Many people who have ever read some travel blogs about Saigon will figure that they just need one day to explore all interesting places of Saigon. More than that, sometimes Saigon is described as if it has nothing special to uncover. Nevertheless, Tim Doling with his books and articles on Saigoneer site demonstrates that getting more understanding of this city requires more time and more effort. The following three-day Saigon itinerary will point out exactly what you will do to perceive best about it.
Day 1
In the morning, you will be recommended to make a visit to Saigon Opera House, which used to be the headquarters of the former Republic of Vietnam. Located nearby are Continental Hotel and Caravelle Hotel, where the former correspondents once picked to chill out and sip drinks in the war time period. Afterwards, it is great to enter and admire the exquisite French architecture of the People’s Committee building of Ho Chi Minh City, followed by Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Post Office – two amongst many landmarks of the city.
Sitting in the cool ambiance of La Fenetre Soleil, located at No.44 Ly Tu Trong Street to enjoy a cup of hot coffee or some fruit juice is definitely so amazing that you find it hard to explore the rest of Saigon; the café is supposed to bear the ancient and lovely French style appealing to anyone who would like to put their mind in peace and calm. Another activity to experience for the first day in Saigon is to wander along Dong Khoi Street for sightseeing or shopping; there is a wide range of adorable products and souvenirs. For lunch, do not lose out on L’Usine restaurant, offering unique and fragrant dishes, such as salad with grilled pork and mango, lemon yogurt, and others.
After the lunch, Reunification Palace will utterly be the next ideal destination; this palace opposite 30/4 Park was once the governmental building of the North Vietnam until 1975. If you are interested in the Vietnamese history, War Remnant Museum will expose a part of the truth about the war in Vietnam and Indochina.
The following suggestions are for dinner; you can savor Bo Tung Xeo – a specialty, Jamon Iberico – an outstanding Spanish dish at Luong Son Quan Restaurant (No.31 Ly Tu Trong Street), and Mekong Mojito cocktail at Last Call Saigon.
Day 2
For the second day in Saigon, you can take a tour to explore historical destinations of this city as Tim Doling suggested before. It is known that the tour allows you to have a new outlook on the lifestyle of Saigon through cute colorful cafés to ancient architecture structures. The Other Person Café is one of the cafés highly recommended in this case. Bars at the high floors of Bitexco Financial Tower are also the deserving places since you can get a panoramic view of the whole city.
Now it is time for lunch. Surely, mouth-watering dishes found at The Lunch Lady, Chuck’s Café, and Café If are impressive enough to draw anyone who wish to savor a luscious meal while soaking up the cool space of an ancient architectural structure.
In the afternoon, a visit to San Art is supposed to be clearly perfect because you can contemplate compelling artworks and know about Underground Vietnamese artists, e.g. Saigon Rangers. To make an evening more meaningful is by having a dinner with your companions at Cuc Gach Quan (Brick Restaurant), where Vietnamese traditional cuisines will delight you so much.
Day 3
To complete a Saigon trip within three days, you are advisable to explore Can Gio – the Saigon’s outskirts on the last day. The excursion is considered as a chance to get to know about the stunning landscapes of a unique biosphere reserve as well as an eco-tourism destination. In the evening, it will be amazing to go on a street food tour by motorbike and go a stroll along Bui Vien Walking Street (the Saigon backpackers’ enclave) since it enables you to grab a nightlife experience in Saigon.
