Going out on a short day trip is always a great idea for those who want to escape the madness of Ho Chi Minh City. Contrary to the bustling city, there are many peaceful tourist destinations near Saigon for you to visit. Here are our top picks of the best day trips from Ho Chi Minh City.
1. Cu Chi Tunnels
When taking about Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, people often think of the most modern and bustling city in Vietnam but it also carries many of its own historical imprints. Cu Chi Tunnels, stretching over 220 km, were an important Vietcong base during the American War.
The Cu Chi Tunnels tourist area consists of 2 parts that are 13 km apart:
- Ben Duoc Tunnels: the base of the military and military quarters of Saigon - Gia Dinh area
- Ben Dinh Tunnels: the base of Cu Chi District Party Committee
When coming here, you will have a chance to discover an underground town, explore the fighting bunkers, dangerous booby traps, try shooting from AK47, M16 or machine guns and enjoy local special food such as steamed tapioca and hot tea which was main food during the war. Nowadays, Cu Chi Tunnels have become one of southern Vietnam's top tourist destinations that you just cannot miss.
Address 1: Phu Hiep Hamlet, Phu My Hung Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City
Address 2: Ben Dinh Hamlet, Nhuan Duc Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 57 km
Opening hours: 8:00 - 17:00
Entrance fee:
- Ben Dinh Tunnels: 110,000 VND per person
- Ben Duoc Tunnels: 90,000 VND per person
Discover the hidden underground world of Vietnam's complicated network of tunnels and learn about Vietnam's history and culture by joining Cu Chi Tunnels Half Day Tour.
2. Tan Lap Floating Village
Another place in the list of places near Ho Chi Minh City that we would recommend visiting is Tan Lap Floating Village, located about 100 km from the city. This is a suitable destination for those who love photography and want to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. All that this place brings you is a lush melaleuca forest with rich ecosystems. You can also take a rowing boat to explore the beauty of Tan Lap Floating Village and admire the surrounding scenery. In addition to being immersed in nature, you can also enjoy the famous specialties of this region such as braised fish, fried eel or fish sour soup.
You can stay overnight at Làng Nổi Tân Lập in the Tan Lap Floating Village Eco-Tourism Area. This accommodation offers rooms with large windows and private balconies that open out to views of the forest.
Address: National Road N2, Tan Lap Commune, Moc Hoa District, Long An Province, about 15 km south of the Cambodian border
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 100 km
Opening hours: 24 Hours
Entrance fee:
- Adults: 55,000 VND per person
- Children under 1.2 m: Free
3. Suoi Mo Park
Suoi Mo Park is an amazing tourist attraction that many locals come explore. The park is located only 125 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. Suoi Mo Park is said to be the "sea in the forest" with the impressive natural landscape. Suoi Mo is made from dozens of small streams flowing from a cliff then converging to a rocky and sandy valley creating a poetic and impressive natural lake. The water is clear and cool, combined with the lust trees growing around the lake, creating an extremely wonderful place for a day out. This is also an ideal place for swimming, boating on the lake, camping, BBQ parties and picnicking.
Address: Tra Co Commune, Tan Phu District, Dong Nai Province
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 125 km
Opening hours: 07:30 - 17:00
Entrance fee: 60,000-100,000 VND
4. Monkey Island
Monkey Island - Can Gio tourist area is an ideal destination for a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City to enjoy the fresh nature in the green lung of the city. If you come to Monkey Island in Can Gio, don't expect to see a nice beach as it’s packed with mud. Monkey Island is surrounded by mangrove forests, small canals with lovely bridges spanning for tourists to visit. Over 1,000 monkeys are living there so you can feed them and take photos with many monkeys surrounding and climbing on your shoulder.
Address: Long Hoa, Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 52 km
Opening hours: 7:00 – 17:00
Entrance fee: 70,000 VND per person
You can join this exciting Can Gio Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh to visit mangrove forest and get a chance to see monkeys at Monkey Island as well as crocodiles at Hoa Ca Crocodile Farm.
5. Thanh An Island
Thanh An Island, a small island in Can Gio District, is not a very famous tourist destination but still a great place to run away from the bustling city. Thanh An Island still retains the pristine and peaceful features. On Thanh An Island, you will discover the peaceful life of local people. You can stroll on the salt fields, watch the beautiful sunrise on the beach or enjoy the flavors of the bowl of oysters and seafood freshly caught by local fishermen. If you want to explore the island, you can go to the pier in Can Gio and take the local boat to the island. The journey by boat takes about 45 minutes and costs only 10,000 VND.
Address: Thanh An, Can Gio District, Ho Chi Minh City
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 70 km
Opening hours: 24 hours
Entrance fee: Free
6. Cai Rang Floating Market
Cai Rang Floating Market is the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta. The market is held on Can Tho River near Cai Rang Bridge, which is around 6 km from city center. The most unique and attractive thing about Cai Rang Floating Market is the bustling view of the hundreds of boats gathering together. This is the best opportunity to get into real local experience. The market starts operating from early morning until around 9:00, so it’s best to get out from Ho Chi Minh City the day before and stay overnight in Can Tho before visiting the floating market.
