Steal My 3 Day Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary (Perfect for First-Time Visitors)

ByAmber Hours

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Ho Chi Minh City (still commonly called Saigon) is fast, loud, chaotic—and deeply layered. It’s a city where French colonial buildings sit beside street-food stalls, where modern cafés overlook war-era landmarks, and where motorbikes rule everything.

cIf you’re visiting Vietnam for the first time, three days is the perfect amount of time to experience Saigon without feeling rushed. This 3 day Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary balances history, food, culture, and day trips while leaving space to explore at your own pace.

tan dinh church , 3 Day Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary

Day 1: Markets & City Landmarks

After arriving and dropping your bags, start your trip with a walk through Ben Thanh Market. It’s one of the city’s most famous markets and a sensory overload in every sense—souvenirs, snacks, coffee beans, textiles, and knockoff designer goods all packed into one space. This is a good place to grab some food, or my favorite—sour sop smoothie.

What to know before you go

  • Vendors are persistent—expect aggressive selling
  • Prices are inflated for tourists; bargaining is expected
  • Great for browsing, less ideal for lingering
  • Crowds are common, expect to be shoulder-to-shoulder at peak times

If the market is too overwhelming (which it often does), head to Phở Việt Nam to try the nations iconic dish: Phở

After, hop on a Grab Bike and explore some of the city’s most important landmarks:

  • Tân Định Church – A pastel-pink Catholic church that’s one of the most photogenic spots in the city
  • War Remnants Museum – A powerful, sobering look at the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective
  • Independence Palace – Frozen in time, this building marks the official end of the war

After visiting these landmarks, you can walk toward Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, but it is under construction until 2027. Across the street is the Saigon Central Post Office, where you can appreciate French architecture.

Evening tip: Keep dinner simple on your first night. Street food, casual pho shops, or a rooftop drink are perfect after a long travel day. Ben Nghe Street Food is an easy destination near the Notre Dame Cathedral, where you’ll have a plethora of Vietnamese food to choose from.

saigon food tour banh xeo

Day 2: All about coffee & food

Vietnamese food is reason enough to visit—and Saigon is one of the best places to dive in.

Morning

Start with Vietnamese coffee. Whether it’s a strong iced milk coffee or a coconut coffee, this city takes caffeine seriously. Cafés range from trendy third-wave shops to tiny sidewalk setups with plastic stools. Lacàph Coffee Bar is a tucked away cafe that offers coffee flights and craftsman drinks. To taste northern Vietnam’s iconic egg coffee, check out Little HaNoi Egg Coffee.

Option: Get the iconic Bánh Mì for breakfast—Bánh Mì Hồng Hoa is the most famous spot in the city and opens at 0500. If the line is too long, I’ve heard Bánh Mì 37 nearby is a hidden gem.

Afternoon

Explore neighborhoods on foot or by Grab Bike. Saigon rewards wandering—small temples, alleyway eateries, and hidden cafés are everywhere. Near the Saigon Opera House, you’ll find several stores and malls you can wander through. It’s also close to Nguyen Hue Walking Street, but this is best seen in the evenings. Leave room to visit one of these iconic, modern buildings:

  • Bitexco Financial Tower – Visit the Saigon Skydeck for panoramic skyline views
  • Landmark 81 – Vietnam’s tallest building boasts a mall, ice rink, cinema, restaurant, and an observation deck

Evening: Street Food Tour

Save some room for dinner— a guided food tour is one of the best ways to experience the city, especially early in your trip. You’ll sample dishes you may not order on your own, learn how locals eat, and explore districts you wouldn’t find solo.

cu chi tunnels speed boat tour

Day 3: Cu Chi Tunnels Half-Day Trip

A half-day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels offers insight into the ingenuity and resilience of the Vietnamese people during the war.

What to expect:

  • Narrow underground tunnel systems
  • Historical explanations of guerrilla warfare tactics
  • Optional experiences like crawling through tunnels or visiting firing ranges

Important note: This tour is for all ages and most ability levels. You do not HAVE to walk through the tunnels. The tunnels are tight, hot, and not ideal for anyone with claustrophobia.

👉 Check out the full half day Cu Chi tunnel tour review

You’ll likely be served lunch on your Cu Chi Tunnel tour, but if you have room after, grab a late lunch at Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò. This was probably the best meal I had in Vietnam, I highly recommend it. Next to the stall you may find a stall called Cơm Tấm Sài Gòn, that serves a delicious broken rice.

Take some time to explore the surrounding streets and local shops. If you want to see Bui Vien Walking Street, it’s a pleasant walk from the food stalls and a good way to stretch your legs after eating.

If you’re still hungry for some reason, I recommend Mặn Mòi, Tao Đàn for dinner. Try to make reservations.

mekong delta 2 day overnight trip

Recommended add-on: Mekong Delta 2-day Overnight Trip

No southern Vietnam itinerary feels complete without visiting the Mekong Delta.

Most travelers visit on a day trip, but if time allows, a 2-day tour offers a much richer experience—slower boat rides, quieter villages, and a deeper look at daily life along the river.

