13hrs Layover at Ho Chi Minh City - Things to Do/See

bluespider on 19/04/2023 - 21:09

Reaching HCMC at 6:30am (local) and next flight at 7:30pm to Sydney in first week of May.

I was thinking to simply onboard the Ho Chi Minh City Hop On - Hop Off Bus ( $22 USD)
https://hopon-hopoff.vn/tours/hcm-citysightseeing-tour

The bus stop:
Stop 1: Notre Dame Cathedral
Stop 2: Independance Palace
Stop 3: Saigon Zoo – History Museum
Stop 4: War Museum
Stop 5: Pham Ngu Lao St
Stop 6: Ham Nghi St _near Ben Thanh market
Stop 7: Ham Nghi St _near Bitexco tower
Stop 8: Bach Dang Pier
Stop 9: Majestic Hotel
Stop 10: 92-96 Nguyen Hue St _ near Opera house and City hall
Stop 11: Saigon Central Post Office

Please let me know what do you think about this plan given the short time I have in hand and wanted to make most out of it.
Likewise, recommend any other places which may not be in this list :)

TIA

Travel Asia Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 19/04/2023 - 21:30
    +1

    Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is a vibrant and bustling city with plenty to see and do. Here are some suggestions for how to spend your 13-hour layover:

    Visit the War Remnants Museum: The museum provides a sobering look at the Vietnam War and its impact on the country. It's a must-see for history buffs.

    Explore the Ben Thanh Market: This lively market is a great place to experience local culture and shop for souvenirs, clothing, and food.

    Take a stroll through the city's parks: Ho Chi Minh City has several lovely parks, including the Tao Dan Park and the 30/4 Park. They're a great place to relax and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

    Visit the Reunification Palace: Formerly the Presidential Palace, this historic building played a key role in the Vietnam War and is now a popular tourist attraction.

    Sample local cuisine: Vietnam is famous for its delicious cuisine, and Ho Chi Minh City has plenty of restaurants and street vendors serving up tasty treats like pho, banh mi, and fresh spring rolls.

    These are just a few ideas to get you started. Depending on your interests and how much time you have, there are plenty of other things to see and do in Ho Chi Minh City!

    • WreckTangle on 19/04/2023 - 22:42
      +9

      Sounds like an AI answer.

  • deme on 19/04/2023 - 22:24

    Jade Emperor Pagoda: This beautiful temple is a great place to experience the local culture and religion.

    Ben Thanh Market: One of the most famous markets in Vietnam, Ben Thanh offers a wide variety of souvenirs, clothing, and food.

    Bitexco Financial Tower: You can take an elevator to the top of this 68-story skyscraper for a great view of the city.

    Saigon Skydeck: Located on the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower, this observation deck offers panoramic views of the city.

    Saigon River Cruise: Take a scenic boat ride along the Saigon River to see the city from a different perspective.

    Cu Chi Tunnels: If you have time and are interested in history, you may want to consider a tour to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

  • TheMindsetTraveller on 19/04/2023 - 22:32

    Eat banh mi and play chicken as you cross the streets. Enjoy!

  • sassypants on 19/04/2023 - 22:42
    +1

    Do I have a recommendation for you!

    https://saigonhotpot.vn/#tours

    Went on a couple (free*) tours with these guys after getting a recommendation from someone over there.
    You can arrange ahead of time a guide to customise a tour for you, which is what I did. Combined a city tour and food tour.

    *you still pay for entry fees to museums, etc and if you go eat food then you should also pay for your guide. But everything is so cheap it's not a big issue.

    Was our first time in HCMC and had a really good guide who arranged the transport (via Grab, just pay the driver) and took us to some pretty interesting historical sites and unique food. Guide was really accomodating and was happy to show us to new places if we wanted to keep going. Beats trying to organise your own itinerary and trying to work out logistics.

  • dapt on 20/04/2023 - 07:23
    +1

    Get your visa sorted well (weeks) before you reach Vietnam, you can't get a visa on arrival. Cost is about 50AUD.

  • Sinnerator on 20/04/2023 - 07:32

    I went to Vietnam 20 yrs ago and it was AWESOME.
    Immerse yourself in the local culture and just walk around the better parts of downtown.
    Hire a scooter and drive in a straight line never having to stop and watch everyone else gracefully weave around you. Count how many families they can fit on one scooter.

  • bobswinkle on 20/04/2023 - 12:43

    I'm in the same boat with a similar layover in late May. I'm also in the funny situation that I just flew into HCM for work about 2.5 weeks ago.

    A couple of things to consider:
    - As someone else said, get an e-visa in advance and make sure you have printed it off. ONLY USE THIS SITE: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/. I know it looks dodgy, but it is actually the legitimate website. There are plenty of other sites that range between a scam and an unnecessary middleman who wants to collect your money. The 25 USD on that site is all you need to pay.
    - It is going to be HOT. Do not underestimate the humidity. As a Sydney-sider, you may look at 33 degrees and think it's fine. But it's 33 degrees with 80%+ humidity which is a wildly different beast. There's also much fewer trees and other greenspaces that reduce the temperature.

    Having said all that, it's a great and vibrant city. The suggestions above are good ones, but you may want to consider some air conditioned museums for the peak of the sun.

  • bluespider on 20/04/2023 - 20:06

    Thanks guys for these details.

    The E-Visa websites are bit tricky to know…. I was looking at https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/apply-online/ and it shows $51.
    Can some one else also confirm which website to look for e-visa and how much it costs?

  • duluxe2000 on 20/04/2023 - 21:57

    Hey, just quick question. Do I need to get my luggages out if the layover is 17 hours ? Cheers

    • bluespider on 20/04/2023 - 22:00
      +1

      Yes

      • duluxe2000 on 20/04/2023 - 22:11

        Do you plan to carry your check-in luggages around ? It's quite a hassle I guess.

        • bluespider on 21/04/2023 - 01:03

          I am hoping airport has some storage facility?

  • poormansfriedchicken on 24/04/2023 - 17:57

    You have enough time for a cheap friendly massage ;)

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