Getting Around Ho Chi Minh City Attractions and Things to Do Here

Have you traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam? If yes, I hope you enjoy your trip to the city. Otherwise, I suggest you spend a visit there. It’s not just the most developed city of Vietnam, but its lively life will attract anyone who loves something vibrant. So, in case you plan to come back or firstly travel to Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon, here is some necessary info that I believe will make your journey more enjoyable and a lot of fun.

A Very Quick Catch-up About Ho Chi Minh City

What are Ho Chi Minh City Attractions?

To me, Ho Chi Minh City is more about an economic and financial hub than a tourism destination. However, there are still many places in the city that attract tourists to come.

• Many people love to visit historical sites in the city such as Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, Cu Chi Tunnel, etc. Indeed, those places are the true witnesses from Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City. At those places, visitors could learn a lot about the history of the city in particular, and the country in general.
• If you would love to go shopping, there are Vincom malls, Aeon malls around the city. You can even go to traditional markets such as Ban Co market, Cho Lon market, etc. to have an experience of local life. Also, Ho Chi Minh City has the high-end shopping mall Takashimaya right in the center of the city, with Saigon Square, the hub of super-fake products, just next by.
• A spiritual trip is a good idea to learn more about the culture. To illustrate, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Thien Hau Pagoda, Vietnam National Pagoda, and Giac Lam Pagoda are all sacred Vietnam temples and pagodas located in the city.
• In case you stay in Ho Chi Minh City for a long time, and you want to do exercise, many parks in the city such as Tao Dan Park, September 23rd Park, etc. have the tools to support you. Alongside, those are places you can easily start a conversation with the locals.

• Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Bui Vien Walking Street are the two top destinations of the city at night. Both of them are pretty much vibrant and bustle that will make you in love more with the Saigon nightlife.
• Last but not least, the nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City is the most vibrant in the whole country. Certainly, this city has top-notch bars and clubs that you will never find anywhere in the country. So your list of extreme bars and clubs will have NASA Saigon, The Commas, Chill Skybar, Bam Bam Lounge, etc.

Eat & Drink in Ho Chi Minh City

I don’t know if my taste is now familiar with Ho Chi Minh City cuisine. I always feel that the food in this city is the best. Actually, because HCMC is the biggest and most developed city, all the best ingredients and foods are primarily delivered here. Furthermore, as people from different parts of Vietnam and the world move to the city carrying their quintessence of cooking, it results in the diversity in the cuisine of HCMC. Therefore, this city has a very long list of Saigon foods and international foods that you can find anywhere.

Besides that, I think you may want to try ‘Quán nhậu’ here in the city. By definition, ‘Quán nhậu’ is similar to a restaurant, but Vietnamese people come to drink beer more than eat the food. More than that, the locals drink a lot until they are extremely drunk. Ok, in case you want to try ‘Quán nhậu’, the city has the seafood one named Rạn Biển, Lẩu Dê 404 is specialized in goat, and 5Ku has a long menu of miscellaneous foods. Alongside, you can go to Warning Zone restaurants to chill with music while enjoying the foods, or BiaCraft if you love craft beer.

On top of that, I suggest you try Vietnamese coffee. I’m so sure you will be impressed with the Robusta bean brewed in the Vietnam way. Actually, Vietnam is the home country of the Robusta bean and the top 2 exporters of coffee beans in the world. And Ho Chi Minh City is home to many coolest and nicest coffees in the country. Even though I haven’t tried all the coffee shops, here is a short list of some stores you can give a try: Trung Nguyên, The Coffee House, Là Việt Cafe, Shin Coffee, Highlands Coffee, The Workshop, Cộng Cà Phê, A’Dor, Infinity Coffee, Oromia Coffee, Katinat Saigon Kafe, etc.

Your Bucket List of 100 Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City

Definitely, the city has enough tourist destinations, restaurants, and cafes for you to plan and discover in months. Nevertheless, the below bucket list of things to do in Ho Chi Minh City will make you a true Saigonese (the way we call the residents of HCMC). Are you ready to live the Saigon life as a Vietnamese?

