Destination guide
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh), commonly known as Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn) or by the abbreviations HCMC or HCM, is the largest city in Vietnam (population and area) and the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam).
AI insights
AI-written from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and the video stats on this page
Spend your evenings in Twenty-Three September Park to meet local university students looking to practice English; however, ignore any stranger who tries to involve you in a sob story about a 'nurse' relative, as this is a common setup for gambling scams or demands for money.
When using local transport, avoid flagging down random motorbike taxis on the street to prevent overcharging; instead, use ride-hailing apps like Grab, Xanh SM, or beTaxi to ensure transparent pricing and safe travel.
Visit the Museum of Vietnamese History in the morning to pair your visit with a stroll through the adjacent Botanical Gardens, which serve as a quiet, budget-friendly escape from the city crowds.
Be cautious when dining at popular spots like Pho 24; verify you are in the official chain location, as the impostor 'Pho 24/24' shop on Pham Ngu Lao Street does not belong to the chain and serves terrible, expensive food.
Explore the Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum to witness the city's transition from the former capital of South Vietnam; the museum is a short walk from the palace, and you can consult the museum pamphlet for a map to navigate between them.
How we vet these picks
Every pick is drawn from real sources — YouTube creators, Wikivoyage, and Wikipedia. We only surface sources that actually exist and that we've checked for authenticity — no filler, no dead-end searches.Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
HƯỚNG DẪN DU LỊCH TP. HỒ CHÍ MINH , Ăn gì chơi gì tại Sài Gòn. Review Bánh Mì , Cà Phê Sài gòn
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Best time to go
Best window:
February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October are the months to avoid — punishing heat and very heavy rain. No month here is easy — pick by what you can tolerate.
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By train
Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line opened in December 2024, connecting Ben Thanh Market in the city center with Suối Tiên and the Eastern Bus Terminus in the northeast.
By bus
Bright green and blue city buses, along with teal metro feeder buses, serve over 170 routes throughout Ho Chi Minh City. The buses are a cheap and safe way to travel around the city, and they're usually not too packed during off-peak hours (from 9AM to 4PM).
By taxi
The easiest way to get around by taxi or motorbike taxi is by using any of the popular ride-hailing apps: Grab (Android, iOS), Xanh SM (Android, iOS), or beTaxi (Android, iOS).
By metered taxi
Regular taxis with meter are numerous, and it's usually not hard to flag one down anywhere in the city centre from early morning until about 01:00, though finding one in the rain or during workday rush hours can be difficult.
By motorbike taxi
Motorbike taxis (xe ôm, literally hug-vehicle) are plentiful (get used to hearing "you want moto?" everywhere), but as a tourist as you are likely to get scammed if you just take a random one in the street.
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check.
Independence Palace
Worth itAlso recommended by Wikipedia
135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St
This is a restored 4-floor time warp to the 1960s left largely untouched from the day Saigon fell to the North; construction started in 1962 and finished in 1966. It was South Vietnam's presidential palace.
Vetted sources
War Remnants Museum
Worth itAlso recommended by Wikipedia
28 Vo Van Tan St
The museum was opened in a hurry, less than five months after the fall of the South Vietnamese regime. It has moved to new premises with 3 storeys of exhibits and various US military hardware (tanks, jets, helicopters, howitzers) on…
Skip the line — book ticketsSouthern Women’s Museum
close to the War Remnants Museum· Free
Often overlooked by tourists, this museum celebrates the women’s role in the society, economy, and revolutionary history of the southern part of the country.
Vetted sources
Ho Chi Minh Museum
in the center of the city, a few blocks from Ben Thanh Market, the Reunification Palace, and Notre Dame Cathedral
The museum, housed in a French colonial-era building, narrates the history of Ho Chi Minh City from pre-history to the present and also has exhibits on local culture and traditions.
Vetted sources
Museum of Vietnamese History
at the intersection of Le Duan St and Nguyen Binh Khiem, just inside the zoo gates
The museum has a fine collection of Vietnamese antiquities. Read up on Vietnamese history first or you'll have no idea what you're looking at. Outside, the Botanical Gardens are very nice and a good place for a cheap lunch away from the…
Vetted sources
People's Committee Hall
Nguyen Hue St
Built as the Hôtel de Ville, it's a striking cream and yellow French colonial building beautifully floodlit at night. No entry, but the statue of Uncle Ho in front is a very popular place for photos.
