Saigon Costs Almost Nothing to Explore — But Getting from Phu My Port Is Where Cruisers Go Wrong

Quick Facts: Phu My Port | Vietnam | Saigon International Cruise Terminal (Phu My) | Docked (alongside berth) | ~90 km to Ho Chi Minh City center | UTC+7 (Indochina Time)

Phu My Port is Vietnam’s dedicated cruise gateway to Ho Chi Minh City — but make no mistake, you are not close to Saigon when you dock here. The port sits in Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, a solid 90 km south of the city, and the transfer is the single most important logistical decision of your day. Get it right and you’ll have an extraordinary 8 hours in one of Southeast Asia’s most electric cities; get it wrong and you’ll burn 3+ hours in a minibus going nowhere fast.

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Port & Terminal Information

The [Saigon Port / Phu My Cruise Terminal](https://www.saigonport.vn) is a purpose-built international cruise facility operated by Saigon Newport Corporation. It handles all major cruise lines calling on Ho Chi Minh City, from MSC to Princess to Viking, and while it’s not the most glamorous terminal in Asia, it is functional and well-organised.

• Terminal name: Phu My International Cruise Terminal (Cảng Quốc tế Phú Mỹ), located in Tan Thanh commune, Phu My town, Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province
• Docked (alongside): Your ship ties up directly at the wharf — no tender, no waiting for a zodiac. You walk off the gangway and straight into the terminal building. This is good news for early risers.
• Terminal facilities: The terminal has a small arrivals hall with currency exchange booths (rates are mediocre — bring USD or exchange at a bank in the city), a tourist information desk, a handful of souvenir stalls, basic restrooms, and limited Wi-Fi in the arrivals lounge. There is no reliable ATM inside the terminal itself — draw cash before you leave the ship or use the exchange desk. Luggage storage is not available, so leave valuables onboard.
• Distance to city center: Approximately 90 km by road, roughly a 90–120 minute drive depending on traffic. [View the route on Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/Saigon+cruise+terminal) and mentally add 30 minutes on days when Ho Chi Minh City traffic is at its worst (weekday mornings, 7:30–9:00 am).

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Getting to the City

The distance is real, so your transport choice genuinely shapes your day. Here’s every option, honestly assessed.

• On Foot — Walking is not an option. The terminal is in an industrial port zone with no pedestrian infrastructure. The nearest town of Phu My has very little of tourist interest. Do not attempt this.

• Bus — There is no direct public bus route from Phu My Port into Ho Chi Minh City that is practical for cruise passengers. Local xe buýt (public bus) routes exist between Phu My town and Vung Tau city, but connections onward to HCMC are slow, infrequent, and involve multiple transfers. Budget at least 3–4 hours each way. Not recommended for a shore day.

• Taxi / Private Car — A metered taxi (Vinasun or Mai Linh brands — always use these, never unlicensed cabs) from Phu My Port to the city center runs approximately 800,000–1,200,000 VND (USD 32–48) each way for a sedan. Journey time is 90–120 minutes. Negotiate a round-trip price before you leave — drivers are often willing to wait for you in the city for a flat day rate of around 2,500,000–3,000,000 VND (USD 100–120 total). Always insist on the meter or agree a price upfront in writing on your phone. Never accept rides from touts who approach you inside the terminal.

• Hop-On Hop-Off — There is no HOHO bus service operating from Phu My Port. Any operator advertising this is essentially running a private shuttle with fixed stops. Skip it.

• Grab (Ride-Hailing App) — Grab (Southeast Asia’s Uber equivalent) works well inside Ho Chi Minh City, but Grab drivers rarely position themselves at Phu My Port for the inbound leg. Your best bet: arrange private transport to the city, then use Grab freely between attractions once you’re in Saigon. Short city rides run 50,000–100,000 VND (USD 2–4).

• Private Shore Excursion (Independent) — Booking a private car and guide specifically for cruise passengers from Phu My is the sweet spot here. A private guided tour from the port costs from USD 69 per person and includes the transfer each way, a local English-speaking guide, and a curated city itinerary 🎟 Book: Phu My: Private Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursion with Local Guide. This is genuinely better value than organising a taxi yourself once you factor in the hassle of negotiating and the risk of being abandoned if your driver decides the return fare isn’t worth his time.

• Ship Shore Excursion — Worth it if: you’re a first-timer, you’re anxious about independent travel, or you have mobility limitations. The ship’s organised tours run 8 hours, are air-conditioned, and guarantee return to the ship on time. The trade-off is a fixed itinerary, a large group, and prices typically 40–60% higher than independent operators. If you want a fully private experience at a fraction of the ship’s price, an 8-hour private shore excursion from Phu My covering all the major sights starts from USD 78.22 per person 🎟 Book: Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursion Private Tour From Phu My Port — significantly cheaper than most cruise line offerings for the same itinerary.

