Day Two:
Cu Chi Tunnels and City Tour
This morning, we head out for a sightseeing tour. We take a short bus trip to Hoc Mon town where we will hire a cycle and ride through picturesque rice paddies and rubber plantations, making the way towards the renowned Cu Chi Tunnels. This tunnel is a twisting network of narrow underground tunnels and rooms the Viet Cong used as its military base and living quarters during the Vietnam War. Here, we can learn about the underground lifestyle of the Viet Cong, and we can also explore the network of tunnels on foot. After visiting this astonishing site, we will stop for a short lunch break at a local restaurant. After lunch, we drive back to Ho Chi Minh City for the afternoon tour. We head out to visit some of the most significant sites of the city. Firstly, we will visit the Reunification Palace, an incredible structure of 1960s architecture, steeped in modern history. It was the spot where the Vietnam War came to an end in 1975 when the city of Saigon fell after a North Vietnamese army tank collided on the palace gates, from which point the city came to known as Ho Chi Minh City. Next, we will visit other notable landmarks like the Notre Dame Cathedral, an impressive neo-Romanesque Catholic cathedral built in the late 19th century, the Saigon Post Office, which is a classic French building that bears an impressive portrait of Uncle Ho and many grand architectural details. To conclude the day's trip, we will visit the famed Ben Thanh Market, a huge vibrant marketplace where you can find everything from fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, and sweets, to suitcases, clothing and white goods, traditional lacquerware, handicrafts, and kitschy tourist trinkets. Go for shopping around the place while haggling with the vendors. Even if you are not thinking of buying anything, visit around the market, the market itself is a spectacle to witness.