vietnam travel guide - ho chi minh city tour

Ho Chi Minh City Bonsai Dinner Cruise on Saigon River

Experience the vibrant city lights of Ho Chi Minh City when you join the Bonsai for a memorable, two-hour dinner cruise on the Saigon River.

This Ho Chi Minh dinner cruise is a Vietnamese dining experience with a difference and the perfect way to soak up the activity along the Saigon River. You will cruise 2-hours on a traditional Junk and enjoy sensational gastronomic moments on one of the most authentic vessels on the Saigon river.

The captain will welcome you aboard and introduce you to the specialties, both European and Asian cuisine, which have made this Ho Chi Minh City dinner cruise a must-do culinary experience while in Vietnam. On board, you would be able to relax on the upper deck and enjoy the panoramic view of the city lights or to admire the traditional junk boat while cruising along the Saigon River.

For dinner, you can select from a range of traditional dishes, including rice flower pancakes 'Banh xeo', shrimp paste on sugar can, lotus salad 'Goi ngo sen' or pork pineapple skewers made on the BBG grill. A delicious dessert will end this unforgettable evening on the waterways, before getting back to the dock after saying goodbye to your hospitable hosts. A truly memorable evening.

Mekong Delta Discovery Small Group Adventure Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

Travel to the heart of the Mekong Delta on this small group adventure tour from Ho Chi Minh City. You'll board a private longtail boat, experience the diversity of the Mekong waterways first hand as you explore fish farms, exotic fruit farms and dine on traditional Mekong Delta food.

Travel to the city of My Tho, a 2.5 hour journey, by air-conditioned mini-coach. A former naval base, My Tho is now a bustling port city in the Mekong Delta. The area is the final destination of the Mekong River which winds its way from Tibet, China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and finally Vietnam. An incredibly fertile region its prime industry is food production, producing approximately half of Vietnam's total agricultural output. Life for villagers in the area revolves around the rivers and canals that make up the delta, people are more likely to transport by river than by road.

Upon arrival into My Tho you'll board a private boat for a cruise on the Mekong River. On the boat ride your local guide will take you to visit an island with lush tropical gardens where you'll have a chance to sample tropical fruit. You'll continue to another island in the Mekong Delta, you'll learn more about another cottage industry, coconut candy. Your local guide will take you to a coconut candy factory and explain the process of making this sweet. You'll have a chance to visit local villages in the area and learn more about the traditional lifestyles, culture and customs of people who call the Delta their home. Continue by Xe Loi (motorized cart) to a bee farm where you'll transfer to a smaller rowing boat allowing you to get deeper into the smaller canals of the Delta.

Sample the local Mekong cuisine at the Diem Phuong Restaurant where lunch is served. After lunch you'll return to My Tho for the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City

Private Tour: Ho Chi Minh City Full-Day Tour

See the best of Ho Chi Minh City on this private full-day tour. In the morning, visit the historic Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum, followed by the architectural treats of French colonial Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office. Enjoy the culinary delights of reknowned Pho 2000, before visiting Giac Lam Pagoda, the bustling Chinese district of Cholon and Ben Thanh market - a shopping paradise!
Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) is a fast paced city with a unique mix of French colonial architecture, Chinese influences, a modern entrepreneurial spirit and numerous temples. On this tour, you will take in the highlights of Ho Chi Minh starting with an exploration of Saigon's turbulent past with visits to the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum.
The tour continues to Ho Chi Minh's finest examples of French colonial architecture with a visit to the Notre Dame cathedral and Post Office. Enjoy Vietnamese lunch at the renowned Pho 2000. Your Ho Chi Minh tour continues with a visit to Giac Lam Pagoda, the Cholon Chinese district. Tour concludes at the Ben Thanh market, practice your bargaining skills.

This tour operator is the 2007 Conde Naste winner of the Best Operator category in the World Saver Awards

Private Tour: Mekong River Cruise Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

Explore the Mekong River - the rice bowl of Vietnam - by boat on this full-day tour from Ho Chi Minh to the Mekong Delta. Travel by Boat along these canals and visiting the floating markets, a truly memorable experience. Cruise through the lush green vegetation of the Mekong canals to an orchard, where you are treated to a delicious lunch complete with tropical fruits, before continue along to the town of Vinh Long town, where you are picked up for your return transfer to Ho Chi Minh City.

Often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam, the fertile Mekong Delta is also famous for its tropical fruits and flowers. Traditional transportation in the Delta is by boat along a vast network of canals and channels. Boating along these canals and visiting the floating markets always proves to be a fascinating and rewarding experience for all visitors. On this trip, you will boat through the lush green vegetation of the canals to an orchard, where you are treated to a delicious lunch complete with tropical fruits. Travel by boat to Vinh Long town where you will be picked up and driven back to Ho Chi Minh City around 6:30pm.

