1, Introduction
Ho Chi Minh city, still know to locals as Saigon, is the largest city and cosmopolitan metropolis in Vietnam. Located in southeastern Vietnam, the city surrounds the Saigon River and covers about 2,061 square km. It was the capital of French protectorate of Cochinchina (from 1862 to 1954) and of South Vietnam (from 1954 to 1975). On 30 April 1975, this city was renamed from Saigon to Ho Chi Minh city to celebrate the reunification of north and south at the end of the Vietnam War.
Compared to Hanoi, a thousand years of civilization, Ho Chi Minh is a young city, but it’s is the most dizzying city of commerce and culture in Vietnam. The city appears as a vibrant mix of old and new: a charming and morden city with the faded look of a European city with beautiful villas, shopping malls but it still retains many Western-style buildings or unique traditional markets that have existed for hundreds of years. Ho Chi Minh City is also a center for shopping and entertainment in Vietnam. Beside bars, theaters, cinemas, discos, music tearooms, the city has plenty of amusement parks such as Dam Sen park, Suoi Tien, Zoo, …
Even though being a bustling city, Ho Chi Minh city also offers a friendly face with well-paved, tree-lined boulevards. Therefore, this city always attracts millions of tourists to visit and explore each year.
2, Best time to visit Ho Chi Minh city
Located in the tropical monsoon climatic region, Ho Chi Minh has two season: the rainy seasons and dry season. The temperature of the city ranges from 25 to 35 °C, vary very little.
The rainy season usually starts in May and falls in November. The rains come and go very quickly. But the amount of rainfall in this season is high, it’s going to rain over half the time. The dry season continues from December to April next year. At this time, the city is flooded with sunshine. The weather will sometimes be hot but don’t worry, Saigon still has enough places to play for you regardless of the weather.
Each season in Saigon has its own beauty and excitement, so you can travel to Saigon at any time of the year. However, the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh city is during dry season when humidity is low, mornings are pleasant and night is cool and windy. To experience the explosive tradition and culture of Ho Chi Minh City, you should plan to visit between January to February when the Lunar New Year atmosphere takes place in the city (depending on the Vietnamese Lunar Calendar).
3, Attractive places in Ho Chi Minh
– War Remnants Museum
Located in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, War Remnants Museum is one of the unmissable destination in Saigon. This is a great place for those who are interested in learning about the history of Vietnam, including about the devastating effects of Agent Orange, whose use was widespread during the war.
The museum was first opened to visit in 1975 with its collection including many documents, a number of pictures taken by world famous photographers, uniforms worn by soldiers and more. All created a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War.
– Cu Chi tunnels
30 kilometers from the center of Ho Chi Minh city, Cu Chi Tunnels were built by the Vietcong and used as operational headquarters to evade detection as they moved troops and supplies throughout Saigon’s northern districts. Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels, you will witness a large network of connecting tunnels dubbed as “the underground city” with lot of rooms, clinics, kitchens, warehouses, working rooms, etc. This system played a decisive role in Viet’nam resistance resistance to American forces.
– The Independence Place
The Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, is built by the French. The site is formerly known as the Presidential Palace that was the sight of South Vietnam’s Surrender in April 1975. This is a unique architectural buiding and thanks to its historical significance, this place considered as a symbol of the victory, the peace, and the territorial integrity of Vietnam country. Independence Palace is one of the most attractive destinations in Ho Chi Minh city for tourists who love art and architecture.
– Central Post Office
It’s the largest post office in Vietnam that attracts many tourists when travelling in Ho Chi Minh city. Located in Paris Square, the center of Ho Chi Minh city, you will easily see the building charming colonial architecture and ornate decorations. This site was built by the French in the years 1886–1891 with the important role in days before email and mobile phones. Now it is a beautiful remnant of Vietnam’s complicated past.
– Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in Vietnam. It was built in the late 1880s by French colonists. Located next door to Central Post Office, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire.
– Saigon Opera House
Saigon Opera House is one of the most prominent landmarks in Ho Chi Minh city. This site was built in 1897 by the French architect Eugene Ferret. Now it is only open to the public when an event takes place. The Opera House is surrounded by a wide, tree-lined boulevard. From a distance, it looks like a beautiful gigantic city gate. It’s great opportunities for you sightseeing and take beautiful photos with this impressive sight, both night and day.
– Ba Thien Hau temple
Ba Thien Hau temple is one of the Buddhist temple you should not miss in Saigon. Situated in 710 Nguyen Trai Street, District 5, Saigon, the temple was built in a Chinese style to dedicate to Lady Thien Hau, or known as the Chinese sea goddess, who protects and rescues ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud. The interior of temple is packed with beautiful carvings and intricate details, and the burning incense gives it a beautiful atmosphere. When visiting make sure you take your time to look at all the small corners this temple has, as there are many things to explore.
– Ben Thanh market
Located at the intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tan Hung, and Le Lai streets, Ben Thanh market is a famous in Saigon. This is a market that has economic, historical, Vietnamese community culture and architectural value. The market was built in 1912 with 3000 small trading booths. You come here to find authentic Vietnamese souvenirs and goods and learn about the life of local people.
