HCMC - Saigon, Vietnam - One Day Tour Proposal

I received a request to post our upcoming tour itinerary. Although we have two days (overnight in HCMC), we only wanted a one day tour with the second day to explore on our own including the war museum and markets. I specifically asked for the Chu Chi Tunnels and Reunification Hall inside visit, although a lot of people on our roll call are not interested in the tunnels for various reasons. And yes, I'm aware we can't got through the Cathedral and Post Office in less than 30 minutes, but will adjust that day. This is a full day 10 hour tour. Prices include both a driver and licensed guide.

==

Cu Chi – HCMC Tour

• 09:30 Meet our guide at the pier at Nha Rong port in HCMC to go to visit the Thien Hau temple and Cho Lon market in China town
  

• 11:00 Go to visit the Reunification Hall (inside)
  

• 12:00 Stop at the Notre Dam Cathedral and old Post Office for photos, the former US Embassy
  

• 12:30 Lunch at Pho Hoa restaurant (exclusive)
  

• 13:30 Transfer to visit theCu Chi Tunnels where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length which provide shelters for Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War against American troops
  

• 15:00 Visit the tunnels
  

• 16:30 Transfer back to HCMC
  

• 18:30 Enjoy the unique water puppet show
  

• 19:30 Transfer back to the ship
  

Overnight aboard

Prices

2-3 pax $103.00pp

4-5 pax $$80.00pp

6-7 pax $68.00pp

Tour inclusions:

Private modern car or van (from 2005 up), English speaking guides, entrance fees for tourist sites (Cu Chi tunnels: USD 4.5/person, Reunification Hall: USD 1/person, water puppet show: USD 4/person), refreshment of water and wet tissues, and permit to pick up inside the ports

Tour exclusions:

Drinks and food

Tips

Costs not included above

Looks like a great tour. The challenge in getting from place to place can be the crowds and the traffic.

Have a great time.

Keith

jade13,

Thanks so much for posting.

Hi Jade13.

we are interested in this Ho CHi Minh CIty day tour you posted.....can you let us know the company offering this?

we will be there 2 days on Azamara Quest this January.

i could not locate the Private message icons on this board?

thanks!

Hi Jade13.

we are interested in this Ho CHi Minh CIty day tour you posted.....can you let us know the company offering this?

we will be there 2 days on Azamara Quest this January.

 

i could not locate the Private message icons on this board?

 

thanks!

This is actually not the tour that I decided to do but the company is Smile Tours Vietnam. We are using them but tour revised for our second day.

This is our revised tour for our second day in Saigon.

The highlights we will be seeing are an inside visit to Reunification Hall when it opens at 7:30am, and the Cu Chi tunnels. We may have an hour left back in HCMC before we go back to the ship for a short stop at the War Remnants Museum or China town, but I wouldn't count on it.

The prices below include the $20.00 pp permit that our guide needs to pay in order to pick us up right inside the port. The company has agreed to cash that day.

===

Day: 12 Feb 2010 – Cu Chi – HCMC Tour

• 7:00 Meet our guide at the pier at Nha Rong port in HCMC to go to visit the Reunification Hall
  

• 7:30 Start the visit at the Reunification Hall for 1 hour
  

• 8:30 Transfer to Cu Chi
  

• 10:30 Visit the tunnels for 1.5 hour including 1 round of shooting (time permitting, approx $12.00)
  

• 12:00 Transfer back to HCMC
  

• 13:30 (Time permitting) Visit the War Remnants Museum (reopens 1:30pm, $1.00 entrance) or the Thien Hau temple and Cho Lon market in China town.
  
  

• 14:30 Transfer back to the ship
  

• 16:00 Azamara Quest scheduled departure HCMC
  

These itineraries are subject to changes due to time permitting and clients’ interests

PRICE: USD/PERSON (in private tours)

• For a group of 2-3 people: USD 99/person
  
• For a group of 4-5 people: USD 76/person
  
• For a group of 6-8 people: USD 64/person
  
• For a group of 9-10 people: USD 60/person
  

These prices include permit to pick up in the port, and entrance fees for Reunification Hall and Cu Chi tunnels.

jade13...thx a lot for the info.

we are looking for similar tour off of Quest in January.

have you found an operator in DaNang (if your itinerary stops there)?

we are looking for a day tour to Hoi AN.

thx!

jade13...thx a lot for the info.

we are looking for similar tour off of Quest in January.

 

have you found an operator in DaNang (if your itinerary stops there)?

we are looking for a day tour to Hoi AN.

 

thx!

Yes, we are using Smile Tours for Danang to My Son and Hoian.

This is our revised tour for our second day in Saigon.

