Ho Chi Minh City Tour From Phu My Port

Overview of Saigon shore excursion

This Ho Chi Minh City tour from Phu My Port is a private, full-day shore excursion made for cruise passengers.

The day covers Saigon’s main historical sites at a steady pace, with round-trip transfers, an English-speaking guide and lunch included.

The focus stays on culture and history, daily local life, and the city’s most iconic landmarks.

Every tour is timed to your ship’s schedule, so you return to Phu My Port with time to spare.

Phu My Port is the main cruise terminal for southern Vietnam, set in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

Ships from many cruise lines dock at Phu My throughout the year. The transfer to Saigon is a 90- to 120-minute drive each way and traffic near the city can add time in the morning and late afternoon.

A shuttle carries cruise ship passengers from the ship to the port gate where your guide waits with a sign.

The private vehicle keeps the timing under your control, which matters on a tight cruise day.

This Ho Chi Minh City shore excursion runs about 9 hours from pickup to drop-off and it is one of the best private tours for travellers with a single day in port.

The group is only your own party, so the pace stays in your hands.

Ho Chi Minh City from Phu My Port Itinerary

This Ho Chi Minh City tour from Phu My Port gives roughly 4 to 5 hours of sightseeing in the city once the transfer is done.

Most stops sit within District 1 and are close together, apart from the optional Chinatown visit, so the day stays unhurried.

07:00 — Pickup at Phu My Port

Your guide meets you at the Phu My port gate, about 200 m from the ship, holding a name sign.

A short shuttle covers the stretch from the dock to the gate, since walking inside the working port is not allowed.

The private, air-conditioned car then sets off for Ho Chi Minh City.

The drive is about 80 km (50 miles) and takes 1.5 to 2 hours along the Long Thanh–Dau Giay expressway.

Phu My Port sits in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, southeast of the city.

Most landmarks in HCMC are grouped in District 1, so once you arrive, the driving between stops is short.

09:00 — Nguyen Hue Boulevard, City Hall and the Opera House

The tour starts on Nguyen Hue Walking Street, a wide pedestrian boulevard that runs from City Hall down toward the Saigon River.

The People’s Committee building, known to most visitors as City Hall, stands at the top, a cream-and-yellow French colonial hall from 1908, with the statue of Ho Chi Minh on the plaza in front.

The building is a working government office and closed inside, so the stop here is for photos and a short walk along the boulevard.

A few minutes away on Dong Khoi Street is the Saigon Opera House, a colonial theatre from 1900 that still hosts shows today.

Cafés fill the area, including the well-known “Café Apartment”, an old residential block now packed with small coffee shops.

A Vietnamese iced coffee at street level is an easy way to sightsee on foot and watch the daily life of the city before the next stop.

10:40 — Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office

Two of Saigon’s best-known French-colonial buildings face each other across a small square.

The Notre Dame Cathedral dates to 1880 and was built with red brick shipped from France with twin bell towers rising about 60 m over the center of District 1.

The cathedral has been under restoration since 2017, with completion expected around 2027, so the interior may be closed to visitors; the square and front garden stay open and in March 2026 two new gold-plated crosses were installed on the towers.

The Central Post Office, directly opposite, is still a working post office and open to enter.

The hall inside keeps its original iron framework, two large painted maps of old Saigon and the region and a portrait of Ho Chi Minh at the far end.

Postcards and Vietnamese stamps are sold at the counters, so mailing a card home from this 1890s building is a simple, popular thing to do.

The small Book Street beside the cathedral, lined with bookshops and cafés, is an easy add if time allows.

11:20 — Reunification Palace (Independence Palace)

A short hop leads to the Reunification Palace also called Independence Palace.

The modernist building dates to 1966 and served as the home and workplace of South Vietnam’s president during the war.

On 30 April 1975, two tanks crashed through its front gates, which marked the end of the Vietnam War that event is the reason the site is kept as it was.

Inside, the rooms stay in their 1960s and 1970s condition: the cabinet room, the reception and banquet halls, the presidential living quarter, and a war command bunker in the basement with old maps, radios, and telex machines.

The rooftop holds a helicopter on its helipad. A guided walk through the floors, the basement takes about 45 minute, and the entrance fee is included in the tour.

12:30 — Lunch at a local restaurant

Lunch is served at a local restaurant in the city center. The menu covers southern Vietnamese food: phở noodle soup, fresh spring rolls, and rice plates such as cơm tấm, which is grilled pork over broken rice.

Vegetarian meals are available on request. The break runs about an hour and is a useful rest before the afternoon sites.

13:30 — War Remnants Museum

The afternoon opens at the War Remnants Museum, the most visited museum in the city.

The outdoor yard holds real US military hardware from the war: a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter, fighter jets, tanks and artillery, along with a reconstructed prison “tiger cage”.

Indoor floors cover war photography, the lasting effects of Agent Orang, and the history of the conflict told from the Vietnamese side.

The displays are direct and some photographs are graphic, so the museum suits travelers who want real culture and history rather than a light stop.

Your guide explains the background to each section, and about an hour is enough for a focused visit.

Children and sensitive visitors can wait in the calmer outdoor area if they prefer.

14:30 — Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market is the final main stop, with about an hour for shopping and a look at local trade.

The market dates to 1914 and is marked by the clock tower above its south gate.

Inside, roughly a thousand stalls sell handicrafts, lacquerware, T-shirts, coffee beans, dried fruit and souvenirs, next to food stalls serving local snacks and street food.

Bargaining is normal here — half the opening price is a fair starting offer and the figure settles from there.

A Vietnamese coffee or a bowl of noodles at the food court is an easy way to finish at the local markets.

16:30 — Return to Phu My Port

Drop-off at the Phu My port gate is timed for about 16:30, well before your cruise ship departs.

The return follows the same expressway and your guide tracks the schedule against your ship’s all-aboard time throughout the day.

End of the Phu My Port to Ho Chi Minh City tour.