Ho Chi Minh City is easily the largest city in Vietnam and was regarded as the heart of Indochina during the French colonial period. Although the worst excesses of those days have gone, it remains the brash, exciting city originally known as Saigon. Plan your visit to some of the most significant not-to-be-missed sites and don’t worry about figuring out how to get around on your own, we’ll take care of the navigating and provide an expert guide along the way.
Meal: not any | Accommodation: not included
13:00 – our guide meet up at your hotel. Let’s scratch beneath the surface of Ho Chi Minh city with an insightful walk to atmospheric markets, teeming alleys, and hidden relics… located off the tourist trail. We would start with 2 markets in Ho Thi Ky alleys which have been part of people living in Saigon for almost 40 years. While the Ho Thi Ky market is famous with the wholesales and retails of fresh flowers, the nearby Le Hong Phong market is for sellers who are mostly from Cambodia and sell foods that are specialties of this country.
Walk onwards, we’ll step into the labyrinth of small streets and narrow alleys where tourists rarely enter. See family-run businesses lining the street, learning how the city’s residents live in their tiny old apartment blocks... all are alive with food and chatter, creating a familiar sense of community that Vietnamese neighborhoods often have. En-route, you’ll pass by some historic relics of Saigon’s war time, it can be a small exhibition of Propaganda and Training Committee where a covert printing press functioned, or the secret cellar where nearly three tones of weapons were kept during the Tet Offensive in 1968.
This afternoon also includes some street food experience as this area is rich variety of Vietnamese and Cambodia dishes on offer. From one street stall to the next; from a bowl of fish soup to a glass of milk tea; from a plate of crispy fried noodles to a cup of warm soy milk… sit alongside the locals, sample some of these savory treats for an authentic taste of Southern delicacy. Trip ends at your hotel around 18:00.
Group size | 2 pax |
Price per person | USD 45 [vnd 1012 500] |
* Prices are valid until 31 Dec 2018
* Discount for larger group is available; please contact our travel consultants at info@handspan.com