If you only have one or two days in the city, you probably aren’t planning any day trips from Ho Chi Minh City. However, if you have a little more time to spare, there are a lot of really beautiful places within reach.
The most popular day trips from Saigon are along the Mekong River. However, some shorter ones are just as fun, like Can Gio and the Cu Chi Tunnels (which, in my opinion, are a must-see while in the city).
We’ve spent a lot of time in Vietnam and gone on all the big Ho Chi Minh day trips, so here’s my ultimate guide that ranks Ho Chi Minh day trips from best to worst.
1. Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels is the most popular (and the best) day trip from Ho Chi Minh City because it’s easy to get to and incredibly interesting.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of 250+ miles (400+ km) of tunnels stretching from the Cu Chi region outside of HCMC down to the Cambodian border. The tunnels were dug out by the Cu Chi people, the indigenous people in the community, and used extensively by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.
Brief history of the Cu Chi Tunnels
It’s estimated that over 16,000 people lived in the tunnels, and over 45,000 Vietnamese died defending the tunnels. Portions of the tunnels were used for actual living and hiding, with small corners set up for eating and dining, medical needs, and strategic planning. Usually, the Vietnamese came out at night to hunt and forage and hid in the tunnels the rest of the time, but sometimes, they had to spend days in the tunnels due to flooding or fighting.
Parts of the Cu Chi Tunnels were also active battleground areas. The Viet Cong successfully set up booby traps in the tunnels, including the ‘clipping arm trap’ and the ‘see-saw trap.’ The Viet Cong and Cu Chi people proved increasingly skilled at tunnel warfare, which you can see for yourself at the Cu Chi Tunnels.
Visiting the tunnels today
Today, you can visit portions of the tunnels restored and supported for educational reasons. Some of the tunnels have been expanded so tourists can crawl through (the original tunnels are far too thin, explicitly designed to keep out the American forces and protect the Vietnamese). There are also exhibits in the tunnels set up to showcase how the tunnels were used, like recreations of the traps.
Around the tunnels, there are also other activities, like a firing range (with real guns) and an open-air museum with military equipment that was lost and abandoned at the end of the war.
This is one of the best day trips from Ho Chi Minh City, not only because it’s easy to get to but also because it’s an incredible learning experience.
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to Ben Dinh Cu Chi Tunnels: 28 miles (45 km) | HCMC to Ben Duoc Cu Chi Tunnels: 37 miles (60 km)
There are two entrances to the Cu Chi Tunnels: Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. Ben Dinh Cu Chi Tunnels are close to Ho Chi Minh City city center, and Ben Duoc is a bit further away. Ben Duoc is more extensive and has remained more faithful to the original tunnels, whereas Ben Dinh has widened the tunnels and adjusted things for tourism. We visited Ben Duoc and would highly recommend it. However, they’re both incredible learning experiences.
getting to the cu chi tunnels by bus
The bus is the cheapest way to get to the tunnels, though not as convenient as other forms of transportation in HCMC. The journey takes around 2.5 hours (each way), and you’ll have to change buses.
First, hop on bus #13 from 23-9 Park (near Pham Ngu Lao Street) to Cu Chi Bus Station, then change to bus #79, which takes you right to Ben Duoc. Make sure you leave early in the morning, before 8:00 am, so you have enough time at the tunnels and can get a bus back to the city (same route but in reverse).
Getting to the cu chi tunnels by motorbike
Ben Dinh Cu Chi Tunnels Maps (closer to the city, more touristy) | Ben Duoc Cu Chi Tunnels Maps (further from the city, larger property)
Renting a motorbike is the easiest way to get to if you’re comfortable navigating the chaotic Saigon traffic by bike. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it gives you the most freedom and lets you choose which tunnels you go to and spend as long as you’d like there.
We drove to Ben Duoc Cu Chi Tunnels from Ho Chi Minh City. It took about 2.5 hours each way (we stopped halfway to rest and get some drinks), and it rained our entire drive back, but it was still worth it.
Ho Chi Minh City tours to the cu chi tunnels
The easiest way to visit the tunnels is by taking a guided tour from HCMC. These usually include transportation, an English-speaking guide (which is beneficial because you’ll learn a lot more this way), and sometimes even other places outside the city.
This Cu Chi Tunnels – VIP Private Tour is one of the best Cu Chi Tunnels tours from the city because you can choose between Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc, and it’s a private tour, so there’s a lot more flexibility and personalization to it. Most cheaper tours from the city go to Ben Dinh because it’s closer and easier, but honestly, Ben Duoc is better, in my opinion.
However, there are many other options, like this Morning Cu Chi Tunnels Luxury Speedboat, which skips the long drive and gets you there by boat up the Mekong River.
2. Monkey Island (Can Gio)
Monkey Island (in Can Gio Nature Reserve) is the best day trip from Ho Chi Minh City because it’s relatively close, and there’s so much to do there.
