Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by most of its residents, is Vietnam’s largest city and its economic engine: a fast, loud, energetic metropolis of glass towers and French colonial landmarks, shophouse alleys, rooftop bars and some of the best street food in Southeast Asia, near the edge of the Mekong Delta in the far south. Visitors come for the history, told in the War Remnants Museum, the Independence Palace and the Cu Chi tunnels, for the cafés and markets of the old center, for the temples of Cho Lon, the Chinese quarter, and as a base for the Mekong Delta. In July 2025, the city absorbed the neighboring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau, so its boundaries now reach the beaches of Vung Tau. The south has only two seasons: a dry season from December to April and a wet season, with short, heavy afternoon storms, from May to November.
Right now in Ho Chi Minh City
- Thu24–31°C75–88°F17 mm rain
- Fri25–31°C76–87°F11 mm rain
- Sat25–29°C78–83°F10 mm rain
Top tours in Ho Chi Minh City
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Ho Chi Minh City at a glance
- Best for: street food and coffee culture, modern history, markets, rooftop bars and nightlife, and trips to the Mekong Delta and the Cu Chi tunnels.
- How long: 2 to 3 days for the city; 4 to 5 with the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta.
- Best time: December to April, the dry season; it is hot all year, with highs of 31–35 °C (88–95 °F).
- Getting there: Tan Son Nhat International Airport is in the city, about 7 km (4 miles) from the center; Saigon Station is the southern end of the Reunification Express railway.
- Getting around: Grab and Xanh SM cars and motorbike taxis, the new Metro Line 1, city buses and walking in the center.
- Good to know: the new Long Thanh International Airport, east of the city, is scheduled to open to commercial flights in the last quarter of 2026; until then, Tan Son Nhat handles all flights.
- Before you go: the e-visa, visa-free stays, money and general safety are in our Vietnam travel guide.
The city’s areas and where to stay
Ho Chi Minh City is huge, but visitors spend most of their time in the old downtown and a few neighborhoods around it. Since the 2025 local-government reform, the old numbered districts have been replaced by wards, but names such as District 1 and District 3 are still used everywhere.
District 1: the old downtown
The historic center, between the Saigon River and Ben Thanh Market, holds the main colonial landmarks, Dong Khoi Street’s shops and hotels, the Nguyen Hue pedestrian boulevard, and most of the rooftop bars and international restaurants. It is the most convenient base for a first visit.
Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien
The backpacker quarter, a few blocks southwest of Ben Thanh Market, has hostels, cheap guesthouses, travel agents and Bui Vien Street, a pedestrian strip of loud bars that runs until late at night.
District 3
West of District 1, District 3 has leafy streets, colonial villas, local cafés and some of the best street food in the city, with a more residential feel and smaller hotels.
Cho Lon (District 5)
Saigon’s Chinatown, about 5 km (3 miles) west of downtown, is a busy area of wholesale markets, herbal-medicine shops and Chinese assembly halls and temples, centered on the Binh Tay Market.
Thao Dien
Across the river from downtown, Thao Dien is a green, expatriate neighborhood of villas, cafés, boutiques and riverside restaurants, about 20 minutes by car from District 1 and good for longer stays.
Top things to see in Ho Chi Minh City
Independence Palace
The 1960s modernist palace on the site of the French governor’s residence was the seat of the president of South Vietnam until April 30, 1975, when tanks broke through its gates. Its reception halls, war room, rooftop helipad and basement command bunker are preserved much as they were. According to the palace’s management, it is open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., including holidays, and tickets cost 80,000 VND (about US$3.10) for adults, 40,000 VND for students and seniors and 20,000 VND for children aged 6 to 15.
War Remnants Museum
A short walk from the palace, the War Remnants Museum documents the Vietnam War, known here as the American War, through photographs, weapons and aircraft, with galleries on Agent Orange and on the war photographers who died covering the conflict. It is harrowing, and one of the most visited museums in the country; allow two hours.
The colonial center
Around Cong Xa Paris square stand the red-brick Notre-Dame Cathedral, built in the 1880s with bricks shipped from France and under long-term restoration, and the Central Post Office, with its iron vaulting, painted maps and huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh. Walk down Dong Khoi Street past the Opera House and the old Continental and Majestic hotels to the Saigon River, and stroll along the Nguyen Hue pedestrian boulevard to the colonial City Hall, best in the evening when families come out.
