Ho Chi Minh City - why go, how to get there, what to see, where to stay

General information about Ho Chi Minh City and why go here on vacation

Some believe that tourists who have visited Vietnam are divided into those who love Hanoi and those who love Ho Chi Minh City. Perhaps that's really true, and you can only understand which category you belong to when you have been to both.

Ho Chi Minh City (Ho Chi Minh city) - the official name of the city since 1976. This name is mainly used in official documents, signs, addresses, and schedules. But for the population of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is still the good old Saigon, and few locals use the new name in colloquial speech. It is the largest city in Vietnam (over 7.5 million inhabitants) and the economic capital of the country (about 300,000 enterprises).

For those who have never been here, Saigon may seem like a boring industrial city, unremarkable for tourists. But there are also those who come here specifically to immerse themselves in its bustle, wander through shopping centers, stroll through the rows of Ben Thanh Market, visit numerous parks and squares, spend carefree evenings in cafes, restaurants, and bars in the tourist district, and go to the most fun street in Vietnam, Bui Vien, in the evening.

There are also several historical architectural monuments, famous places, museums, and temples here. Images of exoticism and everyday life are everywhere - street markets where people bargain and make deals, sidewalk cafes whose speakers fill the surrounding streets with music; clean new pubs where tourists chat over a mug of beer with peanuts and a huge bowl of Pho soup. We also belong to those who love Ho Chi Minh City and always spend several days here with pleasure at the beginning or end of our travels in Vietnam.

Saigon is also a convenient transit point for tourists heading to the southern Vietnamese resorts of Phan Thiet and Mui Ne, Phu Quoc Island or Vung Tau.

From Saigon, you can go to almost every corner of Vietnam, and not only. Numerous excursions in the vicinity of Ho Chi Minh City, to the Mekong Delta, to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand can be bought for several tens of dollars. In Saigon itself, you will have no problems visiting attractions and places of relaxation: a developed network of public transport, an abundance of taxis and motorbike taxis will allow you to get from the airport to your hotel doorstep literally for a few dong right after arriving in the country.

Of course, Ho Chi Minh City is not yet Bangkok with its ultra-modern discos and nightlife madness, but who knows what will be here in a few more years. Anyway, we firmly believe that a few days stolen from your vacation are clearly worth visiting the city.

In summer and winter, time in Vietnam is +4 hours ahead of Moscow time.

Our videos about Ho Chi Minh City

If you prefer watching videos instead of reading or didn't understand something from our guides, then for you we have made many thematic videos about Ho Chi Minh City:

• Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City and where definitely not to shop
• Hotel review in Ho Chi Minh City - try to guess the price (revealed at the end)
• The most happening place in all of Vietnam – Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City
• What to see in Ho Chi Minh City - Independence (Reunification) Palace
• What to see in Ho Chi Minh City - Landmark 81 tower and Vinhomes Park
• What to see in Ho Chi Minh City - Jade Emperor Pagoda
• What to see in Ho Chi Minh City – War Remnants Museum
• What to see in Ho Chi Minh City – Women's Museum

Infrastructure in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is the most developed city in Vietnam, even more developed than the capital Hanoi. So about infrastructure, we can say in one phrase: there is everything here.

Perhaps it's worth talking a little more about tourist infrastructure and where to find it. In general, Ho Chi Minh City is a very friendly and convenient city for tourists. There is even a tourist district where everything a tourist or traveler might need is concentrated: hotels of different categories, transport rental, currency exchange, travel agencies with excursions, bus and train ticket sales. You can find all this almost anywhere in the tourist district known as District №1 (tourist district on the map). But the highest concentration of everything is on the famous Pham Ngu Lao Street (Pham Ngu Lao on the map). If you need to buy tickets, excursions, rent a motorbike, buy a SIM card, you can go straight here.

As for currency exchange, shopping, and dining, that's a different story, and you can find better and more profitable places than Pham Ngu Lao Street and the tourist district in general. We'll tell you everything now:

Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is an excellent and very convenient place to do some shopping before flying home. After all, it is the financial capital of Vietnam, so shopping is quite well developed here. However, there are some peculiarities worth knowing about.

We have a detailed guide on what to bring from Vietnam here... We advise you to read it first, it has everything. As for the specifics of shopping in Ho Chi Minh City, based on our personal experience, we believe it makes sense to buy sports and outdoor clothing, souvenirs, coffee and tea, exotic fruits to bring home, exotic products (fish and soy sauce, rice paper, rice noodles, sticky rice), balms and cosmetics, and jewelry here.

