Tours from Ho Chi Minh City in 2026: prices and routes
The real question before you go: which Saigon day trip is worth booking, and what does it cost? Short answer — the two trips people actually come here for are the Củ Chi Tunnels (half a day) and the Mekong Delta (a full day). Add a city tour, a motorbike food tour and a beach run or two, and that's the menu. Below: every option with 2026 prices in dong and USD, what's included, where to book in English, and how not to overpay.
Prices current as of July 2026. Exchange rate: 1 USD ≈ 26,000 VND.
- City tour
- Củ Chi Tunnels
- Mekong Delta — My Tho
- Cái Răng floating market
- Saigon River cruise
- Cần Giờ mangroves
- Vung Tau
- Cao Dai Temple
- Da Lat
- Con Dao islands
Top 8 tours from Ho Chi Minh City
No time to read it all? Here's the shortlist, roughly from must-do to nice-to-have. The first two are the trips people leave Saigon for.
- Củ Chi Tunnels — the guerrilla underground, entry from ~$4, tour from ~$8
- Mekong Delta — boats, fruit and floating markets, from ~$20
- City tour — Notre-Dame, the Palace, museums in 4 hours, from ~$25
- Motorbike food tour — 5 stops and Saigon by night, from ~$45
- Saigon River cruise — dinner and night skyline, from ~$40
- Cần Giờ mangroves — a UNESCO reserve, from ~$35
- Vung Tau — the nearest beach, ferry ~$12
- Cao Dai Temple — Vietnam's most unusual religion, from ~$25
Worth keeping open alongside this: how to get around the city and out to the suburbs is in our Ho Chi Minh City transport guide, and the whole city sits in the full Ho Chi Minh City guide.
City tour of Ho Chi Minh City
In 3–4 hours you cover the essentials: Nhà thờ Đức Bà (Notre-Dame), the Central Post Office, the Reunification Palace (80,000 VND), the War Remnants Museum (40,000 VND), and Bến Thành market. In a group it's from ~$25; a private English-speaking guide is from ~$90. Honestly, this route is easy to walk yourself — the stops are close together and entry is cheap. People take the tour for the context and to skip navigating in the heat.
There's an extended version with Chinatown, Chợ Lớn (District 5): the Thien Hau temple, Binh Tay market, 5–6 hours. By bicycle it starts at ~$30.
| Detail | Group | Private | Bicycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | from ~$25 | from ~$90 | from ~$30 |
| Group size | 10–20 people | 1–4 | Small group |
| Language | English | English | English |
| Route | Fixed | Flexible | Chinatown add-on |
| Duration | 4 hours | 3–6 hours | 5–6 hours |
Every stop in detail is in our Ho Chi Minh City attractions guide.
Củ Chi Tunnels — the region's headline tour
The Củ Chi tunnels are over 200 kilometres of underground passages on three levels, by various estimates — a Viet Cong base during the war. It takes half a day. There are two entrances: Ben Dinh (45 km, closer and more touristy) and Ben Duoc (~70 km, quieter and more authentic); entry to each section was 110,000 VND ≈ $4.20 as of July 2026 (guide, film and museum included); check at the ticket office. A group tour with transfer and guide is from ~$8, so ask whether the ticket is included; a private guide is from ~$90.
What you'll see: narrow tunnel sections (widened for visitors at Ben Dinh), bamboo-spike traps, camouflaged entrances, underground kitchens and field hospitals. At the range you can fire an AK-47 or M16 (from ~$1.60 a round, usually a 10-round minimum). It's loud — bring earplugs.
The full breakdown — which section to choose, what to wear, whether the Mekong combo is worth it, and all 2026 prices — is in our Củ Chi Tunnels guide.
Fast Track — no queue at the border
5–10 minutes instead of an hour in the immigration queue
from$11per passenger
Mekong Delta — one day or two
The second must-do trip. Two formats — and the choice between them changes everything.
Day trip (My Tho + Ben Tre)
The nearest point is My Tho, 70 km, ~2 hours on the road → a motorboat on the Tien River → Unicorn Island → narrow canals by sampan → a fruit orchard → a coconut-candy workshop → lunch with local fish. Back by 17:00. No floating market on this one — just canals and villages.
…the guide takes you to a bee farm, where he talks up the honey and offers to sell it to you. A Vietnamese bee farm is a hive and a half, and the offer to buy something becomes the theme of the whole outingMarsel_Shakurov, Tourister.ru, 2023, translated by VietnamSpot
Price: from ~$20 in a group; a small-group day tour is ~$35–60. A private English-speaking guide is from ~$120. Doing it yourself over 1 to 7 days: Mekong Delta towns guide.
