4 days is plenty of time to see the sights and really experience Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It’s a great city, and 2 of the top must-see places in Vietnam are here, particularly if you are a war or history buff. We already posted about the top things to see and do in Saigon, now let’s write an itinerary.
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Saigon, 4 Day Itinerary
4 days is enough time to see most of the best places in Saigon. Our itinerary is very full, so adapt it to suit your travel plans.
Here’s an overview of things we mention in this itinerary that you may need to book.
The Saigon food tour is here.
Cu Chi Tunnels plus Cua Dai visit is here. These tours now include Black Lady Mountain, which is new. I haven’t been able to go yet, but I’d love to.
Mekong Delta tour is here, another full-day tour. very affordable.
Tickets for The Bamboo Circus at the Saigon Opera House are here.
The Saigon Hop on Hop Off Bus Tour is Here. Optional, if you have good walking legs, walk.
You must have travel insurance. We have a post about the insurance we use, get a free quote there.
You will need an eSIM,we get ours from SimCorner, in advance, and activate it on landing.
If you’d like a mid-range (<$50/night for a twin room) hotel, opposite Central Park with free laundry, this one could work for you. We have stayed here. This one is also on Agoda if you prefer that platform. If you need a family room with twin beds for kids, a bit more expensive, try this one.
There are a lot of places of interest that you may or may not choose to visit in Saigon. I’ll include as many as possible, and you can choose which places appeal to you. You can buy tickets on the door for the places that aren’t in the list above. Tickets are generally very cheap in Saigon.
If you are a worldschooling family, as we are, make sure you visit some historic and cultural sites, explain them to your kids, or have a guide explain them. This is how we make the travel as educational as we can.
We don’t like to schedule our days too much, but you do you. If I’m travelling with my teen or young adult son, I allow him time for a lie-in sometimes. I’ll go out alone for a coffee or to explore. I need time to do laundry, maybe time to exercise, shop, or meditate. We like to keep our days loose. I think my favourite thing to do anywhere is to just wander and get a little lost, but having a fixed plan will save you time on decision-making.
There is a lot crammed into these 4 days, I think it would be too much for me, I could get overwhelmed. But just see what you think, maybe do less, or make it a 5 night stay. Do what works for you.
I don’t often write itineraries. Why? Because everyone is different and has different interests. Who am I to tell them what they should do? I’m doing this one for a reader who left a comment, basically asking for this post. I do this for free, I love doing it, so if you have any wants for itineraries or other content, leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to help, if I can. Obviously, it needs to be for a place I know well, Southeast Asia is easy. Please don’t go to AI, stay human. You can print this itineray as a pdf, with map, soon if you sign up to follow, you will be notified when it’s ready. Please share this post, bookmark it to Pinterest to help us. Cheers.
Day 1, Arrival Day in Saigon
On our last visit to Saigon and Vietnam, our overnight flight arrived early in the morning. On arrival, you will need to clear visas, customs, and baggage pick up. It could take quite a while if you have checked baggage and need to get or show a visa.
We travel carry-on only (7 kg) and, as UK passport holders on shorter stays, the visa exemption applies to us, we fly through airports like ninjas.
Make sure you have an eSim ready to go for Vietnam, you will need your phone for Grab cars, for maps, for some bookings through apps, etc. We get our eSIMS from Sim Corner in advance; it’s easier than buying one at the airport.
I would also advise bringing US $, cash to Vietnam, if you can. You’ll get a better exchange rate if you go to the right places, and spending cash is safer than using your card in Vietnam. We recommend gold exchange stores in Vietnam for currency exchange. The notes must be new, and these places were open on a Sunday on our last trip, which saved our bacon.
You can get a Grab car from the airport to your hotel; they’re cheap. Have your hotel’s address written down or print the receipt at home to show the driver. I always leave home with a stack of printed sheets, I destroy them as we go. Get the Grab app installed and set up before departure.
We think District 1 is the best area to stay in Saigon. The Grab ride is quite long. Getting out of the airport and to your hotel may take 2 hours approximately, maybe more, if the traffic is bad.
Hopefully, your hotel will allow you an early check-in. If not, you can usually leave your luggage with them and go off and explore.