You can shop here in shopping malls, hypermarkets and supermarkets, and markets. Here are the most popular and convenient places for shopping:

• Ben Thanh Market (Cho Ben Thanh) - one of the oldest markets in Ho Chi Minh City and the most popular among tourists; no guest of the city misses it. However, prices for goods here have simply become astronomical in recent years, often inflated by 3-4 times compared to neighboring stores and supermarkets, so you need to bargain here. Ben Thanh is located in the city center (Ben Thanh Market on the map).

• Russian Market - a large clothing market in Ho Chi Minh City, known for selling warm Russian clothing. There is also a lot of clothing under the North Face brand. Located within walking distance from the tourist district and Pham Ngu Lao Street (market on the map).

• Dan Sinh Market (American Market) - one of the most unusual and interesting markets for tourists in central Ho Chi Minh City. It's simply a paradise for lovers of vintage rarities. Especially interesting here for lovers of military-style clothing and accessories. Many items with Soviet symbols, with original inscriptions "Made in USSR". Located in the city center, a 15-minute walk from the tourist district and Pham Ngu Lao Street (American Market on the map).

• Local Thai Binh Market - a real local market in the center of Ho Chi Minh City's tourist district. Unlike the promoted Ben Thanh Market, it is aimed at local residents, so prices here are much lower. Located in central Ho Chi Minh City in the tourist district at the end of the tourist street Pham Ngu Lao (Thai Binh Market on the map).

• Co.Op Mart – not very big, but a decent supermarket for buying fruits, coffee, tea, sticky rice, various "goodies". There is a small selection of alcohol, but very little local. Prices here are lower than at Ben Thanh Market, but maybe a bit higher than at Thai Binh Market. We always shop here before departure. Located within walking distance from the tourist district (Co.Op Mart on the map).

• Saigon Centre or Takashimaya Ho Chi Minh City Mall – a modern shopping mall in the center, relatively clean and convenient. On the lower floor, there is a large supermarket with a huge selection of local products, including alcohol, but mostly foreign. Located within walking distance from the tourist district (Takashimaya on the map).

• Saigon Square Mall – one of the oldest shopping malls in the center, not in the sense that it's bad, but it has been operating for a very long time. You can buy inexpensive souvenirs and clothing here. In general, nothing special, but if you pass by, you can drop in. Located next to Takashimaya (Saigon Square on the map).

• Van Hanh Mall – a huge multi-story shopping mall. Inside there is a Decathlon and a hypermarket. Located several kilometers from the center, better to go by taxi or bus (Van Hanh Mall on the map).

• Vincom Center Mall. A new modern shopping mall with a supermarket, boutiques, and entertainment. There is an ice rink, cinema, and gaming attractions here. Located far from the center in the elite Landmark district; you need to get here by taxi, bus, or metro (Vincom Center on the map). We would not advise going to this mall purposefully from the center, but if you stay in this area or go to the observation deck of Landmark 81 tower, you can drop in.

We told everything in more detail about shopping in Ho Chi Minh City here.

Where and what to eat in Ho Chi Minh City (with prices)

In Ho Chi Minh City, as everywhere in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia in general, it is not customary to cook at home, so street food, cafes, and restaurants are very developed. You can eat inexpensively and tasty here at any time of day, and relatively inexpensively. However, if we talk about the lower limit for budget travelers, the prices for street fast food and dining in local cafes here are still noticeably higher than even at popular coastal resorts and islands. But if you prefer to eat in tourist cafes and restaurants, you will hardly feel the difference.

In Ho Chi Minh City, you can find cuisine from any part of the world. There is even Russian cuisine, for example, in the well-known cafe "Back to the USSR". Seafood restaurants with aquariums like on the coast are not very common here.

There are many cafes and restaurants here, especially in the tourist district on almost all its streets and alleys. You can eat here from 120,000 dong for a simple rice dish with chicken, beer and soft drinks from 30,000 dong. If you move a little away from the tourist district to quieter streets, you can already eat from 50,000 dong per dish + drinks from 15,000. But this is specifically for the simplest dishes for everyday meals, and if you want seafood, hotpot, European cuisine, Japanese, etc., you will have to spend from 300,000 per dish.