Two-day trip with the Cái Răng floating market
Key point: the real Cái Răng floating market runs from 05:00 to 08:30 and sits 170 km (3.5 hours) from the city — you cannot fit it into a single day. Only with an overnight in Cần Thơ: a 5 a.m. start puts you among dozens of boats stacked with fruit right on the water. One of the last big floating markets left in Vietnam.
Two-day tour price: ~$56–67 in a group.
The "Củ Chi + Mekong" combo in a day — worth it?
The ~$33 combo looks like a bargain, but in practice it's 5.5 hours of driving and only 2 hours at each stop — rushed. If you have two days, split them.
Which market to pick (Cái Răng or Cái Bè), how to do it yourself and a full day-by-day breakdown are in our Mekong Delta guide.
Saigon River cruise
Two hours on the water: dinner, live music, views of Saigon by night. The best-known is the Bonsai Cruise, from ~$40 with a buffet.
Other options: Saigon Princess (from ~$60), Indochina Queen (from ~$35). All leave from Bạch Đằng pier in District 1. If you just want to sail without dinner, it's from ~$15.
The best sailing is at sunset, 18:00–18:30.
Who it suits: couples, families, a relaxed evening. It's not the "real Vietnam" — more about polish and pretty views.
Food tours
Motorbike food tour
The most fun format: you ride pillion on a motorbike and spend 4 hours hitting 4–5 spots only locals know. Phở, bánh xèo, banh mi, chè desserts. Established operators — XO Tours, Vespa Adventures, Back of the Bike Tours — provide helmets and experienced drivers. From ~$45, with every dish already included.
Cooking class
You head to the market for ingredients in the morning → then cook pho, spring rolls and banh mi. You take the recipes home. From ~$35.
Coffee tour and craft beer
Filter coffee brewed through a phin, egg coffee, coconut coffee — you'll know your beans in a couple of hours. From ~$25. The beer tour covers Pasteur Street, Heart of Darkness, Winking Seal: 6–8 craft pours, from ~$40.
More on Vietnamese street food and the local Ho Chi Minh City food scene. A classic to try first is bánh xèo, the sizzling pancake.
Cần Giờ mangroves
A UNESCO biosphere reserve just 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City. 750 km² of mangroves, canoeing through the canals, a monkey island (1,000+ macaques), a crocodile farm, colonies of bats. It takes a full day, 8:00–17:00. In a group it's from ~$35. For gibbons and real rainforest, go further out, 150–170 km: see our Cat Tien National Park guide.
Tours beyond Ho Chi Minh City
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vung Tau | 125 km | Ferry 2 h | from ~$12 |
| Da Lat | 300 km | Car 6 h | from ~$80 |
| Cao Dai Temple | 100 km | Car 2 h | from ~$25 |
| Cambodia | ~500 km | Flight 1 h | from ~$200 |
| Con Dao | 230 km | Flight 45 min | ~$140 for 2 days |
Vung Tau — the nearest beach (125 km)
The Greenlines DP fast ferry is 320,000 VND (~$12) on weekdays and 350,000 VND (~$13.50) at weekends, 2 hours to get there. The bus is cheaper: from 100,000 VND (~$4). Once there: beaches, the Christ statue (32 m), the lighthouse, French villas. Full details are in the Vung Tau guide, local excursions in the Vung Tau tours guide, and an hour-by-hour plan in the Vung Tau weekend guide.
Da Lat — the mountain resort (300 km)
Đà Lạt sits at +18–25°C while Saigon is +35 and sticky. A day tour is from ~$80, but that's 6 hours on the road alone. Better to go with an overnight.
Cao Dai Temple in Tây Ninh (100 km)
Cao Đài is a religion you've almost certainly never met before. A vivid, multi-coloured temple and a noon ceremony. Tours from ~$25, often combined with a Củ Chi trip. Service times, dress code and getting there without a tour are in our Cao Dai Temple guide.
Cambodia — Angkor Wat
The flight is just an hour (from ~$50); by bus it's 6 hours. A two-day tour runs ~$200–350. A tourist visa at the border is around $30; check the fee at evisa.gov.kh.
Con Dao islands
A 45-minute flight (from ~$50). Beaches like almost nowhere else, diving alongside turtles, and the former "Tiger Cages" prison. Budget about ~$140 for two days. See the Con Dao guide for more.
Where to book — platforms and operators
Booking in English is easy and usually the cheapest route. The two big platforms — Klook and GetYourGuide — carry most Saigon day tours with instant confirmation, free cancellation and English reviews.
| Platform | Prices | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GetYourGuide | from ~$8 | Group (English) | Free cancellation, English reviews |
| Klook | from ~$8 | Group (English) | Strong mobile app, local deals |
| Viator | from ~$16 | Group + private | Wide choice, Tripadvisor-linked |
| Airbnb Experiences | from ~$30 | Small group | Host-led, food and motorbike tours |
| Back of the Bike Tours | from ~$45 | Private motorbike | Well-reviewed food tours |
Hotel travel desks tend to add 30–50% on top — book through the platforms directly. For Củ Chi in particular, a guided tour is worth it: without the history and context, you lose the whole point.