Ben Thanh Market
The landmark market, with its clock tower, sells clothes, souvenirs, coffee and food; prices for visitors are high, so bargain. In the evening, food stalls set up nearby. Ben Thanh is also the main hub for city buses and the downtown terminus of Metro Line 1.
Cho Lon and its temples
In Chinatown, the Thien Hau Temple is dedicated to the sea goddess, its ceilings hung with giant incense coils, and the Binh Tay Market is a busy wholesale market. North of downtown, the Jade Emperor Pagoda is a smoky Taoist temple full of carved deities.
More classic sights
- Saigon Skydeck and Landmark 81: viewing decks or bars at the top of the city’s tallest towers.
- Museum of Ho Chi Minh City: a colonial mansion with exhibits on the city’s history and a popular backdrop for wedding photos.
- Fine Arts Museum: Vietnamese art from ancient to modern in a beautiful old Chinese-French villa.
- Tan Dinh Church: the pink church in District 3.
- Saigon River: sunset boat trips and river buses along the waterfront.
Other things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Food and drink
Saigon’s food is sweeter, more herb-laden and more varied than the north’s. Try com tam, broken rice with grilled pork chop, egg and pickles; banh mi, the baguette sandwich, from one of the famous stalls; hu tieu, a clear noodle soup of Chinese-Khmer origin; pho the southern way, with plates of fresh herbs; banh xeo, crisp turmeric pancakes wrapped in mustard leaves; oc, snails and shellfish cooked a dozen ways in late-night seafood joints; and bo la lot, beef grilled in wild betel leaves. Saigon runs on ca phe sua da, iced coffee with condensed milk, served everywhere from plastic stools to design cafés in old apartment blocks. Evening food tours by motorbike, with a driver, are popular.
Nightlife
Rooftop bars in District 1 have views over the river and skyline, Bui Vien is the place for loud, cheap beer and music, and craft-beer bars and cocktail lounges are scattered through the center and Thao Dien.
Festivals
Tet (February 6, 2027) is the big one: the Nguyen Hue Flower Street is decorated for a week, and the city empties as people go home to the provinces. Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day bring a long holiday, and the Mid-Autumn Festival fills Cho Lon with lanterns.
Markets and shopping
Beyond Ben Thanh, try the Binh Tay Market in Cho Lon, the antiques and souvenir shops of Le Cong Kieu Street, and the lacquerware and design shops of Dong Khoi. See our city sightseeing guide.
Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City
- Cu Chi tunnels: the network of underground tunnels used by Viet Cong fighters, about 70 km (45 miles) northwest, 1.5 to 2 hours by road; the main sites are Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc. Tours can be combined with the Cao Dai temple in Tay Ninh.
- The Mekong Delta: boat trips through canals, orchards and coconut workshops around My Tho and Ben Tre, about 2 hours south; overnight in Can Tho to see the floating markets at dawn.
- Vung Tau: the beach town, now part of Ho Chi Minh City, about 2 hours by road or by fast ferry along the river.
- Tay Ninh and Ba Den Mountain: the Cao Dai Holy See and a cable car up the “Black Lady” mountain, about 2.5 hours northwest.
- Can Gio: the mangrove forest biosphere reserve at the mouth of the Saigon River, 2 hours south.
Nearby destinations
- Can Tho148 km
- Mui Ne171 km
- Phnom Penh213 km
- Da Lat229 km
- Kampot278 km
Getting there and getting around
By air
Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is inside the city, about 7 km (4 miles) north of District 1, and is Vietnam’s busiest airport, with flights across Asia and to Australia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States, and frequent domestic flights to Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hue, Dalat and other cities. The trip to the center takes 25 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic, by Grab, Xanh SM or official airport taxi; city bus 109 runs to the backpacker area. According to the UK government’s entry page, since April 15, 2026, visitors arriving at Tan Son Nhat have been encouraged, though not required, to fill in an online digital arrival card. The new Long Thanh International Airport, about 40 km (25 miles) east, is scheduled by the government to begin commercial flights in the last quarter of 2026.
By train, bus and boat
Saigon Station, in District 3, is the southern end of the north–south railway, with daily Reunification Express trains to Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue and Hanoi; book on Vietnam Railways’ website, dsvn.vn. Sleeper buses leave from the Mien Dong (east) and Mien Tay (west, for the Mekong Delta) bus stations, and many companies run limousine vans to Vung Tau, Dalat and Can Tho. Fast ferries to Vung Tau leave from the Bach Dang pier in District 1.