 

The highlights we will be seeing are an inside visit to Reunification Hall when it opens at 7:30am, and the Cu Chi tunnels. We may have an hour left back in HCMC before we go back to the ship for a short stop at the War Remnants Museum or China town, but I wouldn't count on it.

 

The prices below include the $20.00 pp permit that our guide needs to pay in order to pick us up right inside the port. The company has agreed to cash that day.

 

 

===

HIGHLIGHTS OF SAIGON

 

 

Day: 12 Feb 2010 – Cu Chi – HCMC Tour

 

 

• 7:00 Meet our guide at the pier at Nha Rong port in HCMC to go to visit the Reunification Hall
  

 

• 7:30 Start the visit at the Reunification Hall for 1 hour
  

 

• 8:30 Transfer to Cu Chi
  

 

• 10:30 Visit the tunnels for 1.5 hour including 1 round of shooting (time permitting, approx $12.00)
  

 

• 12:00 Transfer back to HCMC
  

 

• 13:30 (Time permitting) Visit the War Remnants Museum (reopens 1:30pm, $1.00 entrance) or the Thien Hau temple and Cho Lon market in China town.
  
  

 

• 14:30 Transfer back to the ship
  

 

• 16:00 Azamara Quest scheduled departure HCMC
  

These itineraries are subject to changes due to time permitting and clients’ interests

 

PRICE: USD/PERSON (in private tours)

 

 

• For a group of 2-3 people: USD 99/person
  
• For a group of 4-5 people: USD 76/person
  
• For a group of 6-8 people: USD 64/person
  
• For a group of 9-10 people: USD 60/person
  

These prices include permit to pick up in the port, and entrance fees for Reunification Hall and Cu Chi tunnels.

I had arranged a private tour using Smile Tours Vietnam (Contact - Minh Thi) to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) when we arrived on the Diamond Princess in mid-Oct. The tour operator, Thi, is outstanding! She delivered everything she promised. We were 25 passengers and she sent a 35 seat bus so we would not be cramped. The $20 port permit is so the driver & tour guide can pick you up @ the gangplank. Mr. Hai was our English speaking informative and outstanding tour guide. Mr. Nguyen was the fearless bus driver, because Saigon traffic is CRAZY! A word of caution, I don't know where your ship docks - the Diamond Princess docked @ a brand new port - Phu My (they had not finished paving the roads in the port yet.) Phu My is a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Saigon on 'highways' full of potholes and terrible traffic. We spent more time on the bus, than in the city of Saigon. We were there on a Saturday, and it took us almost 3 hours to return to the ship, because there was an auto accident that closed traffic to 1 lane heading out of Saigon. In fact, Princess tour buses were late because of the accident and an hour 1/2 late getting back to the ship. So be aware of the time when returning to your ship. Our group met in one of the lounges as soon as the ship docked, so we were able to leave the ship first as one group (Princess allowed that), as the ship's shore excursions were getting organized.

The Chon Lon Market is a wholesale market - so passengers will not be able to shop there. Shopping is better @ the Ben Thanh retail market - large, crowded indoor market. Best bargains outside of Beijing (remember to haggle) - a great place to buy Saigon sovenirs/merchandise/cashews.

One final comment - Minh Thi is the owner of HCMC's Smile Tours Vietnam and her operation is well run, efficient and delivers what it promises. Unfortunately, we discovered that Smile Tours Vietnam is franchised in Vietnam, so you might sign up with Smile Tours Vietnam in other cities expecting the same smooth, quality guided tour operation. That is not true. In Nha Trang, the Smile Tours Vietnam tour operator was disorganized, and the tour guide's English was impossible to understand. He did not explain the culture or history of the area. Passengers were highly unhappy. So I wish you good luck in all your tour arrangements.

:):):):)

I had arranged a private tour using Smile Tours Vietnam (Contact - Minh Thi) to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) when we arrived on the Diamond Princess in mid-Oct. The tour operator, Thi, is outstanding! She delivered everything she promised. We were 25 passengers and she sent a 35 seat bus so we would not be cramped. The $20 port permit is so the driver & tour guide can pick you up @ the gangplank. Mr. Hai was our English speaking informative and outstanding tour guide. Mr. Nguyen was the fearless bus driver, because Saigon traffic is CRAZY! A word of caution, I don't know where your ship docks - the Diamond Princess docked @ a brand new port - Phu My (they had not finished paving the roads in the port yet.) Phu My is a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Saigon on 'highways' full of potholes and terrible traffic. We spent more time on the bus, than in the city of Saigon. We were there on a Saturday, and it took us almost 3 hours to return to the ship, because there was an auto accident that closed traffic to 1 lane heading out of Saigon. In fact, Princess tour buses were late because of the accident and an hour 1/2 late getting back to the ship. So be aware of the time when returning to your ship. Our group met in one of the lounges as soon as the ship docked, so we were able to leave the ship first as one group (Princess allowed that), as the ship's shore excursions were getting organized.

