You will be picked up from your centrally located hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and taken to the meeting point for your cyclo and walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City. An English-speaking guide will accompany you on this tour.
Arrive in front of the Ben Thanh market and board this typical Vietnamese means of transport. A cyclo is a three wheeled bicycle with a carriage at the front for the passenger to sit in, while the driver uses pedal power to power you along. The slow and leisurely pace allows ample opportunity to take in the sights, sounds and smells of Ho Chi Minh City without the barrier of a car window or the sound of an engine and is very environmentally friendly.
Journey through Tao Dan Park and see the following:
• The War Remnants Museum: Originally opened in September 1975, the museum displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War. In the courtyard you will find some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter.
• The regal Reunification Palace: Earlier known as the Presidential Palace, it is the site of the official South Vietnamese surrender on April 30th, 1975. You will not go into the palace but your local guide will provide you with information and a chance to take come photographs.
Leaving your cyclos, begin your walking tour and visit the following places:
• Notre Dame Cathedral: Built by the French between 1877 and 1883, this lovely red-brick church is set in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City 's government quarter. It has a neo-Romanesque form and two high square towers. In front of the cathedral is a statue of the Virgin Mary.
• General Post Office: Adjacent to the Notre Dame Cathedral, this is yet another grand old colonial building with a beautiful dome-shaped roof.
Board your cyclo again and ride to the:
• Ho Chi Minh City Opera House and City Hall, situated in the centre of the city. It was here that many scenes from the movie ‘The Quiet Amercian’ were filmed.
• Continental Hotel: Not far from the Opera House is this hotel which Graham Greene, amongst other famous journalists and writers, called home during his stays in Vietnam.
• Ben Thanh Market: Your final visit for the day is this lively market, where you can practice your bargaining skills. The market’s original location was close to the Ben Nghe River and the old fort of Gia Dinh was where it derived its name (Ben meaning ‘pier’ and Thanh meaning ‘fort’). The market was destroyed in 1859 during the French invasion of Ho Chi Minh City. It was rebuilt and later moved to its present location in 1899. Its shops sell everything from fabric, clothes, shoes, kitchenware, cooked food and fresh vegetables to a variety of seafood and meat.
At the end of the trip you are free to continue exploring the area or your guide will assist you in getting a taxi back to your hotel.