Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by almost everyone who lives there, is Vietnam’s biggest, fastest and hungriest city.
Motorbikes pour around the roundabouts of District 1 like a river, French colonial landmarks stand beside glass towers, and every pavement turns into a dining room when the sun goes down. At the centre sit the red-brick twin spires of Notre-Dame Cathedral and the arched hall of the Central Post Office, a short walk from Ben Thanh Market, the Independence Palace and the museum that tells the story of the war from the Vietnamese side. Beyond the city limits, the tunnels of Cu Chi and the canals of the Mekong Delta make two of the most rewarding day trips in Southeast Asia. November is the start of the dry season, with less rain and cooler evenings, which makes it one of the best months to come. This guide shows what is worth booking ahead, how to see the War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace without the queues, which Mekong and Cu Chi tours are worth the money, how to eat your way across town on the back of a scooter, and where to stay, from the Park Hyatt on Lam Son Square to a social hostel on Bui Vien.
Cu Chi Tunnels Guided Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
A half-day trip to the underground network where villagers and fighters lived, cooked and fought during the war, with hidden trapdoors, a film, a guide and the chance to squeeze through a stretch of tunnel.
War Remnants Museum
Vietnam’s most visited museum, a powerful and sometimes harrowing account of the war told through photographs, documents and the military hardware parked in its courtyard.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and Central Post Office
Saigon’s French colonial showpiece: the red-brick twin spires of the cathedral across a garden from the grand iron-and-glass hall of the Central Post Office, both free to see.
Ben Thanh Market and Night Market
Saigon’s most famous market, a roofed maze of stalls selling coffee, crafts, clothes and cooked food by day, with a street night market on its flanks after dark.
A half-day trip to the underground network where villagers and fighters lived, cooked and fought during the war, with hidden trapdoors, a film, a guide and the chance to squeeze through a stretch of tunnel.
A guided day on the water south of the city: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a river boat among the islands, coconut candy and honey stops, lunch and a rowed sampan through narrow canals.
An evening ride pillion through Saigon’s neighbourhoods with a local guide, stopping at street stalls and local bars for food, craft beer and a taste of Chinatown, all with helmet and pickup included.
Vietnam’s most visited museum, a powerful and sometimes harrowing account of the war told through photographs, documents and the military hardware parked in its courtyard.
The 1960s presidential palace where the war effectively ended, preserved with its state rooms, its wartime command bunker and the retro decor of a government that vanished overnight.
FreeSaigon’s French colonial showpiece: the red-brick twin spires of the cathedral across a garden from the grand iron-and-glass hall of the Central Post Office, both free to see.
FreeSaigon’s most famous market, a roofed maze of stalls selling coffee, crafts, clothes and cooked food by day, with a street night market on its flanks after dark.
The observation deck of Vietnam’s tallest tower, with sweeping views across the Saigon River and the whole city, open from morning until late evening.
A 45-minute show of traditional Vietnamese water puppetry, with lacquered puppets dancing on a pool to live folk music, a tradition that began in the Red River delta villages.
A dinner-and-show evening that pairs a nine-dish set menu from across Vietnam with a staged performance of folk music played on traditional instruments.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$District 1 (Lam Son Square)
The city’s luxury benchmark on Lam Son Square, a short walk from the Opera House, Dong Khoi and the Notre-Dame and Post Office area, with a pool, a spa and nine places to eat and drink.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$District 1 (Riverside)
A French colonial riverside hotel open since 1925, at the foot of Dong Khoi Street with a rooftop bar, a pool and balconies over the Saigon River.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Central Saigon (District 3 edge)
A five-star art-filled boutique hotel in the MGallery collection, with a 24th-floor rooftop bar, afternoon tea with live piano and the Notre-Dame and Opera House area close by.
Rates on Expedia →
$$District 1 (Little Tokyo)
A Japanese-inspired four-star boutique hotel in Little Tokyo on Le Thanh Ton Street, with a rooftop jacuzzi, a spa, afternoon tea and a central District 1 location.
Rates on Expedia →Bui Vien (Pham Ngu Lao)
A social boutique hostel on Bui Vien with dorms, private ensuite rooms, a coworking lounge, an open kitchen and a nightly family-style Vietnamese dinner.
Rates on Expedia →The practical primer for a first visit to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): what to book ahead, how to get around and cross the road, how many days you need and where the headline sights fit.
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City: how the neighbourhoods of District 1 differ, and which of our five hotels suits a splurge, a colonial classic, a boutique stay, a mid-range base or a social hostel.
