20 Best Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (+ Itinerary)
- Shal & James
- Aug 20
- 13 min read
Updated: Sep 12
From a District 1 sightseeing walking route to hidden temples in District 5, and a secret skyline view that’ll have your camera roll begging for mercy, here's best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City.
We'd been warned—Ho Chi Minh City's motorcycle chaos is the stuff of legend. But hey, we’re seasoned jaywalkers, trained on the mean streets of Manhattan. Most of the time, we strutted across like pros…until we had a harrowing, near-death encounter with a roundabout swarming with hundreds of motorbikes that clearly viewed traffic lights as mere suggestions.
Still, that chaotic, full-throttle energy is exactly what gives HCMC its edge. It’s loud, it’s wild, and it’s utterly intoxicating. This guide is everything we wish we’d known before diving headfirst into Vietnam’s southern powerhouse—where to go, what to eat, and how to get around once you tire of dodging motorbikes.
CONTENTS
20 BEST THINGS TO DO IN HO CHI MINH CITY
BEST RESTAURANTS IN HO CHI MINH CITY
BEST HOTEL IN HO CHI MINH CITY
BEST TIME TO VISIT HO CHI MINH CITY?
HOW MANY DAYS IN HO CHI MINH CITY?
STEAL OUR 3 DAY HO CHI MINH CITY ITINERARY
HOW MUCH DOES A LUXURY TRIP TO HO CHI MINH CITY COST? (WHAT WE SPENT)
HOW TO GET TO HO CHI MINH CITY?
HOW TO GET AROUND HO CHI MINH CITY?
We’ve included opening hours, prices with currency conversions based on current exchange rates, and what we paid to help with planning—but things can change (things to do, hotels, the lot), so it’s always worth double checking to dodge any last-minute surprises.
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KEY INFO: HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
BEST TIME TO GO TO HO CHI MINH CITY
Dry season Dec - Apr; we went 15-17 Mar and it was dry, sunny, hot and humid.
HOW TO GET TO HO CHI MINH CITY
Fly to Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN); GrabCar (Asia's Uber) to city centre.
HOW TO GET AROUND HO CHI MINH CITY
District 1 is walkable—once you master dodging motorbikes crossing the street; use GrabCar to visit other districts.
IDEAL TRIP LENGTH
2-5 days (we visited for 3 days);
2-3 days exploring the city + 1-2 days for day trips to the Mekong Delta and/or Cu Chi Tunnels.
LANGUAGES
Vietnamese is the official language, but many people speak French and English.
VIETNAM ESIM
We never travel without an Airalo eSIM—grab one through our link for 15% off if you’re new, or 10% off if you’re already part of the club.
VIETNAM TOURIST VISAS
UK: no visa for up to 45 days. List of countries exempt from visas. US: visa required for any stay.
Passport must be undamaged, valid 6 months from arrival, with 2 blank pages.
VIETNAM CURRENCY
Vietnamese dong (VND); credit card fees apply if accepted—best to use cash. Most ATMs take foreign cards, with a 3M VND withdrawal limit per transaction and multiple withdrawals allowed.
IS VIETNAM SAFE?
We felt safe, but the UK government's advice on safety and security is definitely worth a read.
CAN YOU DRINK TAP WATER IN VIETNAM?
No—only drink bottled or boiled water.
VACCINATIONS NEEDED FOR VIETNAM
None for entry—just stay up-to-date on routine vaccines (unless your doc says otherwise). We chose to get rabies (Vietnam high-risk per WHO) and Japanese encephalitis (rice fields stay).
Planning a trip to Vietnam? These 15 Vietnam travel tips from our 3-week adventure cover everything we wish we knew.
20 BEST THINGS TO DO IN HO CHI MINH CITY
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City in order of photos above (no photos for Rehahn Gallery, Green Palm Gallery, HCMC History Museum, Cafe Apartment and Cu Chi Tunnels).
1) TEN THOUSAND BUDDHA PAGODA
District 5
Daily 7AM - 7PM
Free
Don’t miss this jaw-dropping maze of 10,000 hand-carved Buddhas, ancestral tablets, and incense swirling through four floors of Mahayana magic, crowned by a serene, crowd-free Buddha finale on the top floor.
2) TUE THANH ASSEMBLY HALL
District 5
Daily 6AM - 5:30PM
Free; incense coil 40,000 VND (cash); converted: £1 / US$1.50 / €1.30
Step into a haze of incense, sea goddess blessings, and smoky rituals—where you can even light your own giant coil for a dose of health, happiness, and good travel juju.