We visited Can Gio three times while staying in Ho Chi Minh City. The first time, we just went to Monkey Island (a nature reserve in Can Gio with tons of monkeys, Rung Sac outdoor museum, and boat rides down the river). We went to Monkey Island again the second time and spent a few hours on the coast. The third time, we went to Thanh An Island (more on this later), a small fishing village on a tiny island.
Each time was an incredible experience with fun activities. Still, Monkey Island is the most popular activity and the easiest to get to without much pre-planning because there are so many tours.
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to Monkey Island Can Gio: 30 miles (50 km)
Monkey Island is on Can Gio, an outer district in HCMC. You’ll need to first take a 20-minute ferry from Binh Khanh Ferry Terminal (near District 7) and then drive about 30 minutes to the entrance of Monkey Island (which is well-marked with road signs once you get closer and also labeled correctly on Google Maps). The ferry from HCMC to Can Gio supports cars, motorbikes, and people walking on (using public transportation).
Getting to Monkey Island by bus
You can take a bus to Monkey Island, but I don’t recommend it because buses there have strange schedules and the journey will take much longer. If you have no choice, you can take a bus to Binh Khanh Ferry Terminal. Bus 20 from Ham Nghi station near Ben Thanh goes to the ferry terminal, but double-check this with Google maps as Saigon bus schedules can change.
You’ll walk on the ferry once you get off the bus at the terminal. In Can Gio, you’ll walk 5 minutes off the ferry and to the bus stop. The bus there will go into Can Gio village, so you’ll ask to be dropped off at Monkey Island. You might have to wait a few minutes for the bus here as there are fewer buses in Can Gio than downtown HCMC.
Getting to Monkey IslAND BY MOTORBIKE
A motorbike is the easiest way to explore Monkey Island because it’s faster and you can move about on your schedule. You’ll follow the same route and drive to Binh Khanh Ferry Terminal (through District 7). From District 1, it’ll take about 30 minutes depending on traffic. Hop on the ferry (with your motorbike), and enjoy the short ride. It’s a straight shot from the ferry terminal on Can Gio to Monkey Island.
Ho Chi Minh City tours to Monkey Island
The easiest way to visit Monkey Island is on a tour; tons are available in the city. You can organize a tour directly through your accommodation, or book one online. This Can Gio Mangrove & Monkey Island Trek is a popular option through GetYour Guide, a reputable online tour provider. The tour includes transportation, all entrance fees, lunch, entry to Monkey Island, water, and an English-speaking guide.
3. Thanh An Island (Can Gio)
Thanh An Island (off the coast of Can Gio) is one of the most underrated day trips from Ho Chi Minh City; it’s such a little hidden gem in HCMC and one of the most fun places to explore. Basically, it’s a tiny island (like you can walk around the whole island in about 30 minutes) with incredible seafood, super local life, almost no cars or motorbikes, and super friendly people. It’s a little hard to visit, but worth it if you want something off-the-beaten-path with no tourists.
Once you get to the island, there isn’t much to do other than walk around and enjoy some delicious, fresh seafood, but that’s enough.
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to Thanh An Island Can Gio: 49 miles (80 km)
Thanh An Island is not the easiest place to reach, which is part of why it’s such a hidden gem. First, you need to get to Can Gio. You’ll take a ferry from HCMC mainland to Can Gio district and drive into Can Gio village (past Monkey Island). From here, you need to take a second ferry from the main ferry port (there are only two ferries: one to Vung Tao and one to Thanh An Island). The ferry to Thanh An Island takes about an hour each way.
Ferry schedule to Thanh An Island from Can Gio
The ferry to Thanh An Island is located in Can Gio village. Here’s the Google Maps Location for the Thanh An Ferry (the same location as a bigger ferry to Vung Tau).
Here are the departure times to the island:
- 6:30 am
- 9:00 am
- 10:30 am
- 12:00 pm
- 2:00 pm
- 5:00 pm
And here’s the ferry return times to come back to Can Gio:
- 6:30 am
- 7:30 am
- 10:30 am
- 12:00 pm
- 2:00 pm
- 5:00 pm
We took the noon ferry over and the 2:00 pm ferry back, it only gave us about an hour and 15 minutes on the island because we didn’t want to get back into the city center too late. If we were to do it again, we’d take a much earlier ferry. But again, logistics is hard because it’s a little further away from the city.
Getting to Thanh An Island by Motorbike
Driving a motorbike is the easiest way to get to Thanh An Island because of the strict ferry schedule, and you don’t want to be tied down to bus schedules. We drove from HCMC to the ferry terminal in Can Gio (Google Maps), parked our bike at a nearby coffee shop, and hopped on the ferry. On the island, we just walked the perimeter and explored some backroads before heading home.