During daytime walks, you can snack on street fast food from carts. For example, the traditional Banh Mi bun with chicken filling costs from 15,000 in non-touristy places, and twice as much on tourist streets. And for example, such a fried banana in batter costs 10,000 dong:

If you want to have a feast for your taste buds, be sure to go to the evening food court "Ben Nghe Street Food", it is a 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market, here it is on the map. This is a very cool place in terms of variety of authentic Vietnamese food from different regions, there are always a lot of tourists here. Prices here are very high even compared to cafes in the tourist district, but it's worth going once to treat yourself.

Another food court popular with tourists is located in the northern part of Ben Thanh Market. The price there, although somewhat lower than in Ben Nghe, is also not low. And overall, we didn't really like it here, but maybe that's subjective.

Finally, if you are a little tired of street and Vietnamese food, you can go eat at one of the chain restaurants. There is McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Korean Lotteria, Filipino Jollibee here. You can find the nearest fast-food chain restaurant on the Google map, there are really a lot of them here.

In summary, regarding food expenses in Ho Chi Minh City, we can say this:

• If you are on a low budget and willing to eat street fast food and dine in local cafes, you can easily get by with spending from 200,000 dong per person per day / 7.6 USD.
• If you want to treat yourself to a variety of dishes and drinks, not refuse alcohol and seafood, then plan at least 600,000 dong per person per day / 22.79 USD.

Internet and mobile communication in Ho Chi Minh City, where to buy a SIM card

Russian mobile operators work in Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, but using international roaming can be very expensive. To avoid unexpected expenses, study your operator's tariffs in advance and connect special options for savings. Note that most Russian operators deduct a fee for using roaming per day by default, even for receiving a call or transmitting the first byte of data. This cannot be canceled, so if you do not plan to use roaming, disable data transfer at the airport or remove the SIM card to avoid accidental deductions.

As for buying a local SIM card, there are two options:

• Tourist SIM card – already configured and registered to another person. This is convenient but more expensive and not very reliable if you need a SIM for a long time.
• Prepaid SIM card – registered to you with your passport according to local tariffs. This is cheaper but requires time to register.

Tourist SIM cards can be bought at travel agencies, trade stalls, or at Ho Chi Minh City Airport upon arrival. Usually, options for 7, 10, or 14 days with different internet volumes are offered. The minimum price is about 150,000 dong for a 7-day card, but more often offers start from 200,000 dong.

Prepaid SIM cards unlike "tourist" ones, are registered to you with your passport. They are at least twice cheaper, but the savings are especially noticeable with long-term use for a month or more. You can buy such a SIM card at official offices of cellular operators under the signs Viettel, Vinaphone or Mobifone in the center; they are not sold at the airport. In the tourist district, there is at least one large Mobifone office; we bought a SIM card there last time, here it is on the map.

It's not necessary to take a lot of internet. Based on our experience of active travel, we know that together with hotel WiFi (which is available almost everywhere), we rarely went beyond 30GB for 30 days of travel. Currently, tariffs with daily limits are popular in Vietnam, i.e., when the tariff is valid for 30 days, and each day several gigabytes are given, which do not carry over to the next day. For example, last time we took 6GB/day, and that's a lot; we almost never exceeded 2GB/day on two devices, so you can safely take such a tariff.

We told everything in more detail about mobile communication and internet in Vietnam, which tariff to choose, where to buy a SIM card, here... We advise you to read it before deciding what to buy.

Where to exchange currency, bank cards and ATMs in Ho Chi Minh City

In Ho Chi Minh City, you can easily exchange dollars, euros, yuan, and if you want, you can even exchange rubles, but it's very unprofitable. Ho Chi Minh City generally has one of the highest exchange rates in Vietnam if you exchange cash in the right places. And you can also withdraw money from Russian Mir cards here.

During our travels, we always try to exchange money in Ho Chi Minh City in one specific place (where, we tell below), and only then travel further around the country. Of course, this option is not suitable for everyone, it depends on your route, nevertheless, read on carefully, and you will know everything:

• Cashless ruble exchange. Caution!

  As for rubles, exchanging cashless rubles through Telegram chats is now popular. According to this scheme, you transfer rubles to someone's Russian card, and receive cash dong. And although this exchange topic is very actively promoted by "exchangers" on Telegram, sometimes even writing in private messages to participants of thematic chats and offering supposedly incredibly favorable conditions, we advise to be careful about this.

