Here’s the bucket list for your day ashore: the most extraordinary thing to do at each stop, and the private, small-group, or expert-led way to make it yours — your own pace, real access, none of the crowd.
In port at Phu My, the bucket-list move is Private Saigon Immersion: Icons, Street Life & Hidden Stories. Ann Tours Vietnam runs it — a private, expert-led experience at your own pace, not a 40-person coach. Below: all 6 bucket-list things to do on a Phu My port day, each with the independent way to make it yours.
1culture
A fully private, expert-guided day through Ho Chi Minh City's most iconic and intimate corners — from the soaring Notre-Dame Cathedral to the electric back-alleys of District 1. This is Saigon as a local knows it, paced entirely around you.
Book it withAnn Tours VietnamFrom USD 141 per person (private vehicle + guide; price varies by group size)
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2history
Descend into the legendary 250 km guerrilla tunnel network that helped define the Vietnam War. A private expert guide reveals the ingenuity, sacrifice, and extraordinary human story beneath the jungle floor.
Book it withShore Excursions AsiaFrom USD 160 per person (private tour, port-to-port transfer included)
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3scenic
Trade the open sea for Vietnam's lifeblood — the vast Mekong Delta — on a private guided journey through fruit orchards, floating markets, and villages that have changed little in centuries. A true window into rural southern Vietnam.
Book it withShore Excursions AsiaFrom USD 185 per person (private full-day, all transfers and boat included)
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4landmark
The closest bucket-list escape from Phu My — the dramatic clifftop Christ of Vung Tau statue, a 143-step lighthouse with sweeping South China Sea panoramas, and a languid seafood lunch on the beachfront promenade.
Book it withShore Excursions AsiaFrom USD 95 per person (private half-day, all transfers included)
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5food
When the sun drops, Saigon erupts — and this private evening food and cocktail trail through District 1 and District 4 puts you inside the city's most electric after-dark scene, guided by a passionate local foodie.
Book it withAnn Tours VietnamFrom USD 160 per person (private evening tour, all tastings and transfers included)
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6culture
Blend your own signature Vietnamese perfume under the guidance of a master perfumer, using rare local botanicals — agarwood, lotus, frangipani — and take home a bespoke fragrance as the most personal souvenir of Vietnam.
Book it withExpedia Local Expert – Vung Tau Perfume Crafting WorkshopFrom USD 55 per person (includes workshop, materials & personalised gift set)
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