What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day? It is recommended to spend at least 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City (also known as Saigon) – one of the most vibrant cities in Vietnam. If you have limited time in the city, I would like to share with you everything you need to know about Saigon and useful information to plan your only day in this beautiful.
Table of Contents
What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day
Would you like to book tours in Ho Chi Minh City? Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information and the best price for your group.
Explore the city center – Visit must-see tourist attractions in the morning
If you are a firstcomer, you should not miss traveling District 1 – the city center where there are most main tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. Beautiful French buildings, the biggest and oldest market, the most beautiful cathedral, the most splendid post office, the most sacred pagodas and temples, the largest and most important museums in Saigon. Because you have only one day for exploring the city, I would like to recommend you to visit the most important and interesting places as follow:
- Reunification Palace (Independence Palace)
- War Remnants Museum
- Cathedral Notre-Dame
- Saigon Central Post Office
- Jade Emperor Pagoda
- Ben Thanh Market
You can visit these places on your own by getting help from Google Maps. It is easy to reach the tourist attractions by walking or taxi. You can book a Private Ho Chi Minh City Half Day Tour. It is recommended to do this part of the city in the morning.
What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day?
Saigon China Town – Cho Lon
Saigon China Town, also known as Cho Lon has an interesting history dating back a few centuries. The area has become Chinese people’s settlement since the 18th century. China-Vietnamese people has developed and make Cho Lon become a place with colorful culture, vibrant traditions, busy trade, impressive cuisine, and religious life. It is worth visiting the area in District 5 and 6, which is about 6 km from the city center on your trip to Saigon. You can spend a half day to visit the China Town where there are many must-see tourist attractions and hidden places:
- Thien Hau Temple
- Quan Am Pagoda
- Binh Tay Market
- Cha Tam Church
- Decoration item market
- Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street
- Herbal medicine street
- Nguyen Trai fashion street
- Tran Phu painting street
It is not a bad choice to take a taxi or a Grab/Xanh SM motorbike ride to reach Cho Lon, then visit the places on your own. Another choice is booking a Ho Chi Minh City Full Day Tour to explore not only must-see landscapes and renowned places of historical interest but also Saigon China Town. For more information, there is a different choice which is a little adventurous and more fun. Saigon Sightseeing Tour by motorbike is a great choice to visit the tourist attractions in District 1, Saigon China Town, hidden places in other districts in 4 hours. Because time is limited, they skip going into the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace but only see from the outside. The plusses are District 5,6,10,11, local market, flower market, old apartment buildings, alleys.
Visit hidden places including Thich Quang Duc Memorial, local markets, back alleys, old apartment buildings since 1968
The 4-hour Saigon Unseen Tour offers a chance to reach many Ho Chi Minh City’s brilliant gems which most tourists miss on their trip:
- Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument
- Do Phu Cafe – Secret weapon bunker which plays an important role in the war, was used to store the weapons for the Tet offensive in 1968
- Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment buildings since 1960s
- Cambodian market
- Ho Thi Ky – the biggest and most crowded wholesale flowers market
- Trang Tu Fruit and vegetable market
- Motorbike accessories market
- Lantern market, fabric market
- Pet market
- Medicine market
You can choose to do the tour in the afternoon after visiting District 1 in the morning.
What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day?
Go to Cu Chi Tunnels – the legendary underground city
Cu Chi Tunnels was built manually by Vietcong soldiers and villagers from 1946 to 1968 in Cu Chi District which is about 70 km from the city center. The length of the network of tunnels is nearly 250 km, 120 km tunnels is well-preserved and available for visitors to learn more about the structure and history.
You can spend a half day for your trip to this historical site. If you plan to do other things in the morning, you can visit Cu Chi Tunnels in the afternoon by booking a Small group/Luxury/VIP Half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour or Private Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day. For your information, Private Ho Chi Minh City & Cu Chi Tunnels Tour Full Day or Group Cu Chi Tunnels & Saigon History Full Day Tour is a non-stress choice to visit the city center and the tunnels.
Read more about
- The Ultimate Cu Chi Tunnels Guide
- List of Best-seller Cu Chi Tunnels tours
- Tips on how to choose the best Cu Chi Tunnels tour
What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day?
Eat Ho Chi Minh City to the fullest
Although you do not have so much time in Ho Chi Minh City, you should not miss a chance to visit famous restaurants and secret street food stalls to enjoy succulent Vietnamese traditional dishes and Saigon street food. You can simply have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with amazing food at eateries in the city. Ben Thanh Market and other local markets are great places to eat Saigon food on a budget. You can follow the Michelin Guide to eat Saigon at its best.
Travelers can join half day or full day tours which include meals with Vietnamese dishes and do not need to find places to eat in the city. Booking a Ho Chi Minh City food tour to enjoy various local dishes in 3.5 – 5 hours is a great choice for foodies. You can spend your day traveling the city and spend the night on eating and enjoying the nightlife.
You might like:
- Saigon morning (afternoon) food tour
- Saigon sightseeing and food tour
- Saigon night food tour
- List of Restaurants in Michelin Guide Vietnam (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh)
What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day?
Do not miss the amazing nightlife in Saigon
As mentioned above, you can do a Saigon night food tour after visiting all must-see tourist attractions in the city. The non-sleeping city offers dozens of amazing activities such as chilling out at bars, especially rooftop bars, pubs, lounges, walking streets, relaxing at coffee shops, sampling street foods at local markets and on food streets, cruising Saigon River while having romantic dinner and watch music and dance shows, watching water puppet show an A O show,…
You might like reading more about
- Top 50 places to enjoy the best nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City
- Top 5 Ho Chi Minh City night tours
- Saigon dinner on cruise – the ultimate guide & everything you must know
Summary of What to do in Ho Chi Minh City if you have only one day
One day is not too much nor too little for a traveler to explore the city and enjoy the best of the city. Depending on your preferences and expectations, you can choose to visit the city on your own or with tour guides. There are many choices at different prices for you to consider and book. Generally, planning one day in Ho Chi Minh City is not too difficult. In case you travel with your family, children, or old adults, you should book guided tours with a trusted travel agent.
Would you like to book tours in Ho Chi Minh City? Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information and the best price for your group.
