon, the city's historic Chinatown, for the incense-filled Jade Emperor Pagoda and the market stalls of Binh Tay — a change of pace and a look at another side of Saigon's layered history.
An early departure for the roughly 1.5–2 hour drive northwest to Cu Chi. A guide walks you through the site's tunnel entrances, trap doors, and the network of hospitals, kitchens and sleeping quarters dug decades ago, with the option to walk — or crawl — a short, widened stretch underground. Return to Ho Chi Minh City by mid-afternoon, with the evening free.
Enjoy a final breakfast and, depending on your flight, a little free time for last-minute shopping or a relaxed morning café stop. You're then transferred to the airport for your onward journey — or, if you'd like to extend, we can add nights in Ho Chi Minh City or link this trip to the Mekong Delta, the coast, or a wider Vietnam itinerary.
Indicative itinerary. The exact order of activities, sightseeing and transfer times is confirmed at the time of booking and may adapt to flight schedules, opening hours, traffic and local conditions.
What's included — and what's not
Clear from the start, so there are no surprises when you travel.
Included
- Accommodation for 4 nights
- Daily breakfast
- Airport transfers (arrival & departure)
- Intercity transfers where applicable
- Sightseeing as listed in the itinerary
- Selected entrance fees
- Local assistance throughout
Not included
- International flights (unless stated)
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Meals not stated in the itinerary
- Optional activities & hotel upgrades
- Tips & gratuities
Before you go
Best time to visit
Ho Chi Minh City is warm and tropical year-round, with a dry season roughly December to April and a wetter season from May to November. The dry months are generally the most comfortable for a full day of sightseeing and the Cu Chi walk.
Currency
The Vietnamese Dong (VND). Cards are widely accepted in Ho Chi Minh City's hotels, restaurants and malls; carry some cash for markets, street food and small vendors.
The War Remnants Museum
The museum's exhibits document real wartime history and can be confronting, including for younger visitors. We're glad to help you plan the day around this, or discuss alternatives, when you enquire.
Visiting Cu Chi
The site involves walking outdoors in heat and humidity, with an optional short crawl through a widened tunnel section. Tunnels are narrow, low-lit and not suited to anyone with claustrophobia, mobility limitations or, generally, very young children — the outdoor sections and displays remain accessible without going underground.
What to pack
Light, breathable clothing, comfortable closed shoes for Cu Chi, a rain layer in wetter months, insect repellent and sun protection. Modest cover-ups are handy for the Reunification Palace and religious sites.
Visas & documents
Entry requirements depend on your passport. Many nationalities can apply for a Vietnam e-visa online ahead of travel, and some qualify for short visa-free stays — please check based on your nationality before you fly, and we're happy to point you to the right official source.
Ho Chi Minh City, above ground and below it
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Good to have answered
Is the US$649 price per person? What does it cover?
Yes — that's a starting price, per person, for the 5-day itinerary based on twin-share accommodation. It covers your hotel, daily breakfast, airport and listed transfers, the sightseeing in the itinerary, selected entrance fees and local assistance. The final figure depends on your travel dates, hotel choice, group size and whether you'd like it private, so we confirm an exact quote when you enquire.
Is the War Remnants Museum suitable for children?
The museum documents real wartime history through photographs and exhibits that can be confronting, including for younger visitors. Many families do visit, often with some preparation beforehand, but it's a personal decision. Let us know your children's ages when you enquire and we can talk through what to expect, or suggest an alternative for that morning.
Do we have to crawl through the tunnels at Cu Chi?
No — going underground is optional. A short, widened section is available for visitors who want the experience, but the site's outdoor displays, trap-door demonstrations and history are all accessible without entering a tunnel. If anyone in your group has claustrophobia or mobility concerns, let your guide know and they'll plan around it.
Are international flights included?
No — international flights aren't included unless we've specifically stated so in your quote. Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport is well connected across the region; we can advise on convenient routings and arrange your airport transfers to match your flights.
Can this itinerary be customised or run privately?
Absolutely — this is a template, not a fixed package. Run it fully private, add nights, upgrade the hotel, swap the Cholon afternoon for something else, or extend into the Mekong Delta or a wider Vietnam trip. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll shape it around you.
Do I need a visa for Vietnam?
It depends on your nationality. Many travellers can apply for a Vietnam e-visa online before departure, and some nationalities qualify for short visa-free stays. Please verify based on your own passport before you travel — we're glad to point you to the right official source.
How do I book or get a quote?
Send us an enquiry with your rough dates and traveller numbers and we'll come back with a tailored quote and next steps. There's no obligation, and no payment needed to get a proposal.
Let's plan your Ho Chi Minh City trip
Tell us your dates and who's travelling. We'll send back a tailored itinerary and a clear, all-in quote — with the flexibility to make it exactly the trip you want.