Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Travel Guide

Name - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Area - 2,061 km² (4,194 sq. mi.)
Population - 8,990,000
Language - Vietnamese
Location - South-eastern Vietnam                                                                           
Currency - Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Time Zone - UTC+07:00 (ICT)
Religions and Beliefs - Buddhism, Catholicism

Ho Chi Minh City, previous named Saigon, is the financial and business hub of Vietnamese and one of the important tourist spot of Vietnam. It holds a rich hundred years old history of war and wins. In the present day, Ho Chi Minh City is a well-known tourist spot that showcases the perfect blend of its rich history and modernity. The Ho Chi Minh City travel plan will be incomplete with the proper taste of the culture of the city. The city is also popular for its rooftop bars and fantastic restaurants that offers a shine to the city nightlife.
 

• Cu Chi Tunnels
• War Remnants Museum
• Ho Chi Minh Central Post Office
• Cao Dai Temple
• Jade Emperor Pagoda
• Bitexco Tower and Sky Deck
• Independence Palace
• Binh Tay Market
• Mariamman Hindu Temple
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Vietnam History Museum
• Opera House

Ho Chi Minh City travel will surely be a historical tour round the city. All the attractions in Ho Chi Minh City holds the essence of the 20th century war and conquest. With a 250-kilometer long, Cu Chi Tunnels is part of Vietnam's vast underground network, which was used as a hiding place by the Vietnamese Parliament during the war. War Remnants Museum displays more than 20,000 cultural relics and objects, recording Vietnam's hard, painful and heroic struggle for independence. The Central Post Office is the most magnificent post office in South Asia, which was built in the French colonial period at the end of the 19th century with a unique Renaissance and Gothic architectural styles.

See more about Take a Mekong Delta Cruise from Ho Chi Minh
 

The best for the plan a Ho Chi Minh City travel is during the months from December to March. These are the drier months in Ho Chi Minh City and it is suitable for tours and sight visits. The temperature during these months range from 21℃ (70 ℉) and 34 ℃ (93 ℉). Tourists can also plan a visit during the Tet Festival that is the Vietnamese New Year, which falls in the late January and February month. One can also plan a visit to Ho Chi Minh City during the rainy season, which falls during the period of May to September when the climate will be cooler. One can still enjoy the warm sun during this period but must carry their umbrellas to avoid the rain.

 See more about Ho Chi Minh City Weather

 • Banh Mi
• Pho Noodles
• Oc (Vietnamese Shellfish)
 

Tourists must try the local cuisine while on their executing their Ho Chi Minh City travel plan. The local Vietnamese cuisine usually consists of noodles, rice, seafood, beef, pork which are often seasoned with some fresh herbs and spices. Banh Mi is a quintessential baguette sandwich with various other ingredients such as pickled vegetables, hot peppers, pate butter, soy sauce, etc. Pho Noodles is a wholesome bowl of authentic noodles that can easily satisfy a hungry stomach. The bowl of noodles consists of rich elements like beef, bean sprouts, lime wedges and various other greens with a light delicious soup. Oc or Vietnamese Shellfish is best enjoyed with chilled beer. It is a platter of shellfish prepared by various special methods.
 

This place is popular for its fairy-tale like décor. The restaurant serves some traditional Vietnamese dishes such a fresh noodle, black bean crab, crispy spring rolls, etc. 
 

This restaurant is situated just beside the Saigon River and is the owner of delightful ambience. The pan Asian dishes that the restaurant prepares is extremely well prepared and delicious.

 This bar is popular for its French charm and the perfect ambience attracts tourists and locals. The restaurant serves some the delicious French favourites like the steak fries, some popular salads, etc.
 

♦ Nguyen Hue / Dong Khoi
♦ Ben Thanh
♦ District 3
 

The visitors and tourists often prefer to stay in Ho Chi Minh’s District 1 and District 2. The Nguyen Hue/Dong Khoi, Ben Thanh and Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien are some of the popular areas of District 1 and they has the various historical and cultural attractions of the city and is commercially well equipped and thus is preferred by many. Silverland Charner Hotel is highly recommended, from which the Opera House and Notre-Dame Cathedral are just a 5-minute walk. The District 3 of the city is also popular among tourists and it offers cheaper and affordable stay options, such as Roseland Inn Hotel, Norfolk Hotel Saigon and Hotel LeBlanc Saigon.

See more about 7 Best Places to Stay in Ho Chi Minh

 Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, which is 7.3 km (4.5 miles) away from the city center. From the airport, tourists can take a flight to Hanoi within 2 hours, and to Da Nang within 1 hour 15 min. Saigon Railway Station is the major train station in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, locating about 1 km from the downtown area.

The modes of transport that the tourists can avail while on the Ho Chi Minh City travel tour are as follows: Xe Om (the local name for a motorbike taxi), taxis, public bus and bity tour buses. These public transports are available for locals and tourists and are perfect for small tours from one destination to the other. The Xe Om or the motorbike taxis usually charges a fare of 20,000 VND to 40,000 VND for short trips. The public bus system is a developed transport system and the fare usually starts from 5,000 VND. The taxi services are most convenient way for traveling. One can easily travel from Tan Son Nhat Airport to the city center, which charges a fare of 150,000 VND to 200,000 VND to cover the 4.5 miles in 25 min.

 See more about  Vietnam Train
 

The Ho Chi Minh City travel will be incomplete without visit to this central market. This is a happening market that sells various items that includes clothing to any needed souvenirs.
 

The Vincom Center is the largest shopping mall of the city. The shopping mall has over 250 shops spread over two buildings.

 This is one of the popular stop that tourists can visit to collect some traditional handicrafts on their Ho Chi Minh City travel. The market is famous for the various Vietnamese handicrafts that showcase the heritage of Vietnam.