Ho Chi Minh & Mui Ne Itinerary 2026: A 4-Night Adventure

Hello, fellow explorers!

I'm Susukkotdari, your travel blogger!

I recently embarked on an incredible free-and-easy trip to Ho Chi Minh City.

When you're traveling independently, the quality of your adventure truly hinges on how well you plan your itinerary. That's why I'm excited to share my Ho Chi Minh City itinerary with you!

If you're planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, this packed itinerary is definitely worth checking out – it was absolutely fantastic!

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Day One Itinerary

From Ho Chi Minh Airport to Mui Ne

My 4-night, 6-day independent adventure in Ho Chi Minh City kicked off on a Wednesday.

Initially, I considered visiting Ho Chi Minh City first before heading to Mui Ne. However, I figured Mui Ne would be quite crowded on the weekend, so we decided to go there first.

That meant 2 nights in Mui Ne, 2 nights in Ho Chi Minh City, and 1 night on the flight back home!

We departed on a Vietnam Airlines flight around 10 AM on Wednesday and arrived at Ho Chi Minh Airport around 2 PM. After collecting our luggage, we boarded the pickup vehicle to Mui Ne around 3 PM.

We were expecting a 7-seater, but guess what? We got this super spacious vehicle!

It meant the four of us could travel to Mui Ne in absolute comfort!

Pandanus Resort

Our two nights in Mui Ne were spent at the beautiful Pandanus Resort.

We even managed to exchange currency at a laundry shop before arriving at the resort, so by the time we checked in, it was just past 7 PM.

In Mui Ne, it gets pretty dark as early as 6 PM.

📍Book Pandanus Resort here​

Mr. Crab & Tulip Massage

From Pandanus Resort, we took a Grab to Mr. Crab's second branch for dinner. It was only about a 10-minute ride from the resort.

After dinner, we treated ourselves to a much-needed massage to unwind after the long flight.

Tulip Massage offers excellent pickup and drop-off service. They picked us up from Mr. Crab and took us back to our hotel after the massage.

A full 90 minutes left us feeling light and refreshed, both body and mind!

Day Two Itinerary

Mui Ne Desert Tour

The absolute highlight of Mui Ne: the desert tour!

We hopped into a vibrant yellow jeep at 4:30 AM and sped off towards the White Sand Dunes.

It took us about 40 minutes to reach from Pandanus Resort, and from there, we rode ATVs right into the heart of the desert!

The tour lasted about four and a half hours and included breathtaking stops at the White Sand Dunes, a unique U-shaped roundabout, a dragon fruit farm, the captivating Red Sand Dunes, Fairy Stream, and even some beach-backdrop photo opportunities!

Our jeep driver was amazing and helped us capture some truly Instagram-worthy shots!

📍Check out the Mui Ne Desert Tour here​

After returning to the resort, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and some well-deserved relaxation. We then spent our time wisely, indulging in a resort stroll, swimming, and simply embracing the tranquil resort life.

For a late lunch, we savored delicious Banh Mi sandwiches at Caldi & More, soaking in the relaxed atmosphere.

And right next door? Another fantastic 120-minute massage at Tulip Massage!

Before we knew it, evening had arrived!

We then made our way to Phan Thiet and enjoyed a local specialty for dinner: Banh Canh Cua (crab noodle soup).

Pharmacies and Lotte Mart are essential shopping spots in Vietnam.

We had an enthusiastic shopping spree at both places.

And just like that, Day 2 was a success!!

Day 3 Travel Itinerary

Ho Chi Minh Tour

Around 9 AM, we departed from Mui Ne,

and after dropping off our luggage at our Ho Chi Minh accommodation, Sherwood Residence,

we headed straight for lunch!

For lunch, we visited a famous Ho Chi Minh eatery,

Com Tam Nguyen Phan Chu, where we savored some Com Tam.

A must-visit in Ho Chi Minh: Ben Thanh Market.

While a commemorative photo at this clock tower is a must-do,

it's advisable to haggle for at least 50% off at Ben Thanh Market.

They often start with inflated prices,

and there wasn't a huge amount that really caught my eye.

A pleasant 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market

will lead you to Saigon Square.

This place was actually much better for shopping.

I even went there all three days we were in Ho Chi Minh City!

First off, a huge thank you for the air conditioning inside!

We enjoyed coffee at Katinat and

then had Banh Xeo for dinner at Bep Me In.

Make sure to book a reservation for Bep Me In!

Ho Chi Minh at night is truly beautiful.

We took a city tour bus to explore the city

and savored Ho Chi Minh's stunning nightscape.

We returned to Sherwood Residence around

9:30 PM.

Next up: showers and a good chat session!

📍View Sherwood Residence here​

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Day 4 Travel Itinerary

Mekong Delta Tour

On our fourth day, we spent the entire day on a Mekong Delta tour.

We gathered at 7:50 AM, completed the tour,

and were dropped off at Ben Thanh Market around 5 PM.

📍Go directly to Klook Mekong Delta Tour

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For dinner, we had something I was incredibly excited about: unlimited

lobster at the famous Chai Village restaurant!

Reservations are absolutely essential for Chai Village.

You can make reservations via Facebook Messenger.

I'll be posting more about this soon!

On weekends, the night scene on Bui Vien Street is vibrant and

free-spirited.

Just like that, it was the final night of our Ho Chi Minh independent trip.

It felt so bittersweet..

Day 5 Travel Itinerary

Ho Chi Minh City Tour

We visited the Pink Church, the Saigon Central Post Office,

and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Once we got a feel for the streets,

walking from Sherwood Residence to District 1's city center

was no problem at all.

Before lunch, we also stopped by Cong Cafe near Notre Dame Cathedral.

Is it a cafe, you ask? No, it's a restaurant!

For lunch, we had a luxurious meal at Nha Hang Ngon.

We discovered it the night before while walking back to our accommodation

and immediately made a reservation.

It was already on our list of must-try restaurants, you see!

I even booked Shinrin Spa near Nha Han Ngon,

which was the last massage of my

Ho Chi Minh independent trip~

After my massage, feeling refreshed, I made the most of my

last shopping spree at Saigon Square 😄😄

For dinner, we went to another famous Ho Chi Minh eatery.

It's a pho restaurant called Pho Viet Nam, and it was

completely different from the pho we eat

back home.

After savoring the rich broth pho served in a stone pot,

we headed back to Sherwood Residence to pick up our luggage and then off to the airport!!

We even stopped by Ho Chi Minh's Rose Lounge to relax

before boarding our red-eye flight back to Korea~

Wasn't that an incredibly fulfilling itinerary and travel plan?

Pandanus Resort and Sherwood Residence were

truly satisfying, I captured some 'life shots' during the desert tour, and the massages were absolutely

perfect. Our food tour was flawless too~

Going to Mui Ne to avoid the weekend crowds was also

a stroke of genius.

On the day we left, an enormous number of

tour groups arrived~~

As for Ho Chi Minh City, there are even more things to enjoy on weekends, like pedestrian-only streets.

If you're planning an independent trip to Ho Chi Minh City,

I hope this helps you out~~~

Don't forget to check out these related posts too~

My Mekong Delta Tour Story 🔻🔻🔻

Klook Mekong Delta Day Tour: My Real Experience | Price, Itinerary, & How to Book – All You Need to Know

My Story at Mr. Crab Branch 2 🔻🔻🔻

Mr. Crab Branch 2, Mui Ne's Seafood Hotspot: A Perfect Review | Our Top Pick on Boke Street

Check out Pandanus Resort 🔻🔻🔻

Pandanus Resort Mui Ne: A Perfect Review of the Family Executive Suite