Top 10 Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City

An extraordinary underground network stretching over 250 km that sheltered Viet Cong fighters during the war, offering a visceral lesson in guerrilla warfare and human endurance just 70 km from the city centre.

The iconic clock-tower market at the heart of District 1 teems with vendors selling silk, lacquerware, spices, and Vietnamese street snacks, serving as the unofficial meeting point for both locals and travellers.

Saigon's pho is sweeter and more herb-laden than its Hanoi counterpart, best eaten at a plastic-stool sidewalk stall at dawn before the city fully wakes — a ritual as essential as any monument.

Just a few hours south of the city, the vast river delta offers boat rides through floating markets, fruit orchards, rice paddies, and stilted fishing villages — a vivid counterpoint to urban Saigon's frenetic pace.

As night falls, Saigon's skyline turns into a neon spectacle best admired from venues like Chill Skybar or EON Heli Bar, where craft cocktails and panoramic views of the glittering city stretch to the horizon.

The preserved 1960s presidential palace where the Vietnam War effectively ended on 30 April 1975 offers an eerie time-capsule tour through corridors, war rooms, and rooftop helipads frozen in history.

Built entirely from materials imported from France in the 1880s, this striking red-brick cathedral stands at the top of Dong Khoi Street as a testament to the city's layered colonial history.

Known as the backpacker district, Bui Vien erupts every evening into a sensory overload of neon lights, live music, beer-garden crowds, and street food, offering an unfiltered glimpse of the city's party culture.

This atmospheric Taoist temple built in 1909 is filled with ornate carvings, incense smoke, and a menagerie of fierce deities, offering a serene spiritual respite from the city's ceaseless traffic.

An extraordinary underground network stretching over 250 km that sheltered Viet Cong fighters during the war, offering a visceral lesson in guerrilla warfare and human endurance just 70 km from the city centre.

The iconic clock-tower market at the heart of District 1 teems with vendors selling silk, lacquerware, spices, and Vietnamese street snacks, serving as the unofficial meeting point for both locals and travellers.

Saigon's pho is sweeter and more herb-laden than its Hanoi counterpart, best eaten at a plastic-stool sidewalk stall at dawn before the city fully wakes — a ritual as essential as any monument.

Just a few hours south of the city, the vast river delta offers boat rides through floating markets, fruit orchards, rice paddies, and stilted fishing villages — a vivid counterpoint to urban Saigon's frenetic pace.

As night falls, Saigon's skyline turns into a neon spectacle best admired from venues like Chill Skybar or EON Heli Bar, where craft cocktails and panoramic views of the glittering city stretch to the horizon.

The preserved 1960s presidential palace where the Vietnam War effectively ended on 30 April 1975 offers an eerie time-capsule tour through corridors, war rooms, and rooftop helipads frozen in history.

Built entirely from materials imported from France in the 1880s, this striking red-brick cathedral stands at the top of Dong Khoi Street as a testament to the city's layered colonial history.

Known as the backpacker district, Bui Vien erupts every evening into a sensory overload of neon lights, live music, beer-garden crowds, and street food, offering an unfiltered glimpse of the city's party culture.

This atmospheric Taoist temple built in 1909 is filled with ornate carvings, incense smoke, and a menagerie of fierce deities, offering a serene spiritual respite from the city's ceaseless traffic.