Two days cover the essentials of Ho Chi Minh City if you group the sights by direction and cross town only once. Spend one day on the tunnels and Chinatown and the other on the old center, and a couple pays roughly $110-180 in total for a simple hotel, transport, tickets and food.
How to Split 48 Hours Without Zigzagging
Give the Cu Chi tunnels and Cholon one day, and the old center the other. The old center packs the war museum, Independence Palace, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and Ben Thanh Market into a few kilometers. The tunnels sit about 40 km out of town and eat roughly three hours of road for the round trip, so they get a day of their own. Cholon, the Chinese quarter, is on the way back.
I put the tunnels first because early morning is the only cool and quiet time out there. The center is easier to rearrange if your plans slip.
Cu Chi First, While It Is Still Cool
Leave before 8 am. The drive takes about an hour and a half each way. The tunnel network the Viet Cong lived in runs for hundreds of kilometers, and visitors only get a widened stretch of it. You still crawl on hands and knees in the dark and the heat, so skip the crawl if you are claustrophobic and look at the exhibits above ground instead.
Bring water and shoes with decent grip. The real headache with Cu Chi is getting there: there is no direct public transport worth the trouble, drivers often speak little English, and the ride back hits evening traffic. That is the part I usually handle for people: a car and a guide for your dates, a sensible departure time, and a drop-off in Cholon afterwards. Message me on Telegram and I will tell you what time to leave for your dates.
Cholon in the Afternoon: Thien Hau Temple and Binh Tay Market
Back in the city, head to Chinatown. Thien Hau is the quarter’s main shrine, with incense coils burning under the roof for weeks at a time, and entry is free. Binh Tay Market is a short ride away, wholesale and retail at once: spices, fabric, coffee beans. Prices run below Ben Thanh, and the crowds run higher.
Ben Thanh Market for a Cheap Lunch
A full lunch at Ben Thanh stays around five dollars a head, and a bowl of pho with a few spring rolls comes to a couple of dollars. Go on day two, closer to lunch, between about 11 am and 1 pm. Name your own price and stay relaxed about it. Keep your phone and bag in front of you, because pickpockets work exactly these places.
War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace Back to Back
Arrive at the museum when it opens, before the tour groups. It is heavy going, with photographs and exhibits from the war, and most people are drained after two hours. The ticket costs a few dollars, so confirm the price at the counter.
Independence Palace is close by. Inside you will find the preserved wartime rooms, maps and a basement communications bunker. Check the opening hours on the official site before you go, because they change. Wear closed shoes, since you walk a lot.
Notre-Dame and the Post Office: a 40-Minute Stop
The cathedral and the post office face each other across a small square, and forty minutes covers both. The cathedral has been under restoration for several years, so visitors usually see it from outside; check the current rules before you go. The post office is the real reason to stop: late nineteenth-century French colonial architecture, high vaulted ceilings and old maps on the walls, and it still works as an ordinary post office.
Evenings: Nguyen Hue, Bui Vien or the Riverfront
Pick Nguyen Hue for an easy evening: a pedestrian street of cafes and small restaurants, with street musicians on weekends. Skip Bui Vien unless you like loud bars and late nights. After the tunnel day I choose the Saigon riverfront, where the skyscrapers light up and tourists are few.
What Two Days Cost for a Couple
Rough guide, excluding a guided excursion, adding up to $110-180:
- simple hotel, two nights: $30-60;
- Grab around town plus a car to Cu Chi and back: $30-60;
- museum, palace and tunnel tickets: about $20 for two;
- food: $30-40 if you do not eat only in restaurants;
- optional guide for Cu Chi, on top: $80-150 for two.
If you are stretching the trip beyond the city, see our route from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat or Mui Ne , which starts here. Our ready-made programs for different trip lengths are on the homepage.
Getting Around and Staying Safe
Use Grab: the price shows before you book and there is nothing to haggle. Download an offline map before you go, because signal drops in the narrow lanes of Cholon. November to March is the dry season, around 30 degrees by day. From May to September heavy rain floods some streets and you may need to reshuffle the plan. Drink bottled water. Two days only skim the city, and that is fine: the center and the tunnels cover the main things.
You can do these two days without any help, since tickets are sold at the counter and Grab takes a minute. If you would rather not track departure times and traffic, tell me when you arrive and I will say which day is best for the center and which for the trip out, given the weather. Tell me when you arrive and I will reply with a plan for both days.
Frequently asked questions
Is 2 days enough for Ho Chi Minh City on a first trip?
It covers the old center and one trip out of town. A third day gives you time for the Mekong Delta or temples outside the city, so treat two days as the minimum for a first look.
Can I get to the Cu Chi tunnels by public transport?
Yes, but the trip takes longer than an hour and a half and involves a change, and the ride back can hit evening traffic. Many people book a Grab one way or hire a car and driver for half a day.
What should I wear in Cholon and the temples?
Cover shoulders and knees and wear shoes that slip off easily. Revealing clothes are frowned on in Cholon’s temples, and it gets hot by day, so carry water and a hat.
