London in December gives you grey skies, 7°C and £6.55 for a pint. Ho Chi Minh City gives you 31°C, ten hours of sun and a bowl of pho for £2. Vietnam Airlines flies there non-stop. From £694 return.
✈️ The deal
- From: London, UK
- To: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Airline: Vietnam Airlines
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: £694 return
- When: December 2026
Example dates:
01/12/2026 – 19/12/2026
05/12/2026 – 29/12/2026
05/12/2026 – 19/12/2026
💰 How far does your money go?
A bowl of pho costs £2. A bia hoi — draught beer served from a street-corner keg — is around £0.40 a glass. A full plate of rice, meat and vegetables with a drink runs to £4 at a local restaurant. The equivalent in London costs £15 and a 25-minute wait. Your daily food budget in Saigon, eating well and trying everything, comes to around £20.
☀️ The weather
London in December means 7°C, one hour of sunshine on a good day and rain on more than half the days. Ho Chi Minh City in December is 31°C, ten hours of sun daily and fewer than five rainy days for the entire month. December is the start of the dry season — the best time of year to visit. The contrast is not subtle.
🏨 Where to stay
Ho Chi Minh City rewards staying in District 1. Everything is within walking distance or a short ride.
Me Saigon Boutique Hotel — 8.2/10 · From £35/night A well-run boutique hotel a short walk from Ben Thanh Market. Clean rooms, good breakfast, solid base for the city.
La Siesta Premium Saigon Central — 8.7/10 · From £80/night Outdoor pool, rooftop restaurant and rooms that genuinely feel like a step up. Good location, attentive service.
Park Hyatt Saigon — 9.3/10 · From £210/night On Lam Son Square, steps from the Opera House. Colonial architecture, two pools, and service that makes it hard to leave. One of the finest hotels in Southeast Asia.
🎯 What to do
Saigon moves fast and costs almost nothing. Give yourself at least four days.
Cu Chi Tunnels — The underground network used by Vietnamese soldiers during the war. You can crawl through a restored section. A full day out, 70 kilometres northwest of the city.
War Remnants Museum — Unflinching documentation of the Vietnam War. One of the most important museums in Southeast Asia. Not comfortable. Worth it.
Ben Thanh Market and the streets around it — Go early for the market itself, then eat your way through the surrounding stalls. Banh mi, grilled pork on rice, fresh spring rolls, sugarcane juice. Breakfast and lunch for under £5.
Bui Vien Walking Street — Saigon's nightlife strip. After dark it fills with bars, cheap beer, live music and crowds. Loud, chaotic and unlike anything in London.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Ho Chi Minh City is a gateway. Vietnam is a long country.
Phu Quoc Island — A 1-hour domestic flight. White sand, clear water and barely any crowds in December. Vietnam's best island.
Mekong Delta — Two hours by road. Floating markets, stilted houses and river life that feels a world away from the city.
Nha Trang — A 1-hour flight north. Beach city with good diving, cheap seafood and a long stretch of coastline.
Da Lat — A 1-hour flight to Vietnam's hill station. Pine forests, 18°C temperatures and French colonial architecture.
Non-stop. Vietnam Airlines. £694. December in London is cold — December in Saigon does not have to be.
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