Meet your friendly guide upon hotel or airport pickup and set out on your private tour of Ho Chi Minh City. Travel in the comfort of an air-conditioned car or minivan to Chinatown to visit the district’s top attractions, including Quan Am Pagoda and Thien Hau Temple, before descending on Binh Tay Market and numerous teahouses in search of specialty goods. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and spend your afternoon with a sightseeing itinerary that hits major landmarks in the southern capital, once called Saigon. Peruse the popular exhibits at the War Remnants Museum (formerly the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes) to learn about the impact of the Vietnam War on local inhabitants. Afterward, drive to the Reunification Palace (Independence Palace) and discover the history of this former presidential residence up until the Fall of Saigon, which ended the war. If time permits, make quick photo stops at Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, two architectural gems built by the French on Paris Square in the late 19th century. Then test your bargaining skills (with help from your guide) at Ben Thanh Market, the city’s lively central market. Marvel at the array of foods, textiles, cosmetics and other goods that are neatly divided among various sections. Your evening is free for you to spend at your leisure. Overnight: Choose your own accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City (own expense)

Ho Chi Minh City’s Cholon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown with roots dating back to 1778; it’s also a place of great historical and cultural importance

The Thien Hau Temple (Vietnamese: Miếu Bà Thiên Hậu), officially the Ba Thien Hau Pagoda (Chùa Bà Thiên Hậu, "Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau"), is a Chinese-style temple of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu on Nguyễn Trãi Street in the Cho Lon ("Chinatown") of District 5 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Binh Tay Market, constructed by the French in the 1880s, is located in the centre of Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam.

The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City first opened to the public in 1975. Once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’, it's a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War.

Independence Palace (Dinh Độc Lập), also known as Reunification Palace (Vietnamese: Dinh Thống Nhất), built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, is a landmark in Saigon, Vietnam. It was designed by architect Ngô Viết Thụ and was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975, when a North Vietnamese army tank crashed through its gates.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959

The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia

Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a great place to buy local handicrafts, branded goods, Vietnamese art and other souvenirs. Here, you’ll find eating stalls inside the market where you can get a taste of hawker-style Vietnamese cuisine or simply cool off with a cold drink when the bargaining becomes too much