How many days do you need to see Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City Trip Length: 3-5 Days
To fully experience Ho Chi Minh City, allocate 3-5 days. This allows visits to key sites (War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace), exploration of the street food scene, and a Cu Chi Tunnels excursion. A shorter trip hits highlights; longer stays offer deeper cultural immersion.
How many days to visit Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?
Okay, so Ho Chi Minh City? (Saigon, whatever you wanna call it). I’d say, personally, you need like, 3 to 5 days there.
That’s what I did back in July 2018, cost about 50 USD a day, pretty cheap.
It’s just enough time, y’know? See the War Remnants Museum, that place is intense. Reunification Palace too, history is heavy there.
Street food’s amazin’. I ate so much pho (less than 2 USD bowl) and banh mi (1 USD), my stomach was so happy. I mean, try to plan some things but just wandering also is nice, y’know.
Then you GOTTA do the Cu Chi Tunnels. That’s a day trip alone, trust me on that. Like 15 USD ticket, super interesting.
A shorter trip? Sure, do the big stuff. But longer? You’ll find cool cafes (iced coffee 1.5 USD), little shops, just… more real life, I think. A deeper dive.
I mean, I could have stayed longer, honestly, to find more things. But 3-5 days is my recommendation, for sure.
How long should I stay in Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City, eh? Well, buckle up, buttercup! Two to four days? That’s like asking how long to spend at your grandma’s, it all depends on your tolerance for chaos.
- First-timer jitters? Okay, maybe three days to dip your toes. It’s long enough to see the tourist stuff.
- Got museum fatigue? Two days is your max. Seriously, history is a beast.
- Planning to bounce to Da Nang or Phu Quoc? Two days. Skedaddle, friend, skedaddle.
- Ho Chi Minh City is massive, okay? It’s more than just the Reunification Palace! Think traffic jams the size of small countries.
Bonus Round:
- Foodie fanatic? Add an extra day. Pho is a religion, not a meal. Trust me.
- Shopping like crazy? Another day, I guess. Just don’t blame me when your luggage explodes.
- Into underground tunnels? Then, yeah, maybe four days, but watch out for bats. Seriously, they’re huge.
- Party animal? Four days minimum. The nightlife is wilder than my uncle’s toupee.
- Want to “find yourself?” LOL. Good luck. Seriously, HCMC isn’t really for that kind of thing, it’s more just, you know, loud.
- I would go longer.
How long should I spend in Ho Chi Minh?
Okay, Ho Chi Minh City… Hmm. I spent, gosh, feels like ages ago now, it was September 2023. I think I was there… maybe three days? Something like that.
I flew in from Da Nang. It was SO hot, right? I mostly wanted to see the War Remnants Museum. That place hit hard.
Spent a whole afternoon there. Didn’t expect THAT. Three days felt… right.
Cu Chi Tunnels, yeah, did that too. Claustrophobic nightmare, lemme tell ya. Day trip out there.
But seriously…it boils down to these:
- Interests: Are you into history? Museums? Food?
- Pace: Do you like rushing or chilling? Rushing is NOT it there.
- Budget: Affects everything, of course.
More stuff about that trip? Sure thing!
- Flights with Vietjet are cheap if you book way ahead.
- Uber/Grab is YOUR FRIEND. Seriously.
- I stayed near Ben Thanh Market; loud, but convenient.
- The rooftop bars are worth the splurge for the views and the cocktails!
- Eating street food is a MUST, try banh mi and pho. OMG so good.
- Expect to sweat. A lot. I mean a LOT.
When not to visit Ho Chi Minh City?
Okay, Ho Chi Minh… when not to go? Right, like, gotta avoid being totally soaked.
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Rainy season is the worst. May to October. Ugh, humidity.
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But hey, it’s short bursts of rain, not like constant downpour. Still, not ideal if you wanna walk around a lot. I remember almost slipping last time.
January and February? Hmmm. Oh!
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January and February are good, unless it’s Tet. My aunt Carol went during Tet, said it was bonkers crowded. Never again!
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Too many people. Plus everything’s closed. So, yeah, definitely avoid Tet.
So, basically, avoid the rain and the crowds, duh. Wonder if Saigon Outcast is still around? I miss that place.
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