Ho Chi Minh City in 4 days: lanes, museums and Cho Lon

Arrival day: From Ben Thanh to Nguyen Hue

1. 01Assuming arrival at Tan Son Nhat Airport at 13:00–15:00. Allow 60–90 minutes for immigration/baggage and transfer to the city center.
2. 02Plan on a 40–70 minute drive from the airport to your accommodation at Ben Thanh·Dong Khoi. It may take longer during traffic jams, so leave your meal reservations for later in the day of arrival.
3. 03After checking in around 16:30, take a short walk around Ben Thanh Market. Shopping inside the market can be postponed to the next day, depending on store openings.
4. 0417:30 Have dinner at Bếp Mẹ ỉn near Ben Thanh, and if you’re feeling well, move to Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street.
5. 0519:00 View Nguyen Hue and the Cafe Apartment building from outside, then return to your hotel. Walking to the riverside is optional.

If your flight arrives late at night, the first day is only a transfer from the airport to your hotel and check-in. Please follow the building and store instructions for operating elevators and individual stores in the cafe apartment.

After seeing the historical space, head down towards Dong Khoi

1. 0108:00 Goal of visiting the War Remnants Museum. Allow approximately 90–120 minutes for the viewing. Official operation is 07:30–17:30, ticket sales closes at 17:00.
2. 0210:15 Move to Unification Palace and visit for approximately 60–90 minutes. From Museum → Unification Palace, expect to walk for about 10–15 minutes, but if the heat is extreme, take a car.
3. 0312:00 After lunch, take a break at your accommodation or indoor cafe. If you want to see both museums at length, move your afternoon post office visit to the next day.
4. 0415:00 Walk in the following order: Central Post Office → Nguyen Van Binh Book Street → Dong Khoi. Notre Dame Cathedral is viewed with a focus on the exterior according to on-site construction, worship, and access guidance.
5. 0517:30 After seeing the exterior of the Opera House, choose Dim Tu Tac on Đồng Du Street as your dinner destination.

Adult tickets to the War Remnants Museum are priced at VND 40,000 on the official sales page. The official English guide to the Reunification Palace is as of May 1, 2026. The price for the palace alone is VND 40,000, and for the exhibition included, it’s VND 80,000. Check the actual purchase ticket type. There are photos of war damage in the museum, so it’s best to adjust the scope of your visit if you’re traveling with children.

West Cho Lon in the morning, afternoon in the city center

1. 0108:00–08:30 Transfer to Binh Tay Market by car. Allow about 30–50 minutes from the city centre and allow for rush hour.
2. 02Keeping in mind that the inside of the market is a wholesale trading space, look around without obstructing traffic.
3. 0310:00 Move to Thien Hau Temple and visit. You can also choose to travel by car between the two locations, considering the heat and sidewalk conditions.
4. 04At 11:30, have lunch in Cho Lon and return to your hotel around 13:00. In the afternoon, choose between the pool, cafe, or nap.
5. 0517:00 Take a short walk along Dong Khoi alley or the riverside that you missed the previous day. In heavy rain, switch to indoor shopping or a café.

A visit to Cho Lon is a half-day trip to see the markets, temples and street scenes of Chinese culture. If you add the Cu Chi Tunnel or Mekong Delta tour on the same day, long distance travel will overlap, so replace it with a separate day.

For meals on the departure day, allow time to travel to the airport first.

1. 0108:00 After breakfast, pack up your luggage and check the hotel’s luggage storage conditions.
2. 02If you’re flying out in the late afternoon, consider Cơm Tấm Ba Ghiền as a candidate for an early lunch. Save the address: 84 Đặng Văn Ngữ.
3. 03The restaurant is outside the main tourist area, towards Phu Nhuan. Check vehicle movements and waiting times, and if your luggage is large, replace it with a meal near the hotel.
4. 04Aim to arrive at the airport 3 hours before international flight departure. Set aside 60–90 minutes to allow for congestion from your accommodation to the airport.
5. 05When hailing a ride, check the departure terminal on the airline information. Don't think of domestic and international flights as the same boarding and disembarkation location.

For example, if you have a 16:00 international flight, your goal is to arrive at the airport by 13:00, and you should be ready to leave the city center by 11:30–12:00. In this case, it’s convenient to skip visiting a distant restaurant.