Ho Chi Minh Walking Tour
Vietnam
Explore Ho Chi Minh City with a Walking Tour
Best Time to Visit Vietnam
Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate with the northeast monsoon dominating from October to April and the Southwesterly from May to October. So, knowing the best time to visit the country totally depends on which part of Vietnam you are planning to visit.
Since, the post is about Ho Chi Minh walking tours, let’s talk about its weather. Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by many people) has a tropical monsoon climate, yet anytime can be said as the ideal time to visit the city. Like any other typical Southeast Asain metropolitan city, Saigon too witnesses either hot and wet or hot and dry weather conditions. Doesn’t matter in which season you are planning to visit the city, you will anyway need at least two layers of clothing while vacationing here.
Seasons
Saigon has two distinct seasons, the rainy southwest monsoon which begins in the month of May and ends in October. Then, there is the northeast monsoon which commences in November and lasts until the month of April. The average humidity level in Ho Chi Minh City throughout the year remains around 75% but it increases during the rainy season.
The Best Time
Since Saigon only has two distinctive season – wet and dry, it is advisable that you should look to plan your Ho Chi Minh walking tour in the dry season. The dry season begins in the month of December and lasts until April. These months of the year in Ho Chi Minh City are hottes with average temperature of 28 °C. The maximum temperature reaches 39 °C in late April. Whereas, the lowest temperature falls down to 16 °C, sometimes even low in late December. However, humidity remains moderate in December and started decreasing from January.
You can choose to visit Saigon in December as it will give you plenty of other amazing things to do that are obviously not be there on your itinerary. During this time, you can celebrate Christmas in Vietnamese style along with New Year. The time between Christmas and New Year is one of the best times in Ho Chi Minh City.
From hotels to streets, everything witnesses colorful decorations. Besides, relatively larger chunk of people can be seen on the streets either hanging out or doing shopping. Apart from that, you can also consider to visit Saigon during the Lunar New Year.
It comes somewhere around late January and mid February. But, make sure to book your tickets in advance if you are planning to visit the city during this month as Lunar New Year is a famous Vietnamese festival known as Tet.
If you need travel insurance click here to get a quote from World Nomads.
Saigon Free Walking Tours
If you want to take your Saigon walking tour outside District 1, then consider visiting Cau Dai Temple, the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine, and Le Hong Phong Market in District 5. This tour is managed by Hospitality & Tourist students from Hao Sen University.
Museum and Art Galleries Tour
The city of Saigon is also known for its rich history and culture. These two aspects of the city can be best experienced at numerous art galleries and museums in Ho Chi Minh City. This self-guided walking tour will take you to some of the best and most unique art galleries and museums that give tourists a chance to get to know about the rich cultural past of the city. You can include the War Remnant Museum, Vietnam History Museum, and Craig Thomas Gallery.
Ho Chi Minh City Introduction Walk Tour
If you want to see how extraordinary the country of Vietnam has become in the terms tourism, then consider this walking tour. The tour gives you a chance to gaze upon the remarkable French architecture of City Post Office, Saigon Notre Dame Basilica, Committee Building, War Remnant Museum, and Independence Palace.
Shopping Tour of Ho Chi Minh City
A perfect walking tour for all the shopping lover! On this tour, an hour long walk will take you to some of the best and most-visited shopping streets in Ho Chi Minh City. The tour begins with Dong Khoi Street and from there it leads to o Che Ben Than Market. Since the tour is self-guided, you can spend hours shopping, savouring the street food, and sightseeing. In these markets, you can buy anything from Vietnamese souvenirs to handicrafts.
Trails & Tails Saigon
The trails and tails walking tour of Saigon gives you a chance to explore some of the most renowned landmarks, Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral, Tran Nguyen Han Statue, Saigon Opera House, and Bitexco Financial Tower. This tour is only hosted every Saturday between 9:45 AM and 1:00 PM. Besides, you also get to know about insights and history about these attractions.
So, these are the best Ho Chi Minh walking tours. You can either choose any one or two of them (or can for even three or four), or can experience all the tours, whatever suits.
How to Travel to Ho Chi Minh
There are a number of different ways to travel to Vietnam, depending on where you are coming from and how you like to get around with transport.
By Air
There are a lot of different airlines that fly to Vietnam from all over the world. There are two major international airports in Vietnam; Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Noi Bai Airpot (HAN) in Hanoi in the north.
By Train
You can cross into Vietnam by train from China.
There is a train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh
By Bus
You can get to Ho Chi Minh City through either the Cambodia, Laos or China borders. There is a route from Vientiane (Laos) to Hanoi, and one from Siem Reap or Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City.
Most travel agents in Vientiane, Siem Reap or Phnom Penh will sell the tickets or at your accommodation. If coming from China, you can get a mini van from Guangzhou through to Hanoi and then on by bus or train to Saigon.
Ho Chi Minh City Walking Tour
Vietnam
Vietnam Visa
Entry Requirements: You must have a valid passport and a visa (or pre-approval for a visa on arrival) to enter Vietnam. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond your planned stay, and you must have at least one blank visa page.
Be sure to check out the visa requirements for your nationality below as every country is different.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)
60 Inn Siagon – This hotel is in a great location in District 1 in HCMC, which is the main travellers area. The hotel is modern, rooms are a nice size and the staff are friendly. This is a well situated hotel for exploring Ho Chi Minh City. There is no lift in the hotel so if you have heavy luggage, request a room on a lower floor or ask for a porter to help you.
Looking for something else in Ho Chi Minh City? Click here to check other options through Agoda.com
PIN to Read Later
Leave a comment below to let me know what you liked best.
Follow Silverbackpacker on Facebook, Instagram ,Twitter and Pinterest for more travel adventures and be notified about my latest posts and updates!
Thankyou for sharing 🙂
PIN to Read Later
All photographs and content on this website remain the property of Silverbackpacker.com. Images may not be downloaded, copied, reproduced or used in any way without prior written consent.
Print purchases entitle the purchaser to the ownership of the image but not to the copyrights of the image which still remain with Silverbackpacker.com even after purchase.
Follow Silverbackpacker for more of his Travels
Facebook @silverbackpacker | Instagram @silverbackpacker
Twitter @silverbackpaker | Pinterest @silverbackpaker
Audere Est Facere – Silverbackpacker.com – To Dare is To Do
Affiliate Disclaimer: Links on this website may be affiliate links that could result in us receiving compensation when you purchase a product or service from that link. You do not pay any extra fees for these items. This helps us to keep this website going. Thank you for your support.
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | All Rights Reserved