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Top Things to Do in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Saigon rewards curious, unhurried visitors — the city layers French colonial grandeur over Buddhist pagodas, wartime history, rooftop cocktail bars, and some of the world’s greatest street food. Here are the attractions worth your limited time ashore, organised by type.

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Must-See

1. War Remnants Museum (Free entry for under 6; VND 40,000 / ~USD 1.60 adults) — This is one of the most powerful and affecting museums in Southeast Asia, full stop. It documents the American War (as Vietnamese call it) through photographs, military hardware, and firsthand accounts. The third floor’s photography exhibition, shot largely by international photojournalists, is genuinely haunting. Don’t skip this — it reframes everything else you see in the city. Allow 1.5–2 hours. [Browse guided tours that include this on GetYourGuide](https://www.getyourguide.com/s/?q=Saigon&currency=USD&partner_id=MHU0UHU).

2. Reunification Palace (VND 40,000 / ~USD 1.60) — The building where the Vietnam War effectively ended on April 30, 1975, when North Vietnamese tanks rolled through its gates. The interior is preserved exactly as it was in 1975, down to the retro communications bunker in the basement. It’s simultaneously eerie and fascinating. Open daily 7:30 am–11:00 am and 1:00 pm–4:00 pm. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

3. Ben Thanh Market (Free entry, pay for goods) — The most famous market in Saigon, right in District 1. The indoor section sells lacquerware, silk, ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), dried goods, and souvenirs. Arrive before 10:00 am for the best atmosphere; after noon it’s tourist-dense and prices rise. Bargaining is expected — start at 50% of the asking price. The street food stalls around the perimeter open around 6:00 am and are excellent for breakfast pho. Allow 45–60 minutes.

4. Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon (Free) — The twin-spired French colonial cathedral in the heart of District 1, completed in 1880. Note: it has been under extensive renovation since 2017, with completion expected in 2027, so exterior scaffolding is currently in place. The surrounding Dong Khoi precinct is still beautiful and worth strolling. The nearby Central Post Office (also free, circa 1886, designed by Gustave Eiffel’s firm) is worth 15 minutes of your time and makes a gorgeous photo. Allow 30 minutes combined.

5. Ho Chi Minh City Museum (VND 30,000 / ~USD 1.20) — Far less crowded than the War Remnants Museum but equally rewarding. Housed in a stunning 1890 French colonial villa, it covers the city’s history from ancient Khmer settlement through French colonialism to reunification. Excellent English-language signage. Allow 1 hour.

6. Bui Vien Walking Street & Pham Ngu Lao Backpacker District (Free) — Saigon’s famous backpacker street is chaotic, loud, neon-lit, and brilliantly alive, even during the day. Grab a plastic stool at a bia hoi (street beer stall) for a draft beer at VND 10,000 (USD 0.40). It’s not refined, but it’s pure Saigon energy. Allow 30–45 minutes.

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Beaches & Nature

7. Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve (Entry fees vary; boat tours from VND 150,000 / ~USD 6) — A UNESCO-recognised mangrove forest about 50 km southeast of Saigon, accessible by speedboat or road. It’s home to macaque monkeys, bird colonies, and a wartime guerrilla base hidden within the forest. This is best done as a dedicated day trip rather than a rushed add-on — [find a half-day Can Gio tour on Viator](https://www.viator.com/search/Saigon) if your ship allows extra time. Allow 3–4 hours minimum.

8. Dam Sen Cultural Park (Adults VND 100,000 / ~USD 4; children VND 60,000 / ~USD 2.40) — A large urban park in District 11 with swan boats, a small zoo, carnival rides, and gardens. Better suited to families with children than solo history buffs, but it’s a genuine slice of how ordinary Saigonese spend their weekends. Allow 2 hours.

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Day Trips

9. Cu Chi Tunnels (VND 150,000 / ~USD 6 entry; guided tours from USD 15) — The most popular half-day excursion from Saigon: an extraordinary underground tunnel network dug by Viet Cong guerrillas, extending over 250 km beneath the jungle. You can crawl through claustrophobic passages, see concealed trapdoors, and understand — viscerally, not just intellectually — how Vietnamese fighters survived. About 70 km northwest of the city, roughly 90 minutes by road. [Book a Cu Chi Tunnels shore excursion from Phu My on Viator](https://www.viator.com/search/Saigon) and many tours combine it with a city highlights loop. A full-day private tour combining Cu Chi and Saigon’s main sights from Phu My starts from USD 115 🎟 Book: Best of Saigon Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursion from Phu My Port. Allow 2–3 hours at the site.

