Ho Chi Minh City Escape

Ho Chi Minh City Arrival

Upon arrival be greeted by the guide and transferred by private car through the city to the hotel for check-in.

(Note: The normal check-in time for hotels is 14:00 and the day’s schedule will be adapted according to the international flight arrival time.)

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City

This tour begins at 08:30. Meet with a local guide and set off on a half day tour in Ho Chi Minh City. Start with a visit to the city’s most iconic building: Reunification Hall. Formerly called the Presidential Palace, images of the building were seen around the world on 30 April 1975 when tanks stormed the gates as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese. Hear the echoes of time while walking through this historic downtown site.

Then take a stroll to Ho Chi Minh City’s colonial quarter, walking past scenes of everyday life on the way. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, City Hall, the old Saigon Post Office, Hear about the glory days of French Indochina and how that era continues to influence aspects of modern Vietnamese culture.

Step inside the War Remnants Museum for an insightful, yet sombre, look into Vietnam’s military history. See exhibitions displaying imagery from the French and American wars, learning more about the country’s struggle for independence and hearing tales of the resilience of the Vietnamese people.

Then step off the tourist trail for one last visit on this Ho Chi Minh City tour at a Vietnamese coffee shop, sit down and taste the coffee like locals.

After lunch, depart early this morning to avoid the crowds at Cu Chi. Drive away from Ho Chi Minh City, watching the city skyline fade into the distance as the road winds through rice paddies, villages and other scenes typical to southern Vietnam.

Spend a couple of hours walking around Cu Chi’s rugged grounds with a local guide. Hear how the residents constructed an intricate, underground network of tunnels during the French and American Wars. Crawl underground and have a look at the tiny chambers, imagining what life was like for those who lived there. Hear incredible tales of perseverance- from the unusual foods the residents ate to survive to the story of a baby being born in the tunnels. Once above ground, see other ingenious items used by the residents to defend themselves such as bamboo traps and camouflaged pits.

Throughout the tour, the guide will explain the impact of war on the local community and the country as a whole. Following this insightful visit, journey back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City Departure

Spend the day at leisure until the transfer to the airport for the onward flight to the next destination.