– Saigon walking streets (Nguyen Hue and Bui Vien)
Saigon walking streets are considered as the cultural symbol, and indispensable part of Vietnamese life in Saigon. Coming to Nguyen Hue walking street, you will see a street with modern and complete facilities and technology. You can also immerse yourself in the artistic and exciting social and cultural events such as festivals, flower streets, art performances, exhibitions. For those who wish to admire the peace, you can choose to walk around the corners in the street and listen some traditional music or enjoy some special cuisines.
Bui Vien walking street creates other opportunities to experience the little different sides of Ho Chi Minh city compared with Nguyen Hue walking street. It’s considered as more active street than Nguyen Hue, the cultural exchange activities are organized such as festivals, parades, music experience street music ethnic, modern music and so on performed by the artists, actors of the city, and even foreigners.
– Bitexco Financial
Bitexco Financial Tower is the highest building in Vietnam that is built with shape like a lotus bud. The building stands at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City Center, about 5-10 minutes walking from Ben Thanh market. Come here, you can get to the Saigon Skydeck on the 49th floor with a 360-degree view, go shoppings, or have a coffee on the high floor. If you are looking for entertainment place for your family, the entertainment areas at Bitexco Financial Tower is a great choice because this place serves a wide range of delicious food and quality cinemas.
Besides these top attractions in Ho Chi Minh city, there are many places you can refer such as: Dam Sen water park and Dam Sen cultural park next door, FITO museum, Museum of Vietnam history, Artnus 3D Art museum, …
4, Interesting activities in Ho Chi Minh city
– Explore Ho Chi Minh city on cyclo
One of the must-do things in Saigon is taking a cyclo to explore street to street and enjoy the local’s daily life, the colorful souvenir shops and stop to enjoy the tasty street food of Saigon people. With a the pedicabs of the city, you can get lost in a different world from the rest of the city. You can Immerse yourself in the rich culture and sights of Ho Chi Minh or it’s simple to feel the hustle and bustle of street vendors. This thing will bring you wonderful moments when having chance to fully explore the modest but energetic life of the locals.
Cyclo normally does trip around the historical sites of Saigon such as War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, walk down to see Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office, roam around Ben Thanh market, etc and it can be longer than that. This must – do thing is an enjoyable way to slowly swallow in the beauty of the city.
– Shopping
When travelling to Ho Chi Minh city, you can find many boutique and shopping malls, but the real fun of shopping in Ho Chi Minh City is exploring local culture in the street markets that can be found in many places around the city. There are 3 main markets in Ho Chi Minh: Ben Thanh, Cho Lon (Great market or Binh Tay market) and An Dong market. At these markets, you can see the fresh products, Vietnamese coffee or delicious street food. In addition, they also sell a plenty of items for affordable prices such ceramics, lacquerware, handwoven fabrics, silk, war memorabilia, and woodwork, … It’s easily for you to choose a gift for your family and friends.
In case you are a shopaholic, there are other shopping centers that will delight you such as: Saigon Square – a heaven for shoppers found in the heart of the city like a fancy version of the local market, Vincom center with high quality or luxury products, Diamond Plaza, Parkson Plaza Department store, … If you’re seeking for a mixture of modern and local shopping in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is an ideal place.
– Food adventure by scooter
Ho Chi Minh city is considered one of the best places to eat in South East Asia. This is also home to the best of Vietnam’s delicious regional cuisines including the south, the north and the centre with a vibrant street food scene, and some amazing international dishes.
Therefore, having a food adventure in Saigon is one thing that can not miss on your trip. Especially, food adventure by scooter will be a exicting and memorable experience for tourists and food lovers. It’s better that you should have a Vietnamese guide and on the back of scooter. The guide will have get a better understanding about traffic in the city as well as many beautiful roads with of the local culture, and your trip will be safer. This is an interesting way to see its undiscovered beauties, meet fascinating local people and see their real local life. You can have a food adventure by scooter on day or night. However, the cooler night air offers an ideal time to drive around.
– Enjoy the energetic nightlife
Ho Chi Minh city is a non-sleeping city, it’s becomes more and more splendid and elegant with twinkle street lights and traffic lines. The city often comes alive in the evenings. There are so many clubs and bars in Ho Chi Minh City that are suitable many tourists to visit. While youngers will love Nightclubs, older generations of both locals and foreigners may prefer Acoustic bars. Trying a cocktail or coffee at rooftop the city’s most famous hotels, the Rex, Caravelle, Majestic or Renaissance, where you can find colorful history and impressive view from there is a great choice.
Saigon night markets with their own character and street food stalls become popular places for tourists when the sun goes down. That is a place where you can meet and gather outside, share a meal or a drink under the stars.
Coming to Pham Ngu Lao street, dubbed as the backpacker hub of the city, you can enjoy a beer on small plastic stools. Or special thing you can try is having a dinner cruise on Saigon River. With incredible Saigon view, inspired cuisine and lively entertainment, an evening on the cruise along Saigon river is a such interesting and unforgettable experience!
