Phu My Shore Excursion: Best of Private Ho Chi Minh City Tour

From $118.00 per person Lowest Price Guarantee

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Adult (12-80) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15

Child (3-11) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15

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Phu My Shore Excursion: Best of Private Ho Chi Minh City Tour

2 Adults x $219.00

$438.00

Approx Total

$438.00

Pickup included

Inclusions / Exclusions

Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Private Professional Tour Guide
Private, Customized and Flexible Tour
Vietnamese Traditional Lunch
All Tickets and Fees
A glass/cup of Vietnamese Coffee making by filter
Cruise Port pick-up and drop-off

Personal expenses

Overview

Enjoy a private full-day tour in bustling Ho Chi Minh City, where your guide will take you to some of the best highlights that this shore excursion has to offer. Vietnamese Traditional lunch and attraction entrance fees are included in this tour.

Itinerary

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959. In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red brick façade (which were imported from Marseille), stained glass windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City District 1.

30 minutes
Central Post Office

The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.

30 minutes
The Independence Palace

Independence Palace was the base of Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. It made its name in global history in 1975. A tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate, ending the Vietnam War. Today, it's a must-visit for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City. The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975. You can see two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Independence Palace was the home and workplace of the French Governor of Cochin-China. It has lush gardens, secret rooms, antique furniture, and a command bunker. It's still in use to host important occasions in Ho Chi Minh, including APEC summits

1 hour 30 minutes
War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’, it's a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War. Graphic photographs and American military equipment are on display. There's a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb that weighs at 6,800kg. American troops had used these weapons against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975.

1 hour 30 minutes
People's Committee Building

The People’s Committee Building Saigon in central Ho Chi Minh City features well-preserved French colonial architecture in a spacious garden landscape. Originally constructed as a hotel in 1898 by French architect Gardes, it now serves as a city hall and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Occupying the end of Nguyen Hue walking promenade, it has three buildings with embossed statues of animals and people, intricate bas-reliefs on the walls, as well as a statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of the main building. The best time to visit is in the evening, as these features are beautifully illuminated with LED lights.

15 minutes
Saigon Opera House (Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theater)

The Saigon Opera House in Ho Chi Minh is an elegant colonial building at the intersection of Le Loi and Dong Khoi Street in District 1, very close to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and the classic Central Post Office. The restored three-storey 800-seat Opera House was built in 1897 and is used for staging not only opera but also a wide range of performing arts including ballet, musical concerts, Vietnamese traditional dance and plays. Performances are advertised around the building and information can be found in the state-operated tourist information centre close by.

15 minutes
Phố Tau Sai Gon (Chợ Lớn Quận 5)

Ho Chi Minh City’s Cholon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown with roots dating back to 1778; it’s also a place of great historical and cultural importance. Chinese minorities hid here from the Tay Son and subsequently had to rebuild the area twice following attack with as many as 70% estimated to have died trying to escape on boats. Those who survived settled and began selling a variety of Chinese products. During the Vietnam War Cholon was a thriving black market for US soldiers trading in American Army issue supplies. The area today is a popular site for those on the tourist trail and also attracts many Taiwanese and Chinese visitors. Cholon is an interesting place to see classical Chinese architecture reminiscent of years gone by with plenty of Chinese restaurants. The Binh Tay market at the centre is busy, crowded and messy with small aisles selling all manner of goods.

1 hour
Ba Thien Hau Temple

Ba Thien Hau Temple in Saigon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It’s believed that she protects and rescues ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud. Mazuism is connected with traditions and beliefs from both Taoism and Buddhism. Mazuism is therefore an incorporation of different aspects and traditions which have merged to form a new belief. You will find this temple in ‘Cholon’ (Chinatown) in District 5, which is roughly a twenty minute drive from the city centre.

30 minutes
Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much. The market is big, difficult to navigate at times and certainly best avoided during the hottest part of the day but all the same its well worth a look. When night falls, restaurants around the perimeter of the market open their doors creating a vibrant street side scene filling the air with the scents of wok-fried noodles, barbecued fish and meats. One of Saigon’s oldest landmarks, Ben Thanh offers a great atmosphere that is absolutely authentically Vietnamese.

30 minutes

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time

Free Cancellation

April 26100% refund

April 27No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

12 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

5 stars

12
4 stars

0
3 stars

0
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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 12 reviews with 5 stars

Great private tour for Holland America Noordam tourists. Picked up and dropped off in the port.

Published on Dec, 2024

This is a great private tour to see Saigon. We came with Holland America Noordam. Picked up from gate and dropped to the same place. We have seen palace, post office, bunker, tried vietnamese cofee, had a great lunch with local cousine in a hidden gem. Visited the Book street (my favorite place), art gallery and market. Bruno was excellent guide with perfect English, sense of humor and very knowledgeable.

Great tour in Saigon

Published on Dec, 2024

Truly the most numbable part of the excretion was the group leader Hazel. Hazel is a young woman and so knowledgeable literally about everything Vietnam. We learned so much driving in the car in between each and every place. My favorite place was the Independence Palace. There were six of us in the band was beautiful which made the 90 minute drive each way from the ship port easy. We had a great day and really enjoyed learning so much about this beautiful country.

Best alternative to high priced cruise excursions

Published on Dec, 2024

Hazel was the best! She was knowledgeable, and tailored our day to our likes. She was so gracious and sent way out of her way to accommodate any requests. Kudos to our driver who mastered the crazy streets and highways of Saigon and to and from our cruise ship to Ho Chi Minh City.

Great tour of Saigon

Published on Apr, 2024

One of the best tours we’ve taken on our entire trip. Ana was a complete professional and completely adapted everything we wanted to do per our request. We saw everything the tour offered and then some. Had a delicious. Pho lunch. The coffee bar she took us to was unique in that it had Koi fish ponds where you could feed the fish while enjoying your refreshment. Our driver, Toan, was exceptional, managing the crazy traffic, always being there within minutes to pick us up. The car was always cool and inviting. Even brought us a kumquat iced tea to quench our thirst. Even though it was a very warm day we were exceptionally comfortable the entire time. Highly recommend that whoever comes to Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, take this tour.

Great excursion to Saigon

Published on Feb, 2024

Guide did everything he could to make our trip enjoyable. Tour was customizable, and guide made sure he covered our suggestions. He even added an additional stop. Driver provided bottled water. Vehicle was clean and comfortable, just a few minutes late to port. Guide understood English well, and we were able to understand most all of what he was telling us. I cannot think what guide could have down to make our day more enjoyable.

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