Vietnam Days 1-5 same as 5-day. Day 6-7: Phu Quoc 2-day beach (1h flight) OR Vung Tau beach 2h drive + departure.
A full week is enough to actually understand Ho Chi Minh City. Three days for the major districts, three days for nearby regions, and one day for the offbeat neighborhoods most tourists miss. The back half of the trip is more about texture than checking landmarks — your photos get more diverse and you walk away with a three-dimensional sense of the city.
7-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$460
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$1,030
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$2,500
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
D1 Heritage
ArrivalActivities
- 09:00 Notre Dame + Reunification + Ben Thanh + Banh Mi Huynh Hoa + Cuc Gach + Bui Vien 14 hours
Full D1 Day 1.
Cost: $30-70 TIP: Full D1 immersion.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
D1 · $3-8
Hotel.
Lunch
Pho 2000
D1 · $2-5
Clinton pho.
Dinner
Cuc Gach Quan
D1 · $8-20
Heritage.
Walking + Grab.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Cu Chi + War Remnants + Rooftop
Vietnam WarActivities
- 08:00 Cu Chi + War Remnants + Chill Skybar + Bun Bo Hue 14 hours
Full Vietnam War Day 2.
Cost: $40-90 TIP: Cu Chi pre-book.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Tour pickup
D1 · Included
Early.
Lunch
Cu Chi tour
Cu Chi · Included
Rural Vietnamese.
Dinner
Bun Bo Hue Dong Ba
D1 · $3-5
Spicy beef noodle.
Day tour + Grab.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Mekong Overnight Day 1
Mekong immersionActivities
- 07:00 Mekong overnight cruise 15 hours
2-day Cai Rang cruise.
Cost: $150-250 TIP: Pre-book.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
D1 · Included
Quick.
Lunch
Mekong cruise
Mekong · Included
Floating lunch.
Dinner
Mekong rural
Mekong · Included
Rural Vietnamese.
Mekong cruise.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Cai Rang Sunrise + Return + Anan
Mekong morningActivities
- 05:30 Cai Rang sunrise + return Saigon + Anan Michelin 16 hours
Full Mekong sunrise return.
Cost: $40-100 TIP: Iconic Mekong sunrise.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Mekong sunrise
Mekong · Included
Sunrise.
Lunch
Saigon return
D1 · $5-15
Light.
Dinner
Anan Saigon Michelin
D1 · $30-70
Michelin.
Mekong return + Grab.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Vespa Food Tour + Saigon Saigon Bar
Vespa + skyline farewellActivities
- 10:00 Vespa food tour + Saigon Saigon Bar Caravelle 12 hours
Vespa + rooftop history.
Cost: $80-150 TIP: Pre-book Vespa.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
D1 · Included
Hotel.
Lunch
Vespa tour
Saigon districts · Included
Vespa stops.
Dinner
Saigon Saigon Bar
D1 · $15-35
Vietnam War history rooftop.
Vespa + Grab.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Phu Quoc Day 1 (1h flight)
Vietnamese beachActivities
- 08:00 SGN → PQC flight + Phu Quoc beach + Sao Beach 10 hours
1h flight to Phu Quoc + iconic Sao Beach white sand.
Cost: $80-150 flight RT + beach TIP: Vietjet/Vietnam Airlines 1h flight. - 19:00 Phu Quoc seafood night market 2 hours
Phu Quoc seafood market — fresh seafood + Vietnamese.
Cost: $10-30 TIP: Iconic Phu Quoc seafood.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel + flight
SGN → PQC · $5-15
Flight light.
Lunch
Sao Beach Vietnamese
Phu Quoc · $10-25
Beach Vietnamese.
Dinner
Phu Quoc seafood market
Duong Dong · $10-30
Fresh seafood.
Flight 1h + Phu Quoc taxi.
DAY 6 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Phu Quoc Day 2 + Return + Departure
Beach + farewellActivities
- 09:00 Hon Thom cable car (world's longest) + return Saigon 10 hours
World's longest 3-rope cable car + return flight.
Cost: $60-150 TIP: Cable car Guinness Record. - 22:00 SGN Airport departure 30 min
Korean flights.
Cost: Grab $8-12 TIP: Pre-book transfer.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Phu Quoc hotel
Phu Quoc · Included
Beach breakfast.
Lunch
Hon Thom beach
Hon Thom · Included with cable car
Beach club lunch.
Dinner
Saigon airport snack
SGN · $10-25
Pre-flight.
Cable car + Phu Quoc → SGN flight + Grab.
DAY 7 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
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Packing Checklist
- ✓ Light tropical clothes year-round
- ✓ Modest cover-up for temples
- ✓ Walking shoes + Mekong waterproof
- ✓ Phu Quoc beach swimwear
- ✓ Cash dong
- ✓ Insect repellent (dengue + Mekong)
- ✓ Travel insurance
Ho Chi Minh City 7-Day Itinerary FAQ
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Why you can trust 7-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.