Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, also referred to as Saigon, is a big metropolis when it comes to each inhabitants and land space. It’s additionally a preferred vacationer vacation spot. I’ve been dwelling in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis for practically a decade, and the factor I like most in regards to the metropolis is how a lot depth it has.
That’s, you’ll be able to’t see all the town has to supply with no little bit of exploration. It’s a must to delve deeper into the area people to search out the perfect issues to do within the metropolis. Sadly, that may create points for vacationers who need to actually expertise what HCMC has to supply.
Essentially the most tough factor about visiting Ho Chi Minh Metropolis is that the perfect locations to go in Saigon are very unfold out. That is in distinction to, say, Hanoi, the place practically all the fascinating sights and points of interest – even the hidden Hanoi hotspots that the majority vacationers by no means encounter – are roughly clustered in a small metropolis heart. As a substitute, plenty of probably the most quintessential Ho Chi Minh Metropolis experiences are unfold throughout a big space.
On this information, I’ll go over 9 experiences to hunt out in Saigon that may present you the town in a extra genuine and colourful gentle than the same old Ho Chi Minh Metropolis vacationer points of interest you’ll examine in most guidebooks. Lots of them are locations that locals I befriended took me to go to. Others are locations I discovered by combing via social media teams frequented by expats and English-speaking Vietnamese.
High 9 Off-The-Overwhelmed-Observe Issues to Do in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis
Earlier than discussing every of my 9 picks in larger element, let me present a fast reference information, with particulars for every attraction, together with the common spend for 1 individual.
1. Ho Thi Ky Road Meals Market for Road Meals
Consuming avenue meals is among the hottest issues to do in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis. All probably the most in style Vietnamese avenue meals dishes can be found close to the vacationer heart of District 1, however there are a number of streets within the metropolis that supply a avenue meals expertise past something District 1 can supply. My favourite meals avenue in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis is Ho Thi Ky Meals Road in District 10.
Ho Thi Ky is positioned in an alley that stretches between Hung Vuong and Ly Thai To, two of the most important streets in District 10. Regardless that the alley is comparatively slender, it’s utterly lined on both facet with avenue meals distributors.
The throngs of avenue meals explorers, the intense lights, the unique and delicious-looking meals displayed at each stall, and the mouth-watering aroma of all of it give it a “carnival halfway” really feel, not like something I’ve skilled elsewhere on my travels. One of many points that put it above different meals strolling streets for me is the truth that the skinny, crowded alley has virtually no automobile visitors.
My favourite half about Ho Thi Ky Meals Road, although, is the sheer number of avenue meals, lots of which I had by no means (and nonetheless haven’t) seen elsewhere. The ocean snail shells filled with a combination of floor pork, snail meat, mushrooms, and lemongrass had been one in all my favorites, as had been the tiny cups of fried quail egg, aromatic herbs, and dried shrimp. Or the stewed strawberries with chili sugar and ice. Or the kiwi-flavored panna cotta. I may go on for paragraphs.
For my part, Ho Thi Ky Meals Road is the perfect place in Saigon to absorb the city hustle and bustle whereas filling up on unbelievable meals for lower than 200k VND in whole. Go between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm for the perfect expertise.
Observe: Ho Thi Ky Market is split into two alleys that run parallel to one another: the meals avenue and the flower avenue. The flower avenue is fairly cool too, because it shows a larger number of bouquets than you’ve possible ever seen. Ensure to go to each streets!
A couple of of the perfect meals streets in Saigon in addition to Ho Thi Ky are:
- Xom Chieu Road in District 4
- Van Kiep Road in Binh Thanh District
- Nguyen Thuong Hien Road in District 3
2. Saigon Riverfront Park for Skyline Views
The most effective place to view the Ho Chi Minh Metropolis Skyline is hidden from sight for many vacationers and is mainly free to go to.
Enterprise all the way down to Vo Van Kiet Road in District 1, cross via Thu Thiem Tunnel, after which flip off the freeway to succeed in Saigon Riverfront Park.
The park is located alongside the riverfront, and there are rows upon rows of plastic chairs and tables the place you’ll be able to sit and gaze on the unbelievable cityscape on the opposite facet. Plenty of tall buildings adorned with colourful lights forged their reflections on the river. Crowds of pedestrians and motorbikes mill forwards and backwards in between them, which makes the relaxed ambiance of the park really feel much more particular.
