Ho Chi Minh City walking tour & city guide
Saigon's energy, colonial landmarks and endless street food.
Video by Walking Expedition on YouTube. All rights belong to the creator. Like or comment on YouTube ↗
Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, is Vietnam's largest city and its economic engine. Millions of motorbikes fill its boulevards, skyscrapers rise next to French colonial buildings and pagodas, and its food scene is one of the most exciting in Asia.
District 1
District 1 is the center of the city. The Notre-Dame Cathedral, built with bricks shipped from France, and the elegant Central Post Office, designed in the era of Gustave Eiffel, stand side by side. Nguyen Hue, a wide pedestrian boulevard, leads to the colonial City Hall and is a lively gathering place in the evening.
The Ben Thanh Market, with its clock tower, is the city's best-known market. The War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace, where the war ended in 1975, tell the story of 20th-century Vietnam. For views, the Bitexco Financial Tower and Landmark 81, the country's tallest building, have observation decks.
Cholon and beyond
Cholon, the city's Chinatown in District 5, is home to busy markets and beautiful pagodas, such as the Thien Hau Temple, filled with the smoke of hanging incense coils. The Binh Tay Market is a wholesale market where locals shop.
Day trips lead to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network used during the war, and to the Mekong Delta, a world of rivers, floating markets and orchards.
Visiting tips
The dry season from December to April is the most comfortable time. Ride-hailing apps make getting around easy, and the city's first metro line opened recently. Street food is safest where it's busy and freshly cooked.
Top sights in Ho Chi Minh City
- 1
Notre-Dame Cathedral
A red-brick colonial cathedral.
- 2
Central Post Office
An elegant French colonial building.
- 3
Ben Thanh Market
The city's iconic market.
- 4
Nguyen Hue Walking Street
A pedestrian boulevard.
- 5
War Remnants Museum
A powerful museum about the war.
- 6
Thien Hau Temple
A Chinese temple in Cholon.
Food markets & where to eat in Ho Chi Minh City
Ben Thanh Market
Food stalls inside, and a night market outside.
Vinh Khanh Street, District 4
A famous street of seafood stalls.
Ho Thi Ky Market
A lively alley of street food.
Cholon
Chinese-Vietnamese dishes and dim sum.
Food to try in Ho Chi Minh City
Banh mi
A crispy baguette with pork, pâté and herbs.
Com tam
Broken rice with grilled pork chop.
Hu tieu
A southern noodle soup.
Ca phe sua da
Strong iced coffee with condensed milk.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
Plan your trip to Ho Chi Minh City
Enjoyed the walk? Here is everything you need to see it for real.
- Hotels in Ho Chi Minh CityCompare places to stay and prices.
- Tours & ticketsWalking tours, museums and day trips in Ho Chi Minh City.
- eSIM for VietnamStay online from the moment you land.
Some links may be affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
More cities in Vietnam
▶ 6 videosHanoi
Lakes, temples and the buzzing Old Quarter.
▶ 6 videosHoi An
A lantern-lit ancient trading port.
▶ 6 videosDa Nang
Beaches, bridges and the Marble Mountains.
▶ 6 videosHa Long
Thousands of limestone islands rising from emerald water.
▶ 6 videosHue
The old imperial capital on the Perfume River.
▶ 6 videosSapa
Rice terraces and hill tribe villages in the mountains.
▶ 6 videosNha Trang
A long sandy bay and island boat trips.
▶ 6 videosDa Lat
A cool highland 'city of eternal spring'.
▶ 6 videosPhu Quoc
A tropical island of beaches and sunsets.