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Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the country forward with its pulsating energy. A chaotic whirl, the city breathes life and vitality into all who settle here, and visitors cannot help but be hauled along for the ride.
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Must-see attractions
Ho Chi Minh City
To understand the US invasion of Vietnam, and contextualize its devastating impact on the country's civilians, this remarkable and deeply moving museum is…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built in 1909 in honour of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of the most atmospheric temples in Ho Chi…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built between 1877 and 1883, Notre Dame Cathedral enlivens the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's government quarter, facing Ð Dong Khoi. A red-brick, neo…
Ho Chi Minh City
Believed to be the oldest temple in HCMC (1744), Giac Lam is a fantastically atmospheric place set in peaceful, garden-like grounds. The Chinese…
Ho Chi Minh City
Surrounded by royal palm trees, the dissonant 1960s architecture of this landmark government building and the eerie ambience of its deserted halls make it…
Ho Chi Minh City
A grand neoclassical structure built in 1885 and once known as Gia Long Palace (and later the Revolutionary Museum), HCMC’s city museum is a singularly…
Ho Chi Minh City
Delightfully fronted by greenery and opening to an interior blaze of red, gold, green and yellow, this is one of the most beautifully ornamented temples…
Ho Chi Minh City
Cholon’s main market has a great clock tower and a central courtyard with gardens. Much of the business here is wholesale but it’s popular with tour…
Attractions
Top picks from our travel experts
Ho Chi Minh City
Believed to be the oldest temple in HCMC (1744), Giac Lam is a fantastically atmospheric place set in peaceful, garden-like grounds. The Chinese…
Ho Chi Minh City
Surrounded by royal palm trees, the dissonant 1960s architecture of this landmark government building and the eerie ambience of its deserted halls make it…
Ho Chi Minh City
A very simple snail restaurant on a back alley where a feast of a meal will set you back 100,000d or so. Little or no English is spoken and there are only…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built between 1877 and 1883, Notre Dame Cathedral enlivens the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's government quarter, facing Ð Dong Khoi. A red-brick, neo…
Ho Chi Minh City
To understand the US invasion of Vietnam, and contextualize its devastating impact on the country's civilians, this remarkable and deeply moving museum is…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built in 1929, this notable Sino-French museum houses a rewarding collection of artefacts illustrating the evolution of the cultures of Vietnam, from the…
Ho Chi Minh City
The city's landmark French-era post office is a period classic, designed by Marie-Alfred Foulhoux (though often credited to Gustave Eiffel) and built…
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the first projects undertaken by the French after establishing Cochin-China as a colony was founding these fantastic, lush gardens. Once one of the…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built in 1909 in honour of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of the most atmospheric temples in Ho Chi…
Ho Chi Minh City
The landmark French-era Opera House is home to the HCMC Ballet and the Ballet & Symphony Orchestra (www.hbso.org.vn), and hosts performances by visiting…
Ho Chi Minh City
With its airy corridors and verandas, this elegant 1929 colonial-era, yellow-and-white building is stuffed with period details; it is exuberantly tiled…
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the city’s most prominent landmarks is home to the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee. Built between 1901 and 1908, the former Hôtel de Ville…
Ho Chi Minh City
This elegant 68-storey, 262m-high Carlos Zapata–designed skyscraper dwarfs all around it. It's reportedly shaped like a lotus bulb, but it also resembles…
Ho Chi Minh City
For fine seafood and snails in District 4 look no further. Specials include oc len (snails cooked in coconut milk) and grilled clams with fish sauce and…
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the first luxury hotels to reopen its doors in postwar Saigon, the five-star Caravelle remains a classic operation. Rooms in the modern 24-floor…
Ho Chi Minh City
Atop an office block, romantic Shri has some of the best views in town. Book ahead for a terrace table or settle for the industrial-chic dining room. Look…
Ho Chi Minh City
For excellent views in the city centre, stop by Saigon Saigon for a drink around dusk. This fancy bar has live music, cool breezes and a casually upscale…
Ho Chi Minh City
Built between 1877 and 1883, Notre Dame Cathedral enlivens the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's government quarter, facing Ð Dong Khoi. A red-brick, neo…
Ho Chi Minh City
Founded in 1946, this Theravada Buddhist pagoda serves the Khmer community in HCMC. The peaceful grounds include living quarters for about 30 monks, a…
Ho Chi Minh City
The city's landmark French-era post office is a period classic, designed by Marie-Alfred Foulhoux (though often credited to Gustave Eiffel) and built…
Ho Chi Minh City
This museum is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of Vietnamese women. The first floor is the most accessible to foreign visitors, with…
Ho Chi Minh City
The largest Cao Dai temple in HCMC, this fabulously colourful three-storey structure celebrates Vietnam’s home-grown religion of Cao Daism. Use separate…
Ho Chi Minh City
A glitzy promenade of eating and shopping along a scooped-out section of canal in Saigon's upmarket District 7.
Ho Chi Minh City
Gracing the intersection of Ð Dong Khoi and ÐL Le Loi, this grand colonial edifice with a sweeping staircase was built in 1897 and is one of the city's…
Ho Chi Minh City
This small patriotic museum is dedicated to Ton Duc Thang, Ho Chi Minh’s successor as president of Vietnam. Born in 1888 in Long Xuyen in the Mekong Delta…
Ho Chi Minh City
This gorgeous 19th-century temple is dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau, and always attracts a mix of worshippers and visitors, who mingle beneath the…
Ho Chi Minh City
Ben Thanh and its surrounding streets comprise one of HCMC's liveliest areas. Everything that’s commonly eaten, worn or used by the Saigonese is piled…
Ho Chi Minh City
One of the city's most attractive green spaces is 10-hectare Tao Dan Park, its bench-lined walks shaded with avenues of towering tropical trees, including…
Ho Chi Minh City
Cholon’s main market has a great clock tower and a central courtyard with gardens. Much of the business here is wholesale but it’s popular with tour…
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Free Things to Do
Ho Chi Minh City is one of Southeast Asia’s top budget destinations. From temples to local sports, here are the best free things to do in Saigon.
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