Best Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City: 5 Routes Ranked by Effort

The easiest day trips from Ho Chi Minh City are the Củ Chi Tunnels and Cần Giờ, requiring under two hours of travel each way. Longer trips to the Mekong Delta or Tây Ninh require four to six hours of round-trip driving. Ranking your options by physical effort prevents travel fatigue. For a quick half-day trip, choose the Củ Chi Tunnels. For a full-day nature escape, the Mekong Delta or Cần Giờ mangrove forest works best. If you want mountain hiking or coastal views, prepare for a long twelve-hour day in Tây Ninh or Vũng Tàu. Private car transfers for these routes start from $70 (approximate). Contact Trip2VN to get a quote for custom transport.

Củ Chi Tunnels (Bến Dược section) and Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve represent the lowest effort options. Củ Chi is 60 kilometers northwest of Sài Gòn. The drive takes 1.5 hours. You walk on shaded dirt paths and crawl through historic underground passages. Cần Giờ is 60 kilometers south. The journey includes a 15-minute crossing on the Bình Khánh ferry. In Cần Giờ, you board a speedboat to explore the Vàm Sát mangrove forest. Củ Chi is historical and dry. Cần Giờ is humid, muddy, and focused on coastal nature. Both options easily fit into a six-hour morning itinerary.

Bến Tre is the most practical destination for a medium-effort Mekong Delta day trip. The drive from Sài Gòn takes 2 to 2.5 hours each way via the Trung Lương expressway. A standard itinerary includes a motorized boat ride on the Chẹt Sậy river, a visit to a family-run coconut candy workshop, and a short ride in a hand-rowed sampan along narrow canals. This trip requires moderate physical effort. You must step in and out of small boats and walk on uneven village paths. Expect hot, humid weather year-round. Bring insect repellent and a wide-brimmed hat.

Vũng Tàu is a high-effort day trip due to strict transit schedules. The fastest option is the high-speed ferry from Bạch Đằng wharf in District 1, taking two hours. Alternatively, a private car takes 2.5 hours via the Long Thành - Dầu Giây expressway. Once there, you can walk along Thùy Vân street, climb the Jesus Statue on Nhỏ Mountain, or eat fresh seafood at Sao Mai area. The main challenge is the midday coastal heat and the strict return ferry times. If you miss the last ferry around 4:00 PM, you must take a bus back.

Tây Ninh requires the highest physical effort of all day trips from Sài Gòn. The drive to Núi Bà Đen (Black Virgin Mountain) takes 3 hours each way through heavy provincial traffic. At the mountain, you ride a cable car system to the peak at 986 meters. Exploring the spiritual complex, the large bronze Buddha statue, and the pagoda gardens requires walking up hundreds of stone steps. Temperatures at the peak are cooler, but the base is extremely hot. This is a full twelve-hour journey. It is best suited for active travelers who do not mind long drives.