  In fact, no matter how many times we tried and calculated such exchange options, it always turned out that exchanging through dollars or euros was more profitable at the moment. Even exchanging cash dollars, these "exchangers" offer at a noticeably less favorable rate than at street exchange offices and banks. Even their own initially announced rate in chats they lower in correspondence when they find out that you need to exchange not thousands of dollars, but only a few hundred. And finally, don't forget that there are cases of fraud, including the "triangle" scheme. We advise you to read more on this topic in our updated article about money in Vietnam with calculations, and only then decide whether to get involved.

• Where to exchange cash

  There are many exchange offices in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in the tourist district. Mostly a good rate is offered for dollars, slightly less favorable for euros (but the difference is insignificant). They also accept yuan, Thai baht, Korean won, Philippine pesos, Malaysian ringgit, and other currencies, but we counted and compared, the result is noticeably lower.

  You can exchange at banks, exchange offices, or in jewelry stores and workshops. On the tourist street Pham Ngu Lao, on Bui Vien Street, and in the alleys of the tourist district, they exchange almost at every step: in travel agencies, official exchange offices, just in trade stalls. You don't have to look for a big sign; often these are just advertisements on a piece of paper glued to the doors of an establishment, or stands with exchange rates placed on the sidewalk. Rates differ, you need to walk around and compare.

  But the most favorable exchange rate in Vietnam can traditionally be found in jewelry workshops. Moreover, there is such a phenomenon that in jewelry stores and exchange offices, the purchase rate for currency can be higher than the official market rate.

  Overall, the exchange rate for dollars and euros here is acceptable compared to the center of Ho Chi Minh City and with resorts. Here is real information about US dollar rates at one moment for comparison.

  • Rate at the airport - 25,200 dong
  • Official market rate - 25,293 dong (0.36% higher than at the airport)
  • Rate at exchange offices in the tourist district of Ho Chi Minh City – 25,300 dong (0.39% higher than at the airport)
  • Rate at jewelry stores in the tourist district of Ho Chi Minh City - 25,500 dong (1.19% higher than at the airport)

  Moreover, such a ratio has been preserved from our experience of traveling to Vietnam since at least 2011, that is, this is not a one-time story. So the algorithm for a favorable exchange rate is quite simple: look at the official exchange rate by querying a search engine, for example Google, or on our currency page, and if you are offered an exchange higher than the official one, you can safely exchange. If they offer lower, then it makes sense to look further.

  And here is the jewelry store where we have been exchanging money many times for many years, and the rate there is always consistently high - Kim Mai Jewelry Shop (jewelry shop on the map). This is in no case an advertisement, but personal experience. But, of course, you need to understand that with any exchange there is a risk of being deceived or simply making a mistake, so be careful.

  As for exchanging currency at the airport upon arrival, the rate there is basically acceptable, see the comparison above. You can safely exchange a hundred dollars there upon arrival for a taxi, buying a SIM card, etc., and then exchange the main amount in the tourist district. Exchange offices at the airport are in the arrival hall, where you will arrive after passport and customs control. Private exchangers "hang out" on the street at the exit from the international terminal near car rental and taxi counters, and you can even exchange at these counters. Moreover, you can even bargain with them. So you can look at the rate at official exchange offices, then approach them and bargain for a better one.

• Do they accept old dollars in Ho Chi Minh City

  Contrary to what is written in the media and told by consultants in travel agencies, old-style dollars without the blue security strip are accepted. Of course, there are exchange offices that accept old-style dollars at a reduced rate by 300-500 dong, and some may refuse to accept altogether, but this is not a problem at all: just go around several exchange offices and jewelry stores, and you will exchange everything.

  But important! The bills must be in perfect condition, the same applies to bills of new years of issue. If there are creases, folds, tears, wear, or marks, they may not be accepted at all or will be taken with a large discount.

• ATMs and cards

  You can bring UnionPay cards and Mir cards to Vietnam; they work here for payment and for cash withdrawal. But don't rush to rejoice, there are peculiarities here.

  UnionPay cards in Vietnam now only work from one major bank – Rosselkhozbank. All other UnionPay cards issued earlier, including Gazprombank, Russian Standard, and Tinkoff, no longer work. RSKHB issues free cards in rubles and yuan, service is also free under certain conditions. But using a ruble card is not very profitable. We made test purchases and calculations many times; in the end, the loss from rubles to dong through the card came out to 4-6% compared to exchange through cash. And if you withdraw cash from it, then in addition to these losses, there will also be considerable commissions for cash withdrawal at third-party ATMs and the commission of the Vietnamese ATM. So we advise using such cards only as a backup option during travel, and if possible, bring cash dollars or euros with you. Or even better, apply for UnionPay at RSKHB in yuan currency, it will be much more profitable.

