This one-day itinerary takes you to what I consider the must-see attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. I’ve designed it assuming that you have one full day in HCMC (but three days would be better). There’s a lot to see in 24 hours, but we’ll make it work.
If you’re planning your trip to HCMC, read about the best time to visit, go through my city travel tips, and learn how to get around (the Grab app is the best option for that). This guide covers getting to District 1 from HCMC airport.
If you have any questions about this itinerary or alternative things to do, ask me and other travelers in my Ho Chi Minh City travel planning group.
Ho Chi Minh City 1-Day Itinerary Summary
- Base yourself in District 1 or District 3.
- One full day is enough to cover Ho Chi Minh City’s best attractions, but it will be a lot of walking. You can use the Grab app to get around, too.
- What I consider the must-see attractions:
- Independence Palace
- War Remnants Museum
- Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
- Ho Chi Minh City Book Street
- Saigon Central Post Office
- Nguyen Hue Walking Street
- Ho Chi Minh Statue
- People’s Committee Building
- Saigon Opera House
- Ben Thanh Market
- Tao Dan Park
- Bonus: Saigon Skydeck, Food Tours
Ho Chi Minh City 1-Day Itinerary Map
Here’s a map of the attractions to help you plan a visiting route. As a long-time resident of HCMC, I consider these the best things to see if you’re visiting the city for the first time. You can view the full map here.
How to use this map: Ahoy! Click the arrow in the top left-hand corner to view the layers. Green is District 3. Orange is District 1. The purple stars are the attractions.
As you can see in the itinerary map above, the places to visit are clustered in a central area. So, depending on where you start, you can visit them in a clockwise or counterclockwise route.
For example, if you stay in District 3, your starting point might be closer to the War Remnants Museum or the area containing the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, and the Saigon Central Post Office, so you might want to start with one of these attractions instead.
If you stay in District 1, you might be across the street from Ben Thanh Market, so it’ll be easier to start there instead.
I’ve provided sample walking routes below.
Full Ho Chi Minh City 1-Day Itinerary
The order of the items in my sample itinerary can be adjusted to suit your starting point. But keep in mind the closing times of certain attractions, like the War Remnants Museum (5:30 PM) and the Independence Palace (4:30 PM).
This sample itinerary route starts in District 1 from near the budget Calista Saigon Hotel (Agoda / Booking) or the luxury La Siesta Premium (Agoda / Booking). These two hotels are around the corner from Ben Thanh Market.
Here’s a map of the itinerary’s walking route that starts next to Ben Thanh Market in District 1. You can also view the route here.
On The Go Map
I’ve created another sample walking route that starts in District 3 from the Mai House Saigon (Agoda / Booking). You can view that route here.
Stop 1: Breakfast (Optional)
Start the day with breakfast at one of my favorite spots, Little HaNoi Egg Coffee. I usually get the classic eggs Benedict and either a hot or iced egg coffee. Here are their locations in Ho Chi Minh City.
Stop 2: Ben Thanh Market
The Ben Thanh Market area is a good place to get a taste of the markets in Ho Chi Minh City. It is busy and usually chaotic. If you intend to buy anything here, prepare to haggle — most items are overpriced. Later, we’ll be visiting the Saigon Central Post Office, a much better place to buy souvenirs. The market can be experienced in 30 minutes.
Stop 3: Tao Dan Park
After Ben Thanh Market, let’s cut north through Tao Dan Park (behind the Independence Palace, which we’ll visit later) and towards the War Remnants Museum. We’ll be going through the middle of the park on Truong Dinh Road.
Stop 4: War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace are the two most popular attractions in HCMC. They will slowly get very busy as the day rolls on. The museum closes at 5:30 PM and the palace at 4:30 PM, so we want to get these out of the way early. The museum is an emotionally heavy attraction. Some of the exhibits have air conditioning and/or fans. There are bathrooms and elevators here and a coffee shop on site. Plan to spend at least one hour here.
