5 Days of Saigon Day Trips
Five days keeps the same Cu Chi, Tay Ninh, Mekong, Vung Tau and Can Tho-overnight days as the 4 day version, then cashes in the reason for that overnight: Cai Rang’s dawn floating market by sampan, before the return drive to HCMC. Only need the setup day? See the 4 day version . Want a Ben Tre homestay too? The 6 day version adds one.
| Day | Day trip | Travel time from HCMC |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cu Chi Tunnels (Ben Duoc) and the Tay Ninh Cao Dai noon ceremony | Combined, 8-10h round trip |
| 2 | Mekong Delta: My Tho and Ben Tre | 1.5-2h each way |
| 3 | Vung Tau beach and the Christ of Vung Tau statue | 1.5-2h each way by hydrofoil |
| 4 | Travel to Can Tho, overnight | 3-3.5h each way |
| 5 | Cai Rang dawn floating market, then return to HCMC | Sampan at dawn; 3-3.5h drive back |
Book these before you go
- Compare District 1 hotel rates for the first three nights
- Book a combined Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple tour rather than arranging both legs solo
- Book a My Tho and Ben Tre Mekong Delta day tour if going without a private car
Day 1: Ben Duoc’s tunnels, then the Cao Dai noon ceremony
Morning: Ben Duoc, 70km and roughly 2 hours out, entry 110,000-125,000 VND (~US$4-5). Check current visitor details first. Afternoon: Tay Ninh, 90km and 2-2.5 hours from HCMC, the free noon Cao Dai ceremony. Evening: return, an 8-10 hour day door to door.
Day 2: My Tho and Ben Tre, the honest single-day Mekong trip
My Tho and Ben Tre, 70-90km and roughly 1.5-2 hours from HCMC: a sampan through coconut-palm canals, a coconut-candy workshop, orchard fruit tasting, all in one unhurried day. Ben Tre’s own tourism notes cover the coconut province in more depth.
Day 3: Vung Tau’s beach, and the statue you climb from the inside
The Greenlines hydrofoil takes 1.5-2 hours each way. The Christ of Vung Tau statue, 32 metres tall, is reached by roughly 800 steps up Small Mountain plus 133 steps inside the statue to its arms, open 7am-5pm daily.
Day 4: The road to Can Tho, ahead of the dawn market
Can Tho sits 3-3.5 hours from HCMC by road. Settle into a riverside hotel near Ninh Kieu Wharf, eat dinner at the wharf’s night market, and set an early alarm; Cai Rang’s real wholesale trade runs hardest 5-8:30am.
Day 5: Cai Rang at dawn, the reason for the overnight
Does the dawn timing actually matter that much? Yes. A boat from Ninh Kieu Wharf before sunrise reaches Cai Rang while the wholesale trade, wooden boats stacked with pineapple, dragon fruit and green coconuts hung from poles advertising each boat’s cargo, is still in full swing; arrive after 9am and much of it has already dispersed. Vietnam’s official Mekong Delta guide covers the wider region for a future, longer Delta trip. Afternoon: the 3-3.5 hour drive back to HCMC.
Grab covers the city between day trips; fix the fare in the app before you ride. Five days is enough to turn the rushed one-day Mekong glimpse most tourists settle for into the real dawn market experience, provided the alarm actually goes off.