Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica
A red-brick Catholic cathedral built in the French colonial period, with twin bell towers rising above Paris Commune Square. It stands beside the old Central Post Office and is a landmark of the city centre.
Ho Chi Minh City
As Vietnam's largest city, it is the business hub, known for street food, markets, French-era buildings and museums on war history.
Attractive locations
Cu Chi Tunnels
A network of narrow tunnels dug by fighters during the Vietnam War, now a memorial park where visitors can crawl through short sections, see hidden entrances and learn how people lived underground.
War Remnants Museum
A museum on the Vietnam War, with photographs, weapons and aircraft displayed in the courtyard. The exhibits are direct and can be upsetting.
Independence Palace (Reunification Palace)
The former presidential palace of South Vietnam, a 1960s modernist building. Visitors tour its reception halls, the underground war rooms and the grounds where tanks arrived on 30 April 1975.
Saigon Opera House
A French colonial theatre from the early twentieth century with an ornate facade, in the heart of District 1. It hosts concerts, ballet and traditional performances, and is easy to admire from the street.
Ben Thanh Market
The city's best-known covered market, with stalls selling food, coffee, textiles and souvenirs under a clock tower entrance. It is busy and noisy, and a lively introduction to local life.
Museum of Ho Chi Minh City
A museum in a nineteenth-century French-style building that tells the city's story from early settlement to the modern era, with maps, photographs and everyday objects.
Jade Emperor Pagoda
A small, atmospheric temple full of incense smoke and carved wooden figures, built in the early twentieth century and dedicated to the Taoist Jade Emperor and other deities. Visitors should dress modestly.
Thien Hau Temple
A busy Chinese temple in Cholon dedicated to Mazu, the goddess of the sea. Its roof is full of ceramic figures, and large coils of incense hang from the ceiling.
Mariamman Hindu Temple
A small, colorful Hindu temple in the city centre, with a tiered tower covered in sculpted figures. Worshippers from the Tamil community visit it, and respectful visitors are welcome.
Binh Tay Market
The main wholesale market in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City's Chinese quarter. A Chinese-style building shelters stalls of dried goods, herbs, tea and household items, and it is less touristy than Ben Thanh.
Saigon Central Post Office
A French colonial post office from the late 1800s with a high arched hall, old maps and a portrait of Ho Chi Minh. It still works as a post office and is popular for photos.
Airports
Tan Son Nhat International Airport SGN
It is about 7 km in a straight line from Ho Chi Minh City.
Can Tho International Airport VCA
It is about 133 km in a straight line from Ho Chi Minh City.
Getting around
From Tan Son Nhat Airport
Tan Son Nhat Airport is about 7 to 8 kilometres from the centre, according to Vietnam's tourism authority, and the journey may take 50 minutes or longer, depending on traffic. Taxis from Vinasun and Mai Linh wait at the airport taxi bay, and city buses also serve the airport; ride-hailing apps, Grab and Be among them, work in the city. A car-hire desk there can arrange a car on the spot.
- Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: A traveller's guide to Vietnam's airports (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: Ho Chi Minh City (checked 4 Nov 2026)
City buses and Metro Line 1
More than 150 bus routes make up the network, says the Ho Chi Minh City tourism department, and the MultiGo app tracks schedules. Metro Line 1 now connects Ben Thanh Market with the Eastern Bus Terminal, and tickets are bought in the HCMC Metro app. The page also recommends carrying small change for bus fares and staying off buses and the metro during rush hour.
- Source: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism (Visit HCMC): Useful information (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Taxis and apps in the city
For fixed pricing, the Ho Chi Minh City tourism department advises trusted traditional taxi brands or ride-hailing apps, with the driver starting the meter or the app price confirmed before the trip begins. Grab, Be and Xanh SM are the apps it names. Vietnam's national tourism authority lists Vinasun as a taxi operator in the city, with Mai Linh covering the whole country.
- Source: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism (Visit HCMC): Useful information (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism: Frequently asked questions (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan26.2 °C11 mm
- Feb28.0 °C6 mm
- Mar29.8 °C13 mm
- Apr30.7 °C41 mm
- May29.4 °C155 mm
- Jun27.4 °C212 mm
- Jul26.7 °C207 mm
- Aug26.6 °C191 mm
- Sep26.5 °C190 mm
- Oct26.5 °C215 mm
- Nov26.3 °C100 mm
- Dec25.7 °C32 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Mar. Wettest months: Jun, Jul, Oct.
Costs
Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2024). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 113. Ambulance 115. Fire 114.
local government
Police emergency number 113
Helps with: Emergency numbers on Vietnam's official tourism site: 113 for the police, 114 for the fire brigade and 115 for an ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Vietnam, including visitors, who needs the police urgently.
Phone: 113
local government
Ambulance emergency number 115
Helps with: Ambulance number listed with the police (113) and fire brigade (114) numbers on Vietnam's official tourism site.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Vietnam, including visitors, who needs an ambulance.
Phone: 115
local government
Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) - vietnam.travel
Helps with: The national tourism authority. Its official website vietnam.travel carries trip-planning information, including the emergency numbers. No visitor helpline was shown on the pages read.
Who qualifies: Anyone planning or taking a trip to Vietnam.
ngo
Vietnam Red Cross Society
Helps with: Vietnam's national Red Cross society. Its headquarters is in Hanoi, with a southern representative office in Ho Chi Minh City; its contact page gives phone and email.
Who qualifies: People in Vietnam seeking help from the Red Cross, including disaster relief.
Phone: 024 38 224 030
Email: international@redcross.org.vn
Address: 82 Nguyen Du Street, Cua Nam Ward, Hanoi
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Viet Nam
Helps with: The UN migration agency, with a main office in Hanoi and a sub-office in Ho Chi Minh City. It works on migration management, crisis response and international cooperation.
Who qualifies: Migrants and migration-affected people in Vietnam. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +84 24 38 500 100
Email: iomvietnam@iom.int
Address: Green One-UN House, 304 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Ha Ward, Hanoi
embassy
Foreign embassies and consulates in Vietnam (foreign ministry directory)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The foreign ministry runs a searchable directory page titled Foreign Representative Agencies in Vietnam; its entries did not load when read.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.
local government
Tourist Information and Support Station, Ho Chi Minh City
Helps with: The city's official tourist information point at 23/9 Park, open daily 08:00 to 20:30. It gives travel advice and maps, and takes safety concerns. Hotline 1087 is described as free tourist support, 24/7.
Who qualifies: Visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.
Phone: +84 28 3920 3040
Email: hotline@visithcmc.vn
Address: 23/9 Park, corner of Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham streets, Ho Chi Minh City
local government
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism - visitor support line
Helps with: The Visit HCMC site lists a visitor support hotline: dial 1022 and choose extension 8. It also gives the Department of Tourism's office address.
Who qualifies: Visitors to Ho Chi Minh City needing tourism support.
Address: 201 Vo Thi Sau Street, Xuan Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City