Ho Chi Minh which used to be known as Saigon is one of the most beautiful cities in Vietnam. It has a lot to offer, from great food to beautiful French architecture and a growing craft beer culture.

Ho Chi Minh City is a unique and interesting place to visit in Vietnam. But this city is not always easy to get around in. It is one of the most popular destinations among travelers due to its quirky language, culture, and food. If this is your first visit to Ho Chi Minh then use this blog as a guide to what you shouldn’t miss experiencing in Vietnam.

Let’s get started…

War Remnants Museum

Who doesn’t know about the Vietnam war? Thus, visiting the War Remnants Museum is a must if you want to learn what happened during these 30 years. You will learn about the history of the battle and see tanks, weapons, and airplanes that were used in the fight.

Also, there is a lot of information about the methods used by both sides that will shock you. It's a unique and somber place to go, but you must go there if you want to understand Vietnam's history.

Reunification Palace

During the Vietnam War, the president of South Vietnam lived in this national monument, which is also called Independence Palace. You can now take tours of the palace and see the many rooms that have been rebuilt to keep their original furniture while still being used.

The whole palace tells about the Vietnam War, which many people didn't know much about until they go there, and see by themselves. After that, you can get some of the best Vietnamese food in town at Ngon Villa Saigon.

Stroll along the Pedestrian Mall

Nguyen Hue Street is a wide street that is only for people to walk on and enjoy ho chi Minh city nightlife. It goes right before the People's Committee to the river. It is off-limits to vendors and motorbikes, which makes it one of the few places in town where you can walk without worrying about being hit or bothered.

There is a big statue of Ho Chi Minh that looks nice and a fountain that puts on shows at night. Not only is it a beautiful place to walk, but the street is also full of cute coffee shops, delicious restaurants, and shops. Apartment 42, also called the "Cafe Apartments," is a former apartment building that is now filled with trendy shops and cafes.

Party on Bui Vien Street

Bui Vien is where backpackers go in Saigon. It's like Khao San Road, but not quite as outlandish. It's easy to see why travelers like it so much. Some bars play dance music, small beer stores with plastic tables that spill out into the street, restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques.

People are told that Bui Vien is a "walking street," but this is not true. Most of the time people drive cars and motorcycles on Bui Vien, so they will pass you as you walk down the crowded street.

Start your night at a pub with seats outside so you can watch all the chaos. Later, you might go to the bar that looks the liveliest. You will party here until the wee hours of the morning.

Mariamman Hindu Temple

Most Hindu temples are colorful, and the Mariamman Temple is no different. It's one of the best things to visit in Ho Chi Minh City if you want to see more of the religious sites that are all over the city.

The main tower of this temple is covered with many Hindu sculptures that have been carefully carved and painted in bright colors. As the only Hindu temple in Ho Chi Minh City still open, this site is very important and gives a great look into a different religion.

Visit the Notre Dame Cathedral

Between 1863 and 1880, when the French were in charge of Vietnam, the Notre Dame Basilica was built. The cathedral was mostly built so that French colonists could go to Catholic services there. The architecture of the cathedral is beautiful. It has two bell towers that are over 60 meters tall and have iron spires on top.

Talk to the staff, who are available all week long, to find out everything there is to know about the Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vietnam.

Saigon Central Post Office

Close to each other is the Saigon Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Basilica. This post office in Ho Chi Minh City opened in 1886, just a few years after the Notre Dame Cathedral. It might not seem like a top thing to do in Ho Chi Minh City to go to the post office, but trust us when we say you should because of its beautiful colonial style. You will love the architecture here because it is such an interesting mix of French architecture and ordinary Vietnamese residential buildings.

Both of these buildings are nice reminders that Vietnam's history is about more than just the terrible Vietnam War. The post office is still open, and many travelers use it to write and send a postcard home. Most likely, you'll get home before the postcard, but it will be a nice surprise when you're feeling down after your trip.

Cu Chi Tunnels

During the Vietnam War, Vietcong rebels used a network of tunnels and rooms 30 kilometers outside of town. This network is called the Cu Chi Tunnels. You can now crawl into these tunnels and feel what it must have been like back then, which is an intense and viscerally critical experience.

If you're feeling brave and want to learn about this small piece of history when you visit Ho Chi Minh City, take the time to feel what those soldiers must have felt during the battle. Take on a full-day adventure to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City from Klook. Explore the hidden gems of the city with Klook Tour packages.

The Mekong Delta

This network of canals, which covers 39,000 square kilometers and is home to a lot of people, is one of Ho Chi Minh City's most popular tourist spots. The Mekong Delta is only 4 hours from the city, which makes it a great place to go on a trip with a group. The rivers are full of floating stores, homes, and schools, and it's hard to miss how everything looks when it's near moving water.

If you only have a short amount of time to spend in this beautiful part of Vietnam, Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta VIP Tour by Limousine from Klook becomes the right option for you. When you buy this trip, you'll learn about the complex network of tunnels under Vietnam's surface. You will find out how hard and creative the soldiers' lives were during the battle. And in a modern and roomy limousine, you can get from the Cu Chi Tunnels to Ho Chi Minh City in style.

Ben Thanh Market

When you go to Ho Chi Minh City, you must spend some time shopping at Ben Thanh Market. Here, you can buy everything from cheap clothes, textiles, souvenirs, gadgets, and accessories to the best street food in Vietnam. During the day, the market sells fresh vegetables and groceries. At night, the smell of wok-fried noodles and grilled meat fills the air.

It is a paradise for shoppers because they can buy almost anything there. This is Ho Chi Minh City's main market, and almost every book about the city talks about it. It has several high-end shopping centers on its grounds. In another part of the market, where the locals like to shop, you can buy fresh food and vegetables. The market is the first place people go to buy clothes, kitchenware, decorations, home appliances, and almost any other large or small item. It is a popular place for tourists who want to bargain with vendors to buy trinkets and souvenirs.

Thien Hau Pagoda

Thien Hau Pagoda is a Buddhist shrine to Goddess Mazu that was built in the 1800s and is in District 5. The courtyard of the temple has beautiful carvings and lamps on the outside. On the inside, there are bright dioramas that show scenes from a Chinese city. On the main dais, there are three statues of Mazu. Her guards stand around them.

In Chinese mythology, Thien Hau is the Sea Goddess. The temple is a place to honor her. Tianhou, which means "Empress of the Heavens," is written in Vietnamese as Thien Hau. This shrine is for Mazu, a girl from Fujian who used to be a sea god. People say that her psychic skills saved some of her family from the disaster at sea. She is thought to fly on a cloud and protect and save people at sea.

Conclusion

One of our favorite places to visit in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City, here you can easily spend three or four days and still have plenty to do. Now that you've read this, you should have a better idea of what to do in Ho Chi Minh City. There are a lot of beautiful places to see, and the people are great. We hope this has made you want to go there if you weren't already thinking about it. We're sure that you're going to have a great time!