Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam and happens to be both the economic center and the cultural capital of the country. The metropolis is a mix of old and new, where visitors can find landmarks of historical significance that represent the country’s tumultuous past and contemporary attractions that represent its future.
With a population of around 9 million, the bustling city challenges the picture of peace and quiet that Vietnam is most often associated with. From some of the busiest markets in the world and streets dedicated to nightlife to war museums and buildings of architectural awe, Ho Chi Minh is a hotspot for both history buffs and travelers looking to soak in the dazzling energy of a vibrant city.
10 Views From The Bitexco Financial Tower
Inspired by the shape of a lotus, The Bitexco Financial Tower is the fourth largest skyscraper in Vietnam. The Saigon Skydeck on the 49th floor of the building offers 360-degree views of the city below and is one of the best places to watch the breathtaking skyline of Ho Chi Minh. Those who want to spend a little more time soaking in the views and are willing to shell out a few more bucks can make a trip to one of the many restaurants and cafes located on the floors higher up.
9 The Architecture
Saigon was once known as The Pearl Of Indochina, and the city’s years under French colonial rule can still be seen in the architecture of its landmarks. The Central Post Office, for example, is built with the elements of Gothic, Renaissance, and French colonial design. There’s also the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral, located right next to the post office, which was once the most beautiful cathedral in the French colonies. Ho Chi Minh is also home to the Saigon Opera House, which is often frequented by even visitors with no interest in the opera shows put forth by the institution, but who simply want to marvel at the building’s architecture for a few hours.
8 Temples And Pagodas
The magnificent temples and pagodas (Hindu and Buddhist temples) of Ho Chi Minh alone warrant a special trip to the city. While some pagodas in the city are young and relatively new, others date back centuries ago. Built in 1744, Giac Lam Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Ho Chi Minh. Then, there’s the Thien Hau Temple that still houses antiques from the 19th century, the Jade Emperor Pagoda that welcomed former American President Barrack Obama on his state visit in 2016, and the seven-story high Vietnamese National Buddhist Temple that should be on everyone’s list of sights to see in Ho Chi Minh.
7 The Nightlife Of Bui Vien Street
Often referred to as the Western Street or the Backpacker District, Bui Vien Street is the place to be for anybody that wants to take in the nightlife of Ho Chi Minh. The street is typically flooded with tourists and the young population of Ho Chi Minh, all sipping on a few bottles of Saigon beer in the open and hopping between stalls selling hot Vietnamese street food. In fact, no vehicles are allowed inside Bui Vien Street between 7 pm, and 2 am on weekends as games, entertainment activities, and walking visitors take over the streets.
6 War Remnants Museum
Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh in particular, have long attracted tourists interested in the country’s past. One of the most important stops on a tour of Vietnam’s historical landmarks is the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh. Formerly known as the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum showcases exhibits from the French-colonial period and the First Indochina War. But the museum’s focus is the Vietnam War. The museum showcases the atrocities of the brutal war not only from Vietnam’s perspective but also through sources obtained from the U.S. The War Remnants Museum offers a rare insight into the Vietnam War and is a remarkably moving experience for even those with little interest in the country’s history.
5 Saigon River Tours
While most busy cities will have some high-rises that offer stunning views of the metropolis below, few can be toured through boat cruises on the river. The Saigon river stretches over 256 kilometers, out of which 80 kilometers flow through Ho Chi Minh. The calm river flows through almost all the major districts of the city, making river boats and cruises one of the best ways to explore Ho Chi Minh. Depending on the budget, tourists can hop onto sunset cruises to watch Ho Chi Minh light up as they float by, hire luxury speedboats for the day, use the river to ferry between different attractions, including the Cu Chi Tunnels, or even dine on the river under the glimmering city lights.
4 Bến Thành Market
Besides being one of the largest markets in Ho Chi Minh with 6000 small vendors under one roof, the 100-year-old Bến Thành Market is widely regarded as the symbol of Saigon. Interestingly, the market offers two entirely different experiences depending on the time of the day tourists visit. The Bến Thành Market operates as a day market from 6 am to 6 pm, which focuses on shopping and then transforms into a night market from 6 pm till 10 with a greater emphasis on eating rather than shopping. The market is divided into four gates with 12 entrances, and each section sells different items. Tourists can shop for Vietnamese specialties on the east side, fresh food, meats, and flowers on the north, and souvenirs on the west.
3 Street Food
A major factor to take into consideration when planning to visit a new destination is its food and Ho Chi Minh nails that department. Considered to be amongst one of the best cities in the world for its street food, every district, neighborhood, and lane of Ho Chi Minh is filled with stalls that specialize in a particular street food item. Tourists can wheeze past alleyways on motorbikes, grab a plastic chair at a stall and dig into all sorts of cheap Vietnamese fare. Lucky travelers may even bump into a street food stall blasting karaoke for its patrons!
2 The Mekong Delta
Known as the rice bowl of Vietnam, the murky waters of the Mekong Delta stretching from Ho Chi Minh to Cambodia, with several cities and villages in between. Though not exactly inside Ho Chi Minh, several tours from the city offer a taste of the Mekong Delta in a few hours without tourists having to plan an entirely special trip for it. Day-long cruises from Ho Chi Minh navigate the canals of the Mekong Delta and take tourists through villages and islands flanked by coconut trees, fruit gardens, rice paddies, and riverside temples with a leisurely stop at floating markets on the delta.
1 Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are reason enough to visit Vietnam, let alone Ho Chi Minh. Cu Chi is a network of maze-like underground tunnels that served as the Viet Cong’s base of operations, a hideout, and a way to travel between places undetected during the Vietnam War. Today two parts of the Cu Chi tunnels are open to the public: Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. Ben Dinh tours take visitors through the former sleeping quarters, command posts, and medical areas located inside the tunnels. The Ben Duoc tunnels, on the other hand, are much bigger and require more time commitment but offer a far more realistic understanding of the life inside the tunnels. After crawling through the tunnels, tourists can test the shooting range, swim in Cu Chi park, eat what the guerrillas ate, explore entirely safe bobby traps, or go kayaking in the lake.