Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City

At a glance, as a starting point

Half dayCu Chi Tunnels, about 60 km

Needs a nightCan Tho and the Cai Rang market, about 4 h by road

Cruise portPhu My, about 80–100 km

Coolest monthsDecember and January

HottestMarch to June

RainRegular rain from July to November

Sources: Vietnam Discovery — Cu Chi Tunnels (agency source); Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Can Tho; Cruise Crocodile — Phu My port (guide source); About2Cruise — Vietnam cruise ports (agency source) · checked 2026-10-03.

What this base really is

Ho Chi Minh City is a large, flat, busy city at the head of the Mekong Delta, and traffic is the main thing that decides what fits in a day. Agency sources put Cu Chi about 60 km to the north-west; we plan 1.5 to 2 hours each way in morning traffic. The national tourism authority puts Can Tho about four hours away by bus and tells visitors to start early to see its markets full of boats.

So there are two kinds of trip here: the half day to Cu Chi, and the two-day trip to the delta. A one-day "Mekong" from the city is a third kind, which stays close to town.

Sources: Vietnam Discovery — Cu Chi Tunnels (agency source); Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Can Tho · checked 2026-10-03.

What fits, and what does not

Excursion	Each way	On site	Length	Our page
Cu Chi Tunnels	1.5–2 h (our planning time)	2 h	Half day	On request
Cu Chi + Can Tho and Cai Rang	1.5–2 h, then about 4 h	Tunnels + dawn market	2 days	Two-day plan
Phu My port to the city (cruise)	about 1.5 h or more	Depends on port time	Shore day	Shore excursions

Cu Chi alone, leaving at 07:00, has you back for a late lunch. Adding the delta turns it into the two-day plan, with a night in Can Tho.

When to go

The tourism authority describes December and January as the coolest months, March to June as the hottest, and July to November as months of regular rain. Rain rarely stops the Cu Chi visit but slows the roads and makes delta paths slippery.

JFMAMJJASONDHo Chi Minh City and delta

3 coolest · 2 dry, warm to hot · 1 regular rain. From the VNAT Can Tho description; not a forecast.

Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Can Tho · checked 2026-10-03.

How many nights to leave

Three nights in the city lets you do Cu Chi one morning and keep two days for the city. For the delta, take two nights in the city and one in Can Tho. Trying to see Cu Chi, the city and the floating market in two nights means the market is the part you miss.

Getting here

Tan Son Nhat International Airport sits inside the city. Can Tho has its own airport, which the tourism authority puts 20 minutes from the city — useful if you want to fly onwards from the delta rather than drive back. Cruise ships call at Phu My, an industrial port with nothing within walking distance.

Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Can Tho; Cruise Crocodile — Phu My port (guide source) · checked 2026-10-03.

What things cost

Agency sources report the Cu Chi entrance at VND 110,000 at Ben Dinh and VND 90,000 at Ben Duoc; those figures are from 2025 or earlier, so check before you travel. Our two-day plan includes the entry and a private market boat. The pricing page shows what else moves the quote.

Sources: Vietnam Discovery — Cu Chi Tunnels (agency source) · checked 2026-10-03.

When to skip a trip from here

You have one day and want the floating market: it cannot be done properly from the city in a day.
You arrive by ship at Phu My with less than about nine hours ashore: the city alone fills the day.
You dislike long drives in heavy traffic — the delta is four hours each way.
You are travelling September to November with a tight schedule and no rain tolerance.