Highlights include:

  • Boat rides through palm-lined canals
  • Visiting a coconut candy factory
  • Biking through rural communities
  • Visiting the iconic floating market

👉 Check out the full 2-day Mekong Delta tour review

Getting Around Ho Chi Minh City

  • Grab (rideshare) is the alternative to Uber or Lyft
  • Grab Bike is the fastest way through traffic
  • Walking works in central districts but sidewalks can be uneven

Where to Stay

District 1 is the most convenient base for first-time visitors, with easy access to attractions, restaurants, and tours. Look for hotels near Ben Thanh or along quieter side streets for a balance of convenience and comfort.

Is 3 Days in Ho Chi Minh City Enough?

Yes—for a first visit, three days should be plenty of time.

This 3 day Ho Chi Minh City itinerary gives you:

  • Cultural and historical context
  • Incredible food experiences
  • A meaningful day trip beyond the city
  • Enough flexibility to explore without burnout

Ho Chi Minh City is vibrant and ever-evolving, where layers of history sit alongside modern architecture. Amid the motorbikes and street food, give Saigon a little time—and it has a way of growing on you.

Hi, I’m Amber —

A Michigan native now living in Washington with a deep love for travel and the outdoors. What started with church mission trips and traveling across the U.S. as a nurse has grown into a passion for exploring the world through hiking, food, culture, and the beauty of God’s creation. Sometimes I’m joined by my goldendoodle, Millie, but I’m always traveling with my camera. My goal is to help you feel inspired and confident that travel is possible — no matter where you’re starting from.

After landing in Saigon, I dropped my bags at the hotel and made my way to Ben Thanh Market.

If you’re hunting for souvenirs, snacks, or “designer” knockoffs, this is your place. But be prepared — the vendors are relentless. The sellers were easily the most aggressive I experienced in Vietnam (though still not as intense as Cabo, Mexico!). Everyone wants you to come to their booth, to touch their shirts, to buy their coffee beans. To me it felt like pure chaos and after a few minutes I was ready for fresh air.

I had the whole afternoon ahead of me, so I jumped on a Grab Bike and made my way to several landmarks: Tân Định Catholic Church, the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace.

When I first arrived to Tân Định, I was awestruck at how visually appealing it was with it’s pink walls. It was heart-warming to see a beautiful Catholic church in the middle of a nation that is predominantly atheist or Buddhist. I didn’t realize that churches would hold an obvious presence in Vietnam, given the climate of the country. I wasn’t shocked when our tour guide later told us that all other religions except Buddhist have to register with the government. You can read more about the church in Vietnam in this article from Christianity Today.

After, I headed to the War Remnants Museum. It was a very interesting experience. The war in Vietnam is protrayed as a war against the Americans – however, it’s often failed to note that it was an ongoing civil war. I realized on this trip that I had little knowledge of the Vietnam war since it happened before I was born – so I dedicated some time to look into it while on this trip and it was very eye-opening. I encourage you to learn more about the war before you visit Vietnam, as it’s a huge part of their history.

I wandered the surrounding streets for a bit before joining an evening Saigon street food walking tour.

I always try to do a food tour or cooking class — it’s the best crash course into local cuisine and culture. Walking through narrow alleys filled with sizzling woks and chatter, you feel the pulse of the city.

One of my favorite stops was the food market in District 10, tucked away near the flower market. It had a true local vibe — with some tour groups of course. Street food is big in Vietnam, but stalls tend to be randomly on the sidewalks and more spread out. I enjoyed the feel of this street – it felt familiar like the street food markets in Taiwan and Indonesia.

Day 2 – Cu Chi Tunnels by Speedboat & some history lessons

Please note: I am not a historian – I recommend checking historical facts for accuracy. This is merely what I pulled out of our conversations with the guide and doing some basic research myself.

The next morning, I joined a speedboat tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels instead of taking the bus — easily one of the best choices of the trip. The boat was highly recommended to me by someone from the area, as they noted traffic can delay the buses and cost you time on your tour.

I was having a hard time adjusting the first few days on this trip – partly because I was feeling homesick already and partly because I had a poor experience with my hotel and had to switch hotels last minute. We cruised down the river as the city slowly woke up behind us. The air was warm, the water calm, and it felt surreal to escape the chaos of Saigon and watch the countryside unfold. The sound of the water rocked my mind to ease.

Our guide was fantastic. He had spent years leading tours for American veterans, and his perspective was eye-opening. He spoke about the war with empathy and balance — sharing stories from both sides, not to assign blame, but to help us understand. He recalled being young and living in a camp, put in place by the Southern government to protect civilians.

He noted that the Cu Chi tunnels were created by the local people who were against the southern government. Our guide noted that Buddhism and Vietnam have had a long history and the religion had a complicated impact on the war. Buddhists were divided between the north and the south. Ngo Dinh Diem, the Roman Catholic president of south Vietnam favored the Catholic minorities. Our guide told us the president believed northerners were staging as monks and trying to influence the people in the south to resist. This led him banning Buddhism and ultimately, his downfall. He became severely unpopular and the US supported a coup against him. His overthrow led to increased political instability and leadership changes throughout the rest of the war.