Stop 5: Independence Palace
After the War Remnants Museum, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the Independence Palace. This is a spacious attraction. The grounds are free to wander. Inside the palace, there are six floors to discover. You can roam freely at your own pace. There is no air conditioning at the palace. There are bathrooms, elevators, and cold drinks for sale. There are also coffee shops on the palace grounds. As I mentioned above, the palace closes at 4:30 PM, with the last ticket sales at 3:30 PM. Plan to spend at least one hour here.
LUNCH BREAK
If you want lunch, there are several places nearby. Au Parc Restaurant and Propaganda Bistro are two good choices right outside the Independence Palace on Han Thuyen Street.
Stop 6: Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, and the Saigon Central Post Office
After the palace, we’ll be on Le Duan Street. This is a nice green space to walk through on our way to the next attractions. The Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street, and the Saigon Central Post Office are next to each other in the same area. The cathedral is currently being renovated, but Book Street and the post office are open and free to visit. As mentioned, the post office is a great place to buy souvenirs in HCMC because everything is fairly priced (no haggling). You can also buy a postcard and mail it home from inside the 130-year-old post office. Plan to spend around one hour in this area.
Stop 7: Ho Chi Minh Statue, People’s Committee Building, Saigon Opera House
Next, we’ll head down Dong Khoi Street toward the next group of attractions. At the head of Nguyen Hue Street is the Ho Chi Minh Statue. This is one of the few obligatory photos you should take while in Ho Chi Minh City. Behind the statue is the People’s Committee Building. You can also revisit this area at sunset for some great pictures. Nearby is the Saigon Opera House.
Stop 8: Nguyen Hue Walking Street
After admiring this central area of District 1, we’ll head down Nguyen Hue Walking Street toward the Saigon River. If you want, you can cross over Ton Duc Thang Street and visit the Bach Dang Wharf Park/Marina along the river. Be careful crossing the busy street here, but the park on the other side has nice river views. Then, we’ll go back up the other side of Nguyen Hue, right by the Cafe Apartments. Feel free to stop inside for coffee.
Bonus Stop: Saigon Skydeck
Nearby is the Saigon Skydeck inside the Bitexco Financial Tower. You’ll likely have noticed this building by its helipad. If the weather is nice and clear, you can get great views of Ho Chi Minh City from the 49th floor.
DINNER: Restaurants, Food Tours
You’ll now be free for dinner. There are tons of options in the Nguyen Hue Street area. There are also a lot of great food tours, mostly on scooters, but there are walking food tours and dinner cruises, too.
This dinner cruise along the Saigon River departs at 7:15 PM.
Here’s a private street food evening walking tour. This is another walking food tour with timeslots at 6 PM and 6:30 PM.
This is a popular scooter food tour with many different daily time slots and tour options.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City for a Short Trip
With only 24 hours in HCMC, you’ll want to base yourself in District 1 or District 3, as all the attractions in this itinerary are located there. The hotels I recommend below are in convenient areas for eating or shopping, with easy access to these attractions. I also have a dedicated guide on the best areas to stay in HCMC.
My Recommended Hotels in District 1
Dong Khoi Street, Nguyen Hue Street, and the Ben Thanh Market area are very convenient places to stay in District 1.
- Dong Khoi Street
- Ben Thanh Market area
My Recommended Hotels in District 3
District 3 is often overlooked in favor of District 1, but it’s a great place to stay. It’s walkable and largely borders District 1, so getting to the attractions is very easy. There are some great hotels in District 3.
- Budget
The Hoang Lan Hotel (Agoda / Booking) and the Aristo Saigon (Agoda / Booking) are well-located budget hotels.
- Midrange
The Au Lac Legend (Agoda / Booking) is in a great location, equally close to the War Remnants Museum, the Independence Palace, HCMC Book Street, the Saigon Central Post Office, and the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon.
- Luxury
The Mai House Saigon (Agoda / Booking) and the Hotel des Arts Saigon (Agoda / Booking) are two great luxury hotels in District 3.
The La Vela Saigon (Agoda / Booking) has the best rooftop pool in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a nice hotel but on the outskirts of District 3. You can still walk to the itinerary’s attractions (in about 20-plus minutes), or you can use the Grab app.
This is extremely informative!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
You’re welcome, Maria. Let me know if you have any questions on HCMC!