Around the city
Metro Line 1, the city’s first, runs from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien in the eastern suburbs, past Thao Dien; it began commercial service at the end of 2024 and, according to the government, carried more than 5 million passengers in its first two months. Grab and the electric Xanh SM taxis are the easiest way to get around, with fixed fares shown in the app; motorbike taxis are cheaper and faster in traffic. City buses are cheap but slow. Walking is pleasant in the center, but traffic is intense and sidewalks are often blocked.
When to go and how long to stay
Ho Chi Minh City is hot all year. The dry season, from December to April, brings sunshine and lower humidity; March and April are the hottest months. The wet season, from May to November, usually means an hour or two of heavy rain in the afternoon or evening rather than days of drizzle; streets can flood briefly, especially during high tides in October and November. The table shows the 1991–2020 climate normals for Ho Chi Minh City from Vietnam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), as published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
| Month | Average high / low | Rain (rainy days) | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32 °C (90 °F) / 23 °C (74 °F) | 12 mm (0.5 in), 2 days | Dry, sunny and breezy; the most comfortable month |
| February | 33 °C (91 °F) / 23 °C (74 °F) | 8 mm (0.3 in), 1 days | Dry and hot; Tet on February 6 in 2027 |
| March | 34 °C (92 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 18 mm (0.7 in), 1 days | Very dry; heat building |
| April | 35 °C (94 °F) / 26 °C (80 °F) | 57 mm (2.2 in), 4 days | The hottest month; rains may start late in the month |
| May | 35 °C (95 °F) / 26 °C (80 °F) | 202 mm (8.0 in), 13 days | Wet season begins; short, heavy afternoon storms |
| June | 34 °C (92 °F) / 26 °C (78 °F) | 224 mm (8.8 in), 16 days | Afternoon storms most days |
| July | 33 °C (91 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 231 mm (9.1 in), 19 days | Wet; mornings usually clear |
| August | 33 °C (91 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 219 mm (8.6 in), 17 days | Wet; storms in the afternoon |
| September | 33 °C (91 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 273 mm (10.7 in), 18 days | The wettest month |
| October | 32 °C (90 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 240 mm (9.4 in), 16 days | Wet; high tides can flood low streets |
| November | 32 °C (90 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 128 mm (5.0 in), 9 days | Rains easing; tide flooding possible |
| December | 32 °C (89 °F) / 24 °C (75 °F) | 41 mm (1.6 in), 5 days | Dry season returns; Christmas lights downtown |
The city gets about 1,650 mm (65 in) of rain a year, almost all of it from May to November. Even in the wet season, most days have long dry spells, and prices are lower outside the holidays.
2 days in Ho Chi Minh City
Day one, the Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, lunch in District 3, then the cathedral, Central Post Office, Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue, with sunset at a rooftop bar. Day two, Cho Lon’s temples and Binh Tay Market in the morning, the Jade Emperor Pagoda, and a motorbike street-food tour in the evening.
4 to 5 days with day trips
Add a half-day at the Cu Chi tunnels, a day or overnight trip to the Mekong Delta, and a slow day in Thao Dien with a river trip or a cooking class.
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City
- District 1: the widest choice, from luxury hotels to small boutique hotels, close to the sights and nightlife.
- Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien: hostels and budget hotels; loud at night.
- District 3: smaller hotels and apartments on quieter streets, a short ride from downtown.
- Thao Dien: serviced apartments and boutique hotels in a relaxed, green area, linked to the center by Metro Line 1.
Prices rise and transportation sells out around Tet and the April 30–May 1 holiday.
What a trip to Ho Chi Minh City costs
Prices are approximate, for October 2026, converted at about 26,000 dong (VND) to the US dollar.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Com tam or banh mi at a street stall | 25,000–60,000 VND (about US$1–2.30) |
| Iced coffee at a local café | 20,000–45,000 VND (about US$0.75–1.75) |
| Independence Palace, adult | 80,000 VND (about US$3.10) |
| Metro Line 1 ride | under 25,000 VND (under US$1) |
| Grab car from Tan Son Nhat to District 1 | 100,000–200,000 VND (about US$3.85–7.70) |
| Half-day Cu Chi tunnels tour | 500,000–1,000,000 VND (about US$19–38) |
| Cocktail at a rooftop bar | 200,000–350,000 VND (about US$7.70–13.50) |
| Mid-range hotel double, per night | 900,000–2,200,000 VND (about US$35–85) |
| Hostel dorm bed | 150,000–300,000 VND (about US$6–12) |
Practical tips for Ho Chi Minh City
- Hold your phone tight: snatch thefts by passing motorbikes are the city’s most common crime.