Address: 46 Duong Hai Ba Trung, Tan An, Ninh Kieu, Can Tho
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 167 km
Opening hours: 4:00-9:00 Tuesday-Sunday
You can join the amazing Cai Rang Floating Market and Mekong Delta Tour from Ho Chi Minh City to explore the beauty of Southern Vietnam on a 2D1N excursion and discover the local culture of the area.
If your time is limited, you can visit Cai Be Floating Market instead as it can be done in a day. You can visit Cai Be Floating Market and experience cruising to the small canals to witness the beauty of Mekong Delta by joining Mekong Delta with Cai Be Floating Market Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh.
7. Suoi Tien Cultural Amusement Park
Suoi Tien Cultural Amusement Park is located at the gateway to the northeast of Saigon and is the paradise of entertainment for the whole family. Suoi Tien Cultural Amusement Park was built with the purpose of combining tourism with historical and cultural education and ethnic origin. With charming natural landscape and entertainment complex, this place attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. The park has both indoor and outdoor play areas suitable for all ages and interests. Some of the most famous attractions in Suoi Tien include Magic Castle, Rollercoaster, Aquarium, Tien Dong Beach, Treasure Cave, and Tien Ngu Palace.
Address: 120 Ha Noi Highway, Tan Phu Ward, District 9, Ho Chi Minh City
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 18 km
Opening hours:
- Monday – Friday: 8:00 - 17:30
- Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 - 18:00
Entrance fee:
- Adults: 90,000 VND per person
- Children: 45,000 VND
Tickets for games: 5,000 - 40,000 VND for 1 time
8. Tre Viet Tourism Village (The Bamboo Villages)
Tre Viet Tourist Village is located only about 15 km from Ho Chi Minh City, so it’s absolutely an ideal place for a day trip. The area is covered with vast bamboo forest so you will feel the tranquility and typical cultural features of the Western River and Vietnamese countryside. The most interesting activities in Tre Viet are extremely fun river games such as kayaking, floating bike, wooden boat, swimming or taking bamboo cruise. The price for each game is affordable as it costs about 50,000 VND per person, but you can also buy a combo ticket to save more. In addition, the cuisine here is also quite attractive and reasonably priced, especially the traditional seafood.
Address: 25 Phan Van Dang, Phu Huu, Nhon Trach, Dong Nai, Vietnam
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 15 km
Opening hours: 24 Hours
Entrance fee: 50,000 VND per person
9. Ho May Park
Similar to Ba Na Hills in Da Nang, Ho May Park in Vung Tau is another good place to visit on a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. Ho May Park is located on Nui Lon’s Peak and surrounded by exotic jungle that provides exquisite natural and cityscape views. When visiting Ho May Park, you will not only be immersed in the nature, you can also participate in many activities that are suitable for all ages such as 5D Cinema, Buddhist Statue, Animal Circus, Endurance Fitness fun Course, Night-time Water Lightshow, Peddle Boats, Flower Garden, Animal Park, and Swimming Pool. For getting to Ho May Park, you will have to travel by the cable car and after about 15 minutes you will stop at a fairy-tale place.
Address: 1A Tran Phu, Ward 1, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria Vung Tau Province
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 97 km
Opening hours: 8:00-22:00 daily
Schedule of main activities:
- Magic show at central stage: 11:30
- Animal circus at circle stage: 10:00 and 15:00
- Ho May Grand Show: 18:30 and 20:00
Take a quick escape from Ho Chi Minh City and visit Ho May Park in Vung Tau with Ho May Park Ticket.
10. Giang Dien Waterfall
If you love waterfalls, Giang Dien Waterfall is the right place for you to visit on a day trip from Saigon. Giang Dien Waterfall in Dong Nai province is now considered as the new eco-tourism area and attracts a lot of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces. Giang Dien Waterfall may not be as spectacular as the falls in the Central Highlands, but you will still feel really impressed by the beautiful scenery with lots of wild flowers and butterflies, and lust green trees. The best time to visit Giang Dien Waterfall is the dry season because during that time the water is very clear and clean for you to have fun. On weekends and holidays, this place is often crowded as many people come here for swimming, camping, and picnicking.
Address: 104/4 Ap Hoa Binh, Commune Giang Dien, Trang Bom, Dong Nai
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 40 km
Opening hours: 24 Hours
Entrance fee: 35,000-40,000 VND per person
11. Golden Scorpion Ecological Tourist Area (Bo Cap Vang)
If you want to find a place to avoid the heat in the summer, or simply organize a day trip for family and friends, Golden Scorpion Ecological Tourist Area is another good place for you to consider. Golden Scorpion is located next to the quiet river in the charming beauty of green fruit garden. This place is like a miniature Vietnam countryside, where you can participate in exciting games and enjoy delicious dishes with rustic flavor.
Address: 104/4 Ap Hoa Binh, Commune Giang Dien, Trang Bom, Dong Nai
Distance from Ho Chi Minh City center: 30 km
Opening hours: 8:00-17:00
Entrance fee: 50,000 VND per person
Family-friendly Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is filled with fun bucket list of worthy things to do and it has plenty of kid-friendly family activities. Here is the list of top places to go with your family to make your kids entertained and engaged during the visit: Saigon Attractions for Kids: Vietnam with Kids.
Tips
3-4 days is the perfect amount of time to experience the best of Ho Chi Minh City and its attractions. For getting an idea about the things you can see and do in Saigon during that time, check our Perfect 4-Day Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary with interesting places to explore and sights to see.