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Where to go on day and weekend trips from Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is a huge, vibrant, steaming metropolis, where, whatever your interests, you can find something that appeals to and entertains you.
You can have too much of a good thing, of course. Sometimes, you just need to escape the heat, hustle and bustle of the city and experience a change of pace.
Fortunately, for Saigonese residents, there’s plenty of options to get out of the city on day and overnight trips. All of which offer the chance to see some quintessentially Vietnamese sights and one of a kind experiences.
Vung Tau
Best for: Beach vibes, home comforts and convenient travel.
Overview
One of the most popular day, or overnight trips from Saigon is to Vung Tau. At weekends and on public holidays, the city’s population swells as hotels are booked up with people flooding in, mostly from Ho Chi Minh City, to enjoy a day trip to the seaside.
What to do in Vung Tau
The beach here can be a little busy, but it is a nice place to spend a few hours relaxing, particularly if you are visiting on a weekday. Aside from the sand, there are options to go walking in the hills, with great views of the coast. Or, if hiking in the heat isn’t your thing, there is Vung Tau Lighthouse, which offers some of the best views in the city, with the added bonus that there is a road leading straight to it. If you’re looking to escape the heat, the Upside Down House has so many photo-ops for any Instagram story.
What to eat in Vung Tau
The seafood is a must-try and the night market, if you’re here overnight, just off the beach, is the place to try some local specialties. Afterwards, you can wander along the seafront and find the best bar or coffee shop and watch the waves until late into the night.
How to get to Vung Tau
One of the best things about Vung Tau is how easy it is to get there. Buses run from locations across Saigon and take around two and a half hours. To save a little time, and enjoy a more scenic journey, there is also a ferry which travels right from the heart of Ho Chi Minh along the Saigon river. Beware though, it can get a little choppy in bad weather!
Mui Ne
Best for: Nightlife, landscapes and resorts.
Overview
A little further along the coast from Vung Tau is the town of Mui Ne. It is a destination that mixes nature, relaxation and tradition.
What to do in Mui Ne
The beach here is lined with resorts and you can choose to simply do nothing except for enjoying the sun and sea. The beaches here are much less crowded than those in Vung Tau, and there are also many more to discover. But, if you do want to venture out, there are plenty of things to do.
The sand dunes of Mui Ne are famous across Vietnam. The whole of this region is peppered with dunes, the most famous being the Red Dunes, close to town, and the larger White Dunes, which are about half an hour’s drive away.
Mui Ne’s Nightlife
In the evening, the town’s main road comes to life. There are numerous good restaurants and lively bars including Joe’s Cafe, playing live music late into the night, every night.
How to get to Mui Ne
Mui Ne is about four hours from Saigon by bus. If you opt to go overnight, you can arrive early enough in the morning to watch the town’s fishermen bringing in their catch from night fishing.
Ba Den Mountain
Best for:Hiking, great views and nature.
Overview
Saigon sits next to the Mekong Delta, a terrain that is as uniformly flat as it is possible to be. Hills are hard to come by here. Ba Den Mountain is the one exception.
What to do at Ba Den Mountain
About two and a half hours’ drive north of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Den mountain offers various hiking trails up to the 998m peak. The hike offers lookout points all along the route, the most famous of which is Turtle Head Rock, which juts out from the mountain and offers the perfect “edge-of-the-world” picture. Don’t miss the chance to try the fruits grown on the slopes of the mountain itself, sold at stalls all along the route. There is also a cable car that travels up the mountain, if hiking isn’t your thing.
How to get to Ba Den Mountain and where to stay
This could be done as a day trip with a really early start. Or to stay overnight there are options for camping and glamping on nearby Dau Tieng Lake, a great way to stay amongst beautiful nature, particularly if you are travelling in a group. Buses travel from Ho Chi Minh City, or travel by motorbike.
Mui Ne’s Nightlife
In the evening, the town’s main road comes to life. There are numerous good restaurants and lively bars including Joe’s Cafe, playing live music late into the night, every night.
How to get to Mui Ne
Mui Ne is about four hours from Saigon by bus. If you opt to go overnight, you can arrive early enough in the morning to watch the town’s fishermen bringing in their catch from night fishing.
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