Ho Chi Minh City Half-Day Tour with Rickshaw Ride

A tank crashed through the palace gates in 1975 and stopped a war.

A half-day private tour of Ho Chi Minh City with hotel pickup, English-speaking guide, and entrance tickets to the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum. The itinerary moves between colonial landmarks (Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office), then shifts to a trishaw ride through the city streets to reach the museum. Lunch at a local noodle restaurant and return transport to your hotel are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Reunification Palace1h · entry included
2. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral30m · entry included
3. Saigon Central Post Office20m · entry included
4. War Remnants Museum45m · entry included

Ho Chi Minh City half-day tour

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Reunification Palace
• See Notre Dame Cathedral
• Visit Saigon Central Post Office
• Rickshaw ride to War Remnants Museum
• Have noodle lunch at local restaurant
• Return to hotel

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your central district hotel at 8am and heads to the Reunification Palace, the landmark that defined modern Vietnamese history. Built on the site of the former Norodom Palace and designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu, it served as the base of General Ngo Dinh Diem until 1963. On April 30, 1975, a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through its main gate, ending the Vietnam War: an event that still marks the building's identity today. You walk through the palace with your guide, who explains the rooms and the history embedded in them.

From there the tour moves through Ho Chi Minh City's French Colonial quarter, stopping at the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, both structures that survived the war and still anchor the city's skyline. These are brief stops to see the architecture and understand the layers of the city's past. Then comes the trishaw ride. A three-wheeled bicycle taxi that takes you through the streets to the War Remnants Museum. The museum holds a vast collection from both the Indochina wars, displayed across multiple galleries. Your guide is with you to contextualize what you're seeing.

Lunch happens at a local restaurant where you eat noodles and drink water, a meal that breaks up the morning and gives you a chance to ask your guide questions about what you've seen. After lunch, the driver brings you back to your hotel, ending the tour around midday or early afternoon depending on how the morning moved.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from central district hotels.
• private modern car with a safe driver.
• English-speaking guide for the entire tour.
• entrance tickets to the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum.
• trishaw ride through the city.
• lunch with local noodles and water.
• return transport to your hotel.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 17 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Da Nang Hoi An Private Tours & Shore Excursion

Is this one for you?The morning start at 8am and the 4- to 5-hour pace mean you're back at your hotel by early afternoon, leaving the rest of your day free. The private car and guide mean you move at a single itinerary rather than waiting for a group, and the trishaw ride is the only moment you're not in a vehicle: a short, memorable stretch through the streets on the way to the museum.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is the Reunification Palace and why is it so important to Ho Chi Minh City?

The Reunification Palace, also called the Independence Palace, is the building where a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed through the main gate on April 30, 1975, ending the Vietnam War. It was designed by architect Ngo Viet Thu and served as the base of General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. Today it stands as a landmark of that pivotal moment in Vietnamese history, and you visit it as part of the tour with your guide.

Do I have to walk a lot on this tour?

The tour includes walking at the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Central Post Office, but these are not long distances. You also ride in a trishaw, a three-wheeled bicycle taxi, to reach the War Remnants Museum, so you're not walking the whole time. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels according to the operator.

What's included in the noodle lunch?

Lunch at a local restaurant includes noodles and water. It's a meal break during the tour, not a multi-course dining experience, and it gives you time to rest and ask your guide about what you've seen so far.

What does the War Remnants Museum display?

The War Remnants Museum holds a vast collection from both the Indochina wars, displayed across multiple galleries. Your guide walks through the museum with you and explains the exhibits and their historical context.

What time does the tour end and how do I get back to my hotel?

The tour runs for about 4 to 5 hours and ends around midday or early afternoon. Your private driver brings you back to your hotel as part of the tour, so return transport is included.