Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon): a 2026 travel guide

Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam's largest city and the gateway to the south. Until 1976 it was called Saigon, and locals still call it that. Almost 10 million people live here, more than 13 million in the wider metro area. It isn't a beach resort or a quiet old town — it's a loud commercial megacity you come to for the food, the buildings and the trips out, not for the sand.

Information current as of July 2026. USD figures use a rate of roughly 26,000 VND = $1 — always confirm the live rate and prices on the ground, since they change.

French colonial villas stand shoulder to shoulder with skyscrapers, Buddhist pagodas sit across the street from rooftop bars, and pho stalls with 70 years of history share a block with Michelin restaurants. In December 2024 the country's first metro line opened here. The city changes fast.

This is the orientation guide. It answers the big questions — what the city is, whether it's for you, and how to plan a trip: districts, transport, budget, season and a rough itinerary. Each topic has its own deeper guide, linked as you go: what to see, food, hotels, prices.

What kind of city is it, and is it for you

The short version: Saigon is big, hot and chaotic. It runs on energy, food, colonial architecture and nightlife, not on peace and quiet. There's no beach in the city, the air can be rough on some days, crossing the road is a skill you learn, and taxi touts at the airport will try their luck. If that sounds like fun (or at least doesn't scare you), you'll love it. If you want calm and coastline, treat it as a 2-3 day stopover and head for the sea.

• Come if you like big cities, street food and history, and want a base for the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta.
• 2-3 days is plenty if you're heading on to the beaches (Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Mui Ne) and only need the city as an entry point.
• You could live here: cheap food, fast internet and coworking make it a strong base for remote workers — see the districts below.

From Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City — a short history

Before the 17th century, a small Khmer village sat on the bank of the Saigon River. Vietnamese settlers arrived in the late 1600s, and by the 18th century Saigon had grown into a busy trading port.

The French took over in 1859, made Saigon the capital of Cochinchina and laid out boulevards, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the central post office — the buildings that are now the postcard shots. They nicknamed it the "Paris of the East," and the colonial quarter still earns the name.

On 30 April 1975 Saigon fell, and the city was renamed after Ho Chi Minh. But southerners never really took to the new name — in conversation everyone says "Saigon." The airport code is still SGN, for Saigon.

The national capital is Hanoi, up north. But the money moves here: Ho Chi Minh City accounts for over 40% of the country's industrial output and a third of its GDP.

According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the city generates around 23% of national GDP and draws more than 60% of foreign direct investment.

Districts — where to stay and where to live

On paper the city has 22 districts (quận). As a traveller or expat you only need 5-6 of them. Which one comes down to your budget and why you came.

District 1 — the historic centre

Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market — all within walking distance. Plus the best hotels, restaurants and malls in the city.

Best for: first-time visitors and business travellers.

Key streets:

• Dong Khoi— the main "shop-window" street of boutiques and hotels
• Nguyen Hue — the pedestrian boulevard, an evening stroll
• Bui Vien — the backpacker street of bars and street food
• Pham Ngu Lao — budget hotels and hostels

Prices: hotels from ~$19/night (3-star), ~$69/night (5-star). Apartment rent from ~$400/month. Note that most mid-range and upmarket places take cards, but street stalls and small shops are cash-only, so keep some dong on you.

Downsides: the most expensive district, noisy, with traffic that sits for hours.

District 3 — quieter and cheaper

It borders District 1, so the sights are a walk away. Greener, calmer, and with far more local cafes than tourist ones. The War Remnants Museum, in fact, technically sits here.

Best for: being close to the centre without the crowds or the markup.

Prices: rent from ~$300/month. Hotels run 20-30% cheaper than in District 1.

Upsides: leafy streets, real Vietnamese food, a 5-minute motorbike ride to District 1.

District 2 (Thao Dien) — the expat district

Thao Dien, 10 km from the centre, is where most of the city's foreigners live. International schools, cafes serving oat-milk lattes, coworking spaces, yoga studios, craft breweries. People sometimes call it "Little Australia."

Best for: remote workers, digital nomads, expats and families.

Prices:rent from ~$350-500/month. The cost of living runs higher thanks to "expat pricing" in the venues.

Upsides: quiet, long-stay infrastructure, coworking spaces like The Hive and Toong.

💬 "Thao Dien is the heart of the expat community: tree-lined streets packed with cafes, restaurants, coworking spaces and shops. The catch is the 'expat bubble' — it's easy to end up mixing only with other foreigners." — from a review on Expat Arrivals, 2025

District 7 (Phu My Hung) — the family district

Built from scratch in the early 2000s on Korean and Japanese blueprints. Wide boulevards, parks, modern malls. It feels like a different city.

