Commence this morning’s tour with a visit to the shrine outside of the US Consulate before continuing to the former CIA building (outside visit only), where helicopters evacuated the remaining US citizens in 1975. Head to the rooftop café of the Rex Hotel, a familiar landmark for Americans during the Vietnam War. Sit down for a drink, enjoy the view and this piece of history, which your guide will help to explain. Then visit the Reunification Convention Hall (Independence Palace) for a guided tour of the former headquarters of the South Vietnamese Government and residence of the presidents. Drive to the former residence of the US Ambassador of South Vietnam in the early 1960s, Mr Henry Cabot Lodge, who conducted a mission to overthrow the South Vietnamese Government. Here you can watch an exclusive ten-minute documentary film about Ho Chi Minh City during that time while enjoying a cold drink.
You will then be driven to a historic venue for a simple lunch of “pho” (noodle soup). The house number 07 on Ly Chinh Thang street is now known as Pho Binh restaurant, which used to be the headquarters of Viet Cong Commanders and is where they gathered to plan for the 1968 Tet Offensive. Take a walk upstairs to learn more about the history through the family’s photo collection. You can then sit down and enjoy the traditional taste of pho downstairs before being driven back to your hotel.