South Vietnam Tours

Why visit South Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, is Vietnam's largest city, with French colonial buildings, busy markets and a strong cafe and street food culture. A few hours away, the Mekong Delta is a flat, green world of rivers, canals and orchards where much of daily life happens on the water. To finish a trip, Phu Quoc offers sandy beaches and calm seas in the dry season.

Top things to do in South Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh City: see the Central Post Office, the War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace, then join an evening street food tour.
• Cu Chi Tunnels: crawl into part of the tunnel network used during the war, about 1.5 to 2 hours from the city.
• Mekong Delta by boat: travel by sampan along narrow canals in Ben Tre or Cai Be, visit family workshops making coconut candy and spend a night in a local homestay.
• Cai Rang Floating Market: head out early near Can Tho to see boats selling fruit and vegetables, each advertising its goods on a tall pole.
• Phu Quoc: relax on the beaches, take a boat to the An Thoi islands for snorkelling and visit the night market in Duong Dong.

Best time to visit

The south has two seasons. The dry season, from December to April, brings sunny days and temperatures of about 25 to 35°C. The rainy season runs from May to November, usually with short, heavy afternoon showers that clear quickly. Phu Quoc is at its best from November to April, when the sea on the west coast is calm. The Mekong Delta is greenest, and fruit most plentiful, in the wet months.

Getting there

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is close to central Ho Chi Minh City, around 30 to 45 minutes by car. Flights from Hanoi take about 2 hours. The Mekong Delta is easy to reach by road: Ben Tre and Cai Be take about 2 hours, and Can Tho about 3 to 3.5 hours. Phu Quoc is about an hour's flight from Ho Chi Minh City, and some international flights land there directly.