District 1
First-timersThe centre: sights, nightlife and Bui Vien.
Ho Chi Minh City city guide
Things To Do In Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam's biggest and fastest city, still called Saigon by most: war history museums, colonial landmarks, rooftop bars, street food at every corner and the Mekong Delta below it.
131
Hostels in the city
8.1
Average, from 40,582 reviews
1975
The war ends here
2024
The first metro line
Millions
Of motorbikes
Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by almost everyone, is Vietnam's biggest city and its commercial engine: louder, hotter and faster than Hanoi, with millions of motorbikes.
Its history is on display in the War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace, where the war ended in 1975, and in the French colonial cathedral and post office.
It is also the base for the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta. Three days is right.
Where to stay
Stay in District 1, the centre, for the sights, nightlife and Bui Vien's backpacker scene, or District 3 for a quieter, more local base a short ride away. The districts were officially replaced by smaller wards in 2025, but everyone, from Grab drivers to hostels, still uses the old district names.
District 3
QuieterLocal streets and cafés, a short ride from the centre.
Thao Dien
Expat areaCafés, bars and a slower pace across the river.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
The War Remnants Museum is the city's most powerful sight, documenting the American War through photographs and the effects of Agent Orange; allow two hours, and be prepared for disturbing images. Independence Palace, where tanks broke through the gates on 30 April 1975 to end the war, is preserved as it was, with its war rooms in the basement.
In the French colonial centre, see the Central Post Office, designed in the 1880s, and the Notre-Dame Cathedral, which has been under long restoration. Ben Thanh Market is busy and touristy; the streets of Cholon, the old Chinese district, have temples and wholesale markets that feel much more local.
The Cu Chi tunnels, about an hour and a half away, are a network dug by the Viet Cong, where you can crawl through widened sections. A day or two in the Mekong Delta takes in floating markets, orchards and boat rides along the canals.
The first metro line, opened in December 2024, runs from Ben Thanh out to the eastern suburbs, a fast way to see the new city.
More on things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Free things
Free things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
Walking the French colonial centre is free: the Central Post Office, the cathedral exterior, the Opera House and Nguyen Hue walking street, which fills with families in the evening.
The Chinese temples of Cholon, including Thien Hau Temple, are free, as are the city's markets. The Saigon River promenade is a free evening walk.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City's street food is some of the best in Asia. Com tam, broken rice with grilled pork chop, is the breakfast and lunch classic. Banh mi, the baguette sandwich, is everywhere; bun thit nuong, noodles with grilled pork and herbs, and hu tieu, a clear noodle soup, are other staples. Banh xeo, sizzling crispy pancakes, are a southern favourite.
In District 4, Vinh Khanh street is lined with seafood restaurants grilling snails, clams and scallops on the pavement. District 1 and Cholon have markets and stalls for every budget.
A street meal is €1.50 to €3.
Nightlife
Going out in Ho Chi Minh City
Bui Vien walking street, in District 1, is the backpacker party street: loud, packed and full of bars and cheap beer, closed to traffic at night.
For something else, rooftop bars look out over the skyline, and craft beer bars and cocktail bars are spread across District 1 and Thao Dien.
A beer on Bui Vien is €1 to €2; cocktails in rooftop bars are €6 to €12.
More on nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City
Getting around
Getting around Ho Chi Minh City
Tan Son Nhat Airport is thirty minutes to an hour from District 1 by Grab or taxi, depending on traffic; bus 109 runs to the centre cheaply.
Grab, for cars and motorbikes, is the easiest way to get around. The first metro line, opened in December 2024, runs from Ben Thanh to the eastern suburbs.
Saigon station is the southern end of the main railway. Buses and sleeper buses reach the Mekong Delta, Mui Ne, Da Lat and Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and boats and ferries run to Vung Tau.
Costs
What Ho Chi Minh City costs
Ho Chi Minh City is cheap. Dorms start around €5 and a careful day is €20 to €30.
The War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace each charge a couple of euros. Cu Chi tunnel tours are €15 to €30 with transport, and Mekong Delta day trips from €20.
The currency is the Vietnamese dong (VND); prices here are euro equivalents, at roughly 30,000 VND to the euro. Cards work widely; ATMs are everywhere.