Getting to Thanh An Island with a private driver
Another easy (albeit more expensive) way to visit Thanh An Island is with a private driver. You’ll have to hire them for the entire day. They’ll take you to the ferry terminal, drop you off, and wait for you when you return. We booked a driver with Binh Yen (WhatsApp Number: +84 908 800 919) in HCMC and had an amazing time. She was the one who told us about Thanh An Island to begin with.
4. My Tho (Mekong Delta)
My Tho is the most popular day trip from HCMC to visit the Mekong Delta because it’s built up for tourism and is relatively easy to get to via a tour company. I recommend setting aside a weekend in the Mekong region rather than a day trip, but if you don’t have enough time, then it’s possible.
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to My Tho: 44 miles (70.5 km)
My Tho is one of the closest starting points for the Mekong Delta and is only about ~2-3 hours away by motorbike or car. However, because you’re just visiting on a day trip, I highly recommend joining a guided tour for this one. There’s so much to see and organize on the Mekong (like you’ll want to do a little canoe ride down one of the small canals), you’ll save a lot of time going with a tour.
Getting to My Tho from HCMC by motorbike
If you’re deadset on driving yourself to My Tho, it’s not too complicated. You’ll take Highway 1 (the main highway in Vietnam) most of the way and follow signs to the Mekong Delta. It takes about three hours each way and there are plenty of places to park and explore on your own. However, like I said, I don’t recommend it for just one day. If you go this route, you might as well make a whole weekend out of it.
HCMC tours to My Tho
If you want to make the most of your time in the Mekong, consider something like this: Mekong Delta 4 Islands Boat Tuk Tuk Try KhotCake Cooking. The tour includes roundtrip transportation, a cooking class, a boat ride down the Mekong, and more (all with an English-speaking guide). I generally don’t love guided tours while traveling because we’re very independent, but this is one of the few situations I’d recommend because one day is not a lot of time, and you can get the most of your day. Also, tours in HCMC are affordable and good value.
5. Can Tho (Mekong Delta)
Can Tho is my favorite place in the Mekong Delta. It’s one of the largest cities in Vietnam and the perfect place to explore the delta without giving up convenience or anything. As mentioned, it’s a large city, so there’s lots of different things to do there, including two floating markets, Khmer temples, monasteries, a cacao farm, a night market, and more.
One of the best things about visiting Can Tho is that it’s such a large city, it’s super easy to get there. It’s a bit further away, so you should spend at least 1-2 nights there, but it’s technically possible on a long day trip from HCMC. If you visit on a day trip, you must leave early, maybe around 5:00 am, and expect to return in the evening, but you’ll still get a little taste of life on the Mekong.
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to Can Tho: 98 miles (157 km)
It only takes about 3.5 hours to get to Can Tho from HCMC. Of course, it makes for a long day trip. You’ll need to live in the city at around 5:00 am, arrive by 9:00 am, and return to Saigon around 6:00 pm. If you have the time in HCMC, I highly recommend setting aside 1-2 days for Can Tho or even longer to explore more of the Mekong villages.
The other downside to visiting Can Tho on a day trip is that you won’t be able to see the floating market. There are two floating markets near Can Tho, Cai Rang and Phong Dien, and they both start around 5:00 am, so you’ll miss them both. However, you can still do a Mekong boat tour, enjoy the riverfront, and do a few other activities.
Getting to Can Tho by bus
The easiest way to get to Can Tho is by bus. Because it’s a large city and popular destination, buses run every 30 minutes from HCMC Western Bus Station, starting early in the morning, and going late into the night. You could just show up and grab a bus and be on your way within minutes. However, you can also book your bus in advance via the popular bus-booking company, 12Go.
We took a sleeper bus from HCMC to Can Tho with FUTA lines, and it was a great experience. It was a clean bus with no travel delays or significant complaints.
Getting to Can Tho by Motorbike
If you’re an adventurous traveler and want to rent (or you already have) a bike in HCMC, you can also drive there. The drive takes just under three hours, and you’ll be on CT01 (the main highway running through Vietnam) most of the way. The perk is you’ll have your bike in Can Tho to explore more off-the-beaten-path destinations. The downside is you’ll spend a lot of time on your motorbike. At that point, just turn it into a weekend trip.
HCMC tours to Can Tho
If you’re short on time and don’t want to deal with the logistics of traveling, there are a few good guided tours from HCMC to Can Tho. This Can Tho Floating Market – Son Islet 1-Day Mekong Delta Tour is popular via Viator. The tour includes transportation (starting at 5:00 am in HCMC and returning around 6:30 pm), a guided tour to the floating market in Can Tho, a local workshop, lunch, and other fun activities. It’s fast-paced but recommended if you want a local guide.
