Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon rewards wandering — but a little planning helps you skip the queues and the tourist traps. Here's our growing, honestly-written guide to the sights worth your time.
Ben Thanh Market: What to Know Before You Go
The unofficial symbol of Saigon, Ben Thanh Market is where most visitors get their first taste of the city's chaos, colour and commerce.
Read the guide →Independence Palace (Reunification Palace): Visitor Guide
Frozen at the moment its gates were famously breached in April 1975, this mid-century government palace is one of the most striking history stops in the city.
Read the guide →War Remnants Museum: What to Expect
One of the most visited museums in Vietnam, and one of the most emotionally direct — this is not a neutral, sanitised account of the war.
Read the guide →Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
A red-brick, French-colonial cathedral in the middle of District 1, and one of the most photographed buildings in the city.
Read the guide →Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck: Is It Worth It?
The lotus-bud-shaped tower with the helipad jutting from its side is Saigon's most recognisable modern landmark, and its 49th-floor deck is the classic skyline view.
Read the guide →Jade Emperor Pagoda: A Quieter Side of Saigon
Smoky, cluttered with carved figures, and genuinely used for worship rather than performed for visitors — this is Saigon's most atmospheric temple.
Read the guide →Saigon Central Post Office: A Working Colonial Landmark
A cathedral-sized post office with vaulted ceilings and old wooden phone booths, and still, genuinely, a place to buy stamps.
Read the guide →Turtle Lake: A Local Gathering Spot Worth Knowing About
Not a major sight in itself, but one of the best places to see ordinary Saigon life unfold in the evening.
Read the guide →Thien Hau Pagoda: Cholon's Most Atmospheric Temple
Thick coils of incense hang from the ceiling in this 19th-century temple dedicated to the sea goddess, deep in Saigon's Chinatown district.
Read the guide →Shopping in Saigon: Malls vs. Markets
Saigon's shopping scene splits cleanly into two very different experiences, and knowing which one you want saves time and frustration.
Read the guide →Custom Tailoring in Saigon: What to Know
A well-made custom suit at a fraction of Western prices is one of Saigon's most popular souvenirs — if you choose your tailor carefully.
Read the guide →Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens: Worth a Visit?
One of the oldest zoos in the world, and a rare patch of greenery and shade in the middle of the city — with some real caveats to know before you go.
Read the guide →Landmark 81 Observation Deck: Vietnam's Highest View
Vietnam's tallest building has taken the skyline crown from the Bitexco Tower, with an observation deck to match.
Read the guide →Saigon Opera House: Architecture, Shows and Tickets
A grand, French-colonial theatre in the heart of District 1, still hosting performances more than a century after it opened.
Read the guide →Giac Lam Pagoda: One of Saigon's Oldest Temples
Away from the tour-group circuit, this 18th-century pagoda is one of the calmest, most historically significant temples in the city.
Read the guide →Fine Arts Museum: Saigon's Best Small Museum
A beautiful, under-visited colonial mansion housing Vietnamese art spanning centuries — one of the city's most underrated stops.
Read the guide →Suoi Tien Theme Park: Is It Worth a Visit?
Part amusement park, part sprawling mythology-themed spectacle, Suoi Tien is one of the more unusual attractions in the city.
Read the guide →Nghia An Hoi Quan: A Cholon Assembly Hall Temple
One of several Chinese assembly hall temples in Cholon, built by a specific regional community and dense with elaborate carved detail.
Read the guide →