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Phu My (for Ho Chi Minh City) Cruises, Vietnam

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Phu My is the gateway to Vietnam’s largest city. Drive an hour and a half north from the port and the new expressway will lead you into the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City – the country’s former capital, which also goes by the name of Saigon. You can learn about the history of the Vietnam War by visiting the War Remnants Museum. Other popular spots include the historic Ban Thanh Market, the red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral and the French-style Post Office. Add on another hour’s drive from the port and you’ll reach the famous Cu Chi tunnels – a 200-kilometre underground network of passageways, which played a vital role in the war.

  • Head south along the coastline and you’ll find the city of Vung Tau perched on a peninsula, hemmed by the ocean. Here, you’ll find beaches backed by palms and colonial-style buildings.
  • Visit Christ the King in Vung Tau – this huge statue of Jesus stands 36 metres tall on the top of Mount Nho. Climb the staircase inside the sculpture and you’ll reach the viewpoint, where you’ll have sweeping views of the city and out to sea.
  • Watch a traditional water puppet show. The colourful figures use the water’s surface as a stage for telling the history of Vietnam’s culture, and a live band provides the soundtrack.

Map of Phu My (for Ho Chi Minh City)

SHORE EXCURSIONS View all excursions

The Mighty Mekong Delta

You’ll leave the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind today, as you head out on a tour of the Mekong Delta. This place is a maze of rivers, swamps and tiny islands, where floating markets and villages are the norm. It’s known as Vietnam’s rice bowl, since it produces over half of the country’s grain. Boats are king around here, so you’ll hit the water in a traditional sampan. As you glide along, you’ll pass villages built along the river’s edge, as well as locals going about their daily business. You’ll stop off on Thoi Son Island, where you can tour a family-run coconut candy factory and a local bee farm. At the latter, you can meet the bees and sample the honey they produce, along with exotic jackfruit and dragon fruit. You’ll stop for lunch here, too, before returning to the ship.

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Ho Chi Minh City Highlights

You’ll tick off all the Ho Chi Minh City rites of passage today. After lunch, you’ll start a coach tour of downtown, which checks off the colonial-style Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral. You’ll also get to snap photos of the Reunification Palace – where the Vietnam War ended in 1975, when north Vietnamese troops captured Saigon. You’ll get to delve even deeper into the country’s past at the Museum of Vietnamese History, which houses artefacts spanning from the prehistoric period to the 19th-century Nguyen dynasty. While you’re here, you’ll watch a traditional water puppet show – expect to see puppet people, dragons and fairies dance across a stage of water. Then it’s off to take in more culture in Chinatown. You’ll make a pit stop at Thien Hau Pagoda – a pretty, Buddhist temple dedicated to Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. And then it’s on to a lacquer workshop, where souvenir-shopping is top of the agenda.

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Historical Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City might be a modern metropolis, but it excels in the history stakes, too. Today, you’ll visit one of the city’s most popular attractions – the War Remnants Museum. This place sheds light on the Vietnam War, with its sobering displays of photos, artefacts and stories. Outside in the museum’s courtyard, you’ll find military equipment like a UH-1 Huey helicopter and a full-sized tank. Next, you’ll board the coach for a panoramic drive around downtown. Here, you’ll pass reminders of the city’s time under French rule, like the canary-yellow Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, which is modelled on the famous Paris landmark. You’ll also get a chance to see underneath the pavements with a visit to the Viet Cong’s secret, underground arsenal. After, there’s time to stop at a local market, before heading back to the ship.

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