Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Travel Guide

Saigon runs on motorbikes, iced coffee and ambition. It began as a Khmer settlement called Prey Nokor, grew into a Vietnamese trading centre and later a French colonial capital. Today it is Vietnam’s biggest and most dynamic city. Southerners tend to be direct, warm and informal, and that comes through in the city’s street life.

Key sights

• Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. French colonial landmarks side by side. The cathedral has been under long-term restoration, so check what is open.
• Independence Palace (Dinh Độc Lập). A 1960s modernist building where the war symbolically ended in 1975.
• War Remnants Museum. A sobering view of the Vietnam War from the Vietnamese perspective.
• Bến Thành Market. Busy and touristy, but a useful introduction to Southern produce and snacks.
• Chợ Lớn (District 5). Saigon’s historic Chinese quarter, with temples such as Thiên Hậu and wholesale markets.

Southern identity, Saigon style

Saigon is a city of migrants from every corner of the country, so it is open to newcomers in a way people often describe as dễ thương (easygoing, kind). Locals eat out constantly, start the day with cà phê sữa đá (iced milk coffee) and end it on low plastic stools over beer and snails.

What to eat in Saigon

• Cơm tấm. Broken rice with grilled pork chop, shredded pork skin and fried egg. This is the Saigon breakfast.
• Hủ tiếu. A clear pork-and-seafood noodle soup with Chinese-Khmer roots, served with or without broth.
• Bánh mì. Saigon-style baguettes are loaded with cold cuts, pâté, pickles and herbs.
• Phở, Southern style. A sweeter broth served with bean sprouts, Thai basil, hoisin and chilli sauce. See how it compares to Hanoi phở.
• Ốc (snails and shellfish). A whole night-out culture of grilled, stir-fried and coconut-cooked shellfish.

Day trips

• Củ Chi tunnels (1.5–2 hours). The wartime tunnel network northwest of the city.
• The Mekong Delta. Mỹ Tho and Bến Tre work as a day trip. Cần Thơ’s floating market deserves an overnight stay. See our Mekong Delta guide.