Summary:

• Duration: Full-day
• 7:30 – 17:30 (customizable)
• Departs: Saigon - Ends: Saigon

Highlights:

• Saigon landmarks:
• Chinatown (Binh Tay Market & Thien Hau Pagoda)
• Opera House
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Central Post Office
• War Remnants Museum
• Inside the tunnels
• Authentic Vietnamese food/ the best Pho in town
• Rush hour traffic
• And more…

Overview:

We will take you on a pleasant tour to the landmarks of Saigon, places that have witnessed the ups and downs of a country, and have become anchors that link the past and the present. We will find out their histories, their charms and how life has become around them now.

After lunch, we’ll explore history’s more ferocious aspect by taking a “back-to-the-past” trip to the infamous tunnels, which played an extremely important role in Vietnamese’s triumphant resistance against the Americans unyielding attacks. You will learn how Viet Cong soldiers lived and coped with the difficulties presented, and how the tunnels had been so-cleverly built and been able to withstand numerous raids and assaults, despite the American’s ever-growing efforts to bring them down.

If we have to describe this tour in one line, that would be “a perfect introduction to Vietnamese history”

Itinerary:

Pickup: 7:30 - at your hotel in Saigon Downtown

• Kick start our exciting day with a short drive to Cho Lon (china town) where we’ll introduce you to the enormous variety of exotic local produce at the sprawling Binh Tay Market

NOTICE: From 15/11/2016, Binh Tay Market is temporarily closed for renovation. According to the authorities, the shutdown may take at least an entire year. Thus, on our city tours, we will replace Binh Tay Market with another local market. Thank you for your understanding and apologies for the incovenience!

• Pay a short visit the backstreets market of Tan Thanh where jungles of motor-parts are provided for some 6 million motorbikes in Saigon.
• Drive back to district 1 where we will visit the sobering War Remnants Museum, former Presidential Palace or Unification Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral, and then Central Post Office.

NOTICE: Notre Dame Cathedral is under massive renovation. Thus, we can only view it and take photos from distance. Thank you for your understanding and apologies for the incovenience! 

• The morning will end at a Vietnam’s possibly best-ever Pho (rice-noodle soup with beef or chicken) restaurant, Pho Hoa. Alternatively, we will savor our lunch at 46A restaurant with Saigonese-styled Banh Xeo (giant crepes with pork and prawn), and beautiful homely-made spring-rolls
• After lunch, we will enjoy a pleasant 60-km drive through some nice country areas toward the northwest of Saigon. You are going to visit a massive underground network located near by the area once called "Iron Triangle" and was the termination of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
• The tunnels were designed and used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. The role of the tunnel systems was so important to the Viet Cong in resisting American operations and protracting the war, eventually persuading the weary Americans into withdrawal.
• Watch a short war documentary film, see other relevant displays, and get through a short stage of the tunnels (optional)
• After spending around 2 hours at the tunnels, we will head off for Saigon (65km or 1.5 hours)

Drop-off: 17:30 – at your hotel in Saigon where our service ends

*Rates are in USD per person. Your payment will be converted into VND in accordance with Vietnam's Commercial Law.

  Please click here for Vietcombank's current exchange rates (updated daily)

**Online transaction/wiring/banking fees are NOT included in the tour prices.

Included:

• Modern air-conditioned private vehicle
• Lunch with local beer or soft drinks
• All entrance fees for specified stops
• Professional English-speaking guide
• 2 bottles of mineral water per person

 Not included:

• Drinks, meals and any other incurred expenses, that are not mentioned above
• Personal travel insurance
• Tipping – tipping is optional. If you enjoyed our guide’s and driver’s service and decided to offer a tip, we would really appreciate your effort to hand over the tip to our guide and our driver separately so they both could appropriately express their thanks to you at the same time

Disclaimer:

• People with any heart-complications or claustrophobia should not go through the tunnels. Going down and have some photos taken should be fine.
• Visitors can fire some old types of rifle at Cu Chi shooting range (exclusive cost for bullets, under-18-year-old children are not allowed to shoot the guns!)
• Some photos at the museum are very graphic, confronting and distressing
• There will be no shopping stop on this tour!

Extra notes:

• To all future visitors to Vietnam: please keep in mind that tap water is ABSOLUTELY NOT safe to drink whether at homestays, hotels or 5-star resorts.
• We only run private and customizable tours. There isn't a group tour option nor do we team our guests up for a group.
• We offer free pickup and drop-off from District 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 and Phu Nhuan. Pickup/drop-off outside of this area and airport transfers are subject to extra charges.
• Some of the stops can be slightly changed, depends on actual time of travel
• While traveling with us, your luggage will be safe in the car with our driver. However, we are NOT responsible for your money, jewelries, cell phones, and any other valuable belongings

For more information on our services, please have a look at our FAQs page or contact us.

To know what our customers say about our service, please visit our TripAdvisor page!