5 Days in Saigon: The First-Timer Itinerary
Five days builds on the 4-day core, the war history sights, Ben Thanh, Cholon, a skyline deck and the Metro Line 1 crossing, then adds a slower fifth day for the Jade Emperor Pagoda and a proper market wander. Need a different pace? Try the 2-day , 3-day , 4-day or 7-day version, all built on this same spine.
Book these before you go
- District 1 hotel: check current rates on Agoda
- A Landmark 81 or Bitexco Skydeck ticket for sunset: browse options on GetYourGuide
- A water puppet show ticket, book ahead for evening shows: check dates on Viator
- An evening street food tour: check dates on GetYourGuide
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Ben Thanh Market |
| Day 2 | Notre-Dame exterior, Central Post Office, a skyline deck, Nguyen Hue at night |
| Day 3 | Cholon: Binh Tay Market, Thien Hau Temple, a street food crawl |
| Day 4 | Metro Line 1, Landmark 81 side, Museum of Vietnamese History, water puppets |
| Day 5 | Jade Emperor Pagoda, Tao Dan Park, a slower food and market day |
Day 1: Arrival And The War-History Core
- Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN), just 6-8km from District 1. Take Grab (roughly 110,000-250,000 VND, 25-45 minutes depending on traffic)
- The War Remnants Museum (28 Vo Van Tan, District 3), 40,000 VND adult, open 7:30am-5:30pm, budget 1.5-2 hours
- The Reunification Palace (135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia), roughly 40,000 VND entry, ticket window closes 3:30pm
- Evening at Ben Thanh Market, covered stalls until 6pm, then the street food night market outside running to roughly 10pm
Day 2: Notre-Dame, The Post Office And A Skyline Sunset
- Morning past Notre-Dame Cathedral (closed to tourist visits since 2017) and the free Central Post Office, its ironwork wrongly credited to Gustave Eiffel, the real architect was Alfred Foulhoux
- Stroll Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue walking street
- Late afternoon at a skyline deck: Landmark 81’s SkyView (300,000-500,000 VND) or Bitexco’s Saigon Skydeck (240,000 VND flat)
Day 3: Cholon And A Proper Street Food Crawl
- Morning at Binh Tay Market and the Thien Hau Temple in Cholon, spanning Districts 5, 6, 10 and 11
- Afternoon street food crawl: com tam, banh xeo (90,000-120,000 VND, shareable), fresh spring rolls
- Evening ca phe sua da, Saigon’s own iced coffee
Day 4: Across The River And The Museum Of Vietnamese History
- Morning ride on Metro Line 1 (6,000-20,000 VND depending on distance) out toward the Thu Duc/Landmark 81 side
- The Museum of Vietnamese History for a broader view of the country’s past
- Evening water puppet show, book ahead, weekend seats sell out
Day 5: Jade Emperor Pagoda And A Slower Food Day
- Morning at the Jade Emperor Pagoda (73 Mai Thi Luu, District 1), free with donations welcome, an ornate Taoist temple that’s genuinely calmer than anything else on this list
- Late morning at Tao Dan Park, a quiet green break in the middle of District 1 before the afternoon heat sets in
- Afternoon foot massage or spa session, widely available and affordable across District 1, a legitimate way to spend a slower fifth-day afternoon
- Evening: revisit whichever street food stretch you liked best, this is the day to go back for seconds rather than chase something new
Is a fifth day worth adding, or is four enough? Four days covers every major sight comfortably. A fifth day is worth it specifically if you want a slower pace, the Jade Emperor Pagoda plus a park and a spa afternoon, rather than another checklist item. Skip it if you’d rather use that day on a Cu Chi Tunnels or Mekong Delta trip instead, covered in the Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam gateway guide .
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go
Grab, not Uber, is the ride-hailing app here. US, Canadian and Australian travelers need an e-visa before flying, apply through the official Vietnam e-visa portal . Cross the street slowly and steadily, never stop or bolt. Five days gives you real breathing room; the full Saigon guide and the ranked places guide both go deeper on any of these stops.