Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon) is arguably one of the hottest touristic spots in Southeast Asia right now. Learn here what you can do and eat during a 3-day trip in this dynamic city!

DISCLAIMER: This page contains affiliate links, which means I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through it. If you decide to use my links, I would like to sincerely thank you for your support to my blog! 

Located on the south coast of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam by population, and also the country’s commercial capital. Home to around 8 million inhabitants, it is a modern, dynamic and thriving metropolitan, which to some extent outshines the somewhat traditional capital of the country in the north, Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh City also plays a big part in the history of modern-day Vietnam, as a place where the reunification of North- and South Vietnam took place and ended the war that lasted for 2 decades.

This combination of modern and historic makes the city very unique, and as a result, it offers a lot of fascinating things to discover for visitors. And not to forget, the food scene in this city is amazing!

In this post I would like to share with you a 3-day itinerary from my trip to Ho Chi Minh City last November, full of tips for things to see, do and eat. Hopefully, this serves as an inspiration for your own future itinerary to Ho Chi Minh City.

I will also provide some information to help you get prepared, even before you arrive in Vietnam. I guarantee your travel experience will become an unforgettable one. So here you go!

3-day itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Things to Do and Eat

Pre-arrival

To help you prepare your visit before you arrive in Ho Chi Minh, here are few essential things to keep in mind.

#1 – Get familiar with Ho Chi Minh City and its districts

Ho Chi Minh City is split into 19 districts, with Saigon River curling its way across the middle. The city center and many of the major attractions are located in District 1.

If you plan to visit only for 2-3 days, I would recommend staying in District 1. That way all of the major attractions will be easily within your reach in a walking distance.

#2 – Hotels or Airbnb?

Accommodation offering in Ho Chi Minh City is in abundance. There are many affordable hotels ranging from budget to luxurious. However, I observed that the 5-star luxurious hotels (Sheraton, Hilton etc.) are in average more expensive than in other Southeast Asian cities (above $150).

If you’re traveling solo or in a couple, I would suggest taking a mid-range hotel in District 1, which normally costs $50 – $60 per night (breakfast is included). I stayed myself in GK Central Hotel ($60 per night), an excellent 3-star hotel located near Ben Thanh Market in District 1.

If you’re traveling with a family of more than 4 people, Airbnb would be a much better deal for you. There are plenty of apartments to rent for $40 – $60 per night. Use this link to get €30 off for your first booking.

#3 – Currency and payment

In case you’d like to exchange some money before your departure, Vietnam’s currency is called Vietnamese Dong (VND). As of now, the exchange rate of USD to VND is around 22,700 VND (1 USD = ~22,700 VND).

However, instead of exchanging money at home, I would suggest doing so in Ho Chi Minh upon your arrival, as you will tend to get a better rate.

Another alternative is to withdraw cash from ATM. The fee for ATM withdrawal will vary depending on the bank operating the ATM, but it normally costs between 1-2% of the withdrawn amount. And not to forget that credit card is also quite widely accepted at restaurants and shops (Mastercard or Visa).

Upon arrival

If you fly to Ho Chi Minh City, you will arrive at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The airport is only around 8 km from the city center (District 1) and it takes about 15-20 minutes to get there.

You can take either Uber or taxi to get you from the airport. I would recommend taking Uber, as it is very convenient (you don’t need any cash) and extremely cheap (Uber Black costs around $5 or 110,000 VND to District 1).

You can connect easily to the airport free Wi-Fi, and order your Uber to pick you up on Arrival. Airport Wi-Fi works very well, and it has a strong coverage, even outside the Arrival terminal. By the way, I also recommend using Uber to get around the city as well. Use this link to get $5 off for your first Uber ride.

If you choose to take a cab, always get one at the official taxi stand in the airport, and take Vinasun or Mai Linh taxi. These are the most reliable taxi companies in Ho Chi Minh City. A cab ride to District 1 will cost you between 160,000 to 200,000 VND. What also very important is to have your hotel (or other destination) information ready to show to the taxi driver, as many of them do not speak English very well.