There is no such thing as a value of admission, however you’ll be requested to order a drink from one of many distributors on the park. There is no such thing as a established cafe or restaurant on the park, so that you’ll have to select from a delicate drink, a beer, an on the spot espresso, recent coconut water, or, my favourite, pineapple juice combined with ginseng and many milk (sâm dứa sữa).
You would possibly count on such a picturesque spot to be crowded with vacationers and to be a bit on the pricier facet. However, consider it or not, I didn’t see a single different vacationer there the few instances I’ve gone, and the drinks vary in value from 25-50k VND. Not solely is that this a premier place to view the Ho Chi Minh Metropolis skyline in all its dwelling colours, but it surely’s additionally a unbelievable place to expertise a calming night out as an area would.
3. Dam Sen Park for Folks-Watching
Dam Sen Water Park in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis’s District 11 is an often-overlooked day journey for vacationers trying to have a enjoyable and genuine city Vietnamese expertise.
Whereas waterparks are normally constructed exterior of cities to save lots of on land prices, Dam Sen Park is positioned smack dab within the midst of the city sprawl of Saigon. Which means it’s very straightforward to get to, even for these spending solely a short while in Saigon.
The city location of the Park additionally means it’s very crowded, particularly on holidays and weekends. It’d even be a bit a lot for many who get simply overstimulated. For me, although, and I’m guessing for a lot of readers who love Vietnam, it makes for a number of the greatest “individuals watching” (which is a favourite pastime for a lot of urbanites worldwide) that I’ve ever encountered.
You’ll see locals from each stroll of life, from households sporting matching swimsuit units and trekking up the tall flights of stone steps to one of many Park’s many waterslides to teenage ladies making the “duck face” and taking selfies to small boys operating in circles and capturing tremendous soakers at one another to aged {couples} holding arms as they bob down the lazy river on innertubes. Essentially the most magical half in regards to the Park is that completely everyone seems to be smiling.
The park can be an effective way to beat the warmth, which is a much-appreciated perk in Saigon since the most typical grievance by vacationers visiting the town is the excessive warmth and humidity ranges, particularly throughout summer season months. The lazy river and the wave swimming pools are particularly good for cooling off, particularly since there’s no wait.
Meals is offered at Dam Sen Park for surprisingly low costs, although they’re a bit larger than what you’d count on exterior.
Park admission is barely 220k VND for adults and 180k for teenagers. Hours are 8:00 am till 6:00 pm, although they cease promoting tickets at 4:30.
4. Xuan Thuy Road for Visitors-Free Strolling Road Ambiance
Bui Vien Strolling Road in District 1 is maybe probably the most well-known factor to do in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis for first-time vacationers. It’s loud, it’s crowded, and it’s about as hedonistic as you may get with out visiting Macau or Las Vegas. It’s enjoyable to see as soon as, however most vacationers will most likely get uninterested in it shortly except they’re in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis for the nightlife scene.
On my most up-to-date journey to Saigon, a pal of mine launched me to what I really feel is a decidedly extra stress-free strolling avenue positioned on Xuan Thuy Road in Thao Dien, the town’s largest expat haven in District 2. Beginning in early 2024, the Metropolis started closing Xuan Thuy off to automobile visitors on Fridays and Saturdays beginning at 7 pm and till 2 am.
The road is lined with eating places, bars, cafes, and avenue meals distributors. They’re energetic and colourful, and lots of of them play pop music out of audio system. It’s nowhere close to as noisy or raucous as Bui Vien, although, with music being stored to a reasonable quantity and no smoke machines or lasers as you see in entrance of many storefronts on Bui Vien. On the finish of the road is a river stroll with some nice skyline views and quite a lot of sellers from pottery studios to memento outlets. Costs are usually reasonably excessive.
Xuan Thuy Strolling Road can be quite a bit much less crowded than Bui Vien, not less than for now. It doesn’t draw large crowds of drunken party-goers like Bui Vien; as an alternative, you’re extra more likely to see households (each native and international), small pal teams, and {couples}. You will notice individuals having fun with cocktails and barbecue, however it would most likely be a quiet gathering somewhat than a loud celebration.
