Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Ho Chi Minh City — renamed in 1976, still universally called Saigon by locals — is Vietnam's largest city with about 9 million people in the inner city and over 14 million in the broader metropolitan area. It's the commercial and financial centre, more international-facing and more frenetic than Hanoi.

The basic layout

HCMC has 24 districts, numbered (District 1, 2, 3…) and named (Bình Thạnh, Phú Nhuận, Tân Bình…). Useful ones to know:

• District 1 — the historic core, French colonial architecture, government buildings, the major hotels and tourist sights, Bến Thành market.
• District 3 — pleasant residential streets, Tao Đàn park, some excellent restaurants.
• District 5 (Chợ Lớn) — the historic Chinese quarter, dense markets, Cantonese food, Thien Hậu temple.
• District 2 / Thảo Điền — expat enclave, international restaurants, river views.
• Bình Thạnh / Phú Nhuận — middle-class residential districts, increasingly trendy.
• Tân Bình — airport district.

What to see

• Reunification Palace (former Independence Palace) — preserved as it was on 30 April 1975 when North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates.
• War Remnants Museum — sobering, very well-presented account of the American war from the Vietnamese perspective.
• Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica — French-built 1880, currently under restoration.
• Central Post Office — built 1891, designed in the style of (but not by) Gustave Eiffel.
• Bến Thành Market — central market, food court upstairs is decent.
• Saigon Opera House — French colonial, performances most nights.
• Cu Chi Tunnels — day trip, ~70 km north of city. War-era Việt Cộng tunnel network.
• Mekong Delta day trip — Mỹ Tho or Bến Tre is the standard. For a real delta experience, go for an overnight to Cần Thơ.

Food highlights

The south's food culture is exuberant, sweeter, and more diverse than the north's:

• Cơm tấm — broken-rice plate with grilled pork chop, the classic Saigon lunch.
• Bánh xèo — large turmeric rice-flour crepe with shrimp and pork.
• Phở — southern style, sweet broth, big garnish plate. See: Phở
• Hủ tiếu — Sino-Vietnamese noodle soup.
• Bánh mì — bánh mì culture is at its peak here. See: Bánh mì
• Cà phê sữa đá — the iced milk-coffee that defines Vietnamese coffee for most foreigners.
• Chợ Lớn Cantonese food — Hủ Tiếu Hồ, dim sum, Hoa specialty restaurants.

Getting around

• Grab / Be / Xanh SM — universal ride-hailing. Cars and motorbikes. Use these instead of street taxis. See: Taxi scams
• HCMC Metro Line 1 — opened December 2024; runs from Bến Thành to Suối Tiên. Line 2 partially under construction. Useful for the eastern axis.
• Walking — the heat and traffic make this less pleasant than in Hanoi, but District 1 is doable.
• Buses — extensive network, AC, cheap. Useful once you figure them out.

When to visit

• Dry season (Nov–Apr) — best weather. December–January is mild and dry.
• Wet season (May–Oct) — daily afternoon downpours, but predictable. Lush, fewer crowds.
• Temperatures range 25–35°C year-round.

How it differs from Hanoi

• HCMC is bigger, hotter, more commercial, more international.
• Saigon Vietnamese is the southern accent — softer, slower, merges two tones.
• More French-era architecture has survived.
• More 24-hour culture — Hanoi sleeps earlier.
• More Western food, expat-oriented bars, English signage.
• Less historic depth (HCMC is essentially a 19th-century French foundation; Hanoi is a millennium old).

Where to stay

• District 1 for first-time visitors — close to everything, lots of choice.
• District 3 for a quieter, residential feel.
• Thảo Điền (District 2) for upmarket international atmosphere.
• Phạm Ngũ Lão / Bùi Viện — backpacker street, loud bars, cheap rooms.