Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Attractions and distractions
Attractions and distractions
Use the quick links below to jump to a particular section of our sights and activities coverage for Ho Chi Minh City.
Want to know what the locals are munching on, on footpaths, street corners and in parks? Ever wonder how the banh xeo in Ho Chi Minh City differs than the one you had in Hoi An? ... Read more about Back of the Bike Tours .
Vietnam Vespa Adventures is wildly popular with travellers, but popularity has its drawbacks, so carefully consider if this tour is for ... Read more about Vietnam Vespa Adventures .
What began as a personal research project has morphed into an informative, insightful half day tour. Sophie’s Art Tour tells a story about Vietnam’s tumultuous recent history through the country’s art and ... Read more about Sophie’s Art Tour .
Cholon is Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown but it's far more than just a traditionally Chinese settlement. ... Read more about A day in Cholon .
With the every-growing options for budget flights in Southeast Asia, jetting off for a weekend has never been easier. And with a bit of planning, Saigon can be a terrific ... Read more about A weekend in Saigon .
Set in the northeast corner of District 1, Jade Emperor Pagoda (Chua Phuoc Hai) is easily Saigon's most ... Read more about Jade Emperor Pagoda .
Dating back to 1760, Tue Thanh Assembly Hall, popularly known as Thien Hau Pagoda, is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most atmospheric, photogenic ... Read more about Thien Hau Pagoda .
If you don't mind a bit of a trip from downtown, Giac Lam Pagoda, Saigon’s oldest place of worship, may ... Read more about Giac Lam Pagoda .
It’s not the oldest, biggest or most important, but Vinh Nghiem Pagoda makes up for it with elaborate, ornate ... Read more about Vinh Nghiem Pagoda .
Situated on the corner of the busy intersection of Dinh Tien Hoang and Phan Dang Luu, the Tomb of Le Van Duyet is a little oasis from the city noise and tourist ... Read more about Tomb of Le Van Duyet .
When North Vietnamese Army Tank 390 burst through the front gates of Independence Palace at 10:45, 30 April 1975, it effectively marked the end of the fall of Saigon, the end (or liberation) of South Vietnam and the end of the Vietnam ... Read more about Reunification Palace .
Just few blocks from Reunification Palace, Ho Chi Minh City’s War Remnants Museum is a confronting look at the brutality of ... Read more about War Remnants Museum .
Established in 1987, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum houses works of art by Vietnamese artists on three floors, each floor representing its own ... Read more about Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum .
Ho Chi Minh City Museum (Bao Tang Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh) is devoted to the history of the city and is housed in Gia Long Palace, a building that deserves its own museum-if only these walls could ... Read more about Ho Chi Minh City Museum .
Set all alone on the banks of the Saigon River, and unsurprisingly boasting sweeping views of said river, the Ho Chi Minh Museum is dedicated to the country’s most celebrated ... Read more about Ho Chi Minh Museum .
The Saigon Post Office is no ordinary place to buy stamps. The building is one of the country's finest examples of French colonial architecture and one of the city’s most recognisable ... Read more about Saigon Central Post Office .
One of Saigon's most famous landmarks, Ben Thanh market has occupied its present location in the heart of District 1 since 1914. To this day it bustles with activity from early morning until late at ... Read more about Ben Thanh Market .
Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinese settlement was named Cho Lon—literally “big market”—due to its importance as an economic, mercantile powerhouse. And the big market’s big market is Binh Tay (Cho Binh Tay), a photographer’s and curious traveller’s ... Read more about Binh Tay Market .
Saigon’s contemporary art scene is evolving rapidly and the city’s list of galleries is growing. Here’s a sampler of where art-philes can go to gawk or ... Read more about Saigon Art Galleries .
Vietnamese themes and culture come to life in a show of acrobatics, bamboo cirque, contemporary dance and folk instruments, on stage in Saigon’s turn of the century Opera ... Read more about A O Show and Teh Dar at Saigon Opera House .
A fine example of turn of the century French colonial architecture, the Saigon Opera House, also known as the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, represents the French colonial heart of the ... Read more about Saigon Opera House .
Originating in northern Vietnam’s Red River Delta, water puppetry (mua roi nuoc) is now firmly a proud Vietnamese ... Read more about Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre .
An architectural symbol of French colonial power, Notre Dame Cathedral (Vietnamese: Nha tho Duc Ba) is a Saigon landmark and the most important church in the city. ... Read more about Notre Dame Cathedral .
Sleek and smart, GRAIN by Vietnamese-Australian chef, author and TV host Luke Nguyen is a cooking class for people unafraid to dive into the flavours of Vietnamese cuisine. ... Read more about GRAIN Cooking Studio .
The Mekong Delta is the region where the Mekong River empties into the sea through many distributaries, a vast watershed of over 40,000 square kilometres across 12 provinces—how much can you really see in a ... Read more about Mekong Delta Day Tour .
The Cu Chi tunnels are a testament to the perseverance of communist forces in survival and aggression—and they are very much worth seeing but visitors need to do their own research to fully appreciate the ... Read more about Cu Chi Tunnels .
Located 95 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City in Tay Ninh, the Cao Dai Holy See Temple is the holiest centre of worship for the Cao Dai ... Read more about Cao Dai Temple, Tay Ninh .
When you think of shopping, do you think of bustling markets or fancy shopping malls? Piles of US$3 Ralph Lauren polo shirts or the hundred dollar custom tailored suit? In reality, shopping in Saigon is all this and ... Read more about Shopping in Saigon .
Towering above Saigon's skyline, the Bitexco Financial Tower offers a bird's eye view of the city and surrounding ... Read more about Saigon Sky Deck .
Ho Chi Minh City is a sprawling, dense concrete jungle so locals relish in the city’s remaining green spaces and communal areas. If you happen to be in the mood for a shaded sit or a quiet stroll, here are a few parks to find it. ... Read more about Parks in Saigon .
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