Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is a wonderful place to visit and serves as a great launching pad for some great tours of the Mekong, floating markets, and the Cu Chi Tunnels. The ideal way to explore the historical center is simply to roam around. In Old Saigon we visited many monuments and museums all located within walking distance of each other. There is also a modern flavor to the city. The Saigon Skydeck in the Bitexco Financial Tower comes to mind. HCMC is a lively vibrant city, even more so during the Lunar New Year Celebration, but be aware that many businesses are closed for the holiday.
We were concerned that our excursions would not leave us enough time to explore Ho Chi Minh City, so we dedicated one of our three days to a long combo excursion to visit the Mekong and the Cu Chi Tunnels. In retrospect, we were happy to have the extra time in the city, but this excursion made for a very long day, especially since the sites are in opposite directions. Perhaps best to separate these into two separate days.
Here are some of the must-see sites we did and some recommended itineraries to make the most of the neighborhoods.
A walk in Ho Chi Minh City’s historical center (Old Saigon)
We were staying near the Bah Dang Harbor Garden and from there it was a short walk to the Saigon Opera House (Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theater). The theatre is a fine example of French Colonial architecture and it opened in January 1900. At the time of our visit no shows were playing so we couldn’t visit the interior. However, it’s similar to the Hanoi Opera House where we had the pleasure of seeing an excellent cultural show (Lang Toi – My Village).
From the opera house we stopped by the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, another French Colonial building dating back to the early 1900. Across the street there’s a statue of Ho Chi Minh located at one end of a walking street with a fountain. The area was bustling with people celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Here, we opted to backtrack and continue our walk toward the historical Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon. Completed in 1883, this iconic site is in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City and a reminder of the French heritage. It’s a neo-Romanesque facade with twin towers at a height of 120 ft. The church has been under renovations for the past two years and is not open to visit at the moment.
Nearby there’s the Saigon Central Post Office, while not often thought of as a tourist attraction, is in fact a beautiful Gothic building designed by Gustave Eiffel. It dates back to 1886. Have a look inside at the tiled floor and barrel vault ceiling.
Then go to the Independence Palace (Reunification Palace). It’s the former home of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It’s an impressive building, built in the 1960s, where you can see huge furnished rooms with artifacts.
Before moving on to the war museum, we made a quick detour to the Tan Tao Park. It was a nice place to enjoy a stroll and relax amid the hustle and bustle of the city.
The War Remnants Museum is a must-see but at the same time a chilling reminder of the atrocities of war. Full size military crafts are displayed on the grounds of the museum. Old photos and other reminders of the Vietnam War are housed in the huge interior. Terrible and shocking pictures. Not for the faint of heart!
Then if your time permits, you can opt to walk back toward the Saigon Skydeck.
Get a bird’s-eye view from the Saigon Skydeck
Head up to the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower for great 360° views from the Saigon Skydeck. The tower was designed by Zapata and is over 800 feet tall resembling a lotus bulb. There is also a rooftop bar on the 68th floor. A great place to see the sunset.
Day trip to the Mekong Delta
One popular excursion from Ho Chi Minh City is an adventure into the Mekong Delta. This is a huge area of flood planes that spans almost 40,000 sq. kms (almost 16, 000 sq. miles). It is also very densely populated with rice farmers and fishermen. You can see some interesting stilt houses.
It takes about four hours to get to the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City and we recommend a tour that combines driving and a boat cruise. You can go out by speedboat. You will also find the famous floating markets along the Mekong, but these excursions leave from HCMC at 4 am. We opted to skip the floating markets and go to My Tho instead.
After taking a short boat ride across the Mekong River we docked on a small island. During our excursion we learned about the local culture. While we ate some locally grown fruits, we were serenaded by musicians playing traditional instruments. Then we had a Vietnamese rowboat trip in the narrow canals (along with many other tourists and boats!).
Once back on the mainland we visited the My-Tho Cao Dai Temple which is a smaller version of the Cao Dai Temple in Ho Chi Minh. Look for the intricate carved dragons but also the statues from various religions from Christ to Buddha. Interesting to see an integration of Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, and Confucianism all in one building.
Cu Chi Tunnels Tour
Another excursion, again we combined it with the Mekong making a very long day, is the Cu Chi Tunnels. These were used by the Vietcong and the northern army and are made up of over 250 km (155 miles) of underground chambers and tunnels. It’s literally like an ants nest filled with multiple levels, various hidden entrances, air holes, and booby traps.
You can crawl through a variety of the tunnels, but we kept to the wider ones as we would suggest you do the same if you are even a little claustrophobic. Bring some dark colored clothes that you can brush off as well as good shoes. Insect repellant is also a good idea here for the jungle-like area.
Visit the History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City
The history museum, located in the botanical garden, was inaugurated in 1929. It was first a French mansion or villa but later turned into a museum. You’ll find an impressive collection of artefacts dating back thousands of years, some from the bronze age. Take a stroll through the botanical gardens too.
Another museum near our hotel that we visited was the Ton Duc Tang Museum. It contains exhibits about the life of Vietnamese politician Ton Duc Thang. The lovely garden in front of the building attracted our attention. It’s located on the banks of the Saigon River near the Bah Dang Harbor Garden.
Conclusion
Having read countless positive reviews about the Ben Thanh Market, we opted to go on our last morning before moving on to Hanoi. It was a big disappointment, filthy, and we’re still wondering why it tops the list of must-see places in Ho Chi Minh City!
Instead, I’m sure our time would have been better spent at the Ho Chi Minh Museum. This historic place was built in 1885 and started off being called Gia Long Palace. The building has a reputation for being one of the most spectacular buildings in the city. It’s a great place to learn about the culture and history of the city depicted in costumes, statues, and historical maps.
Overall, we enjoyed our time in Ho Chi Minh City but would suggest that you avoid the Lunar New Year if you plan on visiting. It’s simply too crowded, and many shops, restaurants and attractions are closed.
This time around we didn’t have time to make it to the many temples and pagodas in the city. Perhaps, another time…
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2 replies on “Must-See Places in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam”
Those tunnels would seem to be a must-do activity.
That’s for sure!