Ho Chi Minh Tour 5 Days

This private Ho Chi Minh tour 5 days (4 nights) is the classic southern Vietnam itinerary from one hotel in Saigon: an evening on Nguyen Hue, a full city tour from Independence Palace to Cholon, the Cao Dai Holy See’s noon ceremony with the Cu Chi Tunnels, and a boat day in the Mekong Delta. Your own guide, driver and airport transfers are included.

Status (checked October 2026): the itinerary below is a sample that we tailor to your flights, pace and interests. Notre-Dame Cathedral is still under restoration – new crosses were lifted onto its towers in March 2026 and work continues beyond 2027 – so we view it from the outside only. After the July 2025 mergers, the Cao Dai Holy See is in Tay Ninh province, My Tho and Thoi Son islet are in Dong Thap and Ben Tre is part of Vinh Long; the Rach Mieu 2 Bridge has linked My Tho and Ben Tre since 19 August 2025. From May to November expect short afternoon showers.

Tour at a Glance

Is 5 Days Enough for Ho Chi Minh City?

Yes – five days is ideal for Ho Chi Minh City and its classic day trips. You get a full day for the city’s history and markets, a day for the Cao Dai Holy See and the Cu Chi Tunnels, a day on the Mekong Delta’s waterways and a free morning for shopping, all from one hotel, so there is no packing and unpacking.

The drives are manageable: the Holy See in Tay Ninh is about 2.5–3 hours from the city and the Cu Chi Tunnels about 1.5 hours back, while My Tho is about 1.5–2 hours away. What five days cannot add is an overnight in the delta – for the dawn Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho, about 170 km away, ask us for the 2-day Mekong version.

Tour Highlights

1. Nguyen Hue Walking Street by Night

Your first evening starts on Nguyen Hue, the pedestrian boulevard between the Saigon River and the French-era City Hall, with the 1900 Opera House a block away – the best place to feel the city’s energy after dark.

2. Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum

Independence Palace (Tripadvisor) is where a tank crashed through the gates on 30 April 1975, ending the war; the War Remnants Museum, opened in September 1975, tells the war’s human cost through photography.

3. Colonial Saigon and Cholon

See the Notre-Dame Cathedral from outside and step into the Saigon Central Post Office, completed in 1891, then head to Chinatown for the incense coils of Thien Hau Temple and Binh Tay Market, built in 1928–1930.

4. The Cao Dai Holy See’s Noon Ceremony

At the Cao Dai Holy See in Tay Ninh, worshippers in white, yellow, blue and red robes file into the colourful nave for the 12:00 prayers, one of four held daily, while visitors watch quietly from the gallery.

5. The Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels (Tripadvisor) were a huge underground network of passages, kitchens and meeting rooms during the war. Your guide explains the traps and air vents, and you choose how far to crawl.

6. The Mekong Delta: My Tho, Thoi Son and Ben Tre

Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho, cross the Tien River by boat to Thoi Son islet for fruit and Don ca tai tu folk music, then paddle a sampan through the water-coconut canals of Ben Tre, the land of coconuts.

7. Ben Thanh Market

On your last morning, shop for coffee, lacquerware and silk at Ben Thanh Market, the 1914 covered market whose clock tower has been a city symbol for more than a century.

Who This Tour Is For – and Who Should Choose Another

Choose this tour if you:

• want the essentials of southern Vietnam – Saigon, Cu Chi, Cao Dai and the Mekong – in one short trip;
• prefer to stay in one central hotel and do day trips rather than change hotels;
• are interested in modern history as well as markets, food and river life;
• like a private guide and car, with the freedom to adjust each day.

Consider another option if you:

• dislike long days in the car – Day 3 has about 6 hours of driving; choose our Ho Chi Minh City Tour 1 Day and a shorter Cu Chi trip instead;
• want to see a big floating market at dawn – that needs an overnight in Can Tho (see Customise below);
• are looking for beach time – add Mui Ne, Nha Trang or Phu Quoc;
• are travelling with small children who may find the War Remnants Museum’s photographs upsetting – we can skip it.

