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Attractions for Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursions

Every Saigon shore excursion starting in Phu My Port will bring various wonderful experiences from exploring the French architecture style in the old cathedral, post office, and buildings, to tasting the daily lifestyle and traditional cuisine in the city with the name of the Old Father of Vietnam. Asia Shore Excursions is pleased to recommend some featured attractions that you can take a visit.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

Right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the iconic architectural landmarks and cannot be miss in any Saigon shore excursion. For centuries, the ancient Cathedral provides a splendor beauty that is considered as a masterpiece of this city. Was built by French colonists many years ago, it is not surprising that Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral follows the unique style of neo-Romanesque from the 19th century. Luckily avoid being destroyed by war, the structure still maintains nearly perfect. Various materials as bricks, tiles, steel, cement, and metal accessories were carefully transferred from France. The two bell towers are the highlight with 57.6 meters height holding six giant-style bronze bells. Gather around to capture beautiful photos or take a seat on the street nearby, sample an interesting cup of Vietnam coffee.

War Remnant Museum

Served as the museum exhibiting proof of American War Crimes, The War Remnants Museum - one of the most popular attractions to Western tourists from Phu My Port - tells a lively story that you haven’t ever heard about Vietnam war. War Remnants Museum exhibits some artifacts and images of the Vietnam War inside the building following the theme: American soldiers massacred, tortured, imprisoned Vietnamese people, or spread toxic chemical to destroy the North of Vietnam. Outside the building is the showcase of various objects including aircraft, artillery, tanks, guillotine and “tiger cages”. Get a glimpse of witnessing the cruel torture by tiger’s cage with extremely narrow size for even anyone. Moreover, the museum will provide the chance to admire the old weapons served as military secrets in the war.

Ben Thanh Market

In all shore trips in Vietnam, you can’t find any place more bustling than Ben Thanh Market. It is absolutely a must-visiting spot even you are a shopaholic or not. Right from the location in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Thanh market - the symbol of the city - will give you many exotic experiences. The market has four entrances and four sections with each one have an animal statue as the guardian of the gate. On the top, a clock tower looks at four main streets of District 1 – the most bustling district in Saigon. The market is full of local vendors selling everything from clothes, accessories, jewelry, hardware, pet shops, crafts to flowers, spices, nuts, food, or even secondhand things.

Cu Chi Tunnels

There is no Saigon shore trip from Phu My port can miss a visit to Cu Chi Tunnels. Just about 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnel is an astonishing complex of about 200 kilometers underground tunnels homing to various constructed living areas, sleeping places, weapon factories, hospitals for wounded soldiers, and even kitchens operating by civil. And yes, all of the tunnels are man-made without any help of modern facility or machine. They are all dug by human’s hands. During the war, the Tunnel served as communication and coordination hub for the Viet Cong soldiers in their stand-up fight against American army. Nowadays, Cu Chi Tunnel is a popular attraction for both Vietnamese and foreigners to get hands-on experience the old hard life underground. Have a chance to fire off some shooting range with machine gun models such as the AK47 and M16.

Reunification Palace

Located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, the Reunification Palace has stayed in the mind of various generations for stamps of time and history. It served as the presidential home and workplace, also the witness of history through the two Vietnam wars by the French and American colonists. With the typical architecture in the 60s, the Palace is a combination of traditional ritual and modern style. The first floor has some meeting rooms, while the second one includes a huge reception room, a cinema, and a rooftop nightclub. Pick this attraction to be one spot in your Ho Chi Minh City shore trip and recall the tough time during the war.

Saigon Old Post Office

Be listed as one of the most iconic highlights in Saigon shore trips from Phu My port, the Saigon Central Post Office is considered as a priceless masterpiece. Due to be built by a skillful French architect, the Post Office is a perfect combination of Gothic, Renaissance and French styles. Inside the building, the high arched ceiling, wooden counters, two large eighteenth-century map and telegraph lines bring you the feeling of a post office from the old time in the 90s. Nowadays, the Central Post Office still takes its duty of sending and receiving mail, selling idyllic stamps, interesting souvenirs and lovely postcards. Get an old feeling of using the phone bank to make an international call.

Cholon District

Cho Lon - the Chinatown of Vietnam – is a cannot-miss spot in Saigon or Phu My shore excursions and tours. Dating back to the late 18th century, Cholon is not only a place which witnessed the great history and cultural transformation of the city, but also is an attractive place that is a featured portrait revealing the traditional and distinctive lifestyle of ethnic communities in Southern Vietnam. The market here is always busy, crowded and messy with hundreds of vendors lining along the streets that you feel it is difficult to get through. Get a chance to admire the typical Chinese architecture for many years ago with a plenty of Chinese restaurants, clothes shops, and household stores. Tasting the vibrant life of a trading community in the most bustling area in the whole country of Vietnam.