This is the list of the best places to visit in Ho Chi Minh city Vietnam including cultural - historical attractions.
I - Top 10 best tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City
1 - Cu Chi Tunnels
Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground defense system in Cu Chi district - 70 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, dug during the Indochina War and the Vietnam War. The tunnel system was built at the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, including an infirmary, many rooms, kitchens, storage rooms, and working rooms. The Cu Chi tunnel system is about 250km long with ventilation systems in place of the bushes. The tunnel is not only a shelter but has become a place to live, to ambulance, to meet, to store weapons, ...
Today, about 120 km long of Cu Chi Tunnels is protected and has become one of the must visit places in Ho Chi minh city. You can explore this amazing architecture of this construction and experience life under the tunnels like the real residents before (visiting and eating the dishes of former tunnel residents). In addition, you can also experience some other fun activities such as: paintball shooting, visiting Trung An fruit garden, ...
- Location: DT15 Phu Hiep, Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City
- Ticket price: 80,000 VND/person (~ $3.44)
- Opening hours: 7am - 5pm
2- War Remnants Museum
As its name suggests, the War Remnants Museum is a place to display the pictures and items left over from the Vietnamese people's war in the 20th century. The museum has three floors - each floor is a different subdivision.
Source: Vnexpress
Which attracted more attention than the reconstructed area of the 5-square-meter Tiger Cages room with no beds, no windows, only shackles and clamps. In addition, this place of interest in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam also displays many other artifacts such as planes, guns, ... with images of the fierce war, photos of the sequelae of Agent Orange victims, ...
- Location: No.28, Vo Van Tan Street, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 7:30am - 4:30pm
- Ticket price: 40,000 VND / person (~ $1.72)
3 - Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral, a more than 140-year-old French church in Saigon, is rated as one of the 19 most beautiful churches in the world by the Business Insider. In the heart of magnificent Saigon, the Cathedral is like a peaceful spot attracted by its unique and ancient architecture..
- Location: No.1 Cong Xa Paris Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 6am - 10pm
- Entrance fee: Free
4 - Bui Vien street - top 10 attractions in Ho Chi Minh City
Bui Vien Street, also known as "West Street" is one of the busiest and most vibrant streets in Saigon. At night, this street becomes more busy, crowded by street art performances, lots of people, street stalls and vibrant music in bars. Bui Vien Street is highly recommended as the best place to explore Saigon's nightlife.
- Location: Bui Vien Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Walking street opening hours: 7pm - 2am
5 - Central Post Office in Saigon
The Central Post Office is located near the Notre Dame Cathedral, built in 1886. This is a Western-style architectural work combined with Eastern decorations. Outside, the front of the building is decorated in rectangular boxes, on which the inventors of the telegraph and electricity industries are registered.
There is a picture of men and women wearing a laurel wreath on the boxes, and on the house arc there is a large clock. Inside, on both sides of the high wall are two historical maps named: Saigon et ses environs (Saigon and surrounding areas), 1892 and Lignes télégraphiques du Sud Vietnam et du Cambodge (Telegraph line of the South. Vietnam and Cambodia), 1936.
This is one of the best places to see in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam - (Source: Expedia)
- Location: No.2 Cong Xa Paris Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 7am - 7pm
- Ticket price: Free
6 - Independence Palace
This work was originally called the Governor's Palace, built by the French in 1868 with a total area of 12ha. Initially, this was the working and living place of the governor of Nam Ky (Nam Ky was another name for South Vietnam from before 1945), then it became the workplace of the presidents of the Viet Cong. This is one of the most impressive constructions which has a beautiful and unique architecture with many beautiful subdivisions such as: a theater, seminar room, helicopter parking, ...
- Location: No.135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 8am - 0pm (Monday - Friday) & 8am - 4pm (Saturday & Sunday)
- Ticket price: 40,000 VND / adult (~ $1.72) and 10,000 VND / child (~ $0.43).