  

  As for Mir cards, it's even more complicated and sadder. "Mir" works only in ATMs and payment terminals of VRB bank (Vietnam-Russian Bank), all other banks in Vietnam do not accept them due to sanctions. There is a list with addresses of trade points and ATMs on the VRB bank website where they work, it is posted here as a PDF file. This list has store names and addresses, but there is no geographical map with the location of these stores. So for paying for purchases, the effectiveness of using "Mir" tends to zero.

  You can withdraw cash with "Mir" again only at VRB ATMs, and there are not many of them. Fortunately, there are two such in Ho Chi Minh City. Their addresses are in the list at the link above (on the last page List of MIR card accepting ATM nationwide), but it's much easier to find them on Google map by searching for VRB ATM VIETNAM, only look carefully, as the map "highlights" some other ATMs by mistake. Conditions are as follows*:

  • At VRB, you can withdraw up to 2,000,000 or 5,000,000 dong per transaction (approximately 75.97-190 USD), the commission from the VRB bank side for two transactions per day is not charged.
  • Your Russian bank will also charge a commission for withdrawal at a third-party bank and abroad; its size needs to be clarified in the card tariff. The commission may not be charged if you have a subscription, premium options or tariffs included at the bank, or simply due to a bank promotion. Again, all this needs to be clarified with the Russian bank that issued the card.
  • Debit occurs at the official exchange rate of the Bank of Russia + commission up to 4.9%.

  

  We tested cash withdrawals at a VRB bank ATM several times and calculated everything. The result was so-so: losses about 6% compared to cash. On one hand, 6% seems very little, and that's really true for small amounts, which is suitable for a short vacation with small cash expenses. But on the other hand, if you have a long journey and need a lot of cash, it turns out that from 10,000 rubles you lose 600 rubles on commissions through an ATM, from 50,000 rubles the loss is already 3000 rubles. But the decision, of course, is yours.

  And perhaps the most important point regarding bank cards is their unreliability! Given the current situation, cards can stop working at any moment, and forever. Therefore, we do not recommend relying on them as the main means of payment in Vietnam.

  We told everything in more detail about ATMs and plastic cards in Vietnam in our updated article here.

  We use Mir cards from T-Bank (former Tinkoff). This is the only bank that does not charge a commission for cash withdrawal at ATMs in Vietnam. At least, we have not found other such banks, but if you know, share in the comments. From a T-Bank card in Vietnam, you can withdraw up to 100,000 rubles per month without any commission, then there will be a commission of only 90 rubles per withdrawal. Of course, this applies only to debit cards, as credit cards are not very suitable for cash withdrawal. You can apply for a T-Bank card under a promotion using these links and get additional bonuses:

Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and where to stay

There are a huge number of hotels in Ho Chi Minh City. Here you can find both a bunk bed for 5 dollars and a luxurious 5-star hotel for a ridiculous 100 dollars. But from our experience, we can say that compared to coastal resorts, even popular ones like Nha Trang or Mui Ne, accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City is still somewhat more expensive. Watch our video review of one of the budget hotels in Ho Chi Minh City:

As for the question of where (in which district) it is better to stay in Ho Chi Minh City, then, in our opinion, there is a very simple answer: stay in the tourist center of the city (the district of Pham Ngu Lao Street and Ben Thanh Market), also known as District №1. This is the most developed, most happening, and most convenient place for travelers and tourists. A large number of hotels and inexpensive guest houses are concentrated here, and there is all the necessary tourist infrastructure in the form of travel agencies, ticket sales, money exchange, etc. All the main attractions and museums of Ho Chi Minh City are located in this district or within walking distance from it. And in general, it's very fun and interesting here. You can read all about this district and other districts of Ho Chi Minh City in our separate review of Ho Chi Minh City districts here.

Booking in advance is not necessary even in high season; you can always find accommodation on the spot or a couple of days before arrival. But if you want to be confident in the hotel and price, it makes sense to book online.

You can find and book accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City on these reliable, verified sites or through the search form:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Ho Chi Minh City on Trip.com (👍 Mir cards work)
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Ho Chi Minh City on Yandex.Travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Weather in Ho Chi Minh City, best time to go

Ho Chi Minh City is located in the south of the country and has a very hot tropical climate. Average humidity is 75%. The year in this part of Vietnam is divided into two seasons: rainy season - from May to November; dry season - from December to April.

