One day with Uniworld in HO CHI MINH CITY

Our 15-day itinerary through Vietnam and Cambodia includes 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. One of the many wonders of a guided river cruise & land tour with Uniworld is that having us plan and manage your vacation frees up your energy to customize what to do with it once you’re there. That means there are a million different ways you could enjoy your one full day in this incredible city. Take a look across this spread for some inspiration on what that could look like.

MORNING: RISE & SHINE

Rest in your comfortable suite at the Park Hyatt Saigon, easily one of the finest hotels in the city. When you’re ready, wake up and prepare for an exciting day ahead of you. Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel and meet your tour guide in the lobby.

9:30 AM – 1:00 PM: JOIN OUR INCLUDED TOUR *

A first glance at the Reunification Palace , stop number one of our tour today, might tell you to expect an austere government building. This place is anything but. Built in the 1960s for Nguyen Van Thieu, the last president of South Vietnam, the building is full of eccentric architectural elements with a particularly “groovy” flair.

Next up is the Post Office. You’ll understand why we’re stopping here when you arrive. This post office was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the man who designed the Eiffel Tower. Its bright yellow exterior is just one of the reasons it stands out.

The Notre Dame Cathedral is another must-see site when you’re in Ho Chi Minh City. The red brick construction of the basilica makes for an eye-catching monument of characteristically European design. From here we’ll embark on a panoramic drive through town, passing City Hall, the Opera House, and other important buildings on our way to a local lacquer artisan shop, where you’ll learn about this traditional art form. Finally, our tour ends at a lively local market.

Lunch

The cuisine in Ho Chi Minh City is excellent. You can sip on Vietnamese iced coffee—brewed extra strong and sweetened with condensed milk. Or grab a banh mi—a delicious baguette sandwich of meat and pickled vegetables. Rice paper spring rolls, warm and spicy pho (a traditional noodle soup), artisanal local beers, and fresh tropical fruits are just a few of the dozens of options you’ll discover.

Afternoon

If you enjoy taking souvenirs home from your travels, it may be worth taking a stroll by the boutiques of the Dong Khoi shopping street, just about a block away from your hotel.

The contemporary art scene is a unique and exciting window into your destination’s culture. Visit one of the numerous galleries within walking distance from the hotel to see the works of Ho Chi Minh City’s artists. Take a blissful afternoon walk amongst the greenery at Tao-Dan Park, a lush green oasis inside an otherwise bustling metropolis.

Evening

For dinner, consider one of the excellent dining venues at your hotel, which offer a mix of European and Vietnamese cuisine. Or for something more local, the concierge or your tour manager will be happy to point you in the direction of a delicious meal.

Ho Chi Minh City’s skyline is bursting with skyscrapers. Because of this, viewing decks and rooftop bars are very popular. Head up to one of these for sunset, or even after dark, for a cocktail with spectacular views of the city below.

The Siem Reap of today is a booming tourism hub, a resort town brimming with beautiful hotels, spas, and cultural treasures. Much of this growth is recent, due to international recognition of Siem Reap’s close proximity to Angkor, the epicenter of the powerful Khmer Empire. The Angkor Archaeological Park, which includes all of the temples shown here, is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its impressive architecture and outstanding historical significance.

Angkor Wat

The 12th-century capital of the Khmer Empire, Angkor was—and still is—the world’s largest religious complex, made up of over 1,000 buildings. Its impressive architecture is rich in symbolism, covered in bas reliefs dedicated to Hindu gods and stories. Rising from the complex are five towers, collectively representing the five-peaked Mount Meru, a golden mountain from Hindu theology. The mountain is considered the home of the gods, and the axis around which the universe turns. The large moat around the complex is thus like the ocean that is said to surround Mount Meru.

Khmer kings, who ruled from the 9th to 15th centuries CE, had a practice of building monumental capital cities to cement their rule, each larger-than-life temple complex dedicated to Hindu-Buddhist themes. Read below for a few of our favorite sites in Angkor, all of which we visit during our time in Siem Reap.

Bayon

The central temple of the Khmer Empire’s final capital, Angkor Thom, Bayon temple is dedicated to Buddhism. It is most famous for the thousands of monumental smiling faces carved into the rock—a popular theory is that they are King Jayavarman VII in the form of Avalokiteś-vara, the great bodhisattva of infinite compassion and wisdom in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

Ta Prohm

The ancient temples of Angkor spent centuries being reclaimed by the jungle, and nowhere is that so apparent as Ta Prohm. Massive trees grow from the rocks and roots fight with the architecture. You may recognize the site from the Angelina Jolie film, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, but even if you don’t, it feels delightfully adventurous to wander the ruins here.