3 Days Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary

The First day in Saigon

Start your first day in Ho Chi Minh City by learning more about the Vietnam War – from Vietnam’s perspective. A visit to the War Remnants Museum is an important and educational stop on your Ho Chi Minh City itinerary and creates a basis for understanding the rest of your time in Vietnam.

War Remnants Museum

Staying with the history lessons is sure to squeeze in a trip to the Reunification Palace. This was home to the presidents of South Vietnam before the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Do not leave without seeing the underground bunker – it features a telecommunications center and a fascinating series of tunnels.

Reunification Palace

Chaotic yet fun, pay a visit to Ben Thanh Market - one of the city’s liveliest areas. The sellers at the market can be stubborn with their prices, so just remember to bargain. Stop at one of the food stalls here for lunch to set you up for the afternoon’s activities.

Quan An Ngon is a great spot for dinner on your first day in the city, there is a huge variety of Vietnamese dishes, including northern, central, and southern cuisine.

Ngon Restaurant Saigon

The Second day in Ho Chi Minh

In the second day, escape the hustle and bustle of the city with a trip to the rural area. Visiting agricultural villages, you will see many kinds of cattle and poultry, vegetables, herbs, spices, and mushrooms on the garden. You will also have a chance to try working as a real Vietnamese farmer with a Vietnamese traditional hat.

Cooking Class

Then, hand-on cooking class and enjoy what you have done.

In the afternoon, embark on one of the most interesting day trips out of the city by heading to the Cu Chi Tunnels. In just a few hours you will learn how the Viet Cong soldiers lived underground for long stretches of time during the war. You will also see bomb craters along with booby traps that were used on American troops. For those who are not afraid of small spaces, you can experience the tunnels firsthand by getting in them.

Cu Chi Tunnels

For dinner, take a cruise for dinner on the Saigon River. This is a fantastic experience where you will be served a delicious dinner accompanied by live entertainment, all against the backdrop of the twinkling lights of the city as you float along.

Dinner on Cruise

The last day in Saigon

In your last day, take a two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta. Mekong Delta is a watery landscape of green fields and sleepy villages, everywhere crisscrossed by the brown canals and rivulets fed by the mighty Mekong River. Its inhabitants – stereotyped as friendly and easygoing – have long toiled on the life-sustaining river, with their labors marked by the same cycles governing the waterways. Here you can travel along the river by longtail boat, sample exotic fruits and candy, visit local markets and learn all about rural life in and around the delta. Have late lunch in a bonsai garden, especially try the local elephant ear fish before getting back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Mekong Delta

Although 3 days is quite a short time that you have not discovered the entire city, your trip to Ho Chi Minh still be memorable. This is merely the tip of the iceberg by setting foot in the city. There are tons of places you can go which are not restricted only to Ho Chi Minh City. Take a day trip to go to Nha Trang and visit their pristine blue beach waves and lounge by the beach, for example. So, if you fall in love with Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam as well, do not hesitate to come back another time for discovering our country deeply.

Read more: How to Spend 8 Days in Southern Vietnam?

Thuy Linh

Image sources: Internet