3) WAR REMNANTS MUSEUM
District 1
Daily 7:30AM - 5:30PM
40,000 VND pp (cash); converted: £1 / US$1.50 / €1.30
The War Remnants Museum offers a sobering, often gut-wrenching look at the Vietnam War through the lens of Vietnamese civilians, with powerful photojournalism, preserved military equipment, and graphic depictions of Agent Orange’s lasting impact—it's not an easy visit, but a vital one.
4) INDEPENDENCE PALACE
District 1
Daily 8AM - 4:30PM; last entry 3:30PM
25,000 VND pp (cash); converted: £0.70 / US$0.95 / €0.81
The Independence Palace, also known as Reunification Palace, was the former home of South Vietnam’s president and the site where a North Vietnamese tank famously crashed through the gates in 1975, marking the end of the Vietnam War—though honestly, with its retro decor, vast meeting halls and bunker, it felt more like a conference venue from yesteryear than a former royal residence.
5) BOOK STREET
District 1
Free
A charming, tree-lined lane packed with indie bookstores, cosy cafes, and shaded benches—perfect for a quiet browse, stationary splurge and caffeine fix.
6) SAIGON POST OFFICE
District 1
Daily 7AM - 5PM
Free
A French colonial beauty designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel), where you can still send a postcard under its grand arched ceilings—or just snap a selfie pretending you’ve time-traveled to 1880s Paris. Across the street is the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Saigon, though it’s currently closed to visitors for renovations until 2027.
7) BEN THANH MARKET
District 1
Daily 6AM - 6PM
Free
Get ready for aisles upon aisles of street food and to haggle for quirky souvenirs, all while soaking in the chaotic charm of Ben Thah Market. It’s meant to turn into a night market, but both times we swung by around 8 PM, it was shuttered. If you're new to haggling, start by offering 50% of the price. When they say "no," flash a smile, say "thanks," and start to walk away. Trust us, they won’t let you get far.
8) BUI VIEN "WALKING STREET"
District 1
After dark
Free
Between the throngs of people, neon lights, blaring live music, touts and go-go dancers, it’s a spectacle you won’t forget. A bit too touristy for us to grab a drink, but definitely worth seeing!
9) TRY AN EGG COFFEE
Vietnam’s coffee culture is everything so treat yourself to a famous egg coffee—it tastes like tiramisu and feels like rocket fuel. We had our first-ever egg coffees at Wayne’s Coffee, President Place—and surprise twist—it totally spoiled us, because it ended up being the best one of the whole trip.
10) MARIAMMAN HINDU TEMPLE
District 1
Daily 9AM - 8PM; closed 12 - 1PM
Free
While the Mariamman Hindu Temple's real star is its vibrant, eye-popping exterior—think colourful statues and intricate carvings that practically beg for a photo op—the interior’s worth a look too. The temple is dedicated to the goddess of rain and fertility, Mariamman, widely revered for her power to cure diseases and protect communities from epidemics.
11) EMPEROR JADE PAGODA
District 1
Daily 7AM - 6PM
Free
Built in 1909 for the Jade Emperor, this wildly atmospheric temple is all smoky incense, shadowy chambers, and otherworldly statues—part sacred sanctuary, part theatrical fever dream, with a tiny shop selling stunning prayer amulets (yes, we bought one for a bit of divine backup).
12) REHAHN GALLERY
District 1
Daily 9AM - 7PM
Free
French photographer-turned-Hoi-An-local has made it his mission to capture powerful portraits of people from all 54 of Vietnam’s ethnic groups. The photos at Réhahn Gallery? Absolutely stunning. The kind that stop you in your tracks and make you feel something deep in your travel soul.
13) GREEN PALM GALLERY
District 1
Daily 9AM - 7PM
Free
Green Palm Gallery is a treasure trove of contemporary Vietnamese art, but it was Dang Van Quynh’s work that really stopped us in our tracks. His pieces somehow bottle the essence of Ho Chi Minh City—gritty, vibrant, layered, and pulsing with life. Like the city itself, they demand a second (and third) look.
14) HCMC HISTORY MUSEUM
District 1
Tue - Sun 8-11:30AM + 1:30-5PM
30,000 VND pp; converted: £0.84 / US$1.14 / €0.98
We wanted to visit the HCMC History Museum, but its quirky hours just didn’t vibe with our schedule. Maybe next time.
15) CAFE APARTMENT
District 1
Daily 8AM - 10PM
3,000 VND pp; converted: £0.08 / US$0.11 / €0.10
We only found out about Café Apartment after we left Ho Chi Minh City (cue dramatic sigh). It’s a whole apartment block stacked floor-to-ceiling with quirky little cafes—each one more Insta-worthy than the last. Especially at night when it lights up like a caffeinated Christmas tree. Don’t be like us. Go. Sip. Snap.