Vetted sources
What to do
Dai Nam Tourist Park
about 40 km from HCMC; catch Bus 616 from the Ben Thanh bus station and take it all the way to the end (90 minutes, 25,000 dong as of Dec 2015), or talk to a travel agent
This is one of the largest tourist attractions in Vietnam. It features the Dai Nam Van Hien Temple, an entertainment site, open range zoo, shopping areas, hotels, local and Western cuisine, and the largest man-made mountain range in…
Vetted sources
Dam Sen Water Park
take Bus 11 from Ben Thanh bus station· Free
Close to the city centre. This water park offers some unique water slide experiences, including the amazing "Space Bowl". Restaurant, health services and animatronic dinosaurs are on the premises.
Vetted sources
Nguyen Hue Flower Street
· Free
Beautiful assortment of flowers during Tet (Lunar New Year) along the popular boulevard in District 1.
Vetted sources
Vietnamese Language Garden
135/10 Nguyen Cuu Van, Binh Thanh District
The school offers one-on-one study,focus on intensive classes to get fluent in Vietnamese in a short time, or 1-2 weeks classes for tourist & homes stay to experience the local lifestyle
Vetted sources
Twenty-Three September Park
across from Ben Thanh Market and running the length of Phan Ngu Lao St
Running along Phan Ngu Lao St are a number of parks which fill up with locals before sunset, after work. They play a variety of games which you can participate in: badminton, kicking a shuttlecock and women's group aerobics to music are…
Vetted sources
Happy Ending Massage Yuan
on Le Thanh Ton between Thai Van Lung and Ngo Van Nam. Across from Sky Garden
Despite the name, legitimate foot and body massage, hostess will explain pricing to you at the beginning, usually offering 30% discount.
Vetted sources
What to eat
Bánh Mì 37
Worth itAlso recommended by Toro Pan and 1 other
185 6-8, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão
Absolutely delicious even though a bit different than the traditional. Popular among locals, there might be a queue.
Vetted sources
Com Tam Ba Ghien
Worth itAlso recommended by Michelin Guide
A renowned broken-rice (com tam) eatery known for generous grilled pork portions.
Vetted sources
Pho Quynh
323 Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1
Their specialty is pho. Locals come regularly and lucky backpackers stumble upon it. It is air-conditioned on the second and third floors. They also have decent banh mi bo kho, which is beef stew with carrots, served with French baguette.
Vetted sources
Nhà Hàng Chay Ngọc Thọ
175/9 Phạm Ngũ Lão
Incredible range of delicoius veggie options, but also meat and chicken. Clean place, friendly staff, tasty food and satisfying portions.
Vetted sources
Nhà Hàng Asian Kitchen
185 6-8, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão
Very good place for delicious and diverse food, big choice. Kinda hidden, kinda great. Also lots of vegetarian options.
Vetted sources
Ben Thanh Market
Lê Lợi
It's a rather touristy market where you still can enjoy the most authentic Vietnamese pho.
Vetted sources
Pho 24
Clean modern chain found everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City. Excellent beef noodle soup, very cheap. Watch out for the fake Pho 24/24 on Pham Ngu Lao St, which does not belong to the chain and serves terrible and expensive food.
Vetted sources
Where to stay
Blue River Hotel
283/2C Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
Amazing small hotel in an alley off Pham Ngu Lao. They can arrange an airport pickup although an official taxi from the airport counter will Some staff members speak English and the service is good.
Vetted sources
Diep Anh
241/31 Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1
Very friendly owners. Rooms with air-con, refrigerator, cable TV, en suite bath, and Wi-Fi. Very reasonably priced minibar.
Vetted sources
Hanh Hoa Hotel
237 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
Vietnamese styling, with bamboo interiors, rattan beds and wooden floors.
Vetted sources
An Phuong 2
across from where buses drop tourists
A friendly family-run guesthouse, very clean and homely. Free Internet, cheap laundry and all rooms have double glazing.
Vetted sources
Duna Hotel
167 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
All rooms have air-con, satellite TV, a fridge, elevator. Pleasant staff. The front door is locked around 23:00-24:00.
Vetted sources
Dai Huy Hoang Hotel
in a small quiet alley that links Pham Ngu Lao and Do Quang Dau. Coming from Pham Ngu Lao the alley is next to the Canadian Hotel
Comfortable rooms with air-con, fan, free Internet and breakfast. Friendly staff.
Vetted sources
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Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.