Budget Travel Guide: Explore Ho Chi Minh in One Day for Under 350 Yuan

A solo budget trip to Vietnam 🇻🇳 – Sixth stop: Ho Chi Minh City
If you only have one day to explore Ho Chi Minh City, here’s a guide for walking through 13 attractions with a total cost of 350 yuan.
Route 👉: Pham Ngu Lao Street → Ben Thanh Market → Vietnam Fine Arts Museum → The Cafe Apartment → City Hall → Opera House → Central Post Office → Notre Dame Cathedral → Independence Palace → War Remnants Museum → Pink Church → Japan Town → Saigon River Cruise Dock → Pham Ngu Lao Street
Transport: Bus from Da Lat to Ho Chi Minh City costs 82 yuan 💰
Accommodation: Three nights at a hostel near Pham Ngu Lao Street for 148 yuan 💰 (see image 3)
Route 👉:
12:30 ⬆️ First stop: Wake up naturally and stroll around the nearby Pham Ngu Lao Street (see image 4).

It’s unremarkable during the day but becomes a paradise for men at night.
12:50 ⬇️ Second stop: Walk 1.2 kilometers to Ben Thanh Market (see image 5). There are all kinds of goods for sale. Bought a glass of passion fruit juice for 25,000 VND, which is 7.1 yuan 💰. There are also currency exchange services nearby at a rate of 1:3500.

13:40 ⬇️ Third stop: Walk 350 meters to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum (see image 6). Admission is 30,000 VND, or 8.5 yuan 💰. The building itself is quite beautiful.
14:00 ⬇️ Fourth stop: Walk 900 meters to The Cafe Apartment (see image 7). Just take a photo outside.
14:30 ⬇️ Fifth stop: Right next to it is the City Hall (see image 8), which has a statue of Ho Chi Minh.

14:40 ⬇️ Sixth stop: The Opera House is also nearby (see image 9). Take a photo.
14:50 ⬇️ Seventh stop: Walk 550 meters to the Central Post Office (see image 10). The exterior is beautiful, and they sell postcards inside, though they are not cheap.
15:00 ⬇️ Eighth stop: Across from the Central Post Office is the Notre Dame Cathedral, which is under renovation.

15:30 ⬇️ Ninth stop: Walk 500 meters to the Independence Palace (see image 11). Admission is 40,000 VND, or 11.36 yuan 💰. It’s definitely worth a visit.
16:00 ⬇️ Tenth stop: Walk 600 meters to the War Remnants Museum (see image 12). Admission is 40,000 VND, or 11.36 yuan 💰. It tells the history of Vietnam’s resistance against America, which is important to understand.

17:00 ⬇️ Eleventh stop: Walk 1.4 kilometers to the Pink Church (see image 13). You can’t go inside, but it’s very pretty.
17:20 ⬇️ Twelfth stop: Walk 2.1 kilometers to Japan Town (see image 14). There are stories about it.
18:00 Thirteenth stop: Walk 700 meters to the Saigon River Cruise Dock (see image 15).

Enjoy the night view of Saigon, which is very beautiful.
19:00 ⬇️ Fourteenth stop: Walk 1.8 kilometers back to Pham Ngu Lao Street (see image 16). It’s very lively at night, with a street called “Eight Plus One.”
Next stop: A one-day tour of the Mekong River