Itinerary and Food

Day 1 – Things to do:

#1 – Củ Chi Tunnels

Located around 50 km outside Ho Chi Minh City, Củ Chi Tunnels are one of the must-visit historical places in Vietnam. The tunnels were a major network of an underground passageway, used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during Vietnam War.

To visit Củ Chi Tunnels, you can take a group tour for half a day, which costs starting from $20 (depending on whether you’d like to be picked up by car or motorcycle).

At the site, you can also try to experience shooting AK-47 or other machine guns of your choice for 550,000 VND ($20) and it can be paid with credit card (Mastercard or Visa).

#2 – War Remnants Museum

After visiting Củ Chi Tunnels, visit the War Remnants Museum in the afternoon to learn more about the history of Vietnam War. It contains exhibits relating to the Vietnam War and the first Indochina War. The museum is located in District 1, near Independence Museum.

Entrance fee for adult is 40,000 VND ($2).

Location: War Remnants Museum, 28 Võ Văn Tần, phường 6, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City

#3 – Ben Thanh Market

In the evening, go shop until you drop in this largest market in Ho Chi Minh City. In Ben Thanh Market you can find literally everything, from clothing, souvenirs to food. But always be prepared to haggle!

The market opens daily from 6 am until midnight. Ben Thanh Market is located in District 1.

Location: Ben Thanh Market, Lê Lợi, Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Day 1 – Food:

#4 – Bánh mì

Start the day with this most popular Vietnamese baguette sandwich. There are many places in Ho Chi Minh City selling Bánh Mì, but hands down the best place to get one is at Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa.

The crispy baguette overstuffed with a different type of cold cuts, paté and greens are so delicious, satisfying and cheap (32,000 VND = $1.50). A perfect food to start your day!

Location: Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa, 26 Lê Thị Riêng, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City  (courtesy of Tiembanhmihuynhhoa.blogspot.com)

#5 – Phở

For dinner, what could be better to get than a hot delicious bowl of phở. This beef noodle soup does not even need another introduction. Again, there are many places to get a good phở, but arguably the best place to get phở in Ho Chi Minh City is at Phở Le.

Location: Phở Le, 413-415 Nguyễn Trãi, Phường 7, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City

Day 2 – Things to do:

#6 – Independence Palace (Reunification Palace)

Start the day by visiting the Independence Palace. Located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, it is one of the most important landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City.

The palace was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. Currently, the palace is largely turned into a museum, but sometimes it is also still used for government official meetings.

Entrance fee for adult is 20,000 VND ($1).

Location: Independence Palace, 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Phường Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City

#7 – Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral

After visiting the Independence Palace, walk across the street to visit this other important landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. Constructed in 1863, the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral is the biggest church built by the French in Vietnam.

Unfortunately, the Cathedral is now closed for tourists, as it is under major construction, expected to last until June 2020.  However, regular Masses are still held as usual.

Location: Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral, 01 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City

#8 – Saigon Central Post Office

Walk across the street from the Notre-Dame Cathedral to Saigon Central Post Office.  Built in the late 19th century, this Central Post Office building is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and supposedly designed by Gustave Eiffel, the designer of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Just wander around to admire this beautiful colonial architecture, or buy a postcard to send to home.

Location: Saigon Central Post Office, 02 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City

#9 – Ho Chi Minh Museum & Saigon River

After dinner, take a stroll along the embankment of Saigon River during the night, starting from Ho Chi Minh Museum (Bảo tàng Hồ Chí Minh) and heading north along the boulevard Đường Tôn Đức Thắng. I guarantee it is going be a very romantic evening walk!

Location: Ho Chi Minh Museum, 65 Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Day 2 – Food:

#10 – Bún chả

For lunch, I wanted to taste this typical street food from Hanoi. Despite coming from Hanoi, bún chả is also quite well known in Ho Chi Minh.

It is a grilled pork patty and pork belly served over rice noodle and dressed with sweet and sour fish sauce. It is so delicious that former US president, Barack Obama, called this dish a “killer” when tasting it during a visit to Hanoi.

One of the best places to sample this dish in Ho Chi Minh City is at Nhà hàng Ngon, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in District 1.

