Layover In Ho Chi Minh – Ultimate Guide On What To Do
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This is your ultimate guide on what to do for 24 hours or less layover in Ho Chi Minh. Here you shall find the best strategy for spending your day in the city. You will not only find information about a 1-day itinerary with must-visit places and experiences.
More importantly, you will find information that you should pay attention to even before the things to do. That includes basic transit visa information, lead time for the customs clearing, and other things that you should be mindful of.
Before that, if you are new to the city, you should know that Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam(HCMC) used to be called Saigon. Saigon Vietnam used to be the capital city of the South Vietnam government. It changed to HCMC with the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 to pay respect to the Country finding father Ho Chi Minh.
It is the city with the most tourist inflow each year. However, the capital city is Hanoi instead and Ho Chi Minh’s body is at Hanoi instead of HCMC.
Is One Day Enough For HCMC?
I usually stay in the cities for 3 or 4 days. However, you can still cover all the most important tourist attractions in the city within a day or less. All the main attractions of the city are located quite close to each other within a 3km distance walking circle. Or else you can join an organized local tour to save the effort of planning.
Other than that a day shall also be sufficient for you to visit one or two museums, plus experience the nightlife of the city. No worries I will walk you through the details.
First thing first, if you are staying for one day or less than 24 hours, then likely you are transiting at the HCMC (SGN) airport. I note that there are multiple airlines especially the Australian ones are using HCMC as the transit airport. So I do recommend you to read the below before indulging in your planning.
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Saigon City Half-Day Tour
The tour starts at 7:30 am and ends at ~ 12 pm. It is not an exact match for the icons I put in my google map for you. However, it covers main attractions like Independence Palace, Cathedral, Post Office and War Remnants Museum. It shall save you lots of your walking.
From HCMC International Airport To City Center
There are several points you need to be aware of before deciding to visit the city during your transition.
1. Do you have a Vietnam Visa
Unlike other Countries like Ethiopia, Vietnam does not offer free transit Visas or specifically transit visas do not exist. Most of the Countries in the world would need a Visa to enter Vietnam. If you do not have one, you need to apply that through the official channel at least a week before for 25 USD. Or else you will need to pay the Visa agents at a much higher price i.e. over 100 USD.
In short, you can still do last last-minute Visa but it could be expensive.
2. Custom Clearing Time
The customer clearing of the international terminal could take 30 minutes to 2 hours. For domestic terminals, the lead time would be less. Last time when I flew from Nha Trang to HCMC, it took me less than 20 minutes to clear the customs.
There is a fast-track service for international terminals that you can pay ~ 20 USD to get out within 30 minutes.
3. Travel Time For HCMC Airport To The City Center
The distance from the airport to the city center is around 7km. The travel time is usually 30 minutes but could be an hour during busy times. The best way is to use Grab (ASEAN version Uber) to city center.
So factoring in ~ 2 hours for travel, custom clearing, and some time for Visa application (if you don’t have one). Then the time you can spend in the city is around 18 hours.
Typical 1 Day Itinerary Within The City Center
A brief walkthrough on the 24 hours visit plan as below. If you have less than 18 hours, feel free to remove any session to fit your schedule.
Morning
· Money Exchange for VND
· Ben Thanh Market & Breakfast
· Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
· Saigon Central Post Office
· Ho Chi Minh City Book Street
· Saigon Opera House
· Ngyuen Hue Square (Ho Chi Minh Statue)
· Café Apartment
Afternoon
· Lunch at Bep Me In, a Vietnamese Michelin restaurant
· War Remnants Museum
Night
· Dinner at Bui Vien (Bar Street)
· Alternatively, dinner at Pho 2000 followed by a Traditional Water Puppet or Bamboo Circus Show
Morning Itinerary In Details
You will need cash even for a short stay, so you should exchange first. The best shop for VND is just near your first attraction Ben Thanh Market. I suggest at least exchanging 500k to 1m VND (~ 20 USD to 40 USD) for your day. If you arrive at night, you will have to exchange at the airport instead.
After the exchange, you can explore the below city attractions on foot. I have made a Google route for you. Again alternatively, you can join a day tour to cover most of the below attractions.
Ben Thanh Market
The market has a distinctive design with a prominent clock tower and colorful façade founded in the 17th. In short, it is the market that sells local dried food, coffee, handicrafts, textiles, and other souvenirs.
It also has a food court session (cash only), so taste the local food here while saving time for the next attractions.
Notre Dame Cathedral Of Saigon, Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street
~ 15 minutes walk from the Ben Thanh market, these 3 attractions are sitting next to each other. The Cathedral showcases neo-Romanesque architecture, featuring red brick exteriors and two prominent bell towers that reach a height of 58 meters.
The Saigon Central Post Office is another French colonial structure in HCMC. They are very good for IG photos. The book street is not long and probably would take you 10 10-minute’ walk to complete that.
The post office is also the place for souvenir purchases like key chains, fridge magnets, and other local art. They are at least 50% cheaper than HCMC airport.
Nguyen Hue Square, Saigon Opera House, Café Apartment
~ 10 minutes walk from Saigon Central Post office, you will reach the Nguyen Hue Square. There you will find the Ho Chi Minh statue and the main boulevard for HCMC. Walking along the road, you will find the Saigon Opera House with the endpoint of the Café apartment.
