Three days in Saigon, and the day trip that is worth one of them

Saigon does not hand a visitor a monument circuit. It is Vietnam's working city — louder, richer and less pretty than Hanoi — and three days in Ho Chi Minh City are best spent on two days of history and street, plus one day out of town.

Is three days the right length?

Yes, split two plus one. Two days cover the war museums, the Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh, Cholon and two evenings without hurrying. The third is the decision: the Cu Chi tunnels, or a day in the Mekong Delta.

The city itself does not repay a fourth day the way the surrounding country does. If you have more time, the southern week route puts the extra days where they are worth more.

Day one: the war, and the centre

Start with the War Remnants Museum, and start early. It is the single most affecting thing in the city and it is crowded by mid-morning. Expect it to take two hours and to leave you quiet.

The Reunification Palace is a fifteen-minute walk away and is the useful counterweight: the same history told through an intact 1970s government building, tunnels and war room included.

Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office sit between the two. Ben Thanh market is worth a walk-through and is not where anyone should do their shopping — prices there assume you have just landed.

Give the evening to eating outside. This is what the city does best.

Day two: Cholon, and the parts nobody puts on a list

Go to Cholon, the historic Chinese quarter in District 5. Binh Tay market, the Thien Hau temple and the streets around them are a different city from District 1, and the ride out is half the point. On the way, the Jade Emperor Pagoda in Da Kao is the most atmospheric temple in the centre.

Come back through District 3 for the boulevards and the colonial villas, which is also where the food is better and cheaper than in the tourist centre.

The metro is worth one ride. Line 1 opened on 22 December 2024 and runs 19.7 km from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien across 14 stations. It serves the eastern suburbs rather than the visitor sights, so treat it as a thing to try rather than a way to get around — a booked car is still faster for almost every journey a visitor makes. The transport guide covers the rest.

Day three: Cu Chi or the delta?

Cu Chi and the delta are both day trips from the city, and they answer different questions.

The Cu Chi tunnels are the shorter drive and the natural sequel to day one's museums. They are also genuinely popular, so the early departure is the one worth taking.

A Mekong Delta day trip reaches My Tho or Ben Tre, puts you on a boat among coconut palms, and returns by evening. What it cannot reach is the dawn floating markets around Can Tho, which trade at first light and are finished by breakfast. That is the whole argument for two nights in the delta rather than one day.

What does three days cost?

Less than a comparable three days in Hanoi, mostly because of the room. Saigon is Vietnam's most expensive city for accommodation and its District 1 premium is real; food, transport and entry tickets are much the same as everywhere else in the country.

The two lines that move the total are the hotel and day three. A guided Cu Chi or delta day with transport and lunch is the single largest item in a three-day stay, and a private car costs meaningfully more than a seat on a group bus for the same itinerary.

Museum entry is trivial by comparison. The daily figures the rest of the country runs on are in the trip cost guide.

Where should you stay?

District 1 for proximity, District 3 for value. District 1 puts you inside walking distance of most of day one and charges a premium for it. District 3 sits ten minutes away, costs less, and eats better.

The full breakdown of the districts, including which ones to avoid booking blind, is in the Ho Chi Minh City guide.

When should you come?

December to April, which is the southern dry season. The rains from roughly May to October arrive as heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day weather, so a wet-season trip is inconvenient rather than ruined — you plan indoor things for four in the afternoon.

The one period to avoid booking casually is Tet, when the city empties, the small restaurants close and fares triple. The rest of the calendar is in the seasons guide.