Top 10 Places to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City

The historic core sits on the west bank of the Saigon River and reads as three layers: the French colonial grid around Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi and Paris Commune Square, with its cathedral, post office and opera district; the market and backpacker streets around Ben Thanh; and, about 5km south-west, Cholon, the Chinese-founded trading quarter with its Cantonese temples. Addresses have been rewritten since 2025 so that wards report directly to the city, and older guides that print 'District 1' or 'District 3' can look out of date.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), roughly 7km north-west of the centre, handles nearly all international arrivals. Bus 109 to the centre costs about 15,000-20,000 VND, and a taxi or Grab costs about 150,000-250,000 VND for a 25-40 minute ride. The city's first metro, Line 1, links Ben Thanh, Opera House and Ba Son stations underground in the centre and continues east to Suoi Tien, with single fares of 7,000-20,000 VND. Motorbikes dominate traffic, and crossing means walking at a steady pace without stopping.

The climate is tropical monsoon. The dry season, December to April, brings clear skies and daytime highs of about 30-35°C, and March to May is hottest. From May to November, short, heavy downpours arrive most afternoons, so sightseeing is best planned for the morning. Many shops and some sites close or run short hours during Tet, the Lunar New Year, in January or February.