5 Days: HCMC Day Trips on a Budget
Five days from Ho Chi Minh City covers three of the four real day trips plus a slow day back in the city. This extends the 3-day plan with two more days rather than replacing it, the same spine the 6 and 7-day versions keep building on.
Book these before you go:
- A District 1 hostel or hotel, check rates on Agoda
- A combined Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple tour for Day 2
- A My Tho and Ben Tre Mekong Delta day trip for Day 3
| Day | Focus | Travel time | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival, District 1 settle-in | ~25-45 min airport transfer | 150,000-300,000 VND (Grab + dinner) |
| 2 | Cu Chi Tunnels + Tay Ninh Cao Dai combined | 1.5-2h to Cu Chi, then on to Tay Ninh, 8-10h door to door | 90,000-125,000 VND entry, plus US$15-40pp tour |
| 3 | Mekong Delta: My Tho and Ben Tre | 1.5-2h each way | roughly US$25-70+pp tour |
| 4 | Vung Tau beach | 2h hydrofoil (2-3.5h by road) | 260,000-375,000 VND hydrofoil one-way |
| 5 | Slow day back in the city | none | under 200,000 VND (free sights + food) |
Day 1: Arrival and District 1 Settle-In
Fly into Tan Son Nhat (SGN) and Grab into District 1 for roughly 110,000-250,000 VND. Check into your hotel, wander Ben Thanh Market for orientation, then a street-food dinner under 65,000 VND. Keep tonight low-key.
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels and Tay Ninh’s Noon Ceremony
Leave by 7-7:30am for the Cu Chi Tunnels, entry 90,000-125,000 VND, then on to Tay Ninh for the Cao Dai Great Temple’s noon ceremony, arriving by 11:15-11:30am; entry is free. An 8-10 hour day door to door, best booked as one bundled tour.
Day 3: Mekong Delta, My Tho and Ben Tre
My Tho and Ben Tre sit 1.5-2 hours out, close enough for a genuine single-day trip: a sampan ride through coconut-palm canals, a coconut-candy workshop, and orchard fruit, often with a Vinh Trang Pagoda stop. A shared tour runs roughly US$25-70+ per person and handles the fiddly boat transfers.
Day 4: Vung Tau, a Beach Day Out
Take the Greenlines DP hydrofoil from the Bach Dang terminal in District 1, about 2 hours each way, 260,000-375,000 VND one-way depending on how far ahead you book. Vung Tau’s beach is a genuine afternoon out, fresh seafood and a swim, not a bucket-list Vietnamese beach next to Da Nang or Phu Quoc. Book the earlier sailing for a full beach afternoon rather than a rushed few hours before the return crossing.
Day 5: A Slow Day Back in the City
Stay in the city today and spend less than any day-trip day cost you. Wander Cholon (District 5’s Chinatown) or the Jade Emperor Pagoda, both free, and use Metro Line 1 (6,000-20,000 VND) for the Thu Duc/Landmark 81 side of the river. This is the day to catch up on laundry, a massage, or a proper sit-down meal instead of another early pickup.
Is Vung Tau worth a full day, or should I skip it for more city time?
Skip it if a great beach is the actual goal, Vung Tau’s sand is serviceable, not spectacular next to Da Nang, Nha Trang or Phu Quoc. Keep it if cheap fresh seafood and a change of pace from war-history day trips sounds good after three straight days out. At 2 hours each way by hydrofoil, it is the lowest-effort day trip on this list to swap for a rest day if the schedule feels tight.
Why put a free day in the city after three day trips instead of at the start?
Because by Day 5 you have earned it and you now know the city well enough to spend it efficiently. A recovery day dropped in earlier means guessing at what District 1 offers before you have walked it; dropped in now, you already know which street-food stall or market stall is worth a return visit.
Six days and beyond add an overnight run to Can Tho, because Cai Rang’s floating market only really works if you stay the night, see the 6-day plan . The full guide covers all four day trips side by side if you want to reorder this plan. Keep small dong notes on hand through Day 4, Vung Tau’s seafood stalls rarely break a large bill either.