Whether you’re starting for finishing your trip in the South of Vietnam this guide will give you the best tips to make the most of your time.
Where to stay?
As a backpacker Bui Vien Street Hostel was good. It’s noisy (to be expected) but a great location for nightlife and not too far to walk for sightseeing. It was also very clean with a great affordable laundry service.
What to do in Vietnam
Grab a drink down Bui Vien Street and see the chaotic nightlife scene
Send a postcard to a loved one from Saigon Postal Office. A beautiful building you’ll want to take pictures outside but for a small fee it’s nice to send a postcard.
Tan Dinh church (the pink church). You can’t always go inside but it’s not too far to walk from Saigon Postal Office so still nice to see and take pictures
Walk down Book Street. A street just of book stores- perfect for fellow book worms.
Visit Cu Chi tunnels. A popular day trip from the city you see and travel through tunnels used in the Vietnam War. I booked my half day trip through Get Your Guide
Take a boat down the Mekong Delta. Another popular day trip, travel down the famous Mekong Delta river, listen to traditional folk music and try (at your own risk) snake wine! I booked my trip through Get Your Guide
Ride quad bikes down sand dunes in Mui Ne. With Johnny’s Tours, you can do this as a very long day trip (pick up 6am drop off midnight) the 5 hour each way transfer is in a sleeper bus so you can get some shut eye there and back. Most people visit Mui Ne for a night or two on their way from or to Ho Chi Minh. I’m really glad I did this trip as being on the back of the quad bike was exhilarating (it’s a very steep dune which is why you can’t ride the bikes yourself). The trip I did also included walks down the fairy pools and seeing the sunset at the red sand dunes. Was really lovely to see totally different landscapes from the cities, beaches and greenery Vietnam is known for.
Top tip
Is it Saigon or Ho Chi Minh? The city is officially Ho Chi Minh but as this was the name given to the city after the Vietnam War many locals still refer to it as Saigon as that’s the name it had when they were the capital of Indo China (now it is not even the capital city in Vietnam).