How To Spend 48 Hours In Ho Chi Minh City

There’s a lot to pack into a two-day visit to Ho Chi Minh City. Here are some top tips on how to get the best from 48 hours in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant cities.

Day 1:

Start the day with a traditional Vietnamese meal. Popular noodle dishes are served on stalls and in cafés from the early hours, so you should have no problem finding a good breakfast.

If you want to explore the city on foot, you can use your guide book to get around or join an organised walking tour. Ho Chi Minh City is home to a wide range of architectural styles that give visitors an insight into Vietnam’s past. From the French colonial Notre-Dame Basilica to the gothic Central Post Office, the city’s buildings are a history lesson in themselves.

After a busy day sightseeing, in the evening sip a refreshing Bia Hơi at a street-side bar. Bia Hơi is not only one of the cheapest beers in the world, it is also one of the ‘freshest’ with new barrels brewed daily. And the atmosphere at these local watering holes is unlike that at any regular bar in the city.

Day 2

Rise early for a trip to one of the local markets and enjoy the sight of locals bargaining and shopping or pick up some fresh produce for yourself.

After exploring the markets, delve into Vietnam’s history. Visit the War Remnants Museum to get a more detailed understanding of the Vietnam War. Or, find out what life was like during war time by crawling through the Củ Chi Tunnels, a huge underground network in which many Vietnamese people lived during the war.

Make sure to take time for a delicious Vietnamese coffee too. Coffee and tea are not only exported from Vietnam but they are also an important part of the culture – the city’s cafés are full of groups of people sipping coffee from afternoon until evening, especially at the weekend.

In the evening, swap a street-side beer for a sophisticated cocktail in one of the city’s many rooftop bars. Follow that with a late night stroll, stopping to enjoy the view from some of Ho Chi Minh City’s beautiful bridges.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.