Ho Chi Minh City Tourist Guides - Most Updated Travel Tips & Guides

Introduction

1. LOCATION

Ho Chi Minh City is located in southeast of Vietnam. The metropolis is surrounded by Sai Gon River and about 2.061 square kilometers in area.

2. BEST TIME TO VISIT HO CHI MINH CITY

The city catches 2 main seasons around the year: the dry season and rainy season. From December to May is the dry season, the sun shines all day, provides you the best chance to sightseeing around the city in pleasure.

Especially from December to April, the temperature can be really pleasing at 16 - 25°C. From March to May, the heat can rise up to 39°C, which is the city hottest period of time.

In the months from May to December, the rainy season takes place. You may walk in boots and raincoat all day in June, July, August (the peak of the rain season).

3. THINGS TO DO IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Strolling Downtown Admire Historical Constructions

Since the French took rule, they had left many buildings tinted the European architect. Checking them out at the:

Duc Ba Cathedral: the religious attraction influenced the French design, finished in 1880 under French rule.
Location: 01 Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 6 a.m to 20 p.m
Free entrance
Saigon Central post office: Be constructed in 1860 by the French. Designed by Gustave Eiffel- the father of the Eiffel Tower. It is a well-known place for elderly Vietnamese and tourists.
Location: 2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1
Opening hours: 7 a.m to 19 p.m
Free entrance
Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theatre: Possessing the French architect and be built in 1900. It is able to contain over 1800 viewers and now used for Cai Luong performance (a traditional show) and live shows of modern music.
Location: 7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 8 a.m to 22 p.m
Entrance fee: depends on the show
Reunification Palace: erupted in 1871 by the French, spacious space and European classic styles provided, used to hold significant officials.
Location: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 7:30 a.m to 12 a.m and 13 p.m to 16 p.m
Entrance fee: 1 USD
Ho Chi Minh City’s People Committee: constructed from 1897 to 1909, it is the mixture of the French and Italian styles.
Location: 86 Le Thanh Ton, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 7:30 a.m to 17 p.m
No entrance
Ben Thanh Market: The city symbol which displays divers Asia merchandises for sale, designed by the French.
Location: Le Loi Street, District 1
Opening hours: 7 a.m to 19 p.m
Free entrance

Getting to Know the Brief History at The Museum

A country with over 4000 years of defending and developing, will have a bunch of historical pieces of evidence and stories to tell. Though the city has lots of Museum, each one stands for a typical aspect in the past of Vietnam:

War Remnant Museum: exhibits war objects, items and fake torturing scenes the during the two last centuries.
Location: 28 Vo Van Tan, Ho Chi Minh, 700000, Vietnam
Opening time: 7:30 am to 6:00 pm
Vietnam History Museum: displays Vietnam objects like copper drums, cultural artifacts, costumes, Vietnamese ancient battles, etc.
Location: 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Opening time: from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (break time from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm)
FITO Museum: The Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine, which most influenced the Chinese remedy, consists of over 3000 medical items.
Location: 41 Hoang Du Khuong, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Opening time: from 8:30am to 5:00pm
South Vietnamese Women Museum: constructed to honor Vietnam women, displays women costumes, jewelry, etc since the ancient time.
Location: 202 Vo Thi Sau, Hồ Chí Minh,
Opening time: from 7:30am to 5:00pm (break time from 11:30am to 1:30pm)

Walking on Nguyen Hue Street

Considered as the most popular spot of Ho Chi Minh city, Nguyen Hue street not only gathers the Vietnamese youths but also attracts tourists to join its heat. The street becomes more famous when provides spaces for community’s activities, night concerts, street dancing shows and on the two sides, hundreds of eateries, coffee shop, milk tea shops, restaurants, book stores, colonial architectures are ready to serve guests.

At night, they turn on the fountain on the street. On Vietnamese Tet (Lunar New Year), they made an enchanting flower road that lasts for 3 days, to celebrate the country holiday.

Feel the City’s Nightlife at Bui Vien street.

If you tend to be more conscious at night, then emerge yourself in the loud music of Bui Vien Street. The more it gets late, the merrier. Strolling along the main street to the ends and then stop at some bars to have a cold drink. There are bunches of bars, clubs, pubs right alongside the street. In its endless narrow alleys, they also provide services.

Experience a Vespa Tour

A trip on a Vespa will be the best choice to feel the authentic life around Ho Chi Minh City. Vespa is a line of motorbike that considered vintage to the locals. When taking a Vespa tour, you will be guided or carried (if you cannot drive) by a Vietnamese-English - speaking tour guide to many places of interest, eateries, beer venues of the locals.

There are lots of company invested in the service and provide various kinds of packages, such as 4 to 5 hours tour, all day tour. Tickets are from 50 to 80 USD, including food, drinks, helmets, and other necessaries.

Explore Cu Chi Tunnels

About 70 Kms to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh city, people will be amazed by dense tunnel webs of Cu Chi. The heritage is impressive with the length approaches to 250 km and leads to dissimilar exits. During the war, Vietnam communists had used these as the shelter and base of Congress. Tourists are allowed to enter several sections and rooms of the tunnels in line, as the space it provides is narrow and low.

Shopping at Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market is an old architecture of the French and essentially be a signature of Vietnam. The market located at a tourist spot in Le Loi Street, District 1, near Saigon square. It is the gathering point for traders, vendors, stalls that sells various kinds of goods, such as food, dry food, dishes, fresh vegetable, meat, handicrafts, silk, souvenirs, etc.

On the side road outside the Ben Thanh market, people sell products like clothes, souvenirs. Open time is from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day of the week.

4. THINGS TO BUY IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Food:

Coffee bean: Vietnamese is famous for exporting quality coffee beans. Buy a few packs of your favorites. Easy to find in the market.
Dried food: Like dried banana, jackfruit, apple, ginger, grapes and other kinds of fruit. Dried sausage, fish, shrimp, fried red onion.
Com Tam (broken rice): A traditional dish of Vietnam, comprises steamed broken rice, grilled and marinated pork ribs, egg meatloaf, pork skin, cooked fish sauce, and pickles.
Banh mi: bread with many kinds of meat, pate, butter, vegetable, and sauce that put in the bread in hamburger style. Cheap and tasty, also a must-try dish of Vietnamese.
Hu Tieu Nam Vang (noodle soup): with tasty bones broth, thin and white noodle, meat and seafood, scallion, pepper, and vegetable. They also served the dried version.
Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake): with a crunchy yellow pancake that has sprout, minced meat, seafood inside. Served with a plate of vegetable and processed fish sauce. Tasty and also is one must-try dish.
Pho: the signature dish of Vietnam. Includes bones broth, several kinds of meat, vegetable and thick flat white rice noodle.

Souvenirs

Ao Dai: a traditional costume of Vietnamese women. It is a tight-fitting silk tunic worn over trousers that are sold in many different colors and patterns.
Non La: a cone-shaped hat made from palm tree leaves. This is a typical symbol of Vietnam.
Sand painting: describe the tranquil Vietnamese rural lives, famous buildings, ladies in Ao Dai, etc.
Handicrafts: lanterns, fabric or paper fans, handy bag, ceramic teapots, plate, vase, bowl, etc.

5. DO'S AND DON'TS

Dos

Do dress comfortably as the weather is pretty hot in daylight.
Learn a bit of Vietnamese language as many Vietnamese can hard to speak English.
Exchange for a little of Vietnamese cash.
Ask for the price first.
Do try traditional food.
Save money from transferring by walking on foot, taking the bus (not a pleasant but the cheapest way) calling Grab (GrabTaxi holding company, they have an app with the same name).