7 - Ben Thanh market - most visited place in Ho Chi Minh for culinary experiences
Not only is it the most vibrant shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Thanh market is also the symbol of Saigon city, a "witness" of history through many ups and downs. Visiting here is a great experience of daily life of the locals, take some interesting things as souvenirs home and especially enjoy incredibly delicious street food with super affordable prices from 10,000 - 30,000 VND / dish (~ $0.4 - 1.3)
- Location: intersection of 4 streets Le Loi, Le Thanh Ton, Phan Boi Chau, Phan Chu Trinh streets in Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Opening hours: 5am - 7pm. (day market), 7pm - 11pm. (night market)
- Entrance fee: Free
8 - Jade Emperor Pagoda
Jade Emperor Pagoda is one of the most typically cultural - spiritual tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. This tourist spot in Ho Chi Minh City was built in 1984 to express the spiritual beliefs and desire for a bright future of the local people. Stretched in the 2,300m2 campus are a series of worshiping pictures, statues, incense sticks, tales,etc. Ancient Buddhist architecture and sacred stories at the Ngoc Hoang temple are the attractiveness of this place.
- Location: No.73 Mai Thi Luu Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 7am - 4pm
- Ticket price: Free
9 - Saigon Opera House
Source: Luneproduction
Located in a convenient location in the city center, the Saigon Opera House is considered a central, multi-purpose theater that specializes in organizing theatrical performances and is also used to organize a number of major events.
This is one of the must-visit Ho Chi Minh City attraction in the Flamboyant architecture. The theater was built in 1863 with a capacity of about 500 audiences. From the outside, this theater has a porch form and many characteristic glass windows. The art performances are still organized regularly here.
- Location: No.7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 7am - 7pm
- Entrance fee: Free of charge
10 - Saigon river
Saigon River with a length of about 256km, running along the territory of the city. Tourist activities on the river are very popular with tourists. The best experience on the Saigon River is probably the feeling of having dinner on a yacht slowly floating on the water. You can enjoy famous dishes from all over the world while enjoying art shows on the cruise and watching the city bathe in sparkling lights.
II - Top regional & spiritual places of interest in Ho Chi Minh City
1 - Cao Dai temple
The Saigon Cao Dai Temple was officially built and renovated in the style of Tay Ninh Holy See in 1990. With a total area of 931 square meters, the temple has become one of the most important cultural and religious places for spiritual living of about 5,000 Caodaists.
The temple was built with 03 main subdivisions with different functions: Hiep Thien Dai, Cuu Trung Dai and Bat Guai Dai. There are many flags, statues and plaques inside the temple. Lord Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad and Confucius are all hourned in Cao Dai temple.
- Location: No.891 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ward 1, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
2 - Tan Dinh church
Source: Supersales Anh Tuan
Tan Dinh Church, also known as "Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ", built in 1870, is one of the oldest churches in Ho Chi Minh City. The whole church is in Gothic style, but the interior elements feature a little bit of neo-Romanesque and Renaissance architecture.
The highlights of this tourist place in Ho Chi Minh City are the two Gothic columns leading to the main altar made of Italian marble. Inside the bell tower are 05 bells with a total weight of up to 5.5 tons. The hallway on the left is the statue of the Holy Women and the right is the statue of the Holy Men.
- Location: No.289 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ward 8, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: All day
- Ticket price: Free
3 - Giac Vien pagoda
This is an ancient pagoda over 200 years old and recognized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture as a National Historical Monument in 1993. After more than three times of restoration, it still retains the Buddhist architectural elements with the Buddha temple in the middle and two rows of houses on either side.
The entire temple’s campus has 153 different statues, 60 intricately carved curtains from the 19th and early 20th centuries expressing traditional architecture in South Vietnam. You can see lots of precious statues of the Vietnamese Buddhist architecture and feel a very peaceful and grave atmosphere and the beauty in the cultural beliefs of the Vietnamese people when coming to this tourist attraction in Saigon.
- Location: No.161/35/20 Lac Long Quan Street, Ward 3, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 8am- 4pm
- Ticket price: Free
4 - Huyen Sy Church
Built in 1902, Huyen Sy Church (also named as the apostle church of St. Philippe) is the oldest and second largest Catholic church in Ho Chi Minh City. This church is 40m long, 18m wide with 4 compartments, and is designed in the Gothic architectural style. The original design of the Huyen Sy church consisted of 5 compartments.