The first thing I would do is grab a Vietnamese coffee and a pastry at any of Saigon’s excellent coffee shops. Would you prefer coconut, salt coffee, or egg coffee? There is a chain in Vietnam called Highlands. There is also Starbucks, but I’d find a local coffee shop. Did you know Vietnam is the second-largest producer of coffee in the world?
I always tell people to take a food tour (this one, but it looks like they do change the itinerary depending on who is on the tour and any food preferences), or a walking tour on day 1 in a new country or city. This is what we did, opting for a lunchtime food tour. It helps you get your bearings, and if you’re new to a cuisine, you’re going to learn what you should be eating.
We knew we’d be tired after an overnight flight and needed something to do that would keep us fully engaged and exploring the city. We chose a walking food tour over a motorbike (scooter) tour because it looked less commercial and touristy, and taking helmets on and off constantly is quite annoying.
Also, we like walking and exploring back streets. This tour took us to multiple districts and to the flower market, so you can check that tourist attraction off your list.
If you have energy to spare after your tour, go for a walk in District 1, visit the famous Ben Thanh Market, see the French Cathedral and the Old French Post Office. If you’d prefer, do this by Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour, it will save your legs and save you time.
These bus tour tickets are generally valid over 2 days, so if you’d like to use them to get to the Saigon War Museum, which you probably won’t have time to visit today, just switch your itinerary around to allow this. We walk.
You may like to visit the Saigon SkyDeck tower(tickets here) today for a view of the city. That should be easy to slot in.
Day 2 Itinerary, A Trip From Saigon
Get up early and head to one of the parks to mingle with local people exercising. Grab a coffee, enjoy the goings on of the city before your tour. Maybe find an early morning market.
Today is a big day, so hopefully you are fully rested after your flight. You’re going to the Cu Chi Tunnels. We particularly enjoyed combining this with a visit to a Cua Dai temple and a ceremony. It’s very beautiful, but also eye-opening, and there is a lot to learn about this religion. Look out for the Masonic imagery and links to various orders, including ties to The Davinci Code information.
There is a new attraction near Saigon, Black Lady Mountain. I haven’t been able to go yet, but it’s included on this full-day tour to Cu Chi and the Cau Dai ceremony. This tour can be booked here. It’s a very big day out.
A trip like this should be on a comfortable minibus, and there will probably be a lunch stop, plus craft/shopping opportunities. But there are lots of companies offering these tours, so take your pick. They are very cheap.
This is a full-day tour, so once you’re back at your hotel, take it easy. Enjoy your dinner and maybe take a walk down the infamous walking street in District 1. Go after dark, but not too late. I think things may get very crazy here later at night.
Day 3 Itinerary For Saigon
Another big day out today, you’re going to the Mekong Delta. I would choose to rise early and go for a walk before the pick up time, maybe find a food market or walk around the park again.
We don’t eat breakfast usually, we’d normally grab noodles at a street food stall later in the day, but you may want to eat before these tours start. That should be easy enough, or you may have breakfast in your hotel. I don’t recommend this in Vietnam because the street food is so much better.
Tonight, maybe you’d like to see a Bamboo Circus show? They are pretty spectacular. Book tickets here.
Day 4 Itinerary for Saigon, Departure Day
Today you’re going to try to see as many of the remaining sights in Saigon as you can, and catch your onward transport out of Saigon. Try to book a flight, bus, or train that ties in with your hotel’s check-out time, or have a plan for where you will leave your luggage today.
The two big places you need to see are Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and the Palace of Independence. They are side by side on the edge of District 1, as it becomes District 3. Neither would take a full half day unless you read the signs on every exhibit, so I think that yes, you could visit both of these in a morning, before checkout.
In our guide to Saigon with kids I tell you that parts of the war museum are certainly not OK for young or sensitive kids.
That’s more rushed than I’d like to be, but if you only have 4 days in Saigon, you’ve got to push on through, or not. Chill instead if you like.
Onward transport may be by bus, train or plane. We use the company below for booking all transport in Vietnam and have never had a problem. This reader is heading to Hanoi, so here’s that information, click through to change your point of orgin to Saigon and see all of your options side by side.
4 Day, 3 Night Itinerary For Saigon, Wrap Up
If this 4 day 3 night travel itinerary for Saigon is useful, or if you have any questions, tell me in the comments. We’re here to help you see the world as we have, always.
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