City Tour 1 Day Trip

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📅 1 day

🏙️ Ho Chi Minh City

⛪ Colonial landmarks

🚢 Saigon River waterbus

Starting from

^$38 / person

✉️ Book this tour 📋 View itinerary

Experience Highlights

🏛️ Independence Palace — preserved exactly as it was in 1975

⛪ Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel-designed Central Post Office

🪖 War Remnants Museum — the most visited museum in Vietnam

🏮 Cho Lon (Chinatown) and Thien Hau Pagoda

🚢 Waterbus cruise on the Saigon River past Landmark 81

🏙️ Vinhomes, Bitexco Tower and District 2 seen from the river

🍽️ Lunch at a local restaurant included

🚐 Hotel pickup, drop-off and all entrance fees included

Tour Itinary

The most complete introduction to Ho Chi Minh City in a single day. The morning covers the colonial and wartime heart of District 1 — Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the War Remnants Museum. After lunch, the afternoon shifts to the vibrant Chinatown district of Cho Lon, the centuries-old Thien Hau Pagoda and Bach Dang harbor, where a waterbus cruise down the Saigon River reveals the city’s modern skyline from a completely different angle.

The perfect first day in Saigon — history, culture, street life and river views all covered in one guided tour.

Full Day

Colonial Saigon, Chinatown and the Saigon River

A complete portrait of Ho Chi Minh City in one day

08:00

Hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City center

Pick-up at your hotel and begin the morning city tour of District 1 with your English-speaking guide.

Morning

Independence Palace (Reunification Palace)

Visit the former seat of the South Vietnamese government, preserved exactly as it was on 30 April 1975 when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates. Explore the state rooms, the war command center in the basement, the communications room and the rooftop helipad.

Morning

Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office

See the twin-spired Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the 1880s entirely from materials imported from France. Beside it, the Central Post Office is one of the finest surviving examples of French colonial architecture in Asia, designed by Gustave Eiffel and still in full operation.

Morning

War Remnants Museum

One of the most visited museums in Vietnam, documenting both the Indochina War and the Vietnam War through photographs, military hardware, propaganda and personal accounts. A powerful and essential experience.

12:30

Lunch at a local restaurant

Lunch break before heading to the afternoon itinerary.

Afternoon

Cho Lon (Chinatown) and Thien Hau Pagoda

Drive to Cho Lon — Saigon's Chinatown, one of the largest in Southeast Asia — and explore the bustling Ben Thanh market area. Visit the Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the goddess of the sea and a deeply atmospheric temple that has served the local Chinese community for centuries.

Afternoon

Saigon River waterbus cruise

Board the Saigon waterbus at Bach Dang harbor for a cruise along the Saigon River. See the city from the water — Landmark 81, the Bitexco Financial Tower, Vinhomes Central Park, the green riverbanks of District 2 and the quiet contrast between the old and new city. A unique perspective on the "Pearl of the Far East".

18:00

Return to hotel

Transfer back to your hotel in the city center. End of the tour.

🍽️ Lunch

Tour Inclusions & Exclusions

✓

What's included

✓
Air-conditioned minivan or car throughout
✓
Professional English-speaking guide
✓
All entrance fees — Independence Palace, War Museum, Thien Hau Pagoda, waterbus
✓
Lunch at a local restaurant
✓
Hotel pickup and drop-off in HCMC center

Not included

✕
Beverages and personal expenses
✕
Tips for guide and driver (optional but appreciated)
✕
Optional Deluxe upgrade (+$13/person)
✕
Travel insurance (strongly recommended)

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