16) TAN DINH CHURCH
District 3
Visiting hours: Mon-Fri 7AM - 12PM + 2-5PM + 8-9PM; Sat 7AM - 12PM; Sun closed to visitors
No visitors allowed during mass
Free
Built by the French in the 1870s, the eye-popping pink Tan Dinh Church is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s oldest—and most photogenic—Catholic churches, and yes, we’re gutted we missed it!
17) SKYLINE VIEW FROM ONG CAY BRIDGE
Thu Duc City
Free
When night falls, hit up Ong Cay, a pedestrian bridge to soak in the neon skyline. Turns out, Ho Chi Minh City loves a good light show! We seemed to be the only tourists wandering through a sea of date-night couples and reluctant boyfriends being coaxed into Instagram shoots.
How to get there (without summoning a teleportation spell): Pop “Café Bờ Kè Nóc Hầm Thủ Thiêm” (QPC5+6WJ) into your GrabCar app and let it whisk you away for the grand price of about £2 (converted: US$2.70 / €2.30). Once you’re dropped off, head right toward the pedestrian bridge—cue beautiful skyline views.
But don’t stop there! Keep walking after you've crossed the bridge. Trust us—the real view is still coming and it will have your camera roll begging for mercy.
If you keep wandering (highly encouraged), you’ll end up in a pedestrian-only zone with more skyline views and coffee shops. When it’s time to head home, you’ll need to stroll back out of the pedestrian area to grab your Grab. Worth it? 100%.
18) FITO MUSEUM
District 10
Daily 8:30AM - 5PM
180,000 VND pp; converted: £5.05 / US$6.82 / €5.96
Housed in a gorgeous wooden mansion with traditional Vietnamese flair, the FITO Museum blends beautiful architecture with quirky remedies like snake wine—once believed to boost virility and cure all sorts—but misses a trick by skipping over the darker side of traditional medicine, like the brutal bear bile trade.
19) MEKONG DELTA TOUR
While most tourists cram into buses bound for the coconut candy factory and commercial orchards of the Mekong Delta, we took the road (or river) less traveled—hopping on a speedboat with just eight other people.
We visited a lime farmer, held his giant python (yes, really!), meandered through the Mekong Delta's canals in a sampan, a traditional rowboat; visited a sleepy local food market; popped by a tri-faith temple and walked through a beautifully kept orphanage run by local monks. We went the entire day without seeing other tourists—not even one. Curious about this authentic experience? Learn more about our small-group Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City and/or book the tour we took here.
20) CU CHI TUNNELS
If you’ve got a third day in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ve got options. One classic: the Củ Chi Tunnels—an underground maze used by the Viet Cong for everything from hiding to hospitals. But crawling through jungle tunnels on our hands and knees? Hard pass. We opted for a breezier adventure: a day trip to the Mekong Delta instead.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN HO CHI MINH CITY
HUM SIGNATURE CAFE & LOUNGE
Hum Signature in District 1 delivers moody elegance and knockout vegetarian dishes (the pad thai and pineapple fried rice are standouts), making it a splurge totally worth the dong. And seriously—don’t even dream of dropping in unbooked; they’re fully booked and strict about your reservation time, so book ahead and request a proper table unless you fancy dining from a sofa.
HOME SAIGON RESTAURANT
The vibe might not be winning any ambiance awards at Home Saigon Restaurant, but you’re here for the food (and it's a value). The coconut chicken and buffalo luc lac were so good, we ate at here twice. Ask your hotel to book you a reservation, it gets busy!
TARTINE SAIGON
Tartine Saigon was literally around the corner from our hotel, took credit cards with zero extra fees (bless!), and served up loads of healthy bites in a chill, airy space.
BEST HOTEL IN HO CHI MINH CITY
LA SIESTA PREMIUM SAIGON
After extensive research we chose to stay at La Siesta Premium Saigon (£150 pn; converted: US$203 / €174), a 5-star hotel that opened in 2023, smack in District 1 with a rooftop pool and a walk-to-everything location. We booked the “Deluxe King Room,” which was lovely, but if you’re rolling in with more than two carry-on suitcases... things might get cosy real fast if you don't book a larger room.
We melted into bliss during a 60-minute couples hot stone massage at La Siesta's La Spa—1,105,000 VND pp (converted: £31 / US$42 / €36), which is an absolute steal by Western standards and way cheaper than therapy.
BEST TIME TO VISIT HO CHI MINH CITY?
The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City (and the rest of Vietnam) is during the dry season December to April. We visited Ho Chi Minh City 15-17 March and it was dry, sunny, hot and humid.
HOW MANY DAYS IN HO CHI MINH CITY?