The architects uses marble to clad the facade and main columns. The walls have many arched windows and are decorated with stained glass from Italy. There are some Holy statues inside, together with a marble statue of St.Philip holding an Easter cross on the main porch, a 57m high bell tower, 04 bells cast in France in 1905. This is definitely an art construction among Saigon attraction that tourists should not miss.
- Location: No.1 Ton That Tung Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
- Ticket price: Free
5 - Mariamman Hindu Temple
This is an Indian temple in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City built in the early years of the 20th century (1885), when a large proportion of Indians migrated here to settle and live. This is the place to worship the goddess Mariamman - the reincarnation of Shiva who helps to bring a rich harvest in the Indian conception. From the outside, visitors will be impressed by the temple tower with many colorful statues. Inside the temple grounds are 18 different gods - all of which are incarnations of Shiva god.
- Location: No.45 Truong Dinh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: Every day, every Friday is celebrating time
- Ticket price: Free
III - Top historical places in Ho Chi Minh City
1 - Fito Museum
Source: Fitomuseum
The Museum of Traditional Medicine of Vietnam was built in 2003 with a total area of 600 square meters with 18 galleries. This place displays many artifacts related to Vietnamese ideology such as: medicine scale, medicine mortar, medicine pot,... There are also many pictures, reconstructed image documents describing the ancient remedies. The most valuable artifact is a treasure trove of books in Sino - Vietnamese characters about traditional medicine with more than 100,000 pages, many of which are still preserved and used today.
- Location: No.41 Hoang Khanh Du Street, Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 8:30 - 17:00
- Ticket price: 50,000 VND/ ticket (~ $2.15)
2 - Vietnam History Museum
Architectural complex of the Vietnam History Museum in Ho Chi Minh was built in 1927 with many unique ancient architectural features. The museum is divided into two main subdivisions: The area displaying Vietnamese history from the prehistoric times and the cultural display area of South - Vietnam and some Asian countries. Coming to this Ho Chi Minh tourist spot, There are currently more than 30,000 ancient books and 25,000 books and documents on archaeological research, history, and ethnography.
- Location: No.2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh
- Opening hours: 8:00 - 11:30 and 13:00 - 17:00
- Ticket price: 30,000 VND/ ticket (~ $1.3)
3 - Southern Women's Museum
Officially operating since 1985 with the aim of educating about patriotism and many good national traditions. In the 2,000m2 area including 10 galleries of the museum, visitors will admire the collection of Vietnamese women Ao Dai, the collection of labor production tools attached to Vietnamese women, women's jewelry collection and many other unique collections.
- Location: No.202 Vo Thi Sau street, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 7:30 - 11:30 and 13:30 - 17:00
- Ticket price: 40,000 VND / ticket (~ $1.72)
4 - Artinus 3D Art Museum - an impressive place to visit in Ho Chi Minh City
Source: Internet
The museum looks like a magical "world" with colors and countless large and vivid 3D drawings. This is also one of the first 3D museums in Vietnam. Some special areas that visitors should visit within the museum grounds such as: Aqua Zone, Animal Zone, MasterPiece Zone, Vietnam Zone,...
Location: No.2 & 4 Street 9, Him Lam urban area, Tan Hung Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Opening hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (Monday - Friday) and 9:00 - 19:00 (Saturday - Sunday)
- Ticket price: 200,000VND (~ $8.6) Monday - Friday; 250,000VND (~ $11) Saturday - Sunday.
6 - Binh Tay Market
Binh Tay Market or Cho Lon - an interesting attraction in Ho Chi Minh City - has an area of about 17000m2, built in the 1920s in the style of ancient East Asian architecture. From a distance Cho Lon is a separate citadel with a unique red tile roof, the space inside the market is always crowded with buyers and sellers with many different items, especially typical dishes in Ho Chi Minh City at affordable prices.
