Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursion: War Remnants Tour

A tank crashed through the palace gates in 1975. You walk past it today.

A private shore excursion from Ho Chi Minh City cruise port with an English-speaking guide, covering six to twelve hours depending on your pace. The tour visits Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, the Saigon Opera House, and Cholon (Chinatown), with port pickup and drop-off, lunch at a local restaurant, and bottled water included. You choose which stops matter most and how long to spend at each one.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral30m
2. Saigon Central Post Office30m
3. Reunification Palace45m · entry included
4. War Remnants Museum45m · entry included
5. Saigon Opera House15m
6. Cholon1h
7. Thien Hau Temple30m

Explore Ho Chi Minh City highlights

• Visit Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
• Tour Saigon Central Post Office
• Explore Reunification Palace
• Visit War Remnants Museum
• See People’s Committee Building
• View Saigon Opera House
• Discover Cholon Chinatown
• Visit Ba Thien Hau Temple

The experience

How much of Ho Chi Minh City can you actually see between ship time and the clock? This tour solves that by picking you up at the cruise port and building the day around the stops that matter: the ones most visitors regret missing. You're not herded through a standard itinerary. Your guide adjusts based on what draws you, so if the War Remnants Museum absorbs three hours instead of one, the rest of the day reshapes around it.

The colonial core anchors the morning: Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the 1880s with red brick imported from Marseille and two bell towers that still ring, sits steps from the Central Post Office, a restored masterpiece of French architecture from 1897 with arched windows and wooden shutters that look unchanged from the late 19th century. Reunification Palace comes next: the compound where a North Vietnamese tank crashed through the main gate in 1975, ending the war. Two of those original tanks still sit in the grounds. Inside, the palace is frozen in that moment: secret rooms, antique furniture, a command bunker, lush gardens. The War Remnants Museum holds the harder history: a helicopter with rocket launchers, a fighter plane, a conventional bomb weighing 6,800 kilograms, and photographs documenting the conflict between 1945 and 1975.

Cholon, Vietnam's largest Chinatown with roots back to 1778, offers a different texture: narrow aisles, the Binh Tay market crowded and alive, classical Chinese architecture, and the Ba Thien Hau Temple dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu. The Saigon Opera House, an 800-seat restored colonial building from 1897, rounds out the French-era landmarks. Lunch happens at a local restaurant serving Vietnamese cuisine, and your guide carries bottled water and cold tissues for the heat. The whole day runs six to twelve hours depending on how many stops you choose and how long you linger. You're not racing the clock.

What’s included

• Private, customized tour with an English-speaking guide.
• port pickup and drop-off.
• lunch at a local restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine.
• bottled water and cold tissues throughout the day.
• entry fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 11:00

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 7 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Maximus Travel Vietnam

Is this one for you?The tour runs six to twelve hours depending on which stops you choose and how long you spend at each one, so you control the pace. Book the full span if you want Cholon and the Opera House, or a shorter window if the colonial core and war history are your focus. Your guide adjusts the route based on your interests, which matters on a cruise day when ship time is fixed.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What's inside the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City?

The War Remnants Museum displays American military equipment used during the Vietnam War, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, and a single-seater attack aircraft. You'll also see a conventional bomb weighing 6,800 kilograms and graphic photographs documenting the conflict from 1945 to 1975.

Can I see the tanks that ended the Vietnam War?

Yes. Two original North Vietnamese Army tanks that crashed through the main gate of Reunification Palace in 1975 are parked in the palace grounds and visible during your visit. The palace itself is preserved as it was on that day, with secret rooms, antique furniture, and a command bunker still intact.

Is Cholon worth visiting, or should I skip it for more time elsewhere?

Cholon is worth visiting if you want to experience authentic Chinese atmosphere that has existed for hundreds of years: classical architecture, narrow market aisles, Chinese restaurants, and the Ba Thien Hau Temple. The Binh Tay market at the center is busy and crowded. The draw is the cultural setting rather than shopping variety, and it's particularly atmospheric at night.

How much walking is involved in this shore excursion?

The tour involves moderate walking at each stop: the cathedral, post office, palace grounds, and museum are all navigable at a comfortable pace. Cholon's market has narrow aisles that require moving through crowds. Your guide adjusts the itinerary based on your fitness level and interests, so you're not locked into a fixed route.

Will I have time for lunch, or is it rushed?

Lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant is built into the tour and is not rushed. Your guide coordinates the timing so you eat when it fits naturally into the day's stops, and the meal is included in the price.