Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City: Are you going to be in Saigon for 2 days and plan your trip in this vibrant and multicultural city? What are great choices and which tours are suitable for you? I am delighted to share with you helpful information, including less-known pieces of information and answer some frequently asked questions relating to itineraries in Saigon.
Table of Contents
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Option 1
Day 1
Morning: Saigon sightseeing tour by car/hop on and hop off bus/motorbike half day (District 1)
Afternoon: Cu Chi Tunnels tour half day
Evening: Saigon after-dark tour (food and sightseeing)
Day 2
Daytime: Mekong Delta tour full day
Night time: Dinner on cruise
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels
Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about Ho Chi Minh City tours and the best prices for your group
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Option 2
Day 1
Daytime: Saigon sightseeing tour full day (District 1 and Saigon China Town)
Night time: Water puppet show and dinner on cruise by cyclo
Day 2
Morning: Cu Chi Tunnels tour half day
Afternoon: free time to take a rest and relax at your hotel
Night time: Saigon food tour by motorbike
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Option 3
Day 1
Daytime: Saigon sightseeing tour and Cu Chi Tunnels full day (District 1)
Night time: A O show and dinner on cruise by cyclo
Day 2
Morning: Cu Chi Tunnels tour and cooking class full day
Night time: Saigon craft beer tour by motorbike
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Option 4
Day 1
Daytime: Saigon sightseeing and unseen tour full day (District 1 and other districts)
Night time: Saigon jeep tour by night
Day 2
Daytime: Cu Chi Tunnels tour and Mekong Delta tour full day
Night time: Saigon nightlife tour by motorbike (street food, cafe with live music)
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Food tour with Ao Dai tour guides
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Option 5
Day 1
Daytime: Saigon historical tour and Cu Chi Tunnels full day (District 1 and other districts)
Night time: Bui Vien backpacker area, Bui Vien Walking street
Day 2
Daytime: Mekong Delta tour full day
Night time: rooftop bar (Chill Sky Bar,…)
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Option 5
Day 1
Morning: Saigon cooking class half day (District 1 and other districts)
Afternoon: Ho Chi Minh City tour
Night time: go shopping and enjoy street food at Ben Thanh night market
Day 2
Daytime: Mekong Delta tour full-day (or Cu Chi Tunnels tour half day, or Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels tour full-day
Night time: rooftop bar (Chill Sky Bar,…)
Must-see tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City
Bui Vien Walking Street: This is the first walking street in Ho Chi Minh City and has a great location in the famous backpacker area of Saigon. Thanks to a large number of bars and pubs, live music, sexy dancers, restaurants, street food stalls, coffee shops, hotels, and guest houses, especially the crowd of foreigners and Vietnamese people at night, this place is worth visiting. This pedestrian has more than 5,400 people on weekdays and 7,100 people on weekends. If you would like to chill, make new friends, enjoy some music, and have fun in a hustle and bustle area, Bui Vien Walking Street is a great choice.
War Remnants Museum: It has been said that the War Remnants Museum is the most famous and must-visit historical museum in Vietnam. You may have heard about the Vietnam War and would like to explore the heroic past of Vietnam. You can spend from a few hours to a few days to see 20,000 informative artifacts, documents, photos, films,… in the museum.
Ben Thanh Market: You must visit this iconic sight of the city because of its long history, beautiful architecture, and market culture. You can visit one of the biggest and oldest markets in Vietnam, and see how they buy and sell many items. I would like to recommend you to buy dried foods (dried squids, dried fishes, dried fruits), coffee beans or roasted coffee, tea, handicrafts, fabrics, clothes,…
Independence Palace: Designed by the famous Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu, this palace has very beautiful architecture and a green garden. In addition, it has been known as the “Vietnamese Berlin Fall” and the evidence of the fall of the Republic of Vietnam in the South. On 30 April 1975, 2 Northern Vietnamese Army (Vietcong) tanks crashed down the Independence Palace’s walls. Let’s come there with a talented local guide and listen to many interesting stories.
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Saigon Opera House: These 3 buildings are perhaps the most beautiful French architectural works in the city.
Water puppet show at Golden Dragon Theater: You can only watch the unique and special water puppet show in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The shows usually take place in the evening so they usually book tours combining cyclo rides to the theater, and dinners on a cruise (or motorbike food trip).
