Vietnam is a country shaped like an S with 1 side is the Truong Son array of mountains and the other side is the ocean. Ho Chi Minh city is located in the South of Vietnam, a place which contains many rivers, lakes and beautiful beaches. There are many options for your sight-seeings. Below are some suggested activities and tours in the Southern part of Vietnam.
For half day:
Ho Chi Minh tour (by bus): In this tour, you will go by bus to see some featured buildings in Ho Chi Minh city including the War Remmants Museum, the Independence Palace, the Notre Dame Catheral and the General Post Office. Those buildings were built from the French colonial period and they are still in used today.
Ho Chi Minh tour (by “xich lo”): This is a more interesting way to go around Ho Chi Minh city. It will be similar to the tour above, but you will be driven by “xich lo” instead, a bike-type vehicle with 3 wheels. (Link)
Ho Chi Minh tour (self exploration): There is a company that provides bus service going around the city daily called Hopon-Hopoff. This service allows you to independently explore the city by yourself. The bus itself have an audio guide for your convinience. (Link)
Cu Chi tour (by bus): The tunnels of Cu Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City. In this tour, you will see this war tunnels built by the resistance army.
Cooking class: For those who want to experience Vietnamese culture in-door, you could take a cooking class. The menu varies depending on the day of the week but you will learn how to cook a Vietnamese cuisine from a chef. (Link)
For 1 full day:
Mekong Delta River tour (My Tho – Ben Tre or Cai Be – Vinh Long): For those who like rivers, you will have 2 options, the My Tho – Ben Tre tour or the Cai Be – Vinh Long tour. Both will give you similar experiences which is to see the life of the people living in the river maze. In this tour, you will be able to try their food, listen to their traditional songs and have a boat ride on the river maze. In the My Tho – Ben Tre route, you will experience the making of coconut products while the Cai Be – Vinh Long tour will take you to the floating market. From the ratings of travellers, My Tho – Ben Tre route is more favorable.
Beaches or Hot Spring (Vung Tau Beach or Ho Coc – Binh Chau Hot Spring): If you want to go to the beach for 1 day, there are 2 options, Vung Tau and Ho Coc – Binh Chau. Both places are about 2-hours drive from Ho Chi Minh city. Vung Tau is the city next to the beach while Ho Coc – Binh Chau is a resort inside the hot spring. The beaches and hot spring are fairly clean and swimmable. Unfortunately, these places will be crowded during the weekend.
For more than 1 day:
Mui Ne – Phan Thiet Beach (1-3 days): Lying on Cam Ranh Bay the southernmost edge in Central Vietnam, just 200 kilometers from Saigon, Phan Thiet is blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches featuring with clear blue water all the year round and leaned against vast red sand dunes.
Da Lat (2-4 days): Located on Langbian highlands at the elevation of 1,500m, Da Lat was first explored in late nineteen century and has long been the vacation choice for well-to-do tourists especially among honeymooners. Da Lat is famous for its beautiful lakes, waterfalls and valleys.
Nha Trang Beach (3-4 days): This beach is one of the best beaches in Vietnam. It is one of the the world’s 30 most beautiful bays. The sand is very thin and comfortable to walk on. The beach is clean and beautiful. This place is ideal for those who want to relax or to take your family for a vacation.
Travel Agencies:
The Sinh Tourist: https://www.thesinhtourist.vn
Sinh Cafe: http://www.sinhcafe.com
Viet Fun Travel: http://www.vietfuntravel.com.vn
Need help?
If you need an assist for booking tour or coming up with a travel plan, please contact Mr. Dung Dao at email dvtdung@hcmiu.edu.vn.