Location: Nhà hàng Ngon, 160 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

#11 – Bún thịt nướng

For dinner, I got this cold rice noodle dish. Quite similar to bún chả, it is topped with grilled pork, but with an addition of thick slices of crispy spring rolls and roasted peanuts. And it is also dressed with sweet and sour fish sauce.

You can sample this dish also at Nhà hàng Ngon, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in District 1.

Location: Nhà hàng Ngon, 160 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Day 3 – Things to do:

#12 – Bitexco Financial Tower

Start in the morning with a visit to Bitexco Financial Tower, the highest building in Ho Chi Minh City. Get a 360-degree view of Ho Chi Minh City from the Saigon Skydeck, located on the 49th floor of the tower.

Entrance fee for adult is 200,000 VND (around $9).

Location: Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hải Triều, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

#13 – Saigon Opera House

Located in the upscale shopping street, Đồng Khởi, Saigon Opera House is another beautiful French colonial landmark in Ho Chi Minh City. Aside from the architecture, enjoy some great classical music concerts (see some impression of the building here below, courtesy of City Pass).

You can purchase a ticket to watch a concert, and explore the inside of the building. Or if you’re not into concerts, you can always admire the architecture from outside.

Location: Saigon Opera House, 07 Công Trường Lam Sơn, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

#14 – Đồng Khởi & Nguyễn Huệ

Đồng Khởi & Nguyễn Huệ are upscale shopping streets in Ho Chi Minh City. All luxurious brands and boutiques can be found on these streets. So if you have appetite to splurge, this is definitely your place

From time to time you can also enjoy some free public events or concerts at the square of Nguyễn Huệ.

Location: Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

City Hall, Nguyễn Huệ, Ho Chi Minh City

Day 3 – Food:

What is the best thing to do to spend my last evening in Vietnam? Well, I spent the entire evening with Saigon Food Tour to discover the best Vietnamese food that you can get in Ho Chi Minh City!

#15 – Bún bò Huế

First off, I got to sample this special dish from the ancient city, Huế. It is a rice noodle soup, with spicy citrusy beef broth, and topped with shrimp sausage, and crab meatball. You can get bún bò Huế almost everywhere in Ho Chi Minh, but one of the best places to get is Bún bò Huế Dong Ba.

Location: Bún bò Huế Dong Ba, 110A Nguyen Du, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Bún bò Huế, Ho Chi Minh City (courtesy of Fest.vn)

#16 – Bánh xèo, Bánh căn & Gỏi cuốn

For second stop, we stopped at a street food vendor to sample 3 Vietnamese snacks:

• Bánh xèo: savory fried pancake made from rice flour, stuffed with pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts
• Gỏi cuốn: a fresh spring roll with fish sausage, boiled egg, and vegetables
• Bánh căn: small savory pancake made with rice flour

Accompanying these snacks, there are some fresh herbs such as mustard leaf and Thai basil, as well as 3 kinds of sauces, tomato fish sauce, peanut fish sauce and fermented fish sauce.

Location: Bánh Căn & Bánh Xèo Trúc Bàng, 972/ 6 TP HCM Bánh căn & Bánh Xèo Trúc Bàng 700000, Trường Sa, Phường 13, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

#17 – Đồ nướng (BBQ)

After some snacks, we headed to the outdoor local BBQ place, where you get to grill your own meat over a small charcoal stove on your table. And the nice thing here is that there is almost no tourist! The BBQ consists of bacon, eggplant, oyster, mushroom, goat breast, and octopus.

Location: Quán BBQ Lúa, 33 Vĩnh Khánh Street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City

#18 – Chè Khúc Bạch

At last, I got to taste a local dessert called Chè Khúc Bạch. This dessert is actually a mix of jelly with different flavors, shaving ice, and topped with lychee syrup and roasted almonds. Very refreshing!

Location: Chè Khúc Bạch Thanh, 68/154 Trần Quang Khải, Tân Định, Ho Chi Minh City

————

So there you go! I hope you will find this itinerary and guide useful. If you visit Ho Chi Minh City, I would love to hear your experience and what you think about it. Please do so in the comment below, or send me a message.

Do you like this post and want to receive some more awesome updates regularly? Please make sure that you subscribe to my email updates. And also check out my other blog posts for many more helpful tips for traveling. See you in the next blog post and until we Greet again!