Experiences on the Saigon River

River tourism in Ho Chi Minh City is diverse with many experiences from popular to high-class, suitable for many types of guests.

River experiences are a feature of HCMC tourism. Visitors will be able to see the magnificent city down the Saigon River, passing many famous landmarks such as Nha Rong Wharf, Ben Nghe Port, Phu My Bridge, Den Do Cape, and Binh Khanh Ferry Terminal…

There are many options for visitors to cruise the Saigon River such as luxury boat tours, river sports activities, or river views on the popular waterway bus. Depending on the needs, visitors can choose the appropriate experience.

River cruise

At the end of April, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism launched a river cruise product on a luxury yacht. The specific route starts at the Marina (Lan Anh Villa, Thu Duc City) – Bach Dang Wharf (District 1) – Phu My Bridge – Den Do Cape (District 7) and reverses to watch the sunset at Thu Bridge. Thiem 2, Binh Loi Bridge (Binh Thanh District) in about 3 hours.

The tour is aimed at the middle and high-class segment, with an expected capacity of about 10-25 people/trip.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, the representative of TST Tourist, said that this tour company has completed the construction of this product. It is expected that the first tours will depart on May 19.

The price of the product is expected to be more than 2.5 million VND/person, the promotional price is less than 2 million VND.

In addition to scheduled tours, visitors can rent a yacht to organize parties and cruises on the river privately. A representative of Les Rives, a unit specializing in operating yacht tours, said that the price of renting a complete yacht from Bach Dang wharf, a 3-hour rental time on the Saigon River costs about 35 million VND (maximum 25 guests). .

“This price includes fees, and snacks for guests. Before the epidemic, this product mainly welcomed foreign guests. Now, more and more Vietnamese tourists have access to this type of tourism”, the representative said. Les Rives said.

Rowing SUP

Recently, SUP rowing is a popular activity on the Saigon River, loved by many young tourists. This experience is suitable for many customers, with prices from 350,000 VND.

Locations offering this experience are available in District 7, Thu Duc City and Binh Thanh District. Departing from Binh Thanh district, visitors go downstream through the high-rise buildings in the city, see the Landmark 81 building, cross the bustling Saigon Bridge. In the Phu My Hung area, the landscape on both sides has many trees.

This SUP paddle is in Thanh Da (Binh Thanh District), an area with strong water, suitable for professional players.

Some river stations in the Thao Dien area, Diamond Island (Thu Duc City) or around Phu My Hung (District 7) are suitable places to paddle SUP in the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City, suitable for beginners.

There are many SUP paddle tours for visitors to choose from depending on their health and ability to row. Tours for beginners will be accompanied by a guide. Experienced people often choose to rent boards by the hour.

Anh Dao Le Phuong (representative of SUP Saigon Paddle Station club) assessed this subject as quite safe. New participants will be guided on SUP knowledge, rowing techniques, and practice on the shore before entering the water. Everyone must wear life jackets and always have a guide watching to assist.

He said that rowing SUP meets the needs of physical activity combined with relaxation, people can consider it as a form of entertainment. According to Mr. Phuong, more and more people are interested in rowing SUP in Ho Chi Minh City for these purposes.

“In Ho Chi Minh City, this subject has exploded in popularity in the last 2 years, attracting many participants. It’s the same outdoor activity, but when you’re underwater, you’ll have a different perspective on the shore, more contact with nature,” he said about the advantages of playing SUP.

River bus experience

This is considered a popular tourist experience, suitable for all types of visitors. In addition to river bus routes departing daily from Bach Dang, Binh An, Linh Dong, Thanh Da, and Binh Chanh wharves, visitors also experience the night bus route. The night bus route was officially put into operation at the beginning of February and is well received by many tourists.

The night river bus will serve people to experience at the following time frames: 17h, 18h, 19h, 20h. Particularly for 2 weekends, an additional 9pm trip will be opened to meet the needs of the people.

(According to zingnews)