Ho Chi Minh City Itinerary 2026: 5-Day Route with Mui Ne
Planning a trip to Vietnam? Here is the ultimate 4-night, 6-day Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne itinerary, featuring smart route planning to beat the crowds.
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Planning a trip to Vietnam? Here is the ultimate 4-night, 6-day Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne itinerary, featuring smart route planning to beat the crowds.
Hey there, fellow travelers!
I'm Susukkotdari, your go-to travel blogger.
Not too long ago, I went on an independent trip
to Ho Chi Minh City.
When it comes to traveling on your own, the way you
plan your itinerary completely changes the quality
of your trip, right? That’s why I want to share my
Ho Chi Minh City itinerary with you today.
It was so packed with amazing experiences that if you have
a trip coming up, you'll definitely want to save this for reference!~
Day 1 Itinerary
From Ho Chi Minh Airport to Mui Ne
My 4-night, 6-day trip to Ho Chi Minh City
kicked off on a Wednesday.
At first, I thought about exploring Ho Chi Minh City first
and then heading to Mui Ne, but I figured
Mui Ne would be super crowded over the weekend.
So, I decided to head straight to Mui Ne first.
2 nights in Mui Ne, 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City,
and 1 night on the flight back home~~
I flew out on a Wednesday morning at around 10 AM on Vietnam Airlines
and landed at Ho Chi Minh Airport around 2 PM.
After grabbing my luggage, I hopped into my pre-booked
pickup ride to Mui Ne around 3 PM~
We originally booked a 7-seater, but jackpot!
They sent this massive limousine van instead~
The four of us had an incredibly spacious and comfortable
ride all the way to Mui Ne~~~
Pandanus Resort
For our 2 nights in Mui Ne, we stayed at the Pandanus Resort.
After stopping by a local shop to get some laundry done
and exchange money, we checked in a little past 7 PM~~
In Mui Ne, it gets pitch black as early as 6 PM.
📍Book Pandanus Resort on Yeogiotte
Mr. Crab & Tulip Massage
We took a Grab from Pandanus Resort
to have dinner at Mr. Crab (Branch 2).
It took about 10 minutes from the resort.
After a delicious dinner, we headed for a massage
to melt away all the tension from our flight.
Tulip Massage has an amazing pickup service.
They picked us up right from Mr. Crab and drove us
back to our hotel after our treatment.
A 90-minute massage left us feeling light as a feather~~
Day 2 Itinerary
Mui Ne Desert Tour
The absolute highlight of Mui Ne: the Desert Tour.
We hopped into a bright yellow jeep at 4:30 AM
and dashed towards the White Sand Dunes.
It took about 40 minutes from Pandanus Resort,
and once there, we rode an ATV
right into the heart of the desert~
Our 4.5-hour tour was packed with scenic spots:
the White Sand Dunes, the famous U-shaped curve,
a dragon fruit farm, the Red Sand Dunes, the Fairy Stream,
and gorgeous coastal photo ops.
Our jeep driver snapped the absolute photos of a lifetime for us!
📍Check out the Mui Ne Desert Tour on MyRealTrip
After returning to the resort, we had breakfast, rested up,
strolled around the grounds, and went swimming—
just living our best resort life!
For a late lunch, we grabbed delicious Banh Mi
sandwiches at Kaldi & More and just relaxed~
Then, we treated ourselves to a 120-minute session at Tulip Massage right next door!
By then, it was already dinner time.
We headed over to Phan Thiet
to try a local specialty, Bánh Canh Cua (crab noodle soup), for dinner~
Pharmacies and Lotte Mart are absolute must-visits for shopping in Vietnam.
I went on a massive shopping spree at both places!
And just like that, Day 2 was successfully cleared!!
Day 3 Itinerary
Ho Chi Minh City Tour
Leaving Mui Ne around 9 AM,
we headed to our Ho Chi Minh City hotel, Sherwood Residence, to drop off our bags,
and immediately set off for lunch!
For lunch, we grabbed some delicious Com Tam (broken rice) at
the famous local spot, Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ.
Ben Thanh Market is a staple on any Ho Chi Minh itinerary.
While taking a proof shot in front of this clock tower is a must,
make sure to start bargaining by cutting the initial price by at least 50%.
They start off calling incredibly high prices,
and honestly, there wasn't a whole lot worth buying here~
Just a 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market
will bring you to Saigon Square.
This place was so much better for shopping!