Best for: families and long stays.

Prices: rent from ~$400/month.

Upsides: safe, clean, parks and schools. Crescent Mall and Starlight Bridge are pleasant places to walk.

District 5 (Chinatown / Chợ Lớn) — colour and food

Vietnam's largest Chinatown. Binh Tay Market (the biggest in the city), Taoist temples, traditional apothecaries and the best Chinese-Vietnamese food around. Barely any tourists — just locals.

Best for: anyone after a real Asian city and food for next to nothing.

Binh Thanh — the Landmark 81 district

Just north of District 1. This is where Landmark 81 stands — the tallest building in Vietnam (461 m). Beside it, the Saigon River promenade and the Vinhomes Central Park development, with its park and pools.

According to Asia Lifestyle Magazine and Expat.com, a comfortable single life in Ho Chi Minh City runs $900-1,800 a month. Rent eats the biggest share; food, on the other hand, is gloriously cheap.

Getting to Ho Chi Minh City

Flights

Ho Chi Minh City is a major regional hub, with direct connections across Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia and the Middle East. From Europe and North America you'll usually connect once — via Bangkok, Singapore, Doha, Dubai or Istanbul. Book 2-3 months out and travel in the low season (May-September) for the cheapest fares. More on routes and fares in the flights guide.

Visas — check by passport

Entry rules depend on your nationality. Many passports get 45 days visa-free; most others need an e-visa, which is quick to apply for online at the official portal evisa.gov.vn before you fly. Always confirm the current rule for your passport — the visa-free list changes.

Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN)

Just ~7 km from the centre — one of the closest airports to a downtown in all of Southeast Asia. Close on the map, but traffic can turn the drive into 30-60 minutes, so leave a buffer. Two terminals: international (T2, newer) and domestic (T1).

A new airport, Long Thanh, is being finished 40 km to the east. It took its first flight in late 2025, with a commercial launch of the first phase due by late 2026 and further phases to follow. In time it will take most international flights, connected by a dedicated metro branch and an expressway.

Getting around the city

7.5 million motorbikes. The traffic looks like chaos but runs on its own logic; you get used to it in a couple of days. Here's how to move.

The metro (Line 1) — open since 2024

On 22 December 2024 the first line opened: 19.7 km from Ben Thanh (central, by the market) to Suoi Tien (the eastern suburbs). 14 stations, trains every 8 minutes at peak.

For now it's the only way to skip the jams out to the eastern districts. Ben Thanh will become the interchange. Line 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong) is under construction, due around 2030.

In its first year Line 1 carried more than 20 million passengers (JICA). TIMEput the city's metro on its list of the 100 greatest places in the world for 2025.

💬 "The metro is a pleasant shock: clean stations, air conditioning, trains every 8 minutes. The ride from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien is 15,000 VND (~$0.60), a day pass 40,000 VND (~$1.60). At rush hour it really is faster than Grab." — rider review, 2025

Grab and taxis

Grab is the app everyone uses — GrabCar for a car, GrabBike for a motorbike taxi. The bike is cheaper and immune to traffic, but awkward with a suitcase. Pay in the app by card, or cash to the driver; both work.

Buses and the river bus

Over 100 routes, tickets 6,000-10,000 VND (~$0.25-0.40). The buses are air-conditioned, but signs are in Vietnamese only — Google Maps bails you out.

The river bus along the Saigon River is a way to dodge the traffic and see the city from the water. From 15,000 VND (~$0.60).

More on routes, passes and tricks in the transport guide.

Renting a motorbike

150,000-250,000 VND/day (~$6-10). You need a Vietnamese licence (or an International Driving Permit that covers motorbikes). Traffic here is denser than in Hanoi — if you haven't ridden in Asia before, don't make this your first time.

Getting from the city to elsewhere in Vietnam

The nearest beach escape is Vung Tau (a 1.5-hour hydrofoil). The most popular day trip out of the city is the Mekong Delta: boats, fruit orchards and floating markets.

What to see and where to day-trip

From colonial architecture to the Cu Chi Tunnels, there are dozens of sights. The classics cluster in District 1, so you can knock out the highlights in a day and save trips like the tunnels and the Mekong for a second. This is the quick overview; the full rundown with prices and routes is in the attractions guide, guided trips are in the tours guide, and evening options are in the entertainment guide.

The colonial quarter

Saigon's French heritage is concentrated in District 1. The key buildings are all within walking distance of one another — you can cover them in half a day.

Notre-Dame Cathedral— Vietnam's main Catholic cathedral, 1880, built from Marseille brick, with two 58-metre bell towers. Under restoration since 2017, but the facade is open. Free.

