Saigon Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour
TOUR INFORMATION
See Ho Chi Minh city’s highlights on this insightful half-day Saigon Ho Chi Minh walking tour. Glimpse into Vietnam’s military past at Reunification Hall and the War Remnants Museum. Then explore Saigon’s colonial-era buildings and ornate temples for a better understanding of local culture and the city’s rich heritage.
What’s Included
- English speaking local guide
- Entrance fees for all visits as mentioned in the itinerary
- Additional transport between walking stops is by taxi
What’s Not Included
- Other meals than mentioned
- Other services than mentioned
- International and domestic Flights
- Laundry, telephone calls and expenditure of a personal nature
- Tips, Travel insurance
Support: +84 903 464 383
Email: info@detouredasia.com
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY BY DAY
Saigon Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour
At 8:30 am meet your local guide in front of Bitexco Financial Tower and set off on a half day Saigon Ho Chi Minh city walking tour. Start with a stroll to Saigon’s colonial quarter, walking past scenes of everyday life on the way. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, City Hall, the old Saigon Post Office and more. Hear about the glory days of French Indochina and how that era continues to influence aspects of modern Vietnamese culture.
Walk to Nguyen Hue pedestrian street where is flanked by some beautiful French colonial architectural wonders like the People’s Comittee, the Rex Hotel and a luxury shopping mall. In front of the People’s Committee you find a statue of Uncle Ho Chi Minh and a fountain show by night.
Take a look at some of the best examples of French colonial architecture are represented in the forms of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1883, and the stones used to create it were exported in its entirety from France. Next to the cathedral stands the Central Post Office, finished in 1891. It is another fine example of French architecture and is Vietnam’s largest post office.
Walk to the Ho Chi minh city’s most iconic building: Reunification Hall (outside visit only). Formerly called the Presidential Palace, images of the building were seen around the world on 30 April 1975 when tanks stormed the gates as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese. Hear the echoes of time while taking photos of this historic downtown site.
Then head to Jade Emperor Pagoda – built in 1909 by the Chinese community, it’s the most impressive spiritual place for local worshippers to pray for their career or love, especially for having babies. Visit here is a great chance for you to discover the real Asian worship culture.
Then step inside the War Remnants Museum for an insightful, yet sombre, look into Vietnam’s military history. See exhibitions displaying imagery from the French and American wars, learning more about the country’s struggle for independence and hearing tales of the resilience of the Vietnamese people. After this insightful visit, return to the hotel.
TOUR NOTES
Note: the tour is offered on a join in basis, so there may be other guests joining you on the tour. Our maximum group size is 8 people. For guests that do not want to go in a group, we also offer a private tour option for an extra charge.
Support: +84 903 464 383
Email: info@detouredasia.com
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TOUR REVIEWS
Customer reviews
Speak to a trip specialist on +84 903 464 383, Or, fill out the form and we reply within 12 hours.
We Love this Saigon History Tour
This was an great tour. We booked it through our guesthouse. The guide we had was Joseph and he really knew his history and boy is he enthusiastic about it. He took us to some really interesting sites. The tour is mainly about the Vietnam war and is real eye opener to some of the horrific things that went on during the war. Its also a really good way to see the whole city plus our guide gave us some hidden gems we should visit while in Saigon. Overall a great tour, a must do tour if you even have the slightest interest in Vietnamese history and the Vietnam War.
Top quality tour with actual information!
My friends and I did this tour while traveling through Vietnam, when we stopped over in Ho Chi Minh, recommended by our hotel (I’m usually wary of stuff they promote where you stay, but this was a lucky bet). Our guide was awesome, a local expert, super knowledgeable and a great storyteller. It was heavy on the war history, understandably I guess, but the anecdotes were really interesting, and I think I learned something in spite of myself 🙂 He also went into some gritty details, and into history outside of just the Vietnam War, for a change. I also liked that he didn’t focus on stuff we could find ourselves (it’s called a map, we can find the war remnants museum all by ourselves, so no thanks annoying guy outside our hotel). This tour markets itself on the guides’ extensive knowledge, and we were all pretty impressed. It is about $5 more than other tours, I think, but it’s worth it to hear some actual information and not some bs from a propaganda tour (there’s lots in the city). Be warned, bring water bottles, it will be hot and there’s a lot of walking! Our tour ran over 4 hours, and we ended up cabbing to the final destinations ($1.50 fare, love this country!), but definitely worth it. And ask lots of questions! We recommend these guys : )
Fascinating historical narratives through the city.
Awesome tour! Joseph delivers fascinating historical factoids and narratives in his charming Vietnamese brogue as he guides you effortlessly through the city streets. At least it felt effortless with Joseph leading the way. He’ll even offer some practical pointers on how not to get mowed down by the torrent of motorbikes streaming down the avenues. I can see only one explanation for the high quality, professionalism, and relaxed attitude he brings to this tour: Joseph clearly has a passion for Vietnamese history, the war, the politics, and the culture. Two big thumbs up!