The pedestrian-only a part of Xuan Thuy Road shouldn’t be too lengthy – lower than a km – but it surely’s a leisurely solution to spend a night whereas having fun with some upscale city ambiance.
5. Saigon Waterbus Journey to Binh Quoi Park for Leisure
Until they’re up for spending 380k plus the cash for an costly meal on a Saigon River dinner cruise, most vacationers to Ho Chi Minh Metropolis don’t really get out on the water. However on a latest journey to Ho Chi Minh, I discovered that there’s a solution to get out onto the river for under 15k. I additionally felt that it was a extra nice expertise than the crowded and overcommercialized dinner cruises.
The Saigon Waterbus leaves from Bach Dang Pier, which is correct throughout from the Rex Resort and Nguyen Hue promenade in District 1. The terminal itself could be very good, with a number of clear however busy cafes to go to and loads of seats to attend at when you don’t need to purchase something.
Many of the buses go to Binh Dan in District 2, Thanh Da in Binh Thanh District, Hiep Binh Chanh in Thu Duc District, and Linh Dong in Thu Duc District. It’s vital to ensure the route you purchase tickets for goes to your supposed vacation spot as a result of a few of them are specific routes that skip sure stops.
Observe that the schedule for the waterbus is a bit bizarre, although. The buses don’t run each day and the tickets typically promote out hours earlier than a waterbus leaves, so I’d advocate going to the station the day of your trip and shopping for tickets then.
My favourite place to go on the Saigon Waterbus is Thanh Da. The trip takes simply over half-hour. It’s a very good period of time to soak up the long-lasting websites you’ll float previous, from a pair of impressively engineered bridges to Landmark 81, the tallest constructing in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis. Feeling the cool river breeze in my hair as I noticed the town from a brand new perspective is one in all my most memorable Saigon experiences.
Thanh Da itself is an island. It’s linked to mainland Binh Thanh district by an enormous bridge, but it surely’s nonetheless quieter and barely much less crowded than many of the metropolis. And though the realm is in no way rich, it’s residence to what I feel is the nicest park in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, Binh Quoi Park. Binh Quoi is split into a number of sections, however all of them are very well-maintained and are a very good place to get pleasure from some genuinely good inexperienced house in Saigon. Park admission is free, and there’s a buffet the place adults can eat for 270k (150k for teenagers). The park is open on Fridays-Sundays and holidays.
A great way to cap off a visit to Thanh Da is by consuming at Nha Cling Phong Cua, probably the most well-known seafood eating places in Saigon. The restaurant has each totally indoor and open-air areas. Their specialty is crab, although all the seafood could be very recent and usually, you’ll be able to really go as much as the tanks on the entrance of the restaurant and pick what you need.
6. 42 Nguyen Hue Cafe Residence for French Colonial Structure
42 Nguyen Hue is a bit higher-profile than most different objects on this article because it’s one of many tallest buildings within the heart of Nguyen Hue Promenade (a vacationer hotspot), but it surely’s nonetheless not talked about practically as a lot appropriately contemplating how uniquely stunning it’s.
The constructing is a nine-story condominium block that was constructed whereas the French occupied Saigon. These days, every condominium homes a cute little store. Tenants embody:
- A bookstore on the complete floor flooring
- Cute cafes serving Vietnamese espresso, milk tea, and ice cream
- Speakeasy-style bars
- Clothes boutiques
- A UK-style tea home
- Co-working areas
- Salons
- An Indian meals restaurant
The outlets change arms typically so publishing an up-to-date listing on-line is difficult. My recommendation is to face on Nguyen Hue, lookup on the constructing, and see for your self what store fronts there are to select from. Alternately, enter the constructing and use the outdated stone staircase to discover every flooring to see what they’ve to supply.
7. Phuoc Lengthy Pagoda for an Genuine Journey
This expedition out into the deep suburbs of Ho Chi Minh Metropolis is right for many who need to get away from the chaos of the town heart to have an genuine cultural expertise. District 9 is maybe the sleepiest district of Saigon, and Phuoc Lengthy Pagoda is positioned on the very far finish of the district, in the midst of the Dong Nai River.
