Commence this morning’s tour with a visit to the shrine outside of the US Consulate before continuing to the former CIA building (outside visit only), where helicopters evacuated the remaining US citizens in 1975. Head to the rooftop café of the Rex Hotel, a familiar landmark for Americans during the Vietnam War. Sit down for a drink, enjoy the view and this piece of history, which your guide will help to explain. Then visit the Reunification Convention Hall (Independence Palace) for a guided tour of the former headquarters of the South Vietnamese Government and residence of the presidents. Drive to the former residence of the US Ambassador of South Vietnam in the early 1960s, Mr Henry Cabot Lodge, who conducted a mission to overthrow the South Vietnamese Government. Here you can watch an exclusive ten-minute documentary film about Ho Chi Minh City during that time while enjoying a cold drink.
You will then be driven to a historic venue for a simple lunch of “pho” (noodle soup). The house number 07 on Ly Chinh Thang street is now known as Pho Binh restaurant, which used to be the headquarters of Viet Cong Commanders and is where they gathered to plan for the 1968 Tet Offensive. Take a walk upstairs to learn more about the history through the family’s photo collection. You can then sit down and enjoy the traditional taste of pho downstairs before being driven back to your hotel.
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our Vietnam specialists
These activities are designed to give you the most authentic experiences around where you're staying. We work with local guides, who use their knowledge and often a resident's eye to show you the main sights and more out-of-the-way attractions. Our specialists can suggest tours and activities that will introduce you to the local ways of life.
Cu Chi Tunnels Excursion
Go underground into Cu Chi’s hidden network of Viet Cong tunnels, bunkers and field hospitals. Dug during the French-Indochina wars, they were expanded during later conflicts and proved to be a constant thorn in the side of the Saigon regime.
Ho Chi Minh City After Dark
This is a fun and authentic way of discovering Ho Chi Minh City, and although you will have your own driver, we ask that you are confident at riding pillion on a Vespa scooter.
Ho Chi Minh City Tour
This half-day tour will take in the main sites of Ho Chi Minh City including Rue Catinat, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace and the Museum of War Remnants.
Ho Chi Minh City's Secret Alleys
This tour of Ho Chi Minh City’s alleys will give you an authentic insight into the daily lives of those that reside and work in this particular district of the city. It finishes at a previously covert location that was used during the war to store weapons.
You can enjoy this activity as part of the suggested tours below, or we can weave it into a trip shaped entirely around you.
