Although Ho Chi Minh City was renamed at the end of the Vietnam War, Vietnam's largest city is still known to many as Saigon. This division is mirrored across a city that is one part modern metropolis – full of lively bars, lavish restaurants and high-end boutiques – one part colonial grandee, and one part ancient Asia, where catfish wriggle on the lids of steel drums in lunchtime markets and incense wafts from centuries-old pagodas. It’s a place that our travel specialists know and love.
Ancient streets and markets
There's Dong Khoi Street, formally Rue Catinat, running from the river to the Notre Dame Cathedral and lined with some of the city's most impressive colonial architecture. Surrounded by high-end boutique shops, galleries and smart hotels, Dong Khoi Street transports visitors back to Saigon, as it was before 1975. The centrally located Ben Thanh Market is the best place to find authentic Vietnamese street vendors. Almost anything that's eaten, worn or used by locals is available here, including vegetables, meats, spices, sweets, tobacco, clothing and hardware. You’ll also find a range of souvenirs, from conical hats to bullet-case key rings. It's one of the city's largest and oldest markets and is a cultural hot spot and social meeting place for many of Saigon's residents. A walking tour is an excellent way of familiarising yourself with Ho Chi Minh’s buzzing streets – speak to our specialists for more information.
Fruit seller, Ho Chi Minh City
The Chinese section of Ho Chi Minh is home to vibrant markets and a number of the city's landmarks, including the 19th century Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the Lady of the Sea. Yet, as the symbol of Saigon's French legacy, Notre Dame Cathedral holds centre stage. The twin-spire, red-brick cathedral was built in the late 1800s, supposedly using materials sourced only from France, and as recently as 2005 reports spread across the Catholic world that the statue of the Virgin Mary in the square outside had shed a tear. The city’s Central Post Office is also classically French –you’ll find both buildings at the end of Dong Khoi Street, in the heart of the city.
Notre Dame, Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam’s wartime legacy
Perhaps one of the most iconic images of the Vietnam War was that of a North Vietnamese tank smashing through the gates of the Reunification Hall, formerly the Presidential Palace. It is now a museum, preserved just as it was found in 1975. The War Remnants Museum is one of the most popular museums in Ho Chi Minh City, its exhibits displaying the effects of various chemical warheads used by the United States during the war. And, just a short distance from the city are the notorious Cu Chi Tunnels, developed by the Viet Cong to attack US forces during the Vietnam War. The tunnels were used as supply routes, hospitals and sleeping quarters, and are undoubtedly one of the reasons for the eventual defeat and withdrawal of US troops. A visit to Ho Chi Minh is not complete without seeing them – no matter how sobering.
Cu Chi Tunnels