Simply the journey out to the pagoda is an expertise. It’s a cool expertise to observe the interior metropolis trimmings of Saigon steadily fade away and provides solution to dust roads, patches of forest, and outdated women promoting fruit by the facet of the street. The trip ought to take about 45 minutes by taxi from District 1. For those who’re capable of drive a bike, although, I’d extremely advocate driving your self and taking a extra scenic route that avoids the freeway.
When you arrive on the financial institution of the Dong Nai River, you’ll have to take a ferry to the island with Phuoc Lengthy Pagoda on it. An outdated hand-paddled boat runs to and from the pagoda continually throughout the day each day besides holidays. Tickets value 20k VND every approach.
The pagoda itself is energetic and colourful, like one thing you’ll count on to see within the Vietnam part of Disneyworld’s Epcot Heart. It’s not as sprawling as a number of the Vietnamese pagodas I visited, but it surely was probably the most spectacular. It additionally has an added feeling of quiet and serenity because it’s on an island.
8. Crescent Mall Promenade for an Night Stroll
Most Ho Chi Minh Metropolis vacationers by no means get the prospect to go to District 7, but it surely’s a hotspot for expats due to how stunning components of the district are. It has plenty of parks and quiet avenues, and possibly probably the most attractive a part of all is the strolling promenade on Ton Dat Tien Road exterior Crescent Mall.
Observe: Ton Dat Tien Road continues on the opposite facet of the river. Be sure you begin your stroll on the Crescent Mall facet!
The promenade is at its nicest on Friday and Saturday evenings. Throughout that point, it’s closed off to visitors and is lit with delicate multi-colored lights that replicate off the river operating alongside one facet of the promenade to create a dreamy impact. The promenade results in Starlight Bridge, a strolling bridge with a rainbow of differently-colored lights lining it and cascades of water pouring from the bridge into the river.
On the opposite facet of Starlight Bridge is among the best-kept parks within the metropolis. The park comprises slender stone paths main over small ponds and weaving in between grassy hills the place you’ll be able to sit and watch the celebs. It additionally has an space the place kids can cheaply hire electrical scooters, rollerblades, or hoverboards to putter round.
9. An Dong Market for Purchasing
Most vacationers in Saigon are advised Ben Thanh Market is a superb place to purchase souvenirs and native items, but it surely’s really approach overpriced and never precisely genuine. In my travels, I’ve discovered An Dong Market in District 5 is the perfect place to truly store.
An Dong has that crowded, chaotic really feel you need from an genuine Ho Chi Minh Metropolis native market expertise. Regardless of that, although, the multi-level market continues to be orderly sufficient to the place yow will discover what you need. There’s a flooring devoted to meals items (together with cooked avenue meals, dried meals, and produce), a flooring for garments, and a flooring for artisanal items.
The meals flooring is my favourite. It gives a much bigger choice than Ben Thanh in terms of ready meals, and the costs are nowhere close to as excessive. The dried items choice can be unbelievable, with extra jerkies, preserved fruits, and Vietnamese candies than you can devour in a lifetime. I extremely advocate attempting the khô bò, Vietnamese spiced beef jerky.
The artisan’s flooring is a superb place to purchase souvenirs. They’ve small metallic sculptures of cyclos and different icons of Saigon, chopstick packing containers with hand carvings on them, rolls of Vietnamese calligraphy artwork, and far more. I obtained all of my presents for individuals again residence on this flooring.
Surrounding the parking zone of the market are a number of stalls, together with a number of tailors specializing within the conventional Vietnamese gown áo dài. If you wish to get a memento that you simply or a fortunate recipient can put on, this is among the greatest locations to do it. The áo dài you get right here shall be custom-made and would require a number of becoming periods over a number of days, so ensure you’ll be in Saigon for a number of extra days when you purchase one.
As I mentioned earlier, my favourite factor about Ho Chi Minh Metropolis is its many layers. There are many Saigon points of interest for first-time guests to entry, however I really feel like I’m able to “peel off one other layer” and discover extra new issues to do each time I’m going again. I hope this information will assist the extra adventurous amongst you to peel off a number of layers directly and get proper to the perfect actions in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis.
Some hyperlinks could also be affiliate hyperlinks, which means I could earn fee from services or products I like to recommend. For extra, see web site insurance policies.
Posted NOV 22, 2024
