How long in hcmc

So let's say you're actually planning a road trip to Ho Chi Minh City, and you need to stop along the way to rest. Plus if it's a real road trip, you might want to check out interesting stops along the way, eat at great restaurants, and find a hotel to stay overnight. That's what Trippy is perfect for, helping you figure out travel plans in detail.

Based on the length of this trip, we think you could spread out this fun road trip over a number of days. Drive for about 8 hours , then stop at Son Doong Cave and stay overnight. The next day, drive for about 4 hours , then stop in Hue and stay for about 1. Next, drive for another 2. Stay overnight. The next day, drive for about 2.

Next, drive for another 3. Drive for 3. The next day, drive for about 4 hours , then stop in Mui Ne and stay for about 1 hour. Finally, drive for about 4 hours and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. To see all the details on this itinerary, including recommended restaurants, hotels, and things to do along the way, check out the full road trip planner: Road trip from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City airports and flights In the quick calculation above, we assumed you had a private plane and just wanted to know the time in the air from city to city.

But for most of us, we're going to be flying on a commercial airline whether it's first class or coach. So that means we really need to account for all the extra travel time getting to the airport, waiting for our flight, and making it to the destination.

Over the next two months I will be posting extensively about our Saigon experiences, including reviews of the hotels, tours and restaurants, handy tips and my observations, so please come along for the journey! Your email address will not be published. Time limit is exhausted.

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Want to pack your next travel experience full of memorable moments? While its look may not be traditionally Vietnamese, it sets the tone for what you can expect as you explore the heart of this vast and complex city. Inside, the post office is also a bit of a time warp to the turn of the 20th century, thanks to little touches like wooden phone booths. Sitting on the same square as the post office is the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, another major city landmark.

Like the post office, the cathedral is a holdover from the French colonists and dates from the s. With its striking red brick and classic European design you could easily convince yourself that you were no longer in Vietnam. Formerly known as Independence Palace, this was the residence and office of the President of South Vietnam during the war. The Vietnam War ended here on April 30, when a tank rolled through the palace gates, forcing the South Vietnamese to surrender.

The palace is now a museum of sorts, with the interior left to look as it did in the s. Walking through, you can see what the decor was like and head down into the basement tunnels which doubled as both a bomb shelter and war room. The first exhibit focuses on weapons and war machines used by the US forces, many of which are incredibly well-preserved. Another looks at the work done by journalists during the war and the sacrifices they made to report on the conflict.

The last exhibit is something that some visitors might find difficult, it is a section on the use of Agent Orange during the war. From the Sky Deck you get a degree view of Ho Chi Minh City which takes in everything from the city center and Saigon river, all the way to the outer districts depending on visibility.

The 50th and 51st floors host restaurants, so you can also have a meal with a view if you like. You can buy your fast-track ticket to the Sky Deck here. For a nice break and a change of pace, find your way to 42 Nguyen Hue street to see the undeniably cute Cafe Apartment building.

Once an ordinary residential building, this apartment complex now hosts a variety of cafes and shops inside each of the once apartments. This is a fun concept and you could spend quite some time seeing what is in store on each level of the building. Then there are the balcony views, where you can look down on the city streets, with coffee or tea in hand.

Set inside a historic landmark, local produce, souvenirs, and clothes are sold in over 3, stalls across the marketplace. As is common in Southeast Asia, be prepared to haggle here and still potentially overpay. The only stalls that are fixed price are the ones around the edge of the market, where staff wear light blue shirts.

In the rest of the stalls you can and should haggle down the price. Countless food stalls and open-air restaurants fill the space outside the market hall, perfect for a drink or dinner. Recommendation: We highly recommend you book a street food tour. Having seen the sights in the very center of the city, your second day in Ho Chi Minh City will take you to other parts of the city.

Over in the Da Kao neighborhood of the city, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most important shrines in town. While there, you will see plenty of worshippers approach a statue of the Jade Emperor in the main chamber. But there are also many other statues and figures representing gods which worshippers approach to pray and give offerings to. Outside the pale pink pagoda lies an unsettlingly full tortoise pond, from which it earns one of its names.

Curiously, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is not the only pink place of worship in this part of Saigon. Not that this bright pink church is easy to miss, thanks to its color palette and 60 meter high bell tower.

The Tan Dinh Church was built in with a mix of Gothic and Renaissance features that make it look like it would easily fit in at Disneyland. That size makes up for the fact that it is actually quite new, having only been built in and is made from concrete. Said to be the oldest temple in the city, dating back to , that alone would be reason enough to go. But the sight of this pagoda and its seven story stupa set inside wonderfully peaceful gardens is what makes it so special.