Accommodation Options

All four nights are in one hotel in the city centre (the former District 1, now Saigon and Ben Thanh wards), within walking distance of Nguyen Hue, Ben Thanh Market and the riverside. Staying put means no packing between day trips and easy evenings out.

Why Book Direct with Vietnam Tour Expert

• Local team: we plan and operate our tours ourselves, so you deal directly with the people running your trip.
• No middleman commission: booking direct means you pay a local price with our best price guarantee, rather than an online agency mark-up.
• Clear inclusions: airport transfers, your private car and guide, the Mekong boat and sampan, and entrance tickets for Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum and the Cu Chi Tunnels are included.
• Fast replies: we answer every inquiry within 24 hours, and you can reach us on WhatsApp on +84 88 626 1368 before and during the tour.

Send us your travel dates and we will reply with a tailored quote.

Customise This Tour

This 5-day programme is a starting point. Popular changes include:

• 2-day Mekong Delta with Can Tho: replace Day 4 and the free Day 5 morning with an overnight in Can Tho, about 170 km (3.5 hours) away, and see the Cai Rang floating market, which trades from about 5:00 to 7:00 – or add a sixth day to keep both.
• Cu Chi only: skip the Cao Dai Holy See for a half day at the tunnels and a free afternoon in the city.
• Food by night: add a street-food evening by motorbike or on foot – see our Saigon food guide for the dishes.
• Metro and river: ride Metro Line 1 from Ben Thanh, opened in December 2024, or take a sunset boat on the Saigon River.
• Extend the trip: continue to the beach or the highlands, or fly north to Hue, Hoi An or Hanoi – for example our Da Nang – Hoi An Tour 5 Days.

Customise this tour – tell us what you would like to add or skip.

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Local Expert Notes by Jimmy

These notes come from years of arranging southern Vietnam tours for international travellers.

• Weather: December to April is dry and sunny; from May to November short, heavy afternoon showers are common, so we plan museums for the afternoons.
• Opening hours: Independence Palace opens daily from 7:00 to 18:00 with no lunch break, and the War Remnants Museum from 7:30 to 17:30; the palace occasionally closes for state events around 30 April and 2 September.
• Cao Dai etiquette: dress modestly, stay in the visitors’ gallery during the 12:00 prayers and do not photograph worshippers’ faces at close range.
• Cu Chi: wear clothes you do not mind getting dusty; the tunnels are low and hot, and crawling is always optional.
• Traffic: cross streets slowly and steadily; use Grab, Xanh SM or Be rather than unmarked taxis in the evenings.
• Bargaining: prices at Ben Thanh Market are rarely displayed, so agree a price before you buy.
• Tet 2027: Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027; many markets and shops close for the first days.

More planning help: Saigon travel tips, where to stay in Saigon, getting around Saigon, Saigon food guide, Mekong Delta travel tips and our Saigon travel guide and Mekong Delta travel guide.

Ready to plan? Send us an inquiry with your dates and group size, and we will build your five days in Ho Chi Minh City around you.

Updated 10 October 2026 · By Jimmy, Vietnam Tour Expert

About This Ho Chi Minh Tour 5 Days

This 5-day Ho Chi Minh City itinerary keeps you in one hotel in the city centre and covers southern Vietnam’s classics: a guided evening on Nguyen Hue, a full city tour, the Cao Dai Holy See and the Cu Chi Tunnels, and a day on the Mekong Delta’s waterways at My Tho and Ben Tre. It is a sample itinerary – we adjust it to your flights and interests.

Brief itinerary

• Day 1: Tan Son Nhat Airport pick-up – evening on Nguyen Hue Walking Street
• Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City tour – Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum, Post Office, Cholon (B, L)
• Day 3: Cao Dai Holy See noon ceremony – Cu Chi Tunnels (B, L)
• Day 4: Mekong Delta – My Tho, Thoi Son islet and Ben Tre (B, L)
• Day 5: Free morning – Ben Thanh Market – airport (B)

B = breakfast, L = lunch.

Price on request. 2026–2027 prices for this tour are being updated. Send us your travel dates for a quote.