Retracing the Vietnam War

FULL ITINERARY

Port Pickup & Warmly Welcome

Our Phu My shore excursions begin with a warm welcome at the cruise port, where our guide and private vehicle are ready to take us on a meaningful exploration into Saigon’s living history. As we travel toward the city, rice fields and industrial zones gradually give way to an urban landscape marked by the echoes of war and the quiet resilience of its people.

Vietnam War Remnants Museum

We begin at the Vietnam War Remnants Museum. Through powerful photographs, preserved documents, and wartime artifacts, we are invited to reflect. For many veterans, this is more than a museum; it is a mirror of memory and a place for thoughtful pause.

Reunification Palace

Next, we visit the former Presidential Palace, now called the Reunification Palace. Its grand halls and underground war rooms bring us into the final hours of April 30, 1975, when the gates fell and the course of history quietly turned.

Lunch at Home Saigon - Reflections Through Vietnamese Cuisine

At midday, we pause for lunch at Home Saigon, a refined Vietnamese restaurant set inside a restored French-era villa. While not a wartime site, its atmosphere offers something equally meaningful, a sense of continuity.

Here, traditional Vietnamese dishes are thoughtfully prepared and served in an elegant yet intimate setting, allowing us to experience how everyday life, culture, and family meals endured and quietly carried on through years of conflict. This moment provides space to reflect on how resilience is preserved not only in battlefields and bunkers, but also in kitchens, homes, and shared meals.

Secret Weapons Bunker

We then visit a former weapons bunker hidden deep in a quiet alley. This simple home once concealed a secret cache of arms and protected resistance fighters. Inside, we discover hidden trapdoors and compartments that speak of courage and ingenuity during times of conflict.

Thich Quang Duc Memorial

Our final stop is a place for reflection. At a quiet intersection stands the statue of Thich Quang Duc, the monk who self-immolated in 1963 in protest of religious oppression. His act, captured in an unforgettable image, remains a symbol of conviction and inner strength.

Return to Port

Later in the afternoon, we return to the cruise port. As our vehicle moves through the streets of modern Saigon, now full of life and movement, we carry with us not only memories but perhaps a renewed connection between our past and the spirit of the place we once knew. We retraced history together with Shore Excursions Asia, and left with more than memories.

Inclusions

• Round-trip transfer by private, air-conditioned vehicle from Phu My Port
• English-speaking local guide
• All entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary
• Traditional Vietnamese lunch at Home Saigon Restaurant

Exclusions

• Personal expenses
• Travel insurance
• Gratuities