Ho Chi Minh city, formerly known as Saigon, is Vietnam's business and financial hub, with a colorful history dating back hundreds of years that has resulted in a plethora of attractions, restaurants, and hotels, as well as a dynamic nightlife and shopping scene.
Best time to go
The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is between December and March, when temperatures range from 21°C to 34°C. The Tet Festival (Vietnamese New Year), which takes place in late January or early February, is a popular time to visit. The entire country celebrates, and it's a colorful sight, but costs are higher, and getting about may be hard due to the big amount of people traveling.
Ho Chi Minh City tourist spots
- Reunification Palace: Reunification Palace, being the heart of allied command and the site of the North Vietnamese's victory in the American War, has witnessed some remarkable scenes. Since a North Vietnamese Army tank broke through its gates in 1975, this aging mansion has been effectively stuck in time. Secret rooms, vast reception halls, and the command bunker where General Ngo Dinh Diem planned his war strategy will be revealed to visitors.
- Central Post Office: The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City is a magnificent example of French colonial architecture, which has been meticulously conserved and is still as stylish as it was when it first debuted in 1891. The building still serves as the city's principal post office, so writing a letter or mailing a postcard home is a great way to get a sense of history. This edifice, which is gorgeous from any perspective, was created by Gustave Eiffel, who also designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- War Remnants Museum: The War Remnants Museum is a sad and evocative museum that shows the consequences of America's 30-year war with Vietnam. Outside, there are wonderfully kept tanks, planes, and other military machines, but the actual meat of the knowledge is located within.Photographs, exhibits, and textual material reveal the atrocious extent to which the US Army went in order to defeat the North Vietnamese Army.
- Cu Chi Tunnels: This fantastic site allows tourists to imagine what it must have been like for warriors who moved around unseen by their enemy by using a vast network of tunnels. After watching an educational film, visitors can take a guided tour of several fake recreations of daily life for the Viet Cong sheltering in the bush. After that, everyone gets to crawl through a tiny stretch of the tunnels that has been expanded and reinforced with concrete, which makes for a terrific photo op.
- Notre Dam Cathedral: The Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City, built by French colonists in the late 1880s, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the predominantly Buddhist Vietnam. The name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame' in Paris Square in 1959.
>> Read more: Notre Dame Cathedral – A must-see in your Ho Chi Minh city tour
- Jade Emperor Pagoda: The Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of Ho Chi Minh's most respected temples. This Taoist temple, which was originally erected by Chinese immigrants in 1909, now accepts Buddhist worshippers and is wonderfully atmospheric, with incense smoke lingering heavily in the air. Exotic and ageless ambiance is created by intricate architecture, sculptures, statues of Gods and Goddesses, and Chinese characters.
- Mariamman Hindu Temple: Mariamman Hindu Temple is a stunning example of Hindu temple construction that is colorful and vibrant. As the city's only operating Hindu temple, it serves as a community center for the city's small Hindu population. Non-Hindus are welcome to visit from 7:00 a.m. to 19:00 p.m., but please dress conservatively and remove your shoes before entering.
- Cao Dai Temple: Cao Dai Temple is the spiritual heart of the Cao Dai faith, which combines elements of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, and Confucianism. Tourists are free to visit the temple and explore about this faith, which has only a few devout adherents. The temple is indeed quite colorful and brilliant, with dragons soaring up the banisters and a cloud mural on the ceiling.
>> Read more: Toa Thanh Tay Ninh – Cao Dai Temple in the Tay Ninh Holly Land
- Ben Thanh Market: Ben Thanh Market is entertaining at all hours of the day and night. Early mornings see locals shopping for fresh vegetables before fashion vendors take center stage during the day, as well as rows of coffee traders selling a bewildering rainbow of beans, making Ho Chi Minh City's central market a must-see while visiting Vietnam's largest and most lively city. After dark, a night market emerges alongside the main hall, selling clothing, apparel, and souvenirs until 24:00, as well as unique pop-up street food kiosks.
- Binh Tay Market: The French built Binh Tay Market in the 1880s, and it is situated at the heart of Vietnam's largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market caters mostly to the local populace, offering a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, chicken, pork, and seafood from all around Vietnam.
- Bitexco Towder & Skydeck: Bitexco Tower is a high-rise office building in Ho Chi Minh City with a distinctive oval expansion that serves as a helicopter landing pad. This 68-story skyscraper features a sky deck with 360-degree overlooking the city and surrounding area, as well as a great sky bar called Alto from where you can take in the entire city of Ho Chi Minh while sipping a cocktail and eating tapas-style international dishes.
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