One Day Travel Itinerary to Ho Chi Minh City
In this blog, I’m sharing how I spent a day in Ho Chi Minh city to give you ideas on things to do in Viet Nam. During my month long trip to South East Asia, Ho Chi Minh city was sort of my home base, as I had stayed with relatives between some of the week long tours that I did. Ho Chi Minh is such a bustling and lively city, nicknamed “The City of Motorbikes” for it’s buzzing traffic.
Ho Chi Minh is one of the most unique places I’ve ever visited. The heart of the city is filled with urban architecture, where the towering skyscrapers meet the pretty sunset filled skies. I would hang out at the mall during the peak sun hours and then go for motorcycle rides in the evenings to cool off.
The local markets are also a highlight and I’d suggest exploring the markets in the mornings after coffee and breakfast. It’s fun to get lost in the many narrow alleyways of Viet Nam. If you’re wondering where all the houses are, they are all tucked behind the storefronts and these roads are just wide enough for motorbikes and pedestrians. There’s definitely no room for a vehicle down those alley ways! At the markets, there’s also no shortage of street food options and I’d have to say, Viet Nam is honestly a foodie’s dream.
Here is how I would spend 1 day in Ho Chi Minh. I hope this blog gives you some ideas to add to your Viet Nam travel itinerary.
- Start your day with a Vietnamese breakfast
- Visit a local market
- Spend the afternoon shopping
- Experience local eats
- Hop on a motorbike
1. Start Your Day with a Vietnamese Breakfast
Early in the morning, I would go over to a local cafe for Vietnamese coffee (cà phê ). The coffee in Viet Nam is so unique and I just can’t seem to replicate this drip espresso goodness at home! Iced coffee especially pairs perfectly with the humid weather and starting the day out with a cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee with milk) is a must.
At one of the cafe’s I was sitting at, I noticed that there was a Banh Mi stand beside it. Banh Mi is also known as a Vietnamese sandwich – a classic breakfast item. My favourite is getting the chả lụa (Vietnamese sausage). I get all the toppings on it including cucumber, pickled carrots and onion, and cilantro. I also love a good spicy, so if you enjoy that, make sure to add red pepper slices into your sandwich for some heat.
2. Visit a Local Market
After breakfast, I went to the local market to help my cousin pick up some groceries. The markets are just insane. There are people, motorists and stuff piled everywhere! From local household goods, fresh produce, street food and more – the markets are jam-packed busy on a weekend morning.
By the end of the trip, I started to get used to the busy-ness of the markets, but it was definitely an adjustment. I would say it was completely overstimulating and overwhelming at first.
A really good tip I received prior to packing for my trip to Viet Nam is to bring a pair of noise cancelling ear plugs. I didn’t think I would need them, but I’m so glad I brought them for those days when I was feeling a bit sensory overloaded.
If you need help on what to pack to Viet Nam, take a look at my recent packing list must-haves: The Ultimate Packing List for your Summer Vacation
When you’re walking around the markets, not only are there so many things to buy and look at, you also needed to really pay attention to your surroundings. Being careful where you step, as there’s lots of people either walking up or riding up to the stalls via motorbike. And the last thing you want to do is get run over (or graze your leg on a hot exhaust from the motorcycle).
3. Shopping in Ho Chi Minh
It’s nice to do some indoor activities, especially between 11:00 am – 2:00 pm when the sun is the brightest. It can be nice to take a break from the beaming sun and find some air conditioning at one of the major shopping centres. Here are 3 popular malls I went to in Ho Chi Minh:
- Saigon Centre
- Takashimaya Ho CHi Minh City
- Vincom Centre
4. Experience Local Eats
When in Viet Nam, don’t be afraid to try cuisines authentic to the region you’re in. I’ll be writing up another post all about what to eat in Viet Nam, so stay tuned for that.
This little shop was on a busy street corner and you can see just how packed the rush hour traffic could be. The streets were filled with motorists and it was so relaxing watching everyone drive by while having dinner. *Cue evening lofi track while gazing out at the rush hour traffic of Viet Nam*
I had cơm tấm for dinner. This dish is also known as broken rice and one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes. This means that the rice is fragmented and shorter than your regular grain of rice. Usually served with either grilled pork, beef or chicken. The sides may include a fried egg, shredded pork, pork and egg meat loaf topped with some green onion oil.
5. Hop on a Motorbike
Something that the locals do is go for a night time motorcycle drive. In other blogs that I read, people refer to Viet Nam as having two seasons: a wet rainy season and hot dry season. A local told me it’s actually a hot season and hotter season, so you can understand why the night drives are so refreshing! Even when it rains, it doesn’t necessarily cool the climate down, it’s still humid.
I never picked up learning how to ride a motorbike in Viet Nam, and I’m not sure that I will. The traffic here is so different, almost no traffic lights or rules. There are traffic lights and pedestrian cross walks in some of the major routes or city centres. But for the most part, there is not and it’s a bit of a free for all.
You will have to learn to navigate a disorganized (yet somehow it works) chaos. When people talk about Viet Nam, the traffic is always something that comes up. Learning how to cross the streets of Viet Nam is an art. With motorists, cars and pedestrians all sharing the road in any direction, crossing the road in Viet Nam is something everyone needs to experience for themselves!
Where to go on your motorbike at night? For street food of course! If you see any food stalls on the street, you can just drive up to it, order, pick up your food without even having to get off your motorbike. I found this so interesting, as it’s like a drive-through on your bike!
We picked up more iced cane sugar drinks and street food for the evening and that’s how to spend a day in Ho Chi Minh city.
