Ho Chi Minh City occupies tourists’ heart due to not only the image of a vibrant and charming city, converging all the conveniences of a modern metropolis, but also many attractions that we can spend time on exploring and enjoying with fun.
In order to help you know more about this city, please enjoy our list of Top 10 best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City (also famous tourist attractions in Saigon) below.
- War Remnants Museum
- Ben Thanh Market
- Cu Chi Tunnels
- Independence Palace
- Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
- Jade Emperor Pagoda
- Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
- Saigon Central Post Office
- Saigon Opera House
- Bitexco Financial Tower
1. War Remnants Museum
Location: 28 Vo Van Tan street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Opening hours: 7:30 –18:00 every day
The first tourist site to visit in Ho Chi Minh City is War Remnants Museum, one of the most popular museums in Vietnam housing memory related to the Vietnam War and the First Indochina War in Vietnam.
This museum has more than 20,000 documents, exhibits, and films, in which more than 1,500 documents, artifacts, and films have been applied to introduce in public.
In this museum, visitors can have a chance to see so much military equipment of the US and Vietnam military in so many rooms from the Legend AK 47, UH-1 helicopter to M48 tank, T-54 tank.
Especially, tourists can see “tiger case”, a place where South Vietnamese soldiers kept their political prisoners.
Besides, they can look at many photographs in the Vietnam War, including black-white ones.
This place is like the evidence of the crime and the consequences of war that the US and its allies have caused to Vietnam.
Visiting this museum is worth of rewarding things to do in Ho Chi Minh City.
2. Ben Thanh Market
Location: Le Loi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Opening hours: 6:00 –24:00 every day
Ben Thanh Market is a symbol and one of the largest markets in Ho Chi Minh City.
For a tourist, this market is a perfect place for searching many items from handicrafts, textiles to local cuisine.
Established in the 17th century, this place was created by vendors near Sai Gon River.
In 1870, the fire destroyed the total market and the French rebuilt it. In 1912, New Ben Thanh Market was established and it still existed today.
3. Cu Chi Tunnels
Location: 45 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 07:00 - 17:00 every day, including Sunday!
This 75-mile tunnel is a real “witness” of massive war in Vietnam. It tells tourists about the strong will of Vietnamese people and soldiers when competing with the giant US in nearly 20 years.
In 1948 during the war against the French, Viet Minh soldiers built the tunnels to help them evade French soldiers near the area and have the ability to communicate with the villagers.
This is also a place for the people sheltering from foreign invaders.
In the Vietnam War, this was extended over approximately 250 km and considered as an important base for Viet Cong to win American soldiers.
4. Independence Palace
Location: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 08:00 - 11:00 & 13:00 - 16:00 every day
Independence Palace, formerly Reunification Palace, is a famous site when it comes to attractions as well as things to do in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
This place is the home and workplace for the President of South Vietnam from 1954 to 1975. It also was the place that remarked the end of the Vietnam War on April 30th, 1975.
In history, on 23 February 1868, Pierre-Paul de La Grandière, Governor of Cochinchina of France Empire, built a new palace for working. The building process continued until 1873.
The designer of palace is Ngo Viet Thu - the first Vietnamese architect winning the First Grand Prize of Rome. After finishing, the palace was named Norodom Palace in the name of the king of Cambodia, King Norodom (1834–1904).
In World War II, this is an important headquarters of Japanese officials. On 7 September 1954, Norodom Palace had become the main office of the State of Vietnam.
In 1955, Ngo Dinh Diem became president of the Republic of Vietnam and renamed the palace into Independence Palace. On 30 April 1975, a tank of the North Vietnamese bulldozed over the main gate, ending the Vietnam War.
In November 1975, this was renamed Reunification Palace.
5. Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
Location: 97A - Pho Duc Chinh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 9:00 - 18:00 (Tuesday-Sunday, closed on Monday)
The next site to add to your itinerary is Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, a major art museum in the city.
Many years ago, in the 20th century, this place belonged to Hui Bon Hoa, a famous and rich tradesman in Sai Gon at that time.
This was designed and constructed by a French architect Rivera in 1929 as a villa for the Hua family.
After 1975, the new government took over this place to Vietnam Exhibition Center and Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to manage in 1987 and changed it to a public museum until now.
6. Jade Emperor Pagoda
Location: 73 Mai Thi Luu, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00 every day
Jade Emperor Pagoda or Jade Emperor Temple is a Taoist and Buddhist pagoda.
This is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric temples in Saigon. Built in 1892 by a community of Chinese immigrants with their leaders Liu Ming, this pagoda is a representation of Mahayanist branch of Buddhism in Vietnam and it is the only place where the Jade Emperor is worshipped in Vietnam.
From 1984, it was renamed into the new Chinese name Phuoc Hai Tu (Sea of Blessing Temple). It is also more and more famous when U.S. President Barack Obama visited this place during his state trip to Vietnam on 22 May 2016.
7. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
Location: No.1 Cong Xa Paris Street, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00 every day
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, aka Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica or Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in Vietnam and also considered the most attractive tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City.
Built from 1863 to 1880 by the French architects, the cathedral is 60m high. Initially, it was called Saigon Church.
The name Notre-Dame Cathedral was named after Bishop of the Church held a ceremony to install the statue of Peaceful Notre Dame in 1959. In 1962, Vatican anointed it as Saigon Chief Cathedral.
Since then, this cathedral is called Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica.
8. Saigon Central Post Office
Location: No. 2 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 07:00 – 19:00 every day
Ho Chi Minh City Post Office or Saigon Central Post Office is the main post office and one of the most attractive tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City.
The building was built around 1886 – 1891 by a French architect Alfred Foulhoux. The structure in the post office is reserved perfectly.
Today, it has been the busiest post office in Vietnam.
9. Saigon Opera House
Location: 7 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Opening hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m daily
Today, the building has so many modern devices like electric appliances, lighting, sound systems, and safety equipment.
The Opera House is surrounded by new plazas and hotels, which allow you to combine a trip to the Opera House with a shopping tour.
10. Bitexco Financial Tower
Location: 36 Ho Tung Mau Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 09:30-21:30 every day
Bitexco Financial Tower, a new modern symbol of Ho Chi Minh City, is a skyscraper where Bitexco Group houses the Ho Chi Minh City office.
With 68 floors and three basements, it has a height of 262.5 meters.
The tower is owned by Bitexco Group, a Vietnamese multi-industry corporation and is designed by Carlos Zapata, Design Principal and Founder of Carlos Zapata Studio, with French company AREP as the architect of record.
The inspiration for the shape of the skyscraper is from Vietnam's national flower, the Lotus.