1. Being a friend or even in love with a Saigon boy or girl.
2. Viewing the whole city from the top of the Bitexco building.
3. Driving in Thu Thiem tunnel.
4. Watching the sunset from Phu My Bridge.
5. Trying the sidewalk coffee.
6. Renting a motorbike to roam the streets and the alleys.
7. Walking on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street.
8. Buying books on Nguyen Van Binh Street.
9. Having breakfast at Banh Mi Hoa Ma.
10. Checking in Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office.
11. Visiting Ho Chi Minh City Museum.
12. Discovering the beautiful cafes in Saigon.
13. Taking the waterbus to see the Saigon River.
14. Exploring Thao Dien area.
15. Drinking beer at midnight at Bui Vien walking street.
16. Eating snails at District 8.
17. Watching Saigon at night at Anh Sao Bridge.
18. Shopping in shopping malls.
19. One time watching performing arts at the Saigon Opera House.
20. Purchasing a souvenir and eating local foods at Ben Thanh Market.
21. Coming to Ngoc Hoang pagoda to pray.
22. Dating in Crescent Lake, District 7.
23. Partying or chilling at the clubs and bars.
24. Eating balut in district 2.
25. Eating the rice paper mixed at Nguyen Thuong Hien street, district 3.
26. Enjoying Phuc Long milk-tea.
27. Eating Phá Lấu, or beef offal in district 4.
28. Eating dim sum in district 5.
29. Trying Chaozhou rice porridge in district 6.
30. Eating fruit bowl in district 10.
31. Eating dumpling in Ha Ton Quyen street, district 11.
32. Enjoying Char siu sticky rice in Binh Thanh district.
33. Eating mixed noodles in Phu Nhuan district.
34. Trying Lam Ky Goat Hotpot in Tan Binh district.
35. Enjoying the delicious broken rice in Saigon style.
36. Eating a bowl of Nam Vang noodles soup.
37. Eating dried beef salad at Le Van Tam park.
38. Exploring district 1’s milk-tea town.
39. Eat fried flour in Vo Van Tan street, district 3.
40. Waking up early in the morning to feel the peacefulness before starting the rhythm of Saigon’s vibrant life.
41. Checking-in the alley at 144 Pasteur street.
42. Discovering the old cafe apartment of Nguyen Hue street.
43. Learning more about the history at the Independence Palace.
44. Rain bathing in the streets.
45. ​​Sitting at a cafe and watching the rain.
46. Checking-in Nguyen Hue Flower Street on Tet holiday.
47. Spending a whole day wandering the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
48. Riding motorbike around HCMC at night.
49. Tasting a bowl of sidewalk noodles.
50. Listening to early morning music at the opera house.
51. Walking at Bach Dang wharf.
52. Check-in Saigon railway station.
53. Singing karaoke with your friends.
54. Getting out to the street when the rain flooded the road.
55. Going to Ho Thi Ky flower market at 4 am.
56. Entering the Catholic area, district 8 during Christmas.
57. Strolling in the lantern street in district 5.
58. Watching the dramas at the theater.
59. Checking-in Tan Son Nhat airport.
60. Photographing at the old ferries.
61. Eating popiah.
62. Trying the racket-coffee.
63. Checking-in the Tan Dinh pink church.
64. Drinking craft beer.
65. Wandering on East-West Avenue.
66. Checking-in Landmark 81 and its area.
67. Enjoying afternoon snacks at Con Rua Lake.
68. Conquering Cu Chi tunnels.
69. Shopping for cheap clothes at Nguyen Trai night market.
70. Watching the bridges at night.
71. Eating Bún Mọc Thanh Mai at Ben Thanh market.
72. Enjoying chili chicken hotpot in District 1.
73. Eating Bánh Canh Cua at Vo Van Tan street.
74. Drinking KOI milk-tea.
75. Eating Vietnamese pancakes, aka Bánh Xèo.
76. Eating Bún Mắm.
77. Drinking beer and enjoying hot pots with friends.
78. Eating fat-grilled chicken rice.
79. Enjoying a bowl of Bánh Canh on Nguyen Thai Hoc’s sidewalk.
80. Visiting the temples and pagodas on the first and full-moon days of lunar calendar.
81. Dating in the rooftop cafes, or restaurants.
82. One day playing all the games at White Rabbit Amusement Park.
83. Kitting in District 2, or District 7.
84. Shopping at a second-hand market or Saigon Square.
85. Listening to the acoustic at tea shops or cafes.
86. Exploring the street art at OutCast and En-Dee Town.
87. Checking in the Graffiti world at the abandoned houses.
88. Visiting Chợ Lớn, or Tan Dinh market.
89. Seeing the city at the rush hour.
90. Enjoying the “traffic jam” specialty.
91. Exploring The New Playground underground shopping mall at Ly Tu Trong Street.
92. Shopping at the Takashimaya.
93. Enjoying Mười fresh milk.
94. Discovering Chinatown in Districts 5 and 6.
95. Visiting the Mien market, aka Cambodia market.
96. Eating at the food courts around the city.
97. Enjoying the grilled rice paper in Cao Thang Street, District 3.
98. Having snacks at Market 200, Xom Chieu.
99. Riding a motorbike on the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa streets.
100. Saving this checklist right away and putting Saigon in your heart!

Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City?

Unless you take a business trip to HCMC that you need to stay near the office for convenience, I suggest you stay in the center to thoroughly enjoy and experience the city. I’m certain that you will love the lively and vibrant nightlife of the center, which is never sleeping. What’s more, it won’t take you a long way to go to your bed after being drunk at a ‘Quán nhậu’ or a joyful club. And here’s your list of stays that I believe you will love considering:

Top-notch

District 1 is the main location of many luxury hotels such as Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, Caravelle Saigon, Park Hyatt Saigon, or Hotel Des Arts Saigon – MGallery. Those are all surrounded by attractive tourist sites and well-known restaurants, coffee shops.

Besides those, you can have a choice of Hotel Continental Saigon, one of the high-end hotels as well as a witness to many historical events in the city. Besides, New World Saigon Hotel is one of the first 5-star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City that I also suggest you give a try. Have you watched the movie ‘Da 5 Bloods’? They featured Hotel Majestic Saigon in the beginning. It’s good, too.

Middle-range

Don’t worry so much about your budget, in HCMC, there are always different choices of hotels for you to easily pick. In the middle range, and still, in the center, there are The Myst Dong Khoi, A&EM Art Hotel, Fusion Suites Saigon, Silverland Jolie Hotel, and Huong Sen Hotel. Many of them have breakfast included in the price in case you don’t know where to go for your morning meal.

Budget Saving

If you want to save the cost of staying for other expenses, in this range, I suggest you try Airbnb to find the homestay in the center. Not only you can find good choices with more affordable prices, but the host may also support you in cases you need help. Otherwise, you could have a good experience staying with the locals and have them share a lot of interesting stories and info about HCMC life. They are very friendly, and some of them can even get you a motorbike to discover the city yourself or cook you a local delicious dish. Honestly, you should have a try for this kind of stay!

Overall, I hope this post gives you enough info to plan a fully enjoyable trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Welcome to my home city!

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