Vietnam's largest and busiest city, where French-era landmarks, street food and glass towers share the riverbanks
Ho Chi Minh City sprawls along the Saigon River, a city of motorbikes, pavement cafés and new towers rising beside low shophouses. The old centre in District 1 is compact enough to explore on foot: Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the Opera House sit close together near Dong Khoi Street, Ben Thanh Market lies a short walk away, and old apartment blocks such as the one at 42 Nguyen Hue have been turned into stacks of cafés and small shops.
Further west, Cho Lon, the city's historic Chinese quarter, has busy wholesale markets such as Binh Tay and incense-filled assembly halls and pagodas. The city is also the best place in the south to understand the country's recent history, at the Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum. In 2025 the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau were merged into the city, which now reaches the coast and even includes the Con Dao islands.
The area was a Khmer settlement known as Prey Nokor before Vietnamese administration was established in 1698. After French forces took the Saigon citadel in 1859, the city was ceded to France in 1862 and became the capital of Cochinchina, gaining the boulevards and civic buildings that still define its centre. From 1955 it was the capital of South Vietnam.
The war ended here on 30 April 1975, when North Vietnamese forces entered the city. The following year the city was renamed after Ho Chi Minh, although many residents still call it Saigon. Since economic reforms began in the late 1980s it has grown into the country's commercial hub; its first metro line, from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, opened in 2024.
Saigon life spills onto the pavement. People eat broken rice with grilled pork at breakfast, drink iced coffee at tiny tables, and pack the streets on motorbikes from dawn until late. The city mixes southern Vietnamese, Chinese-Vietnamese and migrant cultures from every province, and it is known for being open, entrepreneurial and informal. Markets, street vendors and small family businesses remain at the heart of daily life despite the new towers.
Days usually begin with coffee and a walk through District 1's colonial landmarks, followed by a visit to the Independence Palace or War Remnants Museum. Afternoons suit Cho Lon's markets and temples, a ride on the metro or a boat on the Saigon River, and evenings belong to food: many visitors join a motorbike food tour, while others simply pull up a plastic stool at a roadside stall. The city is also the base for day trips to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta.
The dry season from December to April brings sunny, less humid days. From May to November short, heavy afternoon showers are common, but they usually pass quickly. The city is hot all year.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
The Cu Chi Tunnels lie about 70 km north-west of the centre, and the Mekong Delta begins a short drive south-west. Cat Tien National Park is roughly 150 km to the north, the Con Dao islands are a short flight away, and Phu Quoc and Mui Ne are popular onward beach trips.
The vast, flat delta where the Mekong reaches the sea, covering more than 40,000 square kilometres of southern Vietnam. It is the country's rice bowl and fruit garden, and visitors come for boat trips along palm-lined canals, early-morning floating markets and the slow rhythm of river towns such as Can Tho.
ExploreAn archipelago of 16 mountainous islands and islets about 230 kilometres off Ho Chi Minh City, much of it protected as Con Dao National Park. Visitors come for forest trails, clear water, coral reefs and nesting sea turtles, and to learn about the colonial-era prison that made the islands infamous.
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Vietnam · 11 nights4★ HotelVietnam · 7 nights4★ ResortThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
