Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam

Vietnam’s largest city, still called Saigon by most of the people who live in it. Colonial-era buildings and wartime sites sit among new towers, and the street food never really stops.

Highlights

  • The Independence Palace, left as it was on the day the war ended in 1975
  • The War Remnants Museum, the most direct account of the war in the country
  • Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, built when this was French Saigon
  • Ben Thanh Market, and the food streets and rooftop bars of the old centre
  • The Cu Chi Tunnels, about 2 hours north-west, where you can crawl a short section of the network

Best time to visit

December to April is dry. May to November brings short, heavy afternoon rain; it rarely stops the day.

Getting there

Tan Son Nhat International Airport is 30–40 minutes from the centre. Flights to Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc and Con Dao take about 1–2 hours.

How long to stay

Three to four days, including half a day for Cu Chi.

Where to stay

The old centre around Ben Thanh Market and Nguyen Hue walking street puts you within reach of the Independence Palace and the riverside. The streets around Turtle Lake and Le Van Tam Park are a little calmer and still central; Thao Dien, across the river, is leafy and quiet but 20–30 minutes from the sights.

What to eat

Com tam (broken rice with grilled pork), banh mi, hu tieu noodle soup, banh xeo and the seafood street of Vinh Khanh. Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk started here.

Good to know

  • Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) opened in December 2024 and is the quickest way along that corridor. Note that the city dropped its district names on 1 July 2025 and now uses ward names, so addresses may look different from older guidebooks.
  • November to April is dry; May to October brings short, heavy afternoon rain.
  • Ride-hailing apps (Grab, Be, Xanh SM) are the easiest way around.

Combine with

Mekong Delta · Mui Ne · Phu Quoc · Con Dao

Tours that visit Ho Chi Minh City

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