3 Days from Saigon: The Day Trip Itinerary
Three days keeps the 2-day Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple core, then adds a genuinely relaxed Mekong Delta day, My Tho and Ben Tre by sampan, 1.5-2 hours each way. Need less time or more? Try the 2-day , 4-day or 7-day version, all built on this same spine.
Book these before you go
- A District 1 hotel: check rates on Agoda
- The combined Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple tour: book on GetYourGuide
- The My Tho and Ben Tre Mekong Delta day trip: browse dates on Viator
| Day | Focus | Travel time from HCMC |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, District 1 orientation | None, you’re staying put |
| Day 2 | Cu Chi Tunnels, then Tay Ninh’s Cao Dai Temple | 1.5-2h to Cu Chi, on to Tay Ninh, ~90km total |
| Day 3 | Mekong Delta: My Tho and Ben Tre | 1.5-2h each way, 70-90km |
Day 1: Landing And Getting Your Bearings
- Land at Tan Son Nhat (SGN), 6-8km from District 1, Grab runs roughly 110,000-250,000 VND, 25-45 minutes outside rush hour
- Check into a District 1 hotel, your base for all three days
- Afternoon: walk the neighborhood, sort cash and a local SIM
- Evening: early dinner, early night, tomorrow’s Cu Chi pickup is before 7:30am. The city itself, War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market and the rest, is covered in the Ho Chi Minh City guide if you’re pairing this trip with proper city time
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels And Tay Ninh’s Cao Dai Temple
- Early pickup, most combined tours leave by 7-7:30am
- Cu Chi Tunnels: 1.5-2 hours out, entry 110,000-125,000 VND, a stretch of the actual tunnel network, enlarged from its wartime 80cm x 80cm dimensions, plus an optional paid shooting range
- On to Tay Ninh, arriving by 11:15-11:30am for the Cao Dai Great Temple’s noon ceremony, free entry, robed clergy and chanting beneath the temple’s painted Divine Eye
- Return to HCMC by early evening, the full loop runs 8-10 hours door to door
Day 3: The Mekong Delta, My Tho And Ben Tre
- Morning pickup for the 1.5-2 hour drive to My Tho, the nearest genuine Mekong gateway
- Sampan ride through coconut-palm canals, a stop at a coconut-candy and honey-tea workshop, fresh tropical fruit at an orchard stop
- Cross to Ben Tre for more of the same unhurried river pace, this is the honest single-day Mekong trip, not the rushed version
- Return to HCMC by evening, dinner in District 1 to close out the trip
Is My Tho and Ben Tre or Can Tho the better Mekong day trip?
My Tho and Ben Tre, for a single day. They sit 70-90km out, a comfortable 1.5-2 hours each way, enough time for sampan rides and workshops without rushing. Can Tho’s Cai Rang floating market is the bigger name, but it’s 3-3.5 hours each way, better saved for an overnight on a longer itinerary.
Can you skip Day 1 and go straight to Cu Chi from the airport?
Technically yes, but don’t. Landing, clearing immigration and hauling luggage across the city before a 7am tour pickup the next morning is tight enough already; skipping the settle-in day risks missing your own tour. Keep Day 1 for arrival, it’s not wasted time.
Pack layers for both trips: the Cu Chi tunnel crawl is hot and cramped, and the Cao Dai temple expects covered shoulders and knees with shoes off at the door.