10 Best Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City

Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City (widely known as Saigon), to anywhere in the south of Vietnam, the city is the heart and soul of Vietnam and planning day trips and excursions are just part of what you will have as a joy of traveling to Vietnam. It’s a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city in the country, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. Yet within the teeming metropolis are the timeless traditions and beauty of an ancient culture. This is a city that churns, ferments, bubbles and fumes. The streets, where much of the city’s life takes place, are a jumble of street markets, shops, pavement cafes, stands-on-wheels and vendors selling wares spread out on sidewalks. It’s impossible not to be infected by its exhilarating vibe.

The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City, weather-wise is the dry season between December and April, when the humidity is more manageable. The crowds start getting heavy around November and stay through March. The Tet Festival in late January or early February is an exciting, if extremely hectic, time to visit. Being only 10.5° above the equator and between 5 and 10m (16-35ft) above sea level, Ho Chi Minh City is almost a template for tropical weather. Temperatures rarely vary from about 30°C (86°F); however, the seven- or eight-month wet season can certainly make things wet, sweaty and generally uncomfortable. Heavy downpours can last for days on end, although the city is largely spared the devastation of typhoons that hit the northern areas of the country. The driest time is between December and April, when the humidity is mercifully down below 60%. Anyway, this is Saigon and is still loved by millions of travelers and expats.

2. Cu Chi Tunnels

The town of Cu Chi is a district of greater HCMC and has a population of about 200, 000 (it had about 80, 000 residents during the American War). At first glance there is little evidence here to indicate the intense fighting, bombing and destruction that occurred in Cu Chi during the war. To see what went on, you have to dig deeper – underground. The tunnel network of Cu Chi became legendary during the 1960s for its role in facilitating Viet Cong (VC) control of a large rural area only 30km to 40km from HCMC. At its height the tunnel system stretched from the South Vietnamese capital to the Cambodian border; in the district of Cu Chi alone there were more than 250km of tunnels. The network, parts of which was several storeys deep, included innumerable trap doors, constructed living areas, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centres and kitchens.

Getting there & around Cu Chi

Cu Chi district covers a large area, parts of which are as close as 30km to central HCMC. The Cu Chi War History Museum is closest to the city, while the Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc tunnels are about 50km and 70km, respectively, from central HCMC by highway. There’s a back road that reduces the distance significantly, though it means driving on bumpy dirt roads. Hiring a taxi in HCMC and driving out to Cu Chi is not all that expensive, especially if the cost is shared by several people. The easiest way to do this is to stop by one of the budget travel cafés in Pham Ngu Lao and arrange a car, or see if you can flag a taxi in that neighbourhood with a driver who will agree to charge you for driving time only. A visit to the Cu Chi tunnel complex can easily be combined with a stop at the headquarters of the Cao Dai sect in Tay Ninh. A taxi for an all-day excursion to both should cost about US$45. The buses going to Tay Ninh pass though Cu Chi, but getting from the town of Cu Chi to the tunnels by public transport is impossible – it’s 15km, so you’ll have to hire a motorbike from Tay Ninh (around US$6 return).

4. Nui Ba Den; Black Virgin Mountain

Fifteen kilometres northeast of Tay Ninh, Nui Ba Den (Black Lady Mountain; admission adult/child 8000/4000d) rises 850m above the rice paddies, corn, cassava (manioc) and rubber plantations of the surrounding countryside. Over the centuries Nui Ba Den has served as a shrine for various peoples of the area, including the Khmer, Chams, Vietnamese and Chinese, and there are several interesting cave temples on the mountain. The summits of Nui Ba Den are much cooler than the rest of Tay Ninh province, most of which is only a few dozen metres above sea level. Nui Ba Den was used as a staging area by both the Viet Minh and the VC, and was the scene of fierce fighting during the French and American Wars. At one time there was a US Army firebase and relay station at the summit, which was later, ironically, defoliated and heavily bombed by US aircraft. Because of Ba Den mountain’s popularity by locals and tourists, we advice to visit during the weekdays.

To get to the black virgin mountain from Ho Chi Minh City, you first need tp get to Tay Nihn, then change to Nui Den area. Taxis, Grab and tours are the options.