10. Mekong Delta (My Tho or Ben Tre) (Tours from USD 35–60) — If you have a full 8+ hour day, the Mekong Delta is extraordinary — narrow waterways, floating markets, coconut candy workshops, and boat rides under a canopy of banana palms. My Tho is the closest entry point, about 70 km from central Saigon. Be realistic: combining a full Mekong Delta trip with Phu My’s transfer distance is a very long day. Choose between city highlights or Mekong, not both. [Find Mekong Delta tours on GetYourGuide](https://www.getyourguide.com/s/?q=Saigon&currency=USD&partner_id=MHU0UHU). Allow 5–6 hours.

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Family Picks

11. Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Adults VND 50,000 / ~USD 2; children VND 30,000 / ~USD 1.20) — Established in 1864, making it one of the oldest zoos in Asia. The botanical garden section is beautiful and shaded — a genuine relief on a hot Saigon afternoon. Kids love the elephant enclosure. Located in District 1, open 7:00 am–6:00 pm daily. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

12. Landmark 81 Observation Deck — SkyView (Adults USD 16; children USD 10) — The tallest building in Vietnam at 461 metres, the observation deck on floor 79 gives you a jaw-dropping 360° view of the city, the Saigon River winding south toward Phu My, and on clear days, the surrounding delta. Kids love it; adults love the perspective it gives before diving into the street-level chaos. Open 9:30 am–9:30 pm daily. Allow 1 hour.

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Off the Beaten Track

13. Jade Emperor Pagoda (Phuoc Hai Tu) (Free) — Saigon’s most atmospheric temple, tucked down a side street in District 3. Built by the Cantonese community in 1909, it’s crammed with incense smoke, ornate lacquered carvings, and turtles in a courtyard pond. It feels genuinely spiritual rather than touristy. Barack Obama stopped by in 2016 and released a turtle into the pond (seriously). Open daily 7:00 am–6:00 pm. Allow 45 minutes.

14. Cho Lon (Chinatown) & Binh Tay Market (Free entry; market goods vary) — District 5’s Chinese quarter is a different Saigon entirely: medicinal herb shops, dragon-adorned assembly halls (hoi quan), and the sprawling Binh Tay Market where wholesale traders jostle at dawn. Far fewer tourists than Ben Thanh. The Thien Hau Temple here is one of the most ornate in the city. Take a Grab from District 1 — about VND 50,000 (USD 2). Allow 1.5 hours.

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What to Eat & Drink

Saigon’s food culture is loud, generous, cheap, and built for the street. The city eats early and often — breakfast pho at 6:00 am is as normal as a midnight bowl of bun bo Hue, and the best meals you’ll have cost under USD 3. Southern Vietnamese cooking is sweeter and more herb-forward than the north; expect abundant fresh herbs, bean sprouts, lime, and fish sauce with everything.

• Banh Mi — Vietnam’s greatest gift to the world: a crispy French baguette stuffed with pate, grilled pork, pickled daikon, coriander, and chili. Best eaten from a street cart in District 1 for VND 25,000–40,000 (USD 1–1.60). Banh Mi Huynh Hoa on Le Thi Rieng Street is a pilgrimage-worthy stop.

• Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) — The southern version is sweeter, served with a plate of bean sprouts and basil for you to add yourself. A proper bowl at a local pho shop costs VND 60,000–80,000 (USD 2.40–3.20). Pho Hung in District 3 is excellent.

• Com Tam (Broken Rice) — Saigon’s working-class staple: fractured rice grains topped with grilled pork ribs, shredded pork skin, and a fried egg, all doused in fish sauce. Almost impossible to find at this quality anywhere outside Vietnam. VND 50,000–80,000 (USD 2–3.20) at any com tam shop in District 1 or 3.

• Bun Thit Nuong — Cold rice vermicelli noodles with chargrilled pork, fresh herbs, crushed peanuts, and nuoc cham dipping sauce. Light, fragrant, perfect for hot days. VND 40,000–60,000 (USD 1.60–2.40).

• Bia Hoi (Draft Beer) — Ice-cold draft beer brewed fresh daily, served in plastic mugs on low plastic stools on the pavement. VND 5,000–10,000 (USD 0.20–0.40) per glass. Bui Vien Street and

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🎟️ Things to Book in Advance

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📍 Getting to Saigon, Phu My Port-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Use the interactive map below to explore the port area and plan your route from the terminal.