How much tours cost — price summary
| Tour | Price (VND) | Price (~USD) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Củ Chi (entry) | 110,000 | ~$4.20 | 2–3 h |
| Củ Chi (group) | from 200,000 | from ~$8 | Half a day |
| Mekong (1 day) | from 500,000 | from ~$20 | Full day |
| Mekong (2 days) | from 1,450,000 | from ~$56 | 2 days / 1 night |
| City tour (group) | from 650,000 | from ~$25 | 4 h |
| City tour (private) | from 2,340,000 | from ~$90 | 4 h |
| Motorbike food tour | from 1,170,000 | from ~$45 | 4 h |
| Cooking class | from 910,000 | from ~$35 | 3–4 h |
| Saigon River cruise | from 1,040,000 | from ~$40 | 2 h |
| Cần Giờ | from 910,000 | from ~$35 | Full day |
| Vung Tau (ferry) | 320,000 | ~$12 | 1 day |
| Cao Dai Temple | from 650,000 | from ~$25 | Half a day |
| Cambodia (2 days) | from 5,200,000 | from ~$200 | 2 days / 1 night |
Where to save
- Klook or GetYourGuide — 30–50% cheaper than hotel travel desks
- Group instead of private — 3–5 times cheaper
- Bus to Vung Tau instead of a taxi — ~$4 vs ~$32
What to bring on a tour
Saigon means 30–35°C and 80% humidity. Here's what actually helps:
- Water — at least 1.5 L. They sell it at Củ Chi and on the Mekong too, but at triple the price
- SPF 50 — reapply every 2 hours. You can burn in 30 minutes
- A hat — on the Mekong there's nowhere to hide from the sun
- Comfortable shoes — trainers for Củ Chi, sandals for the Mekong
- Small notes — 10,000–50,000 VND for tips and odds and ends
- A rain poncho — essential in the wet season (May–October)
How to pick a tour — solo, group or private
| Detail | Solo | Group | Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Lowest | ~$8–45 | ~$90–150+ |
| Language | Doesn't matter | English | Any |
| Flexibility | Total | None | Total |
| Best for | Experienced | Everyone | Families, couples |
A workable 2–3 day plan: Củ Chi in a group + the Mekong in a group + an evening food tour. That comes to about ~$75.
Sample day-by-day routes
2 days — the classic:
- Day 1: Củ Chi (morning) + city tour of the centre (evening) = ~$35
- Day 2: the Mekong (full day) = ~$20
3 days — extended:
- Day 1: city tour + Chinatown = ~$25
- Day 2: Củ Chi = ~$8
- Day 3: the Mekong + evening food tour = ~$65
Also useful: how to get around is in the Ho Chi Minh City transport guide, what to see inside the city in the attractions guide, and the full Ho Chi Minh City guide.
FAQ — frequently asked questions
One day: pick either Củ Chi (half a day, wartime history) or the Mekong (a full day of boats and villages). Two days: do both — they're the backbone of any Saigon trip. Add an evening motorbike food tour if you have the energy. A guided tour with transfer handles the logistics.
The city sights and Vung Tau are easy solo — Grab, the metro, the ferry. Củ Chi and the Mekong are better as tours: the drive alone eats 3–4 hours, and without a guide half the meaning is lost. The price gap is small — a group Củ Chi tour starts at ~$8.
- A group Củ Chi tourfrom ~$8transfer and guide included
- The Mekongfrom ~$20for a day
- A group city tourfrom ~$25
- A motorbike food tourfrom ~$45
- A private English-speaking guidefrom ~$90a day
Directly through Klook, GetYourGuide or Viator — 30–50% cheaper than a hotel desk selling the same group tours with a markup. Filter by free cancellation and read recent English reviews first.
You can. A Grab to Ben Dinh is 350,000–400,000 VND, about 1.5 hours; entry is 110,000 VND (~$4). But the DIY saving is tiny, and without a guide you're just looking at holes in the ground. A group tour from ~$8 covers both the logistics and the history.
Yes, if you book through established operators (XO Tours, Vespa Adventures, Back of the Bike Tours). You ride pillion, helmets are mandatory and the drivers are experienced. Before you go, check that your travel insurance covers riding pillion on a motorbike.
Yes. A tourist visa on arrival costs around $30; the e-Visa is issued in advance at evisa.gov.kh — check the current fee there before you go. You need a passport and a photo. On an organised tour the visa is usually included.
The dry season, December to March. In the wet season the Mekong is fuller and greener, and the downpours are quick: 30–40 minutes after lunch, then sun again. Peak heat is April–May, up to +38°C.
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