6. Vũng Tàu

Popular beach escape as a day trip from Saigon. Vung Tau drones with bass-thumping action on the weekends as visitors from HCMC motor into town; weekdays, however, are blissfully dead. Vung Tau’s beaches are easily reached from HCMC, making them a favourite of that city’s residents since French colonists first began coming here around 1890. Known under the French as Cap St Jacques – so-named by Portuguese mariners in honour of their patron saint – Vung Tau is a commercialised beach resort on a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea, about 128km southeast of HCMC (via Bien Hoa). The business of oil-drilling here means the azure horizon is marred by frequent oil tankers, and the population flecked with joy-seeking expats.

From Mien Dong bus station in HCMC, air-con minibuses (25, 000d, two hours, 128km) leave for Vung Tau throughout the day until around 4.30pm. From Vung Tau’s bus station (192A Ð Nam Ky Khoi Nghia) to Mulberry Beach or Back Beach, a xe om should cost around 10, 000d. Should convenience outweigh cost, catch a Petro Express hydrofoil (HCMC 08-821 0650, Vung Tau 816 308) to Vung Tau (120, 000d, 90 minutes) at Bach Dang jetty in HCMC. Boats leave roughly two hours starting at 6.30am, but check in HCMC for the latest schedule. In Vung Tau the boat leaves from Cau Da pier, opposite the Hai Au Hotel.

8. Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve

Notable for its mangrove forest, Can Gio is a low palm-fringed island some 25km southeast of HCMC. The island, which is at the intersection between the Saigon River and the sea, was created by silt washing downstream. It’s hard-packed mud rather than sandy beach, so attracts few visitors and the area remains entirely undeveloped. The principal attraction here – and it’s a minor one – is Can Gio mangrove forest (Lam Vien Can Gio; 874 3069; fax 874 3068; admission 15, 000d). Formed by sediment deposits from the Dong Nai and Long Tau Rivers, this forest sounds impressive on paper: its 75, 000 hectares contains a high degree of biodiversity with more than 200 species of fauna and 50 species of flora. Infrastructure, however, is lacking, and only mangrove enthusiasts will truly enjoy the trip out. There is also the Can Gio Museum, which has displays on the wildlife of the forest, along with exhibits relating to local war history; the park also has a monkey sanctuary, home to at least a hundred simians. Admission to the Can Gio mangrove forest also covers the museum.

Can Gio is about 60km southeast of central HCMC, and the fastest way to make the journey is by car or motorbike (about two hours). There’s a ferry crossing (motorbike/car 2000/10, 000d) 15km from HCMC at Binh Khanh (Cat Lai), a former US naval base. The road is paved all the way from HCMC to Can Gio. Once you get past the ferry, there is little traffic and the sides of the road are lined with mangrove forests.

10. Cat Tien National Park

One of the outstanding gems of the region, the 72, 000-hectare Cat Tien National Park comprises an amazingly biodiverse region of lowland tropical rain forest. The hiking, mountain biking and bird-watching are easily the best in Southern Vietnam. Always call ahead for reservations as the park can accommodate only a limited number of visitors. In the 2nd century AD the Cat Tien area was a religious centre of the Funan empire, and ancient Oc-Eo cultural relics have been discovered in the park. Cat Tien was hit hard by defoliants during the American War, but the large old-growth trees survived and the smaller plants have recovered. Just as importantly, the wildlife has made a comeback and in 2001 Unesco added Cat Tien National Park to its list of biosphere reserves. Since then, infrastructure has improved markedly with decent overnight options. It’s worth spending at least two full days here, if possible.

Whichever way you come, you’ll be dropped off at the park office, 100m before the ferry across the Dong Nai River to park headquarters. Buy your entrance ticket from the park office, which will include the price of the ferry crossing. The most common approach to the park is from Hwy 20, which connects Dalat with HCMC. To reach the park, follow the narrow 24km road, which branches west from Hwy 20 at Talai Junction (Nga Ban Talai), 125km north of HCMC and 175km south of Dalat. The road to the park is signposted at the junction, and with your own wheels getting there shouldn’t be a hassle. By bus, take any Dalat-bound service (35, 000d, four hours) and tell the driver to let you off at Vuon Quoc Gia Cat Tien. From this junction, you can hire a motorbike (they’re always around) to take you the remaining 25km to the park (around 40, 000d).