Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursion: Private Guided Tour

Eight to twelve hours in Saigon, from the cathedral to the markets and back to the port.

A private guided tour of Ho Chi Minh City from Phu My Port includes pickup and dropoff at the cruise terminal, an English-speaking guide, Vietnamese lunch, and visits to the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Cholon (Chinatown), Thien Hau Temple and Ben Thanh Market. The itinerary is customizable, so you choose which stops matter most and how long to spend at each one. All entry fees and taxes are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Ho Chi Minh City highlights

• Visit Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
• Tour Saigon Central Post Office
• Explore Independence Palace
• Visit War Remnants Museum
• See Secret Weapon Bunker
• View People’s Committee Building
• Visit Saigon Opera House
• Explore Ba Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown
• Walk around Cholon Chinatown
• Shop at Ben Thanh Market

The Experience

The tour starts at Phu My Port with pickup and transport into the city center. Your guide speaks English and can adjust the route based on what interests you most—whether that's the colonial architecture, the war history, the temples, or the street markets. Because it's a private tour, the pace and the stops are yours to shape.

The War Remnants Museum holds military equipment from the Vietnam War, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, and a fighter plane. Reunification Palace is where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the main gate in 1975, ending the war; two of the original tanks still sit in the grounds. Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, stands 60 metres tall with an all-red brick façade imported from Marseille and stained glass windows. The Central Post Office next door is one of Southeast Asia's grandest, designed in the late 19th century with arched windows and wooden shutters. Thien Hau Temple in Cholon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu. Ben Thanh Market, one of Saigon's oldest landmarks, sells local handicrafts, Vietnamese art and souvenirs; eating stalls inside serve hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine, and restaurants around the perimeter open at night.

Vietnamese lunch is included, along with a glass or cup of Vietnamese coffee. The tour runs eight to twelve hours depending on how many stops you choose and how long you linger at each one. Your guide handles the navigation and the entry fees; you just show up at the port and return when the tour ends.

What’s included

• Private guided tour with an English-speaking guide.
• pickup and dropoff at Phu My Port.
• Vietnamese lunch.
• Vietnamese coffee.
• all entry fees and taxes to the attractions you visit.
• customizable itinerary so you choose the stops and the pace.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Maximus Travel Vietnam

Is this one for you?Eight to twelve hours is long enough to see the major sites—the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market—without rushing, but short enough to stay within a typical port day. If your ship's schedule is tight, your guide can focus on the highlights; if you have more time, you can linger at the temples or spend longer in Cholon.

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Top questions

What's inside the War Remnants Museum?

The War Remnants Museum displays military equipment used during the Vietnam War between 1945 and 1975, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft, and a conventional bomb weighing 6,800kg. The museum opened in 1975 and holds graphic photographs alongside the hardware.

Can I choose which attractions to visit?

Yes. The tour is customizable, so you and your guide can decide which stops matter most to you—the museums and palaces, the temples, the markets, or a mix of all of them. You set the pace and the itinerary within the eight to twelve hour window.

What's the difference between Ben Thanh Market and Cholon?

Ben Thanh Market in District 1 is one of Saigon's oldest landmarks, selling local handicrafts, Vietnamese art and souvenirs with eating stalls inside serving hawker-style cuisine. Cholon is Vietnam's largest Chinatown, roughly twenty minutes from the city centre, with classical Chinese architecture, temples, and the Binh Tay market at its centre—the draw there is the authentic Chinese atmosphere that has existed for hundreds of years, not the shopping.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Vietnamese lunch is included in the tour price, along with a glass or cup of Vietnamese coffee.

How does pickup work from the cruise port?

Your guide meets you at Phu My Port and provides transport into Ho Chi Minh City. At the end of the tour, you're returned to the port in time for your ship's departure.