Crawling through the narrow tunnels was humbling. It’s one thing to read about the war; it’s another to physically see how people lived and sought shelter underground. It’s easy to see that their spirit and dedication is what led them to win the war.

After the war, those who did not flee were placed into reeducation camps. The higher you ranked in military, the longer you stayed – some up to 20 years. He explained that many in the South grew up without knowing the full story of what happened, and only with the Internet have they begun to piece together their own history. That conversation stayed with me long after the tour ended.

Today, he notes that those who have a “western” mindset cannot stay in Vietnam as it is very hard for them. They typically move abroad. It was noted to me by multiple people that their is still a mindset difference between those in the north and the south. When coming to Hanoi – our guide noted that communism does not exist anymore and fell pretty quickly after the war. While there is some truth to this – modern day Vietnam allows foreign investments and private equity, there is still only one governing party and they control all banking and hold many regulations.

Back in the city, I grabbed some food at Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò, and it turned out to be one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. It’s not found in northern Vietnam — so make sure to eat it here while you can!

Days 3–4 – The Mekong Delta Adventure

The Mekong Delta was the highlight of my time in southern Vietnam. I joined a two-day tour and it was everything I hoped for — immersive and unhurried.

On the tour, you’ll experience rural areas, taste local fruit, traverse through waterways, stay in the largest city on the Mekong Delta, cook Bánh Xèo and experience the iconic floating market.

Traveling Solo: Meeting Fellow Travelers in saigon

One of the best parts of travel is the people you meet along the way. This was my first completely solo trip and meeting others helped me gain peace and community during my time in Vietnam.

I met a few solo travelers on the Mekong tour — one from the United States, another from Germany — and when we returned to Saigon, we decided to meet up again at the District 10 street food market. We enjoyed more street food (especially snails), swapped travel stories, and talked about where we were headed next – one to Cambodia, another staying a few more days in Saigon, and me flying north to Hanoi.

Solo travel can be unpredictable, but moments like these remind me why I love it. Even if we never meet again, those shared experiences — laughing over unfamiliar food in a foreign city — make the world feel smaller and more connected.

Is it worth visiting Saigon?

Saigon — officially Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)— is Vietnam’s largest and liveliest metropolis. Saigon was renamed after the nation’s leader, who led northern Vietnam in their fight for independence and reunification of north and south. A few years after his death, his dreams came to fruition in 1975. Although it’s official name is Ho Chi Minh, Saigon is still widely used. I will use them interchangeably in this article.

In HCMC, there are stories of war and resilience on every corner. If you’re a history buff – this is the place for you! Not only that, but motorbikes are flowing like rivers and you can’t get away from the scent of sizzling street food in the air. The city is home to several Michelin-ranked spots worth checking out.

How Long to Stay in Saigon

If you’re mainly exploring the city, one to two days is plenty to get a feel for Saigon — especially if you’re using this as part of a broader Vietnam guide. But if you’re planning a Mekong Delta trip (which I can’t recommend enough), set aside a total of four days. And if you’re visiting during a good weather window (December–April), you could stay even longer to explore southern Vietnam’s beaches, which locals claim are some of the best in the country. Unfortunately, this wasn’t on the itinerary for me this trip.

Getting to Saigon, Vietnam

HCMC has an international airport, making a trip very easy! If you’re coming from Northern Vietnam, it’s easiest to fly as well. However, if you’re exploring north to south, taking public transportation such as sleeper buses may be most convenient and cost-effective. The easiest way to book these are usually through your local accommodations as it will likely be a combination of local taxis/buses to larger bus systems.

If you’re coming from the United States you need to apply for a visa. This may take several weeks – but if you’re applying within a shorter time frame like I did, then I highly recommend using a visa expediting service. Otherwise, the official link for applying for a visa is here.

When applying for visa you will need to know if you need a single-entry or multiple-entry visa. A multiple-entry visa is necessary if you leave Vietnam and then return. When you board your plane, they will likely ask for your return flight information as well. When you are issued your visa, double-check your passport number and spelling of name. If it does not appear exactly as it does on your passport, you could be denied entry.

Where to Stay in ho chi minh

Most travelers base themselves in District 1, where you’ll find markets, museums, cafes, and nightlife all within walking distance. If you’re sensitive to noise, I would consider staying in a different district – consider district two or seven, both popular with expats. District seven is also home to the local universities. If you want to stay in District 1, closer to Bien Vien walking street and Ben Thanh Market will be the noisiest. If you stay on the other side of Nguyễn Huệ, it will be a little less rowdy – this is where many of the luxury or upscale hotels are.

Final Thoughts about ho chi minh

Saigon is loud, hot, and full of motion — but beneath the chaos, there’s heart. Between the Cu Chi Tunnels, the street food culture, and the gentle rhythm of the Mekong Delta, it’s a city that reflects both Vietnam’s turbulent past and its vibrant present. And to be honest? I thought the food was much better here than in the North.

If you’re visiting Vietnam, don’t skip the south. Stay a few days, learn some history and come hungry – let Saigon surprise you.

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