- Location: Along Tau Hu canal, in the districts: District 5, District 6, District 8, District 10, District 11. Main Gate located at No.57A Thap 10 Street, Ward 2, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 2am - 10pm.
IV - Other interesting places in Ho Chi Minh City
1 - Nguyen Hue Walking Street
Source: Kenh14
Nguyen Hue Walking Street is a vibrant gathering spot for young people with many interesting activities. Here, you can immerse yourselves in the lively space of Ho Chi Minh City's youth, and enjoy street art performances. At the same time, you can enjoy the typical dishes such as: kumquat tea, mixed rice paper, grilled duck seeds,... There are many interesting places along Nguyen Hue Street, such as: Nguyen Hue Bookstore, Saigon Garden, 42 Nguyen Hue apartment building (an apartment with unique cafes).
- Location: Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Opening hours: 5pm - 11pm
- Ticket price: Free
2 - Dong Khoi Street - top historical sights to see in Ho Chi Minh
Dong Khoi Street is one of the oldest streets of Ho Chi Minh City, which impresses with historical photos, associated with the change - development of the city through many other periods. For many Saigonese, this is the "golden road" that not only retains the ancient beauty but also owns many modern architectural works with unique style. Here, you can easily experience the sights in Ho Chi Minh City such as Francis Garnier Square, Notre Dame Cathedral, Governor's Palace Nam Ky, Menestrel record shop, Catinat Theater, Brodard restaurant, ...
- Location: Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
3 - Pham Ngu Lao street
This street is always full of colorful board signs and shops. Here visitors can easily find necessities or enjoy local cuisine with coffee, tropical fruit, enjoy local & international cuisine and look for some handcrafted products like hand-embroidered silk, conical hats, ...
- Location: Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
4 - Ho Chi Minh City Book Street
For those who love books and literature or want to learn more about the reading culture of Saigonese, this main attraction in Ho Chi Minh City is an ideal place to see. Coming here, visitors will feel lost in a giant library with many cafes, beautiful photo corners and interesting souvenir shops.
- Location: Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
5 - Starlight Bridge and Crescent Lake
Source: Langnoitanlap
One of Ho Chi Minh City's splendid attractions at night is the Crescent Lake and Starlight Bridge. Visitors can see a colorful & modern city and immerse yourself in the cheerful daily life of the city people. Visitors can take a walk, admire the scenery, enjoy street food or take a walk to breathe the fresh air at the Crescent lake.
- Location: Phu My Hung new urban area, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City
6 - Turtle Lake - top places to go in Ho Chi Minh City at night
Turtle Lake is one of the fun places to play and checkin, familiar to the people of Ho Chi Minh City. From above, the whole scenery of the lake looks like a turtle in the heart of the city. This is a snack paradise with unique delicacies such as: fried corn, grilled chicken seeds, baked rice paper, peach tea, fish ball, dried beef salad, mixed rice paper with a super affordable price. When night falls, the lake becomes more sparkling and romantic.
- Location: located on the intersection of Pham Ngoc Thach, Vo Van Tan and Tran Van Cao streets in District 3 & District 6, Ho Chi Minh City.
- Food price: from 10,000 VND / dish
7 - Bitexco Tower
Bitexco Building is one of the symbols for the development and modernity of Ho Chi Minh City with its unique design, the most prominent is the helipad at the height of 191m. From the observatory on the 49th floor of the building visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city. Besides, you can enjoy a drink at Cafe Eon51 on the 51st floor of the building, explore the garden cafe, the food court, the commercial center inside the building ... The whole dynamic and youthful Saigon is "encapsulated" inside the Bitexco tower. .
- Location: No.19-25 Nguyen Hue Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
- Ticket price to Saigon Skydeck observatory: 200,000 VND/ adult (~ $8.64) and 130,000 VND/ child (~ $5.6).
- Opening hours: 12am - 9pm (Monday to Friday) and 10am - 9pm (Saturday, Sunday)
Above is a list of top attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. We hope that all travelers will have a memorable trip in Saigon Vietnam.
— Ha Bich
