Places to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City (+ Top Things to Do) (Vietnam) (2026)

Ho Chi Minh City was known as Saigon until 1975, when it was renamed after Vietnam’s revolutionary leader at the end of the Vietnam War, and locals still use both names interchangeably. As Vietnam’s largest city and economic engine, it packs French colonial landmarks, war-era history, and a sprawling street food scene into a few walkable central districts.

From colonial-era cathedrals to underground tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City attractions span more than a century of history within a few square kilometres, and most travellers use the city as a base for several days before heading to the Mekong Delta or onward through the country. This guide to the best places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City covers the essential sights around District 1 and District 3, plus the top things to do once the sightseeing is done.

11 Best Places to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City

Attraction	Type	Area	Entry Fee	Duration
Ben Thanh Market	Market	Central District 1	Free	1–1.5 hrs
Notre Dame Cathedral (Saigon)	Landmark	Central District 1	Free	20–30 min
War Remnants Museum	Museum	District 3	40,000 VND (~$1.60)	1.5–2 hrs
Independence Palace	Palace	Central District 1	65,000 VND (~$2.60)	1–1.5 hrs
Cu Chi Tunnels	Historical Site	Outside HCMC (Day Trip)	Check latest prices before visiting	Half day
Saigon Central Post Office	Landmark	Central District 1	Free	15–20 min
Bitexco Financial Tower (Saigon Skydeck)	Viewpoint	Central District 1	Check latest prices before visiting	45 min–1 hr
Saigon Opera House	Landmark	Central District 1	Free (exterior)	15–20 min
Bui Vien Walking Street	Landmark	Pham Ngu Lao & Bui Vien	Free	1–2 hrs (evening)
Jade Emperor Pagoda	Pagoda	Da Kao (District 1) — see note	Free (donations welcome)	30–45 min
Cafe Apartment (42 Nguyen Hue)	Landmark	Central District 1	Free to enter; café purchase for some floors	30–45 min

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market is one of the oldest surviving structures in Ho Chi Minh City, built by the French in the early 20th century and still recognisable by its clock tower entrance on Le Loi Street. It sits at the centre of District 1, where Le Loi, Le Thanh Ton, and Ham Nghi streets converge, making it one of the most convenient places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City on a first day. Around 1,500 stalls trade everything from lacquerware and tailored clothing to dried fruit and fresh produce.

Inside, the aisles are narrow and the vendors persistent, so expect some good-natured haggling over souvenirs and clothing. During my visit, the night market that spills onto the surrounding streets after the stalls close felt noticeably calmer than the daytime chaos, with food carts and plastic stools staying busy well past midnight.

• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: 6 am–6 pm daily (night market stalls stay open later)
• How to Get There: Central District 1 — walkable from most backpacker hostels on Bui Vien or Pham Ngu Lao
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Notre Dame Cathedral (Saigon)

Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1877 and 1880 using bricks and materials shipped over from France, and its twin bell towers have marked the skyline of central Saigon for well over a century. It stands on Paris Commune Square in District 1, directly across from the Central Post Office, and remains the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ho Chi Minh City. Restoration work has covered parts of the façade in scaffolding since 2017.

The interior has been closed to the public during restoration, with an estimated completion date of 2027, so most visitors now admire it from street level or the small square out front. Early morning is the quietest time to get a clear photo before tour groups arrive.

• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Exterior viewable anytime; interior closed for restoration (estimated completion 2027)
• How to Get There: District 1, directly opposite the Central Post Office — a short walk from Nguyen Hue Walking Street
• Duration: 20–30 minutes

War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum opened in 1975 and documents the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective, with exhibits covering the First Indochina War through to the American withdrawal. It sits in District 3, a short walk from Independence Palace, and displays military vehicles, aircraft, and tanks in its courtyard alongside photography exhibits inside. Some of the most visited rooms cover the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnamese civilians.

The exhibits are graphic in places, and several visitors describe it as one of the more emotionally heavy stops in the city — worth pacing with a lighter activity afterwards. Photography is permitted throughout, and English captions accompany most displays.

• Entry Fee: 40,000 VND (~$1.60)
• Opening Timings: 7:30am–5pm daily
• How to Get There: District 3 — roughly a 10-minute walk from Independence Palace, or a short Grab ride from District 1
• Duration: 1.5–2 hours

Independence Palace

Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace, was the residence and workplace of South Vietnam’s president until a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates on 30 April 1975, ending the war. The current building dates to 1966 and preserves its original 1960s and ’70s interiors, including the president’s office, war room, and basement command bunker. It sits in District 1, set back from the street behind wide lawns.

Visitors can wander through all six floors independently, from the ceremonial reception rooms down to the concrete bunker with its old radio equipment intact. The rooftop helipad, still marked with a faded X, is one of the more memorable stops.