 

The Chon Lon Market is a wholesale market - so passengers will not be able to shop there. Shopping is better @ the Ben Thanh retail market - large, crowded indoor market. Best bargains outside of Beijing (remember to haggle) - a great place to buy Saigon sovenirs/merchandise/cashews.

 

One final comment - Minh Thi is the owner of HCMC's Smile Tours Vietnam and her operation is well run, efficient and delivers what it promises. Unfortunately, we discovered that Smile Tours Vietnam is franchised in Vietnam, so you might sign up with Smile Tours Vietnam in other cities expecting the same smooth, quality guided tour operation. That is not true. In Nha Trang, the Smile Tours Vietnam tour operator was disorganized, and the tour guide's English was impossible to understand. He did not explain the culture or history of the area. Passengers were highly unhappy. So I wish you good luck in all your tour arrangements.

 

:):):):)

Thank you for your feedback. This is good information because when we booked we really hadn't read any feedback, but yours is the second one. Azamara is docking right in HCMC, apparently one mile from the center of town is my understanding. Thi is extremely organized but in this case she had everyones individual email addresses because she needed to collect birth date and passport information. She confirmed the tours and details with me before sending them out.

We also have a group booked for Danang. So, you are saying this is a franchise and guides and drivers not hand picked by Thi (I thought Thi was her first name, but maybe not?)

Did you meet Thi in HCMC and also was payment made upfront before the tour started vs at the end? I am OK with that because as the organizer I don't have to deal with people handing me cash at lunch or during the tour. We paid everyone in Europe two years in a row at the end of the tours but in Malta the owner met us at the beginning (which I knew) and I actually liked it that way as I didn't have to worry about anyone telling me they lost their cash at the end, etc.

I had arranged a private tour using Smile Tours Vietnam (Contact - Minh Thi) to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) when we arrived on the Diamond Princess in mid-Oct. The tour operator, Thi, is outstanding! She delivered everything she promised. We were 25 passengers and she sent a 35 seat bus so we would not be cramped. The $20 port permit is so the driver & tour guide can pick you up @ the gangplank. Mr. Hai was our English speaking informative and outstanding tour guide. Mr. Nguyen was the fearless bus driver, because Saigon traffic is CRAZY! A word of caution, I don't know where your ship docks - the Diamond Princess docked @ a brand new port - Phu My (they had not finished paving the roads in the port yet.) Phu My is a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Saigon on 'highways' full of potholes and terrible traffic. We spent more time on the bus, than in the city of Saigon. We were there on a Saturday, and it took us almost 3 hours to return to the ship, because there was an auto accident that closed traffic to 1 lane heading out of Saigon. In fact, Princess tour buses were late because of the accident and an hour 1/2 late getting back to the ship. So be aware of the time when returning to your ship. Our group met in one of the lounges as soon as the ship docked, so we were able to leave the ship first as one group (Princess allowed that), as the ship's shore excursions were getting organized.

 

The Chon Lon Market is a wholesale market - so passengers will not be able to shop there. Shopping is better @ the Ben Thanh retail market - large, crowded indoor market. Best bargains outside of Beijing (remember to haggle) - a great place to buy Saigon sovenirs/merchandise/cashews.

 

One final comment - Minh Thi is the owner of HCMC's Smile Tours Vietnam and her operation is well run, efficient and delivers what it promises. Unfortunately, we discovered that Smile Tours Vietnam is franchised in Vietnam, so you might sign up with Smile Tours Vietnam in other cities expecting the same smooth, quality guided tour operation. That is not true. In Nha Trang, the Smile Tours Vietnam tour operator was disorganized, and the tour guide's English was impossible to understand. He did not explain the culture or history of the area. Passengers were highly unhappy. So I wish you good luck in all your tour arrangements.

 

:):):):)

E-mailed this to Ms Thi of Smile tours, this is her reply (look for complete names before you book in different cities)

Dear Al,

Thank you so much for the quote. I highly appreciate your information. Honestly Smile Tours is not franchised. There are many tour companies here with the name Smile Tours and we are lightly different to add some extra words. For example: we are Smile Tours Service; some others are Smile Travels; Smile Viet; Viet Smile Tours; etc

About this case, I am not sure how things happened. I never arrange any tours for cruise travellers in Nha Trang because I always leave that to our close friend, Mr. Dung from Nha Trang River Tour to take care. Mr Dung has been highly recommended on cruise critic as well. Mr. Dung and I often recommend guests to each other. I am not sure whether some people might think that we are 1 company, but we are surely different companies.