We ended up coming back here three days in a row~~
Most of all, a huge thank you for the air conditioning inside!~
We grabbed some coffee at Katinat,
and headed to Bếp Mẹ Ỉn for delicious Bánh Xèo for dinner.
Highly recommend making a reservation for Bếp Mẹ Ỉn beforehand!
Ho Chi Minh City truly comes alive at night.
We hopped on the city hop-on hop-off tour bus
to cruise around and soak in the gorgeous night views~
We made it back to Sherwood Residence
around 9:30 PM.
After freshening up, it was time for some late-night chats.
📍Check out Sherwood Residence
Day 4 Itinerary
Mekong Delta Tour
We spent all of Day 4 on the Mekong Delta Tour.
Meeting up at 7:50 AM, we finished the tour
and got dropped off back at Ben Thanh Market around 5 PM.
📍Book Klook Mekong Delta Tour Here
For dinner, we went to a place I was incredibly excited about:
the famous all-you-can-eat lobster restaurant,
Chai Village~ Booking in advance is a must.
You can easily make a reservation via Facebook Messenger.
I'll share a detailed post about this experience very soon!
Weekend nights on Bui Vien Walking Street are so vibrant and full of energy.
There's such a sense of freedom in the air.
Before we knew it,
our final night in Ho Chi Minh City had arrived. So sad to see it end...
Day 5 Itinerary
Ho Chi Minh City Tour
We visited the Pink Church (Tan Dinh Church), Saigon Central Post Office,
and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Once we got our bearings,
walking from Sherwood Residence to District 1
turned out to be super easy!
Before lunch, we also popped into Cong Caphe
near the Notre-Dame Cathedral~
Thinking this is a cafe? Nope, it's actually a restaurant!
We enjoyed an upscale lunch at Nha Hang Ngon.
While walking back to our hotel the night before,
we spotted it and immediately made a reservation.
It was already on our wishlist of places to eat, so it was perfect!
We also booked a session at Sinrin Spa, which is right near Nha Hang Ngon.
Our very last massage of our
Ho Chi Minh City getaway~
Fully recharged after the massage, we squeezed in one last,
incredibly successful shopping spree at Saigon Square! 😄😄
For dinner, we hit up another famous Ho Chi Minh City hotspot!
It's a pho spot called Pho Viet Nam,
and let me tell you, it is on a completely
different level from the pho we get back home.
We happily devoured the rich, deeply flavorful pho
served in a piping hot stone bowl, then headed back to Sherwood Residence
to grab our bags and head straight to the airport!
We chilled at the Ho Chi Minh City Rose Lounge for a bit to unwind
before catching our late-night flight back home!
Talk about the ultimate, action-packed itinerary, right?
Both Pandanus Resort and Sherwood Residence
were absolutely wonderful, the desert sand dune tour
got us some incredible lifetime shots, and we got treated to
some top-notch massages. Plus, the foodie tour was just perfection!
Visiting Mui Ne on weekdays was seriously
a stroke of absolute genius.
On the day we left, tons of massive
tour groups started showing up!
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City has way more to enjoy
over the weekend, like the pedestrian-only walking streets!
If you're planning your own Ho Chi Minh City getaway,
definitely keep this itinerary in mind!
Be sure to check out these related posts as well~
Mekong Delta Tour Review 🔻🔻🔻
My Honest Review of the Klook Mekong Delta Day Tour | Prices, Itinerary, and How to Book
Mr. Crab Branch 2 Review 🔻🔻🔻
Ultimate Review of Mr. Crab Branch 2 in Mui Ne | Recommended Seafood Spot on Boke Street
Pandanus Resort Review 🔻🔻🔻
A Complete Review of Pandanus Resort Mui Ne: Family Executive Suite
You will arrive at Ho Chi Minh Airport around 2:00 PM, board a pickup vehicle around 3:00 PM, and head to Mui Ne. Before heading to the resort, you will exchange money at a laundry shop, and arrive to check in a little past 7:00 PM.
The tour departs at 4:30 AM in a yellow jeep and lasts for about 4.5 hours. It starts at the White Sand Dunes, followed by visits to the U-shaped roundabout, a dragon fruit farm, the Red Sand Dunes, and the Fairy Stream.
At Ben Thanh Market, it is highly recommended to bargain and cut the price by at least 50% before making a purchase. Saigon Square is about a 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market and is air-conditioned, offering a more comfortable shopping experience.
Chai Village is a popular restaurant that requires a reservation before visiting. You can easily make a reservation using Facebook Messenger.
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