Pagodas, mosques and temples: Ho Chi Minh City has lots of sacred places and great choices for you to learn more about religions, gods and goddesses, and ways of worshipping. Jade Emperor Pagoda, Thien Hau Temple, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda, Saigon Central Mosque,…
Saigon China Town (Cho Lon): The influx of Chinese into Vietnam began in the early 16th century and they founded some China Towns in the country. Coming to the biggest China Town in Vietnam, you can see many big and small markets, shops, restaurants, and Chinese signboards everywhere. Most of the must-visit tourist attractions are located in District 1 while Cho Lon spreads over Districts 5, 6, 10, and 11.
Cu Chi Tunnels: You must experience being in the underground city which has a length of approximately 250 km and was the base of Vietcong in recent wars. This tourist attraction is about 70 km from the city center and you can join a cooking class on the way.
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City – Thien Hau Pagoda
Hidden brilliant gems in Ho Chi Minh City
- Local markets
- Food areas, food streets
- Old apartment buildings
- Slums
- Special streets and special markets selling lanterns, decoration items, motorbike accessories, Chinese herbal medicine,…
- Secret weapon bunker in a house
- Small and less-known coffee shops
Is it dangerous to go out at night in Ho Chi Minh City?
Snatch thieves and other criminals usually work at night because it is dark in many crowded cities, including Ho Chi Minh. However, it is rather safe to go around with local people and choose safe places to visit. Because the city is the funniest, most hustle and bustle at night, you should not miss a great chance to immerse yourself in local culture. Let me list some interesting and exciting night activities in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Shows: A O Show at Saigon Opera House, Water Puppet Show at Golden Dragon Theater
- Rooftop bars, bars, pubs: Bui Vien Street, Chill Sky Bar, Top 5 rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City
- Local markets: Ben Thanh night market which is the biggest, popular with tourists, and located in the city center, Ho Thi Ky wholesale flower market, Cambodian market,…
- Food areas and food streets: Ho Thi Ky, Le Hong Phong, Vinh Khanh, Co Giang, Nguyen Tri Phuong, Trung Son,…
- Dinner on cruise
Must foods to eat in Ho Chi Minh City
You may be served delicious meals on tours in Ho Chi Minh City and go to restaurants or street food stalls to enjoy exotic Saigon specialty dishes. Coming to this city, you should not miss sampling the following dishes:
- Vietnamese bread (also called Vietnamese sandwich, Banh mi): French-style bread stuffed with Vietnamese pork sausage, pork floss, grilled pork/beef, cucumber, coriander, pickles,… and seasoned with soy sauce, tomato sauce, chili sauce, or special sauces made with secret recipes
- Vietnamese pancake (also called Banh xeo): Yellow, crispy, round fried cake made from rice flour, filled with mung bean, pork, shrimp, and mushrooms, served with fresh seasonal vegetables and herbs, sweet and sour dipping fish sauce, rice paper (optional),…
- Soup cake (also called Banh canh): Thick noodles made from a mix of water, salt, rice flour, and/or tapioca starch, covered with hot broth, topped with various toppings
- Clear rice noodle soup (also called Hu tieu): Thin noodles made from rice flour, broth cooked from pork bone, and diverse toppings including sauteed/boiled pork slices, minced pork, shrimp, quail egg, served with bean sprouts and assorted herbs
- Seafood and snail dishes: Tens of amazing recipes, great tastes, special sauces, unique ways of eating
- Stewed beef: mix of spices and special beef marinating method
- Grilled beef in wild betel: minced beef or beef slice wrapped in wild betel, grilled on charcoal, served with rice paper (for wrapping), herbs, rice noodles, special sauces (dipping fish sauce or a mix of fermented fish dip and pineapple)
- Sweet and sour soup: soup with fish and vegetables, usually served with steamed rice
- Braised pork and duck egg, Steamed shrimp with coconut water
- Saigon local beers, craft beers, Sugarcane juice
- Flan cake: tender and lightly sweet flan cake, served with crushed ice and Vietnamese coffee
- Coconut ice cream, avocado ice cream
Two-day Itineraries in Ho Chi Minh City
Two days are enough for you to see many must-see tourist attractions and some hidden places, the legendary Cu Chi Tunnels, visit the peaceful and green Mekong Delta, and experience having fun at night in Ho Chi Minh City. If you have only one day, it is not enough. In case you have more than two days, you will spend more time exploring far districts, learning more about the unique culture, real local life, and many less-known places in the city.
Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about Ho Chi Minh City tours and the best prices for your group