For other ports: Phu My, Sai Gon, Danang, Hue, Halong: we always arrange everything ourselves. In fact, we are based in HCMC, so we need partners in other cities to arrange certain services for us, this is normal in travel business when you ahve to handle things in different cities and countries, but we choose good partners to do that.

We can choose good guides, hotels, restaurants, transport companies by ourselves. But sometimes our partners there can update us with some better new services, so we follow them. I don't know how to explain everything as much as you expect, but I can promise you that I will always try to do our best to make our guests happy and keep our reputation. I will diliver good services to you and Amy

Can you do me a favor: please write on cruise critic that Smile Tours is not franchised in Vietnam and we will do what we have promised to our guests. When people communicate with Thi or her staff (Mr. Tri, Ms. Bao Anh, Ms. Tam), they communicate with the real Smile Tours. Smile Tours never arrange anything in Nha Trang.

Thank you so much.

All the best,

Thi

I must admit I am totally mystified by the comments above about tours in Nha Trang. We organised a tour when we were there on the Diamond Princess on Friday 16th October 2009 and our tour was with Dung of Global Travel.

Yes, his English is not as you would hear in the US, Canada, Australia, UK etc. but his heart and soul is with the tourists and if you listen carefully (and not talk to everyone around you while your guide is trying to speak which is extremely rude), he is not particularly difficult to understand.

We had 32 people on our tour for the amazing price of US$40 per person. If I understand it correctly he has to pay US$20 per person to the authorities to permit him on the wharf to pick up his tourists. For this price we got a tour of the city and countryside, delicious morning fruit and a drink at a wonderful house/shop, lunch and a river cruise.

We also had the absolute pleasure of visiting an orphanage which for us was the highlight of any of our tours whilst on this cruise.

The writer of the post above appears to have been on the same cruise we were but were definitely not on our tour in Nha Trang so if anyone is planning on using Dung in Nha Trang, I say go for it, you will not be disappointed.

As far as I am aware nobody was unhappy with our tour, in fact I got so much feedback from people who had been with us that day, thanking me for organising such a fantastic tour.

Maui Globetrotters - who was your tour guide?

Cheers

Beryl

As I have posted previously quite a few times, new tour operators pop up all the time. Some good, some absolutely horrible. Often, these new operators use a familiar name in the tour/travel business. Some merely operate as a booking agency and actually book you on the ORIGINAL tour. Some try to run these tours themselves and often get themselves and their customers in trouble money wise and vehicle wise. Sinh Cafe (the original) in Hanoi is knocked off by about 200 tour operators in Vietnam. It appears that SMILE tours (by any variation of the name) is the new "knock off" king.

Unless you do extensive research (or have an honest tour operator as alanmal found), you simply do not know whether you are booking with the ORIGINAL, ESTABLISHED tour operator or one of the many knockoffs. PLEASE do your research.

 

 

One final comment - Minh Thi is the owner of HCMC's Smile Tours Vietnam and her operation is well run, efficient and delivers what it promises. Unfortunately, we discovered that Smile Tours Vietnam is franchised in Vietnam, so you might sign up with Smile Tours Vietnam in other cities expecting the same smooth, quality guided tour operation. That is not true. In Nha Trang, the Smile Tours Vietnam tour operator was disorganized, and the tour guide's English was impossible to understand. He did not explain the culture or history of the area. Passengers were highly unhappy. So I wish you good luck in all your tour arrangements.

 

:):):):)

Maui Globe Trotters, so you thought your tour in Nha Trang was organized by Thi of Smile Tours who also gave you the tour in HCMC? This was clearly not the case as she stated to Al she does not do tours in Nha Trang. Was this set up by someone on your cruise so you thought it was the same operator (or an affiliate)?

Thi sends out Word docs of her tours. I normally type these up myself so she is so organized she saved me time. Her Word docs when printed clearly have her name and address.

Someone else posted and thinks they had the same guide in Nha Trang, but they give another tour operator name. Again, I'm unclear how you thought you were on a tour organized by Thi of Smile tours when she doesn't do anything in Nha Trang, but can only think this was not organized by you (or you would know you were emailing someone else.

I am glad Al took the time to clarify with her as we will also be in Danang.

I am using Ha in Vietnam for our Hanoi, HCM and Danang. Like Al said, there are so many websites with a name similar to her website name that I almost went to the wrong one when I first started communicating with her. Be very careful and only use the "real" guide agency that has been recommended on CC.