6. Ba Den Mountain (Black Virgin Mountain)
Ba Den Mountain by Sun World (also known as Black Virgin Mountain) is my favorite of all the day trips from Ho Chi Minh City. The only reason it’s further down the list is because it’s far from the city and not very well-known. It’s also a bit niche, quirky, and odd for Vietnam, so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a massive Buddhist-themed park on the top of Black Virgin Mountain, the tallest peak in Southern Vietnam.
The park has a few different levels, all interconnected by long, scenic gondola rides. You take the gondola to the top, and can spend hours exploring the park. If you leave early enough, you can hike to the top, but you need at least 4-6 hours, so you’ll want to go super early or just get a hotel in the area.
If you want to know more about Black Virgin Mountain, including recent ticket costs and what to do, you can read our article, Visiting Black Virgin Mountain (Everything You Need To Know).
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to Black Virgin Mountain: 53 miles (85 km)
It takes 2-3 hours to get to Ba Den Mountain, and there’s no easy public transportation, so you need to visit either on your own or on a guided tour. The good news is that the drive there is very easy, with little traffic once you leave the city and relatively lovely roads. If the weather’s good, it’s a pleasant drive, and the park is worth the journey if you have some time to spare.
Getting to Ba Den Mountain by motorbike
We drove our motorbike to Black Virgin Mountain and think this is the best option because you can explore the park at your own pace. The park at the top of the mountain is rather large, with lots of little nooks, crannies, and random gardens to stroll through (and, of course, some great views).
If you go on your own, you get the independence to explore and do whatever you want. It took us about three hours from D9 HCMC (although it should be a little faster if you’re leaving from the city center) and there are lots of restaurants, cafes, and gas stations along the way.
HCMC tours to Ba Den Mountain
The next easiest way to get there is with a guided tour, like this Black Virgin Mountain Sightseeing Day Tour in Tay Ninh. This tour is a great value because it includes transportation and all entry fees, so it’s not much more than if you went on your own. Some tours include other Ho Chi Minh day trips, like to the Cu Chi Tunnels along the way. However, I recommend dedicating one full day to Ba Den Mountain because it’s such a peculiar place that you’ll want to see it all after taking the exciting gondola ride to the top.
7. Cat Tien National Park
We did a weekend trip to Cat Tien National Park, and it was one of my favorite activities at HCMC because of how unique and peaceful it was. We spent two days in the national park, but we saw lots of other locals driving up from the city for the day. It’s about 3 hours away, and you only need about 3-4 hours for the park, so it’s doable in a day if you don’t have time for multiple days.
Whenever we hear someone say, “There’s not as much wildlife in Vietnam as I thought there’d be,” this is where we send them (and yes, we’ve heard this from tons of travelers). The national park has dozens of unique bird species, a crocodile lake, and other little critters. It’s a lovely slice of nature and one of the best day tours from Ho Chi Minh City.
I recommend renting bicycles in the park (there are rentals right at the entrance) and spending a few hours biking the bike path.
How to get there:
Distance HCMC to Cat Tien National Park: 78 miles (125 km)
It takes about three hours to get to Cat Tien National Park, so it’s a long day trip. You should only cram it into one day if you don’t have enough time to stay a night. The lodges near the park entrance are lovely, so that’s the way to go. But if you can’t make it work, a day will do. You only need one day inside the park anyway because it’s not that large. You’ll see it all if you rent a bicycle in a few hours.
Getting to Cat Tien National Park by motorbike
We drove to Cat Tien National Park. It took about three hours on a motorbike and we stopped a few times for drinks and a bathroom break. The drive is straightforward, but leaving the city is a bit busy. If you’re just visiting on a day trip, I highly recommend going early (around 5:00 am or 6:00 am) so you don’t rush in the park.
Getting to Cat Tien National Park by bus
You can catch a bus from Nga Tu Ga Bus Station that drops you off a few hundred meters from the Cat Tien National Park entrance. The bus leaves around 5:00 am, and from the bus station near Cat Tien, around 5:00 pm. The bus takes 3-4 hours each way, so it’s a long journey. Again, it would be much more enjoyable if you were to stay a night and not have to cram it into one day.
My Personal Favorite Day Trips From Ho Chi Minh City
Cu Chi Tunnels, Monkey Island (Can Gio), and Ba Den Mountain are the three best day trips from Saigon. These three day trips are doable. There are other day trips, like different villages on the Mekong and Cat Tien National Park, but I recommend trying to do those as more extended trips rather than on a day trip.
Ba Den Mountain (Black Virgin Mountain) was my favorite day trip. However, we went to Can Gio three times and loved it every single time.
The easiest way to get around Ho Chi Minh City and to nearby cities, towns, and villages, is to drive yourself. Public transportation slows things down. But if you aren’t confident driving in the city (understandably), you can also find affordable tours to all these places, as well.
Which of these day trips stands out to you? Let us know in the comments!
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