Amazing tour guide!
My boyfriend and I spent several days in HCMC last fall and booked this tour as it came highly regarded by a good friend. Our tour guide, Joseph, was incredible!!! I’m not sure if he has a PhD on the Vietnam War or what, but in the several hours we walked through HCMC with him I learned so much. I’m a big history buff and this tour was exactly what I was seeking. I highly recommend this tour for people wanting a unique history tour in Vietnam.
Recommend – Saigon History Half-day tour
I did this tour on a Sunday at 2:00pm. I recommend this tour for anyone, not just history buffs. Walked past many of the “tourist” destinations, but instead of just pointing and shooting with the camera, we got some insight into the history and the significance of each sight.
As an expat living in Saigon, I went on this tour to help me gain insight into the city I am living in for the next few years. I am trying to broaden my understanding of the culture, language, history etc.
There is a lot of information about the war, but this is so significant in this country, that it has to be addressed in order to understand where it has come from and where it is going. Visual aids (photos and documents) to help give perspective, and references to back up any points made.
It is hot, but there are regular breaks if needed, and plenty of places to get a cool drink. It’s worth it!
Joseph, our guide was easy going, great at explaining, answering questions and it was all at a good pace. Went for a beer and a chat with the group at the end of it all. Perfect end to a good tour! I recommend this tour.
THIS TOUR IS AMAZING
This tour in my opinion trumps all other tours in Saigon.
1. Guide was top notch, with every question answered in the most informative of ways
2. Sites on the tour so interesting with our personal favorite site being the MACV buildings
3. Saigon history tour route around the city was the best way to see this city
We recommend this tour to everyone who loves history
A must do in Saigon
I used to get bored of learning history in school but 4 hour walking tour completely changed my mind. I was pleasantly surprised by our very professional, friendly and knowledgeable guide Joseph (who just returned from the Philippines). This was a delightful experience from start to finish which made my Sunday so wonderful. I strongly recommend this tour to everyone.
A great way to spend an afternoon
Don’t hesitate to take this great tour if you are at all interested in learning more of the history of Saigon and Vietnam. Joseph our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about the history of this vibrant and colorful country. The afternoon was hot and humid but the time past so quickly and we were given short breaks for cool drinks. A great experience, thanks Joseph.
Really interesting and different view of Saigon
After living in dynamic Saigon for more than a year, this walking tour was the first time I felt like I came to grips with its recent past. Thanks, Joseph, for your well-researched, well-thought out tour.
Great knowledge and very interesting
Joseph is a top class historian, who devours history like James Bond drinks his vodka martini. Vast knowledge, fun, good humor and permits you to discover the real Saigon of back in the days, and also some secrets that are fascinating to discover! A MUST!
All the best Joseph,
Edward & Bennett
Saigon History Half-day tour
The Saigon History Half-day tour was a great tour, and look into the history of Ho Chi Minh. It also raised my awareness of the development of modern day Ho Chi Minh and some of the current issues. As all good tours of this type, it is a bit of an information overload, but one that also makes you want to find out more yourself. I highly recommend this tour, particularly if you like history and walking.
Echoing the sentiment of most other reviews — this was a great experience!
My dad and I took the Saigon Must-See Spots Half Day this past summer, with Joseph as our walking guide. Fantastic! He is super-knowledgeable, both in the baseline narrative he shares, and in responding thoughtfully to questions. Joseph has worked hard to create a pithy tour of important historical sights in Saigon — an excellent way to build up (or add to) your historical knowledge-base of a fascinating time and city.
Highly recommended for those who want an in-depth tour of Saigon
It’s not the usual touristy tour that just takes you from here to there, make a quick intro about the place, then photo shooting and off to the next place. Our tour guide, Joseph, is fun, very knowledgeable and question welcoming :). He has an amazing collage of pictures of Saigon in the old days as well as important events happened during the war. As a Vietnamese who was taught Vietnamese history since elementary school, I still found myself learned lots of new things. Highly recommended for those who want an in-depth history tour of Saigon!!!
Great way to learn about Saigon in a short time
We had Joseph as a guide. He was punctual and interesting as a guide. He spoke very good English and we learned a lot. Unfortunately we had to leave earlier running late for a booked Cu Chi tunnels tour in the afternoon, so we had to skip The Jade emperor temple and the War Museum. However Joseph suggested we do the War Remnant museum the next day morning just before our flight which we did.
We were happy we could arrange the city walking tour with Detoured Asia and wish we could spend more time with Joseph and have other tours together. Sadly 1 month is not enough to see everything we wanted in Vietnam and we shall return again. Thanks – Polina and George