Cu Chi Tunnels Small Group Adventure Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

Experience the world of the Cu Chi freedom fighters with a visit to their famous tunnel system. This network of over 200 km of tunnels became legendary during the 1960's when they played a vital part in the American War, allowing the Viet Cong to control a large rural area close to Ho Chi Minh City. In their heyday, the tunnels were functioning underground cities.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind, take a 2.5-hour journey west towards the Cambodian border bound for the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi tunnels were built by local fighters during the Indochina conflict as a base from which the Viet Cong could operate from close to the Southern Vietnamese capital. Initial construction started in 1948 when the Viet Minh required somewhere to hide from French air attacks and by 1965, the Cu Chi tunnel complex was estimated to consist of 200km's of tunnels. It included, hospitals, schools, meeting rooms, kitchens and sleeping quarters. Life was difficult for the inhabitants and to protect against outside intruders bobby traps were laid throughout the complex.

Your local guide will take you on a fascinating tour around the Cu Chi Tunnels where you'll learn more about the conditions the Vietnamese people lived in, the hardships they faced and the amazing ingenuity employed to maintain life in the tunnels.

Private Tour: Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple Full-Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

The private tour to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai is a great day trip from Ho Chi Minh. Visit Tay Ninh, home of the unique Cao Dai sect which is a mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. After lunch, visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an amazing underground labyrinth from which the Vietnamese fought during the American/Vietnam war.

The private tour begins with a visit to Tay Ninh, near the Cambodian border, home to the unique Cao Dai sect, whose patron saints include Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo and Winston Churchill to name a few. The religion is an odd mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity. The trip to Tay Ninh is combined with a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels. At its height, the tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the Cambodian border and was three levels deep. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel of what underground life in the war must have been like. The tour includes a local Vietnamese lunc

Ho Chi Minh Cyclo and Walking Small Group Adventure Tour

Explore the vibrant streets of Ho Chi Minh City on foot and cyclo on this small group adventure tour. Travel like a local as you discover Ho Chi Minh City's many sights. Get a taste of colonial days at the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral, see the beautiful central post office and get an insight into the horror of modern war at the War Remnants museum.

Hop into a traditional cyclo, a three-wheeled bicycle with a carriage at the front for you to sit in, while the driver pedals you through Ho Chi Minh City. Take in the sights, sounds and smells of Ho Chi Minh City without the barrier of a car window or the sound of an engine. Travel through Tao Dan Park to the War Remnants museum, originally opened in September 1975, the museum displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War including some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter. Continue passed the Reunification Palace, previously known as the Presidential Palace, the sight of the official South Vietnamese surrender on April 30th, 1975. Entry is not included but you will have the opportunity to take photographs.

Leaving the cyclos behind walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office, both fine examples of French colonial architecture. Join up again with your cyclos and ride to the Saigon Opera House and City Hall where scenes from the movie "The Quiet Amercian" were filmed.
Leaving behind the cyclos , walk towards the Ben Thanh market where you can practice your language skills bargaining for souvenirs, clothing and knick knacks. The market itself has an interesting history. Its original location was close to the Ben Nghe River and the old fort of Gia Dinh before it was destroyed in 1859 during the French invasion of Saigon. It was rebuilt and later moved to its present location in 1899.

At the end of your tour, you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.

Ho Chi Minh City Discovery Small Group Adventure Tour

Explore bustling Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) on this small group adventure tour.The Ho Chi Minh City tour will give you an insight into the history, culture and the daily life of the locals in Ho Chi Minh City. Discover the historic Giac Lam pagoda, bargain for souvenirs at Ben Thanh market and enjoy a lunch of local Vietnamese cuisine. Learn about Vietnam's modern history by visiting the Reunification Palace and finish the day with a stroll along Ho Chi Minh City's tree-lined boulevards.

Your first stop is Giac Lam, built in the 17th century it is the oldest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City. Continue to Chinatown with stops at Cholon and Binh Tay markets to see the locals bartering for wares. Next is Thien Hau temple, built in the early 19th century and dedicated to the Thien Hau the goddess of seafarers. Continue to Nha Rong wharf where Ho Chi Minh first left Vietnam in 1911. Your final stop before lunch is at the Ben Thanh Market, where you can practice your language skills and barter for goods. The market's original location was close to the Ben Nghe River before it was destroyed in 1859 during the French invasion of Saigon. It was rebuilt and moved to its present location in 1899.

Enjoy lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant where your guide will explain the local specialties. After lunch you'll visit the War Remnants Museum, originally opened in September 1975, it displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War. In the courtyard you will find some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter. Continue on foot past the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the General Post office, and the Opera house which are all beautiful examples of architecture from the French colonial period.
At the end your tour you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.


Source and ref : http://www.viator.com/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/d352-ttd