Private Phu My Port Shore Excursion: Unseen Parts Of Saigon

1. Ho Chi Minh City
   4h
   - 7:30-8:00Am Our guide will welcome you with a sign (your name) at Phu My port gate (2 to 5 minutes by shuttle bus from the ship to the gate) and depart to Saigon around 1. 5 hours by private mini-van.
   - We'll discover history and culture of Saigon with:
   • Local Wet Market
   • The Jade Emperor temple
   • City Hall
   • Opera House
   • Central Post Office
   • Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
   • War Museum and Reunification Palace (formerly known as the Presidential Palace).. At the end of the private car services, we will ensure that you return on-time to board the cruise ship.
2. Chợ Lớn
   45m · Admission ticket included
   Saigon’s Cholon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown with roots dating back to 1778; it’s also a place of great historical and cultural importance. Chinese minorities hid here from the Tay Son and subsequently had to rebuild the area twice following attack with as many as 70% estimated to have died trying to escape on boats. Those who survived settled and began selling a variety of Chinese products. During the Vietnam War Cholon was a thriving black market for US soldiers trading in American Army issue supplies. Cholon is an interesting place to see classical Chinese architecture reminiscent of years gone by with plenty of Chinese restaurants. This market sometimes disappoints tourists when compared to other markets in Ho Chi Minh as the products are not that varied, but the main draw to Cholon is not to shop but to enjoy the authentic Chinese atmosphere that has existed here for hundreds of years.
3. Ba Thien Hau Temple
   30m · Admission ticket included
   This Temple in Saigon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It’s believed that she protects and rescues ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud. Mazuism is connected with traditions and beliefs from both Taoism and Buddhism. Mazuism is therefore an incorporation of different aspects and traditions which have merged to form a new belief. You will find this temple in ‘Cholon’ (Chinatown) in District 5, which is roughly a twenty minute drive from the city centre.
4. The Independence Palace
   45m · Admission ticket included
   Independence Palace was the base of Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. It made its name in global history in 1975. A tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate, ending the Vietnam War. Today, it's a must-visit for tourists in Ho Chi Minh City. The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975. You can see two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Independence Palace was the home and workplace of the French Governor of Cochin-China.
5. Ben Thanh Market
   30m · Admission ticket not included
   Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much. The market is big, difficult to navigate at times and certainly best avoided during the hottest part of the day but all the same its well worth a look.
6. War Remnants Museum
   50m · Admission ticket included
   The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’, it's a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War. Graphic photographs and American military equipment are on display. There's a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft. You can also see a conventional bomb that weighs at 6,800kg. American troops had used these weapons against the Vietnamese between 1945 and 1975.
7. People's Committee Building
   15m
   The People’s Committee Building Saigon in central Ho Chi Minh City features well-preserved French colonial architecture in a spacious garden landscape. Originally constructed as a hotel in 1898 by French architect Gardes, it now serves as a city hall and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Occupying the end of Nguyen Hue walking promenade, it has three buildings with embossed statues of animals and people, intricate bas-reliefs on the walls, as well as a statue of Ho Chi Minh in front of the main building.
8. Saigon Opera House (Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theater)
   15m
   The Saigon Opera House in Ho Chi Minh is an elegant colonial building at the intersection of Le Loi and Dong Khoi Street in District 1, very close to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and the classic Central Post Office. The restored three-storey 800-seat Opera House was built in 1897 and is used for staging not only opera but also a wide range of performing arts including ballet, musical concerts, Vietnamese traditional dance and plays. Performances are advertised around the building and information can be found in the state-operated tourist information centre close by.
9. Saigon Central Post Office
   20m
   The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Alfred Foulhoux and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.
10. Ho Chi Minh City's Book Street
    15m
    Ho Chi Minh City's Book Street Ho Chi Minh City Book Street is a pedestrian-only street next to the Saigon Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon. These three places are in a very central and popular area of District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City.
    The street is closed off to cars and scooters and is lined with dozens of cafes, bookstores, and souvenir shops. Large trees hang over much of the street, which provides good shade and an overall pleasant atmosphere. It’s also a no-smoking zone.

Pickup details

Meet Up Location: Our driver will wait for you at the GATE of Cruise Port with WELCOME BOARD. Please step up to the gate. It takes you around 7 minutes walking (or 3 minutes ride free shuttle bus) from your cruise to the gate.

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness