When travelling to a new place figuring our how to travel there, how to get around this new city, and the best things to do can be a lot of work. But I am here to make your Vietnam trip planning a little bit easier.
I recently travelled to Vietnam for 2 weeks and visited Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Phong Nha, Ninh Binh, Cat Ba Island, and Hanoi. I highly recommend you start your Vietnam trip in Ho Chi Minh City and travel north.
In this blog post we will go over everything you need to know before travelling to Ho Chi Minh City.
How to Get to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight
If you are travelling from far away to Vietnam flying is the way to go. Most flights into Vietnam will be flying into Ho Chi Minh City airport, Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN). That is why people recommend you start your Vietnam trip in Ho Chi Minh City, the other reason being lots of people think as you travel up north it gets better and better. If you are looking for flights I recommend Google Flights or Skyscanner to find the best deals.
Bus
If you are travelling within Vietnam or a neighbouring country such as Thailand, Cambodia, or Laos bussing is another great option. When booking all my busses, trains, and ferries around Southeast Asia I used 12GoAsia. They have the best deals on transport around all of these countries. So if you are wanting to book a bus to Ho Chi Minh City I recommend checking our 12GoAsia (they also have an app so you have all your bus, train, and ferry details right on your phone).
How to Get Around in Ho Chi Minh City
When it comes to getting around Ho Chi Minh City there are two common ways of transport.
The first being renting a motorbike. I would not recommend this transport options unless you are VERY comfortable on a bike as the streets in Ho Chi Minh City are pretty crazy. In just Ho Chi Minh City alone there are 8 million bikes so you can imagine how busy the streets are.
The transport option we chose during our stay in Ho Chi Minh City was Grab. Grab is like Uber in Southeast Asia. Rides are super cheap, usually around a couple dollars per ride and when you are travelling in a group its even less. I highly recommend downloading the Grab app on your phone before your trip to Vietnam because it is a great way to get around cities.
Best Tours in Ho Chi Minh City
Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta Day Tour
@never_ending_travel Day 1 in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam🇻🇳 Visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta! #hochiminh #hochiminhcity #hochiminhvietnam #vietnam #vietnamtravel #vietnamtraveldestinations #travelvlog
♬ Baby, Let’s Go – Osvaldo Martins Belluci
This day tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta was my favourite part of Ho Chi Minh City. We booked this tour on GetYourGuide. If you are visit Ho Chi Minh City you NEED to book this tour you won’t regret it.
Saigon River Cruise
The Saigon River Cruise is another tour I went on during my trip to Ho Chi Minh City. The cruise is around an hour long and you get to hear about the history of the city as you enjoy the views from the water. We booked this tour on GetYourGuide if you are interested in booking this tour click here. If you have time during your stay in Ho Chi Minh City I recommend this tour.
Best Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
Here is the ultimate Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam bucket list of the top sights and activities to do during your stay in Ho Chi Minh.- Cu Chi Tunnels
- Mekong Delta
- War Remnants Museum
- Independence Palace
- Saigon Central Post Office
- Ben Thanh Market
- Tue Thanh Assembly Hall
- Saigon River Cruise
2-day Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Travel Vlog
That brings us to the end of the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam travel guide. I know travelling to a new city can be a little overwhelming. Not knowing how to get there, how to get around, what to do, and more. I hope this Ho Chi Minh travel guide answered all your questions and helped you plan your trip to Ho Chi Minh City. If you have any questions feel free to comment or message me on any of my other social media pages. Have a great trip and safe travels.