- Go early: visit the museums in the morning, before the heat and the tour groups.
- Carry small notes: street stalls and markets prefer cash or QR payments.
- Use the apps: Grab and Xanh SM fares are fixed; agree on prices for cyclos and motorbike taxis before getting on.
- Watch the tides: in October and November, high tides combined with rain can flood low streets for an hour or two.
Safety
Ho Chi Minh City is generally safe, and violent crime against visitors is rare, but petty theft is common: thieves on motorbikes snatch phones, bags and necklaces from pedestrians and from passengers on motorbike taxis, especially in District 1 and around Bui Vien at night. Keep phones in your pocket near the curb, carry bags on the side away from traffic and leave your passport in the hotel safe with a copy on you. Traffic is the biggest physical danger. Helmets are compulsory for motorbike drivers and passengers, and you need a license valid in Vietnam to ride, such as an international driving permit issued under the 1968 Convention together with your home license. Overcharging by unlicensed taxis and some cyclo drivers is the most common scam; the ride-hailing apps avoid it. Heavy rain can flood streets quickly in the wet season. Drink only sealed, branded spirits, as methanol-contaminated alcohol has caused poisonings in Vietnam, and note that vapes are banned. In an emergency, call 113 for police, 114 for fire and 115 for an ambulance.
What to pack for Ho Chi Minh City
Light cotton or linen clothes, sun hat and sunscreen, a compact umbrella or rain jacket from May to November, sandals that can get wet, and something covering shoulders and knees for temples and the palace. Vietnam uses 220 V, with sockets for flat (type A) and round (type C) two-pin plugs. See our rain jackets and travel adapters guides.
Ho Chi Minh City travel FAQ
Is Ho Chi Minh City the same as Saigon?
Yes. The city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976, but Saigon is still widely used, especially for the old center, the river and the railway station.
How many days do I need in Ho Chi Minh City?
Two to three days for the city itself; four or five with the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta.
What is the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City?
December to April, the dry season. From May to November, expect short, heavy afternoon storms.
How much is the Independence Palace ticket?
80,000 VND for adults, 40,000 VND for students and seniors and 20,000 VND for children aged 6 to 15. It is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
How do I get from Tan Son Nhat Airport to District 1?
By Grab, Xanh SM or official airport taxi in 25 to 60 minutes, for about 100,000–200,000 VND, or by city bus 109.
Is the Long Thanh airport open?
Not yet. The government has set the last quarter of 2026 as the target for commercial flights; until it opens, international flights use Tan Son Nhat.
Does Ho Chi Minh City have a metro?
Yes. Metro Line 1 runs from Ben Thanh Market to Suoi Tien in the eastern suburbs and has been in commercial service since the end of 2024.
How far are the Cu Chi tunnels?
About 70 km (45 miles) northwest of the center, 1.5 to 2 hours by road; most visitors join a half-day tour.
Where should I stay in Ho Chi Minh City?
District 1 for sights and nightlife, Pham Ngu Lao for a budget, District 3 for a local feel and Thao Dien for a quieter, green base.
Is Ho Chi Minh City safe at night?
Generally yes, but phone and bag snatching is common, so keep valuables out of sight, especially near the curb and on motorbike taxis.
Plan your trip
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Sources · last reviewed 4 October 2026
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. Independence Palace hours and fares: the Independence Palace; Metro Line 1 and its first passenger figures, the Long Thanh airport schedule and the July 2025 merger of provinces: the Government of Vietnam’s news portal; Tet 2027: the Government Office, via the government news portal; climate normals: Vietnam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), via the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Information Service; railway booking: Vietnam Railways; exchange rate: Vietcombank. The digital arrival card, driving-license and helmet rules, the methanol and vape information and theft patterns are from the UK government’s factual entry and safety pages; museum details, the cathedral restoration, bus routes, distances, travel times and typical prices are general references or estimates, flagged for checking. Prices and hours change, so check the official sites before you go. For entry rules, money and general safety, see our Vietnam travel guide.
Data: Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Sea temperature: NOAA CoastWatch · Rates: ECB · Costs: World Bank ICP and price levels · Wikidata (CC0)