I must admit I am totally mystified by the comments above about tours in Nha Trang. We organised a tour when we were there on the Diamond Princess on Friday 16th October 2009 and our tour was with Dung of Global Travel.

 

Yes, his English is not as you would hear in the US, Canada, Australia, UK etc. but his heart and soul is with the tourists and if you listen carefully (and not talk to everyone around you while your guide is trying to speak which is extremely rude), he is not particularly difficult to understand.

 

Maui Globetrotters - who was your tour guide?

 

Cheers

 

Beryl

I just realized that Maui Globetrotters never said their tour operator was Ding of Global Travel who would have been recommended by Thi of Smile Tours.

So, I agree others want the name of this tour operator who was not good, and still unclear how Maui Globetrotters thought they were affiliated with Thi of Smile Tours, since they were clearly not booked through Thi.

We were on a tour with Smile Tours in Saigon in October - it was wonderful. Be sure not to miss a little shopping at Ben Thagh (not sure of spelling) Market in Saigon before going back to ship. Best bargains of the whole cruise and some nice things.

What is best way to reserve tours through the authentic"Smile Tours" recommended on this website. I am looking for tours in Hoi An, Saigon and Hanoi for 2 passengers on the Seabourn ship- since it is smaller, I heard it can dock closer to some cities. There does not seem to be much activity on my ship roll call, so I will try to book tours for just my husband and I, since I apparently can't get a group together.

Thanks,

Kathy

What is best way to reserve tours through the authentic"Smile Tours" recommended on this website. I am looking for tours in Hoi An, Saigon and Hanoi for 2 passengers on the Seabourn ship- since it is smaller, I heard it can dock closer to some cities. There does not seem to be much activity on my ship roll call, so I will try to book tours for just my husband and I, since I apparently can't get a group together.

Thanks,

Kathy

Contact Thi at Smile Tours Vietnam.

http://www.smiletoursvietnam.com/

She will let you pay US cash that day. Her tours average around $100 pp for 2 people in various cities. This includes the $20.00 permit, entrance fees, but not lunch.

You can see from my posts that she will give you a full itinerary. We are using her for HCMC and Danang (HoiAn).

I received a request to post our upcoming tour itinerary. Although we have two days (overnight in HCMC), we only wanted a one day tour with the second day to explore on our own including the war museum and markets. I specifically asked for the Chu Chi Tunnels and Reunification Hall inside visit, although a lot of people on our roll call are not interested in the tunnels for various reasons. And yes, I'm aware we can't got through the Cathedral and Post Office in less than 30 minutes, but will adjust that day. This is a full day 10 hour tour. Prices include both a driver and licensed guide.

 

==

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF SAIGON

 

 

 

Cu Chi – HCMC Tour

 

 

• 09:30 Meet our guide at the pier at Nha Rong port in HCMC to go to visit the Thien Hau temple and Cho Lon market in China town
  

• 11:00 Go to visit the Reunification Hall (inside)
  

• 12:00 Stop at the Notre Dam Cathedral and old Post Office for photos, the former US Embassy
  

• 12:30 Lunch at Pho Hoa restaurant (exclusive)
  

• 13:30 Transfer to visit theCu Chi Tunnels where human knowledge has been enriched by experiencing a web-like tunnel system of more than 200km in length which provide shelters for Vietnamese guerrillas during the Vietnam War against American troops
  

• 15:00 Visit the tunnels
  

• 16:30 Transfer back to HCMC
  

• 18:30 Enjoy the unique water puppet show
  

• 19:30 Transfer back to the ship
  

Overnight aboard

 

Prices

 

2-3 pax $103.00pp

4-5 pax $$80.00pp

6-7 pax $68.00pp

 

Tour inclusions:

 

Private modern car or van (from 2005 up), English speaking guides, entrance fees for tourist sites (Cu Chi tunnels: USD 4.5/person, Reunification Hall: USD 1/person, water puppet show: USD 4/person), refreshment of water and wet tissues, and permit to pick up inside the ports

 

Tour exclusions:

 

Drinks and food

 

Tips

 

Costs not included above

I am having difficulty finding a guide in HCMC because I am coming off a cruise ship. Can you tell me what company you used? You can PM me if that's easier. I can't figure out how to PM you.

I am having difficulty finding a guide in HCMC because I am coming off a cruise ship. Can you tell me what company you used? You can PM me if that's easier. I can't figure out how to PM you.

Contact Thi at Smile Tours Vietnam.

http://www.smiletoursvietnam.com/

Has anyone heard of Sao Bac Travel in Vietnam? This is a company recommended by a contact in Vietnam.