• Entry Fee: 65,000 VND (~$2.60)
• Opening Timings: 8am–5pm daily (last entry 4:15pm)
• How to Get There: District 1, on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street — a 10-minute walk from War Remnants Museum
• Duration: 1–1.5 hours

Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are a network of underground passages built by Viet Cong forces, originally dug during the war against the French in the late 1940s and later expanded into a multi-level system stretching over 250 kilometres. Located in Cu Chi District, around 1.5 hours northwest of the city centre, the network includes hidden trapdoors, ventilation shafts, and former living quarters. Two sections are open to visitors: Ben Dinh, closer and more visited, and Ben Duoc, quieter but further out.

Guides lead small groups through widened sections of tunnel — claustrophobic even after enlarging for tourists, and even the shortened crawl is enough for most people — and demonstrate the booby traps used against American and South Vietnamese troops. Most visitors combine it with a Saigon River boat ride or a half-day city tour to make the long drive worthwhile.

• Entry Fee: Check latest prices before visiting
• Opening Timings: 7 am–5 pm daily
• How to Get There: Cu Chi District — best reached by a half-day tour with hotel pickup, or a scenic boat transfer from central Ho Chi Minh City
• Duration: Half day

Saigon Central Post Office

The Central Post Office was constructed between 1886 and 1891 under French colonial rule, with a steel interior structure often attributed to Gustave Eiffel’s design firm. It remains a fully functioning post office today, with a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hanging above the main hall and two curved information boards mapping colonial Saigon still visible on the side walls. Among the free places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City, this is one of the easiest to combine with the Notre Dame Cathedral next door.

Souvenir stalls line the side halls, selling postcards, stamps, and prints at fixed prices with no need to haggle. Buying a postcard and mailing it home from the original counters is a small but popular ritual among visitors.

• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: 7 am–7 pm Mon–Fri, 7 am–6 pm Sat–Sun
• How to Get There: District 1, directly across from Notre Dame Cathedral
• Duration: 15–20 minutes

Bitexco Financial Tower (Saigon Skydeck)

Completed in 2010, the Bitexco Financial Tower was Ho Chi Minh City’s tallest building for over a decade and remains one of its most recognisable, thanks to a distinctive helipad disc that juts out near the top of the 68-storey tower. It stands in District 1, close to the Saigon River, with the Saigon Skydeck observation floor on level 49 offering 360-degree views over the city and river bends below.

The deck gets busiest around sunset, when queues can build for the best window spots, so an earlier or later visit tends to be calmer. A café and small exhibition space share the same floor for those wanting to linger.

• Entry Fee: Check latest prices before visiting
• Opening Timings: 9:30am–9:30 pm daily
• How to Get There: District 1, on Ham Nghi Street near the Saigon River — a short walk or Grab ride from Ben Thanh Market
• Duration: 45 minutes–1 hour

Saigon Opera House

The Saigon Opera House, officially the Municipal Theatre, was built between 1897 and 1900 by French architects in the Flamboyant Beaux-Arts style, drawing clear inspiration from the Palais Garnier in Paris. It sits at the intersection of Dong Khoi and Le Loi in District 1, and underwent a careful 1998 restoration that reinstated ornamental details removed during earlier renovations.

Most visitors admire the façade from the square outside rather than going in, since access is generally reserved for ticket holders attending a performance, including the popular À Ố Show. The building is lit up at night and makes for one of the more elegant photo stops on Dong Khoi Street.

• Entry Fee: Free to view exterior; performance tickets vary
• Opening Timings: Exterior viewable anytime; interior access for ticketed shows only
• How to Get There: District 1, at the intersection of Dong Khoi and Le Loi
• Duration: 15–20 minutes

Bui Vien Walking Street

Bui Vien Walking Street is the backpacker heart of District 1, running through the Pham Ngu Lao area that’s long served as Ho Chi Minh City’s budget travel hub. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights the street closes to traffic, and the road fills with plastic stools, bar crawls, street food carts, and live music spilling from every direction.

By day it’s a much quieter strip of hostels, laundry shops, and travel agents booking onward buses and tours. It’s worth timing a visit for the pedestrianised weekend evenings to see the street at its liveliest.

• Entry Fee: Free
• Opening Timings: Always open; pedestrianised Fri–Sun evenings
• How to Get There: District 1, Pham Ngu Lao area — a short walk from Ben Thanh Market
• Duration: 1–2 hours (evening)

Jade Emperor Pagoda

Jade Emperor Pagoda, also known as Phuoc Hai Tu or the Tortoise Pagoda, was built in 1909 by the city’s Cantonese community and remains one of the most atmospheric Taoist temples in Ho Chi Minh City. It sits on Mai Thi Luu Street in District 1, near the Da Kao area, and is dedicated to the Jade Emperor alongside a crowded pantheon of Taoist and Buddhist deities carved in wood and papier-mâché.