The Café apartment is another key icon in HCMC where a bunch of cozy cafes are located in apartment buildings. The entry fee is 10,000 VND in cash. You will probably need ~ 1.5 hours or so for this part of the journey including the visit to the apartment.
Afternoon Itinerary In Details
Note that the morning session covers most of the must-visit attractions in the city. Most of the attractions there do not have time constraints, meaning you could visit in the morning, afternoon, and even at night.
If you still want to explore more after the 3 km walk, I recommend you to take a Vietnamese lunch and then visit the War Remnants Museum.
Lunch at Bep Me In
Bep Me In is a local Michelin starred restaurant. If you are taking only one meal in HCMC, this is the place to go. HCMC is also famous for French fine dining and other Western food even pizza!
However, if you stay here for a day, the very first meal must be Vietnamese food. Despite earning the Michelin star status, Bep Me In is a very affordable local restaurant with high-quality food. You can find local food such as pho, Vietnamese pancakes, and other local dishes here.
Due to its popularity, you would want to either lunch there early at 11 am or 2 pm to avoid peak hours. The average price is around 200k VND can be paid in cash or card.
War Remnants Museum
Of all the museums, the War Remnants Museum is the best one to visit. It is a museum with a focus on the modern history of the Vietnam War. And because of that, you will have an idea of the recent history development history of Vietnam.
If you are new to Vietnam, you will also be shocked by how chemical weapons like Agent Orange affect multiple generations of the Country. The museum is in District 3. The best way to get there if you travel solo is through Grab Bike. Getting there from the main attractions of District 1 in the morning shall take around 15 minutes.
The museum closes at 5:30 pm, it should take you around 2 hours for the visit including travel time.
If you are not interested in the museum, you could go to Saigon River and Financial Tower (Saigon Sky Deck) instead. Or feel free to pick any of the items I listed in my 3-day itinerary in HCMC.
Night Itinerary In Details
As compared to Hanoi or Nha Trang, HCMC has the best nightlife. Bui Vien has bars, restaurants, and live performances that you never get bored. For the last part of this 1-day journey, I recommend you head to Bui Vien (bar street) to experience the nightlife of HCMC.
The drinks and food are not expensive there. You shall see the crowd growing there around 6 pm. Feel free to grab some food there followed by drinks. You just need to be aware don’t overdrink yourself and miss the flight.
If nightlife and drinks are not your thing, alternatively you can take a quick Pho at Pho 2000.
Then you can either take a Vietnamese Water Puppet Show (near Independence Palace) or a traditional Bamboo Circus Show (at Saigon Opera House). If you have sufficient time, you could still go to other attractions after the show.
🎉🎉Traditional Vietnam Water Puppet Show! ✅ Book Here
🎉🎉Traditional Vietnam Bamboo Circus Show! ✅ Book Here
HCMC Water Puppet Show
Water Puppet Show has over 1000 years of history in Vietnam since the 11th century. Water puppetry (controlled by bamboo) is performed in a pool of water with the water surface being the stage. The show is usually accompanied by local songs, folk,s and fire performances.
HCMC Bamboo Circus Show
The Traditional Vietnam Bamboo Circus Show, known as “Múa Rối Nước,” combines acrobatics, dance, and music with bamboo props. Performers showcase stunning aerial feats and rhythmic movements, telling vibrant stories of Vietnamese culture and folklore. This lively, colorful spectacle captivates audiences, reflecting the country’s rich artistic heritage and communal spirit.
Airport Lounge As An Alternative
So now you shall have sufficient information on what you can do within a day in Ho Chi Minh. If you prefer to stay at the airport instead, then the best alternative is to go to the business lounge instead. I stayed in the Rose Business Lounge at the international terminal during my last visit and had a very good time.
Ho Chi Minh City Is Worth Visiting Even For A Day
After visiting the city multiple times, I still believe that it is worth visiting even if it is a day. The city has most of the wonderful attractions located just next to each other. Even with 12 hours only, you could make a good visit, taste good food, and even enjoy a cup of good coffee there.
So I do encourage you to go out, especially if you have a Vietnam Visa already. If you are too lazy to do it on your own, the below-day tour is the best I have selected for you.
🌞 The Best Saigon Half Day Tour! ✅ Book Your Tour Now!
Saigon City Half-Day Tour
The tour starts at 7:30 am and ends at ~ 12 pm. It is a mixture of our itinerary for morning and afternoon plus independence Palace. After the tour at 12pm you have sufficient time to cover other icons in the city.
Frequently Asked Questions 1 Day In HCMC
Are there 24 hour check-in hotel in HCMC?
Yes most hotels in HCMC have 24-hour front desk. Most of them are budget-friendly, comfortable,e and near the city center. I recommend this one for you in case you want to make a quick decision.
Does Grab work 24 hours?
Yes it does, although the price is ~ 20% higher during mid-night or early morning
Do I need cash for staying 1 day?
Yes, you do. That’s why our first stop is the exchange shop
Is HCMC safe?
Yes, it is. I visited multiple times and did not face a single issue. However, general caution and common sense are recommended.
Do I need a Visa for less than 24 hours or a transit visit?
As long as you clear the customs at the airport, you will need a visa unless you are from a country with a Visa exemption. For details of Visa application, check out our other post for that.
