The Itinerary 
Ho Chi Minh City in 2 days: the war museums and Cu Chi
The War Remnants Museum is one-sided, says so, and is still the most important hour in the city. Plus the Reunification Palace frozen in 1975, the Cu Chi tunnels done at the quieter entrance, and where Saigon actually eats.
- Southeast Asia
- 2 days
- ≈ AED 300 / person
- Two days built around the hardest hour in Vietnam, and what to do after it
Before you go
Saigon — officially Ho Chi Minh City since 1976, and still Saigon in daily speech — is louder, hotter and faster than Hanoi, and its two days arrange themselves around the war.
That is not a tourist framing. The War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace and the Cu Chi tunnels are the three things most visitors come for, and they are each worth the time. Plan something undemanding after the museum; people underestimate it.
The rest is the eating, which is the best in the country, and Cholon — the Chinese quarter that is where the city actually lives.
Part of a Vietnam trip? See Vietnam in 7 days.
Figure the budget below. December to April.
Before you go: the short version
Entry
- The e-visa is online, 90 days, multiple entry. Use the official government portal — the resellers charge several times the fee.
Getting in and around
- Tan Son Nhat (SGN) is 20 minutes from District 1 and is unusually close to its own city. A Grab is VND 150,000–250,000.
- Grab is the default. GrabBike is faster and cheaper and is how the city moves.
- District 1 is walkable; everything else is a Grab ride.
Crossing the road
- Walk slowly and predictably. Six million scooters flow around you if you are readable. Stopping mid-crossing is the mistake.
Day by day
Day 1 — The war, and the centre
Walking order: War Remnants Museum → Reunification Palace (10 min) → Notre-Dame and the Post Office (10 min) → Ben Thanh (15 min). About 3km, flat, with little shade.
- 08:30 — The War Remnants Museum, at opening. It is presented from the Vietnamese side, it says so, and it is harrowing — the photojournalism room and the Agent Orange exhibits in particular.
- Go early in the day and plan nothing demanding after it. That is the most practical advice on this page.
- 11:00 — The Reunification Palace, left exactly as it was on 30 April 1975, when a tank came through the gates. The basement war rooms with their 1960s telex machines and wall maps are the part that stays with you.
- 13:00 — Lunch, and banh mi — the French baguette colonised and improved — is the thing to eat standing up.
- 15:00 — Notre-Dame Cathedral, under long restoration and often scaffolded, and the Central Post Office beside it, by Gustave Eiffel’s firm, still a working post office.
- 16:30 — The Bitexco Skydeck or a rooftop bar on Nguyen Hue for the scale of the place.
- 18:00 — Ben Thanh Market, and the street-food stalls that set up around it after the stallholders go home.
- 20:00 — Bui Vien for the backpacker noise, or Thao Dien across the river for the quieter version.
Day 2 — Cu Chi, and Cholon
- 07:00 — The Cu Chi tunnels, 90 minutes out. 250km of hand-dug tunnel on three levels, with a section widened for visitors that is still a genuine squeeze.
- Take the Ben Duoc entrance over Ben Dinh if you can — it is less visited and less staged, and the guides are better.
- There are exits every 20 metres for people who change their mind, and plenty do.
- The firing range at the end is optional and very loud. You hear it across the whole site.
- 13:00 — Back for lunch.
- 15:00 — The Jade Emperor Pagoda — dim, smoky and crowded with carved wooden figures, and the best temple in the city.
- 17:00 — Cholon, the Chinese quarter in District 5 — Binh Tay market, Thien Hau Temple with its coils of incense hanging from the roof, and the streets around them, which are where the city eats.
- 19:30 — Dinner in Cholon or District 3, which is where Saigonese go rather than where they take visitors.
If you would rather have the Mekong
- The Mekong Delta as a day trip: Ben Tre or Cai Be rather than My Tho, which is the coach-party one. Sampans through coconut channels, paddled rather than motored.
- It replaces Cu Chi rather than joining it — both are full-day propositions.
Costs and practicalities
Getting around, and what it costs
| Grab, District 1 hop | VND 30,000–60,000 |
| GrabBike, same | VND 15,000–30,000 |
| Grab from the airport | VND 150,000–250,000 |
| War Remnants Museum | VND 40,000 |
| Reunification Palace | VND 65,000 |
| Cu Chi tunnels, entry | VND 110,000 |
| Cu Chi half-day tour with transport | VND 300,000–600,000 |
| Banh mi | VND 25,000–40,000 |
- The city is cheap and the Grab rides are the main running cost — and they are a fraction of a taxi anywhere else.
Best time to visit
- December to April — the dry season, 26–34°C, and the best of it is December to February.
- May to November — the rains, which arrive as a heavy afternoon downpour and clear within the hour. It does not ruin a day, but it will interrupt one.
- Tet, the lunar new year, closes much of the city for several days and everything books out.
Travel tips
- The War Remnants Museum first thing, and nothing demanding after.
- Ben Duoc over Ben Dinh at Cu Chi.
- Use GrabBike for short hops; it is the only thing that beats the traffic.
- Walk slowly and do not stop when crossing.
- Cholon is the half most visitors miss and the half worth going back for.
- Carry small notes.
What this trip actually costs
Two people, 1 night, mid-range comfort, international flights excluded:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hotel, 1 night in District 1 | VND 1,200,000 (≈ AED 172) |
| Food and drink, 2 days | VND 1,000,000 (≈ AED 143) |
| Cu Chi tour, two people | VND 1,000,000 (≈ AED 143) |
| Museums and the palace, two people | VND 400,000 (≈ AED 57.36) |
| Grab and the airport both ways | VND 600,000 (≈ AED 86.04) |
| Total for two | VND 4,200,000 (≈ AED 602) |
- Saigon is cheap. The museums are a dollar or two each and the food is the best value in the country.
- Hotel picks here are chosen on location, not on commission — always check prices and recent reviews before booking.
What to pack
- Light clothing and a change for midday.
- Closed shoes for Cu Chi, which is red dirt and low tunnels.
- A light waterproof between May and November.
- A Type A/C adapter, 220V.
Part of a bigger trip?
- Vietnam in 7 days runs north to Hoi An and Hanoi.
- Vietnam south in 6 days adds the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc.
- Hanoi in 2 days is the northern counterpart and a very different city.
- Vietnam and Cambodia in 12 days adds Angkor.
FAQ
Is two days enough for Ho Chi Minh City? For the war sites, the centre and one day trip, yes. It is not enough to add the Mekong as well as Cu Chi.
Is the War Remnants Museum too much? It is deliberately difficult and it is one-sided, which it states. Most visitors find it the most important hour of the trip. Go early and keep the afternoon light.
Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc at Cu Chi? Ben Duoc — further out, less visited, and less staged. Ben Dinh is closer to the city and feels like it.
Saigon or Hanoi? Saigon is hotter, faster, richer and better to eat in. Hanoi is older, cooler and more atmospheric. Most people prefer Hanoi and most people eat better in Saigon.
Do I need to call it Ho Chi Minh City? Officially yes, and in practice everyone says Saigon — including the airport code, SGN, and most street signs in District 1.
Prices and entry rules change, and what you need depends on your passport; last checked 29 October 2026, so confirm with the embassy or your airline before booking.