Thick incense smoke fills the dim interior, and a small courtyard pond crowded with turtles sits just off the main hall. It’s a quieter, more contemplative stop compared with the busier landmarks nearby.

• Entry Fee: Free (donations welcome)
• Opening Timings: 7am–6pm daily
• How to Get There: District 1, on Mai Thi Luu Street near the Da Kao area — a short Grab ride from Notre Dame Cathedral
• Duration: 30–45 minutes

Cafe Apartment (42 Nguyen Hue)

The Cafe Apartment is a former residential apartment block built in the 1960s that has been gradually repurposed since the 2010s into a nine-storey stack of independent cafés, boutiques, and design shops. It sits right on Nguyen Hue Walking Street in District 1, and each floor is run by a different owner, from specialty coffee spots to plant-filled Instagram-friendly cafés.

The building still has its original tiled staircase and an ageing lift that some visitors skip in favour of walking up to explore each floor. Balconies on the upper levels give a rare elevated view straight down Nguyen Hue.

• Entry Fee: Free to enter; individual café purchase expected on most floors
• Opening Timings: Varies by floor, generally 7 am–10 pm
• How to Get There: District 1, 42 Nguyen Hue, on Nguyen Hue Walking Street
• Duration: 30–45 minutes

Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City

Mekong Delta Day Trip

The Mekong Delta stretches southwest of Ho Chi Minh City across a network of rivers, canals, and floating markets that supply much of Vietnam’s rice and fruit. Most day trips depart the city for towns like My Tho or Ben Tre, roughly 1.5–2 hours away, where narrow sampan boats replace the usual tour bus. It’s consistently one of the best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City for travellers wanting a break from the urban core.

Tours typically combine a coconut candy workshop, a stretch of rowing through narrow canals, and a stop to sample tropical fruit and honey tea, sometimes with live traditional music. Full-day itineraries add lunch and more river time; half-day versions cover the same highlights at a faster pace.

• Type: Day Trip
• Price Range: $25–$45 per person
• Duration: Full day
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Street Food / Motorbike Night Food Tour

Ho Chi Minh City’s street food scene runs on plastic stools and roadside carts rather than restaurants, and a guided motorbike tour is the most efficient way to sample it without guessing which stalls are worth the stop. Local guides drive pillion passengers between five and eight spots across District 1, 3, and 4, covering dishes like bánh xèo, grilled pork noodles, and che dessert soups that don’t always turn up on tourist-friendly menus.

Riding pillion through evening traffic is part of the experience itself, weaving past night markets and side streets a walking tour wouldn’t reach. Most operators cap groups at 8–10 people and provide helmets, making it one of the more sociable things to do in Saigon after dark.

• Type: Food Experience
• Price Range: $35–$50 per person
• Duration: 3–4 hours
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Saigon River Sunset/Dinner Cruise

The Saigon River winds past the city’s District 1 skyline, and a sunset or dinner cruise is a common way to see the Bitexco tower and newer high-rises lit up without the crowds found at land-based viewpoints. Boats range from simple wooden vessels to larger dinner cruises with a set buffet and live music, departing from piers near Bach Dang Wharf.

The ride itself is calm compared with the traffic on shore, and most cruises last long enough to cover both the golden hour and the first city lights after dark. Dinner cruises run longer with a multi-course Vietnamese menu, while shorter sunset-only trips suit those short on time.

• Type: Scenic / Sightseeing Tour
• Price Range: $20–$45 per person
• Duration: 1.5–3 hours
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Motorbike/Scooter City Tour

Beyond food-focused rides, general motorbike city tours cover Ho Chi Minh City’s landmarks and lesser-visited corners with a local driver handling the traffic. Routes typically link District 1’s colonial core with residential alleyways, local markets, and viewpoints that are harder to reach on foot, often finishing at a rooftop bar or café.

Traffic here is dense and largely unregulated by Western standards, so riding pillion with an experienced local driver is far less stressful than navigating it independently. Tours run day or night, with evening departures generally cooler and quieter on the roads.

• Type: Guided Tour
• Price Range: $25–$35 per person
• Duration: 3–4 hours
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Water Puppet Show

Water puppetry originated in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam roughly a thousand years ago, but Ho Chi Minh City hosts its own regular performances, most notably at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre in District 1. Puppeteers stand waist-deep behind a screen, controlling wooden figures across a water-filled stage to folk tales and rural scenes, accompanied by a live traditional orchestra.

Performances run under an hour and use minimal dialogue, so the show works even without fluent Vietnamese. Seats near the front occasionally get splashed, which is part of the theatre’s usual warning to early arrivals.