The Central Post Office— high vaults, arched windows, a portrait of Ho Chi Minh on the far wall. It's a working post office, so you can actually send a postcard home. Free, 07:00-19:00.

City Hall (1908, French Renaissance). No entry inside, but the floodlit facade at night is one of the best photo spots in town.

The Opera House — neoclassical, early 20th century. You only see the interior during a show. It hosts the A O Show, a contemporary circus about Vietnam (from 700,000 VND, ~$28).

History museums

The Reunification Palace — the former Independence Palace. In the courtyard stand the very tanks that crashed through the gates in 1975. Inside: meeting rooms, bunkers, a helipad on the roof. All left as it was.

The War Remnants Museum— the Vietnam War told from the Vietnamese side. Photographs, hardware, documents. It's an emotionally heavy museum, and the exhibits are graphic — not one for small children. For many travellers it's the single most affecting stop in the city.

💬 "The museum plunges you into the raw, unvarnished history of the Vietnam War through the eyes of those who lived it. It's not a 'pleasant' visit, but one of the most powerful experiences of the whole trip. Allow 1.5-2 hours — longer is hard to take emotionally." — visitor experience, Tripadvisor, 2025

Viewpoints

Bitexco Financial Tower (Saigon Skydeck) — the lotus-shaped tower, 262 m. The observation deck is on the 49th floor: a 360-degree panorama, 200,000 VND (~$8). One floor up is the EON Heli Bar on the former helipad, cocktails from 250,000 VND (~$10).

Landmark 81 Skyview — 461 m, 81 floors. The deck spans floors 79-81: 450,000 VND (~$18). Only worth it on a clear day.

Per reviews on Tripadvisor, the best time is at sunset or in the evening, when the city lights up.

Temples and pagodas

The Jade Emperor Pagoda(1909) — a Taoist temple with wood carvings and a turtle pond. It's a working temple, so keep it quiet. Free.

Tan Dinh Church (1876) — a bright-pink Gothic facade, the second-largest church in the city. A permanent fixture of Instagram feeds.

Giac Lam Pagoda (1744) — the oldest pagoda in the city.

The street food alone justifies the trip. For a proper crash course in the crispy southern crepe, see our guide to banh xeo, and for the local way to drink cheap draught beer with the crowd, our take on bia hoi.

Day trips: Cu Chi and the Mekong

The two trips out are what pull most people to Saigon beyond the city itself. The Cu Chi Tunnels — the wartime guerrilla network 40 km out — take half a day. The Mekong Delta — boats, fruit orchards and floating markets, 1.5-2 hours away — takes a full day. Both are easy to book as a tour straight from your hotel.

When to go, budget and a 2-3 day plan

When to go

The south has two seasons. The dry season (December to April) is the best window: sun, little rain — though March to May gets brutally hot, up to 38-40 C. The wet season (May to November) brings short afternoon downpours, greenery and fewer crowds; the rain rarely wrecks a day if you keep an umbrella handy. More in the weather guide.

What a day costs

Rough per-person figures, flights aside: backpacker from ~$35 a day; mid-range $55-95; a 4-5-star hotel with taxis everywhere from ~$115. Food is cheap; accommodation and tours take the biggest bite. Full breakdown in the prices guide.

A 2-3 day plan

A skeleton that works; the detail on each stop is in the linked guides.

1. Day 1 — the centre (District 1). Notre-Dame and the post office, the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, a pho lunch, Ben Thanh Market, then the Nguyen Hue walking street and bars on Bui Vien in the evening. Detail in the attractions and nightlife guides.
2. Day 2 — a trip out. Cu Chi for half a day, or the Mekong for a full one; a rooftop bar or a massage (see spa) in the evening.
3. Day 3 — your call. Cholon (District 5) and its markets, shopping (shopping guide), a street-food crawl (food), or the Landmark 81 deck. Practicalities — SIM, pharmacies, money — are in the tips and FAQ.

Key points on the map

An interactive map with districts, landmarks and routes is in the detailed map guide. For honest first-hand impressions, see the reviews.

• Ben Thanh Market (Chợ Bến Thành): The city's main market — District 1
• Notre-Dame Cathedral (Nhà thờ Đức Bà): Icon of colonial Saigon — District 1
• War Remnants Museum (Bảo tàng Chứng tích Chiến tranh): 40,000 VND (~$1.60) | District 3
• Bui Vien (Bùi Viện): Backpacker street — Bars and street food
• Landmark 81 (Landmark 81 Skyview): Tallest building in Vietnam — 461 m, 81 floors
• Cholon (Chinatown) (Chợ Lớn): The Chinese quarter — District 5