3 Days: HCMC and Its Best Day Trips
Three days buys you the two essential day trips instead of just one: Cu Chi combined with Tay Ninh on day two, then a full Mekong Delta day at My Tho and Ben Tre on day three. Only have two days? Drop the Mekong day and see the 2-day version . Got a fourth day? The 4-day plan adds Vung Tau beach.
Book these before you go
- District 1 hotel for both nights: check District 1 hotels on Agoda
- Cu Chi and Tay Ninh combined day tour: book on GetYourGuide
- Mekong Delta, My Tho and Ben Tre day tour: book on Viator
Day 1: Land, settle into District 1
Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) sits 6-8km from District 1; a Grab car runs 110,000-250,000 VND (roughly $4-10) and takes 25-45 minutes outside rush hour. Check in, walk Dong Khoi or Nguyen Hue in the evening, have dinner in District 1, and get an early night; tomorrow’s pickup is early. Our full Ho Chi Minh City guide covers the city itself in depth if you extend this trip later.
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels and Tay Ninh’s Cao Dai Temple
An early 7-8am pickup starts the roughly 2-2.5 hour drive northwest to Tay Ninh. Arrive by 11:15-11:30am for the noon Cao Dai ceremony inside the Holy See, then continue to the Cu Chi Tunnels on the way back; Ben Duoc, at roughly 70km, beats the closer Ben Dinh on original-scale tunnels and fewer tour buses if your operator gives you a choice. Entry runs 110,000-125,000 VND (~$4-5). Expect to be back in District 1 by early evening, 8-10 hours door to door.
Day 3: The Mekong Delta at My Tho and Ben Tre
My Tho and Ben Tre sit 70-90km southwest, 1.5-2 hours by road, close enough for an unhurried single day: a sampan ride through coconut-palm canals, a coconut-candy workshop, a stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda. Shared tours run roughly $25-70 per person. This is the honest single-day Mekong trip; Can Tho and the larger Cai Rang floating market sit much further out and are not a realistic day trip from HCMC, only an overnight extension covered in our 6-day and 7-day plans.
Is three days the right amount of time for HCMC’s day trips?
For the two essential ones, yes. Cu Chi and Tay Ninh together, then a full Mekong Delta day, cover the two most distinct experiences on offer: wartime history plus a religious ceremony, then rural canal life. A third or fourth day trip, Vung Tau or an overnight Can Tho run, adds variety rather than filling a genuine gap.
Should the Mekong day come before or after Cu Chi and Tay Ninh?
Order doesn’t change the substance, but doing Cu Chi and Tay Ninh first while you’re fresh makes sense; it’s the longer of the two days at 8-10 hours door to door, versus a Mekong day that typically wraps by mid-afternoon.
The day trips, side by side
| Day trip | Distance from HCMC | Travel time | What it costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cu Chi Tunnels (Ben Duoc) | ~70km | 1.5-2h | 110,000-125,000 VND entry (~$4-5) |
| Tay Ninh, Cao Dai Great Temple | ~90km | 2-2.5h | Free entry; built around the noon ceremony |
| Mekong Delta, My Tho and Ben Tre | ~70-90km | 1.5-2h | Day tour roughly $25-70pp shared |
| Vung Tau beach | ~90-100km | 1.5-2h by hydrofoil, 2-3.5h by road | Hydrofoil |
| Mekong Delta, Can Tho and Cai Rang (overnight only) | ~170km | 3-3.5h one way | Overnight tour roughly $60-120pp |
Book both tours before you fly out, not after landing; December-April is dry season and the morning departure slots for both routes are the first to sell out.