• Type: Cultural Experience
• Price Range: $5–$10 per person
• Duration: 45–50 minutes
• Book via: Klook

Vietnamese Coffee Tasting / Workshop

Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer, and Ho Chi Minh City’s café culture reflects that with everything from traditional phin drip coffee to egg coffee and salt coffee variations rarely found outside the country. Guided tasting sessions, often run out of small District 1 or District 3 cafés, walk participants through the difference between robusta and arabica beans grown in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.

Most sessions include hands-on practice with a phin filter and a tasting flight of three to four styles, finishing with a short explainer on how condensed milk became a coffee staple during periods of milk scarcity. It’s a low-key stop that pairs well with a slower morning after a busier sightseeing day.

• Type: Workshop / Class
• Price Range: $15–$25 per person
• Duration: 2 hours
• Book via: Klook

A O Show (Bamboo Circus)

A O Show is a contemporary circus-theatre production that uses bamboo poles, baskets, and acrobatics to portray everyday rural and urban life in Vietnam, first staged in Ho Chi Minh City in 2013 and now a regular fixture at the Saigon Opera House and nearby venues. The set is built almost entirely from bamboo, reconfigured live on stage by the performers themselves.

The choreography leans on acrobatics and live percussion rather than dialogue, so it plays well for an international audience. Performances usually run around an hour, making it easy to combine with an earlier dinner in District 1.

• Type: Cultural Experience
• Price Range: $30–$45 per person
• Duration: 1 hour
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Can Gio Mangrove Forest / Monkey Island Day Trip

Can Gio is a UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserve roughly two hours southeast of central Ho Chi Minh City, covering one of Vietnam’s largest surviving mangrove forests along with a semi-wild population of long-tailed macaques on what’s commonly called Monkey Island. Day trips usually combine a boat ride through the mangrove canals with a stop at the monkey enclosure and, on some itineraries, a seafood lunch in Can Gio town.

Guides generally warn visitors to keep sunglasses, phones, and loose bags secured, since the macaques are used to tourists and will grab unattended items. It’s a full-day trip given the drive time, so it suits travellers with an extra day free rather than a tight itinerary.

• Type: Day Trip
• Price Range: $35–$50 per person
• Duration: Full day
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Ho Chi Minh City Hop-on-Hop-off Sightseeing Bus

An open-top hop-on-hop-off bus runs a fixed loop around District 1’s main sights, including Notre Dame Cathedral, the Opera House, and Independence Palace, with multilingual audio commentary through headphones at each seat. It’s aimed at travellers who want a self-paced overview without arranging individual transport between stops.

Passes typically last 24 or 48 hours and allow unlimited re-boarding at marked stops along the route, though traffic can slow the loop considerably during peak hours. It works best as an orientation tool on the first day rather than the main way to see any single site in depth.

• Type: Guided Tour
• Price Range: $8–$12 per pass
• Duration: Flexible (24–48 hour pass)
• Book via: Klook

Craft Beer / Brewery Hopping

Ho Chi Minh City’s craft beer scene has grown steadily since the mid-2010s, with independent breweries and taprooms clustered mainly around District 1 and District 2, offering an alternative to the ubiquitous Saigon and 333 lager found in most street-side bars. Several breweries run their own small-batch IPAs, sours, and Vietnamese-ingredient beers using dragon fruit or lemongrass.

Most taprooms are walkable from each other within District 1, making a self-guided crawl straightforward without booking an organised tour. Flight tastings, where a handful of smaller pours let visitors sample several styles at once, are common at the larger taprooms.

• Type: Food Experience
• Price Range: $15–$25 (self-guided)
• Duration: 2–3 hours
• Book via: Book directly at venue or via local operator

Cooking Class

Vietnamese cooking classes in Ho Chi Minh City typically begin with a guided visit to a local market to select fresh herbs, rice paper, and produce, followed by a hands-on session preparing dishes like fresh spring rolls, pho, or bánh xèo under a local chef’s instruction. Classes range from small home-kitchen setups to larger hotel-affiliated culinary schools.

Most sessions run three to four hours including the market visit, with recipe cards or printed notes provided to take home. It suits travellers who want a practical souvenir rather than another sightseeing stop.

• Type: Workshop / Class
• Price Range: $25–$40 per person
• Duration: 3 hours
• Book via: Klook / GetYourGuide

Ho Chi Minh City rewards visitors who split their time between its French colonial landmarks and its street-level pace, from the war history held at the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace to the everyday rhythm of Ben Thanh Market and the coffee shops stacked inside the Cafe Apartment. Its mix of historical attractions in Saigon, Vietnam, and hands-on experiences like a Mekong Delta day trip or a street food tour gives travellers a fuller picture of the city than a checklist of Ho Chi Minh City attractions alone could offer.

Whether the goal is a couple of focused days or a full week, these places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City cover the sights most worth the time. For where to stay while exploring, the Best Hostels in Ho Chi Minh City guide covers options across the backpacker districts.

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