Meeting point: At Port Gate (photo below)
FULL ITINERARY
Explore the old and the new of Ho Chi Minh City through this 2-day Phu My shore excursion from the cruise port for insights into its tumultuous past. Experience the city’s dynamics and vitality in the present days as you pass by dizzying traffic and sleek skyscrapers.
Day 1: Phu My Port – Ho Chi Minh City Tour – Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City (L)
Be picked up by our driver and tour guide at the port entrance gate. Your Ho Chi Minh City shore excursion starts with a 2-hour drive into the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Firstly, visit the Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace for the Southern Vietnamese government. Continue on to the War Remnant Museum, where you’ll see countless artifacts, photographs, and pictures documenting about the Vietnam War. You’ll be served an authentic Vietnamese lunch at midday, then visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Old Post Office that reflect the French colonial architectural style. Venture into Chinatown before disembarking at the exuberant Ben Thanh market to get a taste of the local lifestyle.
Stroll through an extensive display of traditional handicrafts, textiles, ao dai souvenirs, and various food stalls serving local delights. Enjoy free time for the rest of the day at the Rooftop Bar@Rex Hotel where you’ll sip on your cooling drinks while admiring a sweeping vista of the city. Your guide will bring you to a hotel for check-in and overnight rest.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City – Cu Chi Tunnels Tour – Phu My Port (B)
After a hotel breakfast, at 8 am your tour guide & driver will drive you to the famous Cu Chi tunnels, also known as the “Iron Triangle” or “Iron Land” in wartime. Pass through the rural countryside, full of rice paddies and rubber plantations, before arriving at the tunnels.
You’ll watch a short introductory video showing how they were constructed, followed by an exploration of the maze of tunnels, some of which have been widened to allow tourist access. Also on display are various mantraps and remains of an American tank as well as numerous bomb craters made by 500lb bombs dropped from B52 bombers. Afterward, you’ll go back to Ho Chi Minh City before heading straight to Phu My Port. Arrive at the port at around 4 pm to board the cruise and continue your shore trip. Trip ends. Thanks for traveling with Shore Excursions Asia!
