You will be picked up from your centrally located hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and taken for a sightseeing tour of Ho Chi Minh City. An English-speaking guide will accompany you on this tour.
The highlights of your trip include:
• Giac Lam: Start your trip with a visit to Ho Chi Minh City's historic and oldest pagoda, built in the 17th century.
• Chinatown: Next, visit Chinatown with stops at the lively Cholon and Binh Tay markets to see the locals bartering for wares.
• Thien Hau temple: The Thien Hau temple was built in the early 19th century dedicated to Thien Hau, the goddess of seafarers. It is considered to be one of the most ancient Chinese temples.
• Nha Rong wharf: The Nha Rong Wharf, popularly called Uncle Ho’s souvenir area, is located at the junction of the Ben Nghe Channel and the Ho Chi Minh City River. This is where Ho Chi Minh first left Vietnam in 1911.
• Ben Thanh Market: The last stop of the morning is at the Ben Thanh Market. Its original location is 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’).
Following your market visit, you will stop for lunch at a traditional local Vietnamese restaurant, where your local guide will explain the local specialties.
After lunch, continue on your sightseeing tour.
Visit the War Remnants Museum. The War Remnants Museum was originally opened in September 1975. It displays old military equipment and other related items from the Vietnam War. In the courtyard there are some larger exhibits including a F5A fighter and a UH1-Huey helicopter.
Take a walking tour to:
• Reunification Palace: The Reunification Palace, formerly known as the Presidential Palace was the sight of South Vietnam's surrender in April 1975.
• Notre Dame Cathedral: This is a beautiful red brick cathedral in the Paris Square, right in the heart of downtown Ho Chi Minh City. It is a beautiful example of French colonial architecture.
• General Post Office: Adjacent to the Notre Dame Cathedral, this is yet another grand old colonial building with a beautiful dome-shaped roof.
• Opera House: Built in 1897 by a French architect, the 800-seat building has donned several roles. From 1956 till 1975 it was the home of the Lower House assembly of South Vietnam and after from 1975 it was again used as a theatre.
• Downtown Ho Chi Minh City: This is the economic hub of the city and is a bustling plce.
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.