Explora Journeys in Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City)

Phu My is an industrial container port with nothing for visitors at the dock; it exists on cruise itineraries as the sea gateway to Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, about 80 km inland. The day is really a long road trip into a dense, fast-moving Vietnamese metropolis, so the plan matters more here than at almost any other port.

What to do on a day in Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City)

• War Remnants Museum, the unflinching record of the American War and the single most affecting stop in the city
• Reunification Palace, the preserved 1960s presidential palace where the war effectively ended in 1975
• Notre Dame Cathedral and the Saigon Central Post Office, the French-colonial pair facing each other downtown
• Ben Thanh Market, the central covered market for street food, textiles, and souvenirs
• Cholon, the city's Chinatown, anchored by the incense-filled Thien Hau Temple
• Cu Chi Tunnels, the Viet Cong tunnel network outside the city, a longer add-on that stretches the day considerably

Getting ashore

Ships berth in the industrial port at Phu My, where walking out is not permitted and there is nothing to see; the river is too shallow for large ships to reach Saigon itself. Reaching the city is a 1.5 to 2 hour drive each way, so a ship or private excursion is essentially mandatory and one day is enough only for a focused city loop. Vung Tau, a beach town about 33 km and 45 minutes away, is the close alternative for those skipping the long haul.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• December to January. Typically the most comfortable, warm and dry with clear skies, highs around the high 80s and lower humidity for the region.
• February to March. Typically dry and increasingly hot, highs climbing into the low 90s by March with low humidity and minimal rain.