Safety
Staying safe in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is generally safe, but bag and phone snatching is common: thieves on motorbikes grab phones and bags from people walking by the road or riding on the back of a Grab bike. Keep your phone away from the kerb, wear bags across your body on the side away from traffic, and hold on to your phone on motorbikes.
Traffic is heavy: cross slowly and steadily.
On Bui Vien, watch your drink and your wallet late at night.
Emergency: 113 police, 115 ambulance, 114 fire.
Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City
The tunnels, the delta and a seaside town.
Cu Chi tunnels
The tunnel network dug during the war, with sections to crawl through.
Mekong Delta
Floating markets, orchards and canals.
Vung Tau
A seaside town with beaches and a giant Christ statue.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Tet is the biggest festival; the city empties as people go home.
Staff pick
23 November
Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day
Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, invites locals and visitors to explore the nation’s unique cultural identity through a variety…
10 October
SAO Concert: The Stardom Music Festival
SAO Concert: The Stardom Music Festival brings an all-day live music experience to Vạn Phúc City in Ho Chi Minh City, running from morning…
17 October
Tinh Hà Say Hi
Thirty of Vietnam's most prominent male artists share one massive stage in this record-breaking V-pop concert series. The open-air production at Vạn Phúc City…
17–18 October
Call Me by Fire
Anh Trai Vượt Ngàn Chông Gai 2026 is a live concert featuring the cast of the Vietnamese television music program of the same name.…
31 Oct – 1 Nov
Pink Hat Day
Pink Hat Day brings together nearly 10,000 participants each October to support breast cancer awareness through the Breast Cancer Network Vietnam. Now in its…
23–24 November
Heritage Fest Exhibition
Heritage Fest 2026 wraps up a citywide project aimed at making Ho Chi Minh City's cultural heritage feel relevant and alive, particularly for younger…
8 Sep – 7 Oct
Vietnam Shines Brightly
Vietnamese culture and art come alive through multi-sensory experiences at this festival held within the historic Independence Palace. Each performance weaves together heritage traditions…
2 October
Argy & Adam Beyer
ARGY brings his exclusive NEWORLD audio-visual show to Ho Chi Minh City's Independence Palace, the only Southeast Asia stop on a tour that has…
Hostels
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City
The top-rated places to stay in Ho Chi Minh City right now, live from Hostelworld.
Saigon Cozy House
Dorms from €5 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
B&B Chill Home 2 Hotel – Formerly Phan Anh Hotel
Dorms from €15 a night
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Saigon Style Hostel & Cafe
Dorms from €7 a night
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Saigon Rooftops Hostel
Dorms from €9 a night
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Bui Vien Street Hostel
Dorms from €7 a night
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Diep Anh Guesthouse
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Sustainable
The Common Room Project
Dorms from €19 a night
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Ace Home
Dorms from €5 a night
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Pin Poshtel Saigon
Dorms from €6 a night
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Saigon Chill Hostel
Dorms from €9 a night
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Saigon Authentic Hostel - Local, BF, Gym, Tours
Dorms from €6 a night
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Sustainable
Aloha Premium | Newly Open & Less Touristy
Dorms from €7 a night
See dates and book
When to go
December to April is dry. May to November brings afternoon storms.
Jan
Dry
Feb
Tet
Mar
Dry
Apr
Hot
May
Rains begin
Jun
Wet
Jul
Wet
Aug
Wet
Sep
Wet
Oct
Wet
Nov
Drying
Dec
Dry
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Hot all year.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in dong locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Ho Chi Minh City travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
How do I get from the airport?
By Grab or taxi, thirty minutes to an hour depending on traffic, or bus 109 to the centre for much less.
Is the War Remnants Museum worth it?
Yes, though it is disturbing, especially the galleries on Agent Orange. Allow two hours.
Cu Chi or the Mekong Delta?
Both are full-day trips. Cu Chi for war history, the Delta for river life and markets; with time, do both.
How do I avoid phone snatching?
Keep your phone away from the road side, wear your bag across your body, and hold your phone firmly on the back of a motorbike.
How many days do you need?
Three: one for the centre and museums, one for Cu Chi, and one for the Delta or Cholon.
When is the best time to visit?
December to April is dry. May to November brings short, heavy afternoon downpours.
Is there a metro?
Yes, the first line opened in December 2024, from Ben Thanh to the eastern suburbs.
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