We gave Ho Chi Minh City three days and it felt just right (albeit busy)—two to soak up the city’s chaotic charm, and one for a day trip to the Mekong Delta (or the Cu Chi Tunnels if you fancy a crawl through history).
If you’ve got four or five days, even better—you can do it all without needing a holiday to recover from your holiday. We did manage to fit in one glorious splash in La Siesta’s rooftop pool... but just one. Tragic, considering how lovely it was up there.
STEAL OUR 3 DAY HO CHI MINH CITY ITINERARY
DAY 1: TOP SIGHTS
District 1 sightseeing circular walk
HCMC History Museum*
Independence Palace
War Remnants Museum
Book Street
Saigon Central Post Office
Ben Thanh Market
After dark
Stroll Bui Vien "Walking" Street
DAY 2: LOCAL GEMS
Mariamman Hindu Temple
Emperor Jade Pagoda
Tue Thanh Assembly Hall
Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda
Tan Dinh Church*
FITO Museum
Rehahn & Green Palm Galleries
Cafe Apartment*
After dark
Skyline view from Ong Cay Bridge
DAY 3: MEKONG DELTA TOUR
Small-group Mekong Delta tour
8AM Hotel pick-up
Speedboat past stilt house communities in District 8
Lime farmer's house and groves (James got to hold his pet python!)
Thu Thua Market
Thu Thua Cao Dai Temple
Thu Thua Orphanage (run by local monks)
Traditional wooden sampan boat ride
Local lunch
Speedboat back to HCMC
3:30PM Hotel drop-off
Learn more about our small-group Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City and/or book the tour we took here.
We skipped the Saigon Opera House and French Quarter in this list because, well… they just didn’t wow us. If we could rewind, we’d have traded that time for a proper gawp at Tan Dinh Church and a nosy wander through the Café Apartments instead.
For all the juicy details for each sight—think entry fees, opening times, and our recommendations—return to the section 20 Best Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s all there, neatly bundled and ready to make your planning a breeze.
*Full disclosure—we didn’t get to squeeze these in ourselves, but if we had, this is exactly where we’d slot them into the itinerary.
HOW MUCH DOES A LUXURY TRIP TO HO CHI MINH CITY COST? (WHAT WE SPENT)
We squeezed Ho Chi Minh City into our 3-week Vietnam adventure, and here’s what it cost us. Our return economy flights with Vietnam Airlines (London to HCMC + Hanoi back to London) came to £1,472 for both of us (£736 pp; converted: US$994 / €853), and we snapped up a 30-day, 20GB Airalo eSIM for £26 (converted: US$35 / €30) —which, frankly, saved us from more than one “where the heck are we?” moment.
Below is a breakdown of what we spent for two people travelling together just in Ho Chi Minh City for 3 days and 3 nights (£894; converted: US$1,207 / €1,037).
Want the full financial scoop? Head over to our 3-Week Vietnam Itinerary for the whole budget breakdown (and maybe a few “did-we-really-spend-that?” moments).
ITEM | GBP | USD* | EUR* |
La Siesta Premium Saigon (5-star hotel) 3 nights in a Deluxe King Room including breakfast | £452.59 | $611.01 | €524.80 |
60-minute hot stone couples massage at La Siesta Premium Saigon + 200,000 VND tip | £62.91* | $84.93 | €98.48 |
Mekong Delta speedboat tour | £181.02 | $244.38 | €209.90 |
Entrance fees | £11.21* | $15.13 | €13.00 |
Private car from airport to hotel | £15.80* | $21.33 | €24.73 |
GrabCar between sights + to airport | £15.64* | $21.11 | €18.14 |
Food + drinks | £154.73* | $208.89 | €179.42 |
Grand Total | £893.90 | $1,206.78 | €1,068 |
*Approximate conversions for reference based on current exchange rates.
HOW TO GET TO HO CHI MINH CITY?
Fly into Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)—we caught a direct, red-eye economy flight from London Heathrow (LHR) with Vietnam Airlines, and it clocked in at just under 13 hours. The flight attendants were super friendly; however, our in-flight entertainment didn't work and the food was probably the worst we had on any airline.
HOW TO GET AROUND HO CHI MINH CITY?
GrabCar is Vietnam’s version of Uber—download the app, link your credit card or book rides and pay in cash. It’s super cheap (usually £1–3; converted: US$1-4 / €1-3.50) to go crosstown or even to the airport, reliable, way easier than flagging down a taxi, and way better than getting gouged by your hotel for a ride. We took GrabCar nearly everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City because walking through the endless sea of motorbikes felt like a full-contact sport.
Need more inspiration for your Vietnam adventure? Dive into our 2 Week Vietnam Itinerary or 3 Week Vietnam Itinerary packed with hotels, restaurants, temples, hidden gems, and just the right amount of chaos.
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