This is the classic southern Vietnam first trip: two days in the electric chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, then two days with your feet in the sand at Vung Tau, the beach town Saigonese have escaped to for generations. The ferry between them is half the fun. Four days, two moods, zero wasted motion.
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Arrive, drop bags, and start gently. Spend the afternoon on the colonial quarter walk from our one day Saigon plan: Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, and the Nguyen Hue boulevard as evening falls. It is the perfect jet lag friendly introduction, all flat walking and frequent coffee stops.
For dinner, head to Vinh Khanh Street in District 4 for grilled seafood at plastic tables, or keep it central with a bowl of pho at a late opening shop. Turn in early, since day two starts at dawn. If you arrived in the morning with energy to spare, add the Reunification Palace before lunch.
Stay in District 1, near Ben Thanh or the backpacker quarter, so the morning departure is painless. Pack a small daypack for Vung Tau later, since you will leave the big bag at the hotel or bring everything along.
Leave at 7 am for the Cu Chi Tunnels, 90 minutes northwest of the city. The Ben Duoc site is larger and less crowded than Ben Dinh, and a half day tour with transport runs about 500,000 to 900,000 VND (about $20 to $36). You will crawl through widened tunnel sections, see the ingenious traps, and grasp the war from the Vietnamese perspective. Back in the city by 1 pm.
Spend the afternoon at the War Remnants Museum and the Bitexco Skydeck, then dinner at Ben Thanh’s night market or a rooftop restaurant. This is your last night in the city, so make it count with a rooftop drink overlooking the skyline you have spent two days exploring.
Before bed, confirm tomorrow’s ferry booking. The high speed boats from Bach Dang pier to Vung Tau take about 2 hours and cost 280,000 to 320,000 VND (about $11 to $13) one way. Morning departures around 8 am are the smoothest, and booking the day before secures your seat.
Catch the morning ferry and watch the city skyline shrink behind you as the Saigon River widens into the sea. Arrive in Vung Tau around 10:30 am, check into a sea view hotel along Thuy Van Street facing Back Beach, and claim a lounger. The beach here is wide, the waves are gentle, and the seafood shacks serve lunch with your feet in the sand.
In the late afternoon, when the heat softens, climb Small Mountain to the Christ the King statue, the 32 meter figure with arms outstretched over the sea. You can climb the internal staircase to the shoulders for a panoramic view, all 133 steps of it. Entry is free, and sunset from the terrace is spectacular. Read our getting to Vung Tau guide for the full transport comparison if you prefer the bus.
Dinner is a seafood feast on the Front Beach promenade. Order grilled squid, steamed clams with lemongrass, and crab fried rice at one of the open air restaurants, around 300,000 to 500,000 VND (about $12 to $20) per person for a generous spread. End the night with a walk along the lit promenade.
If the statue climb leaves you with energy, the nearby lighthouse offers a gentler viewpoint, and the Niet Ban Tinh Xa pagoda with its reclining Buddha sits quietly on the same hill. Alternatively, simply return to the beach for a sunset swim. Vung Tau’s evenings are made for doing very little, very well.
Sleep in, then take a final morning swim before the day trippers arrive. Back Beach is at its best before 10 am, with calm water and soft light. Check out around 11 am, store bags at the hotel, and spend the last hours over a long seafood lunch. Vung Tau’s famous banh khot, crispy mini pancakes with shrimp, make a perfect farewell meal at around 60,000 VND (about $2.40) per plate.
Catch the 2 or 3 pm ferry back to Saigon, arriving with evening to spare for last minute shopping at Ben Thanh or a final pho. If your flight is the next morning, stay near the airport in Tan Binh district. If you have more days, this route extends naturally into our five day Mekong and coast itinerary.
Total transport for the trip stays modest: the two ferry legs plus city Grabs come to roughly 800,000 to 1,000,000 VND (about $32 to $40) per person. The memories of that ferry ride, city one way and sea the other, are free.
Before the ferry, squeeze in Bach Dinh, the White Palace, a colonial era villa with hilltop views over the town, or the whale temple museum near the harbor. Both take under an hour and cost little, and they round out the town’s story beyond sand and statues.
The ferry is faster door to door from District 1, about 2 hours, and far more scenic. Buses are cheaper and run more frequently from Mien Dong station.
Yes. Beach first, city second works well, and ending in Saigon puts you closer to the airport for departure.
Entry to the statue complex is free. The climb is 133 steps inside the statue, manageable for anyone of average fitness.
For the beaches, the statue, and the seafood scene, yes. Add a third day for a side trip to Ho Tram or the hot springs.
Keep exploringA three day route pairing downtown Saigon with Vung Tau and Ho Tram beaches. City culture, sea swims, and fresh seafood
Keep exploringPack the best of Saigon into 48 hours: one day downtown, then choose the Cu Chi tunnels or the Can Gio mangrove forest f
Keep exploringA tight one day Saigon itinerary: colonial landmarks in the morning, markets and lunch midday, history and skyline in th