Average temperature is +28°C, on particularly hot days in April the temperature can reach +39°C. By and large, the time of year for staying in Saigon does not matter much. In the wet season, the rains here, although heavy, are short-lived, and rather provide relief from the heat and stuffiness than inconvenience.

Seasons in Ho Chi Minh City by month, best time to go

Current weather in Ho Chi Minh City and forecast for the near future:

Weather in Ho Chi Minh City by month

How to get to Ho Chi Minh City

• Ho Chi Minh City on the map of Vietnam
• Distance from Da Lat – 340 kilometers / 1 hour by plane, 6-10 hours overland.
• Distance from Nha Trang – 400 kilometers / 1 hour by plane, 6-10 hours overland.
• Distance from Hanoi – 1500 kilometers / 2 hours by plane, minimum 24 hours overland.
• Distance from Mui Ne – 200 kilometers / 4-6 hours overland.

Ho Chi Minh City has a large international airport in Vietnam – Tan Son Nhat (Tan Son Nhat). Many flights arrive here, including from the Russian Federation, but there are no direct flights yet. But this is not a problem at all, as there are many options to fly here with a transfer on a single ticket. Currently, Chinese airlines especially offer many convenient and inexpensive flights with connections, including from Russian regions. Transiting through China is not a problem: a visa is not required even for several connections; you can fly with different airlines. You can familiarize yourself with the rules of visa-free transit through China here... For long layovers, some airlines even offer free overnight hotel stays, but you need to check in each specific case.

You can safely buy tickets to Ho Chi Minh City, including ready-made flights with connections, via the search form from Aviasales or on Trip.com, or via this search form from Aviasales:

ЦЕНА	ПЕРЕСАДКИ	АВИАКОМПАНИЯ	ДАТА ВЫЛЕТА	ДАТА ВОЗВРАЩЕНИЯ
Купить от 42703 ₽	1 пересадка		19.06.2026	06.07.2026
Купить от 43380 ₽	1 пересадка		15.07.2026	29.07.2026
Купить от 44319 ₽	2 пересадки		24.08.2026	31.08.2026
Купить от 43171 ₽	2 пересадки		14.09.2026	12.10.2026
Купить от 50632 ₽	1 пересадка		17.10.2026	24.10.2026
Купить от 48021 ₽	1 пересадка		19.11.2026	12.12.2026

Here are brief instructions by direction:

• From cities of Russia, CIS, and other countries. There are many flights with connections (direct flights are not yet operating, but may resume soon). From the airport to the city center, it's easy to get by taxi or city buses No.152 or No.109.
• From Nha Trang. It's best to fly, but you can get there by bus, train, and even taxi. Bus is the cheapest, especially convenient with FUTA Bus Lines: they pick you up from the hotel and deliver you to the tourist district of Ho Chi Minh City or one of the bus stations.
• From Da Lat. There are about a dozen flights. Also, from Da Lat bus station, many FUTA Bus Lines buses run, take you to one of the bus stations, where you transfer to a free minibus to the tourist district.
• From Mui Ne/Phan Thiet. From the Mui Ne resort area, FUTA Bus Lines takes you to Ho Chi Minh City (pick up from the hotel). There are also tourist minivans, taxis. You can go by train, but first you need to get to Phan Thiet railway station.
• From Hanoi. Best by plane, very many flights per day. Also by train or bus, but the journey takes more than a day.
• From Phu Quoc. By plane, very many flights daily, prices are acceptable. Theoretically, by ferry and then overland by bus, but that's long and almost the same price as a flight without luggage.
• From Vung Tau. Many FUTA Bus Lines bus services.
• From Da Nang. There are planes, trains, buses. If possible, it's better to fly.
• From Hoi An. There are direct tourist buses from Hoi An. Also via Da Nang by plane, train, or bus.
• From Sapa. No direct trains or buses, all via Hanoi.
• From Cambodia (Phnom Penh). There are direct bus services, plane. Also there is a tourist route along the Mekong River via Chau Doc lasting 2-3 days with overnight stays along the way.

Read everything in detail in the big guide How and on what to get to Ho Chi Minh City here.

Transport in Ho Chi Minh City and how to get around

Ho Chi Minh City has a well-developed city transport system, inexpensive modern taxis, and motorbike and bicycle rentals. There is even special tourist transport: Hop-On-Hop-off buses and electric car taxis. Since 2025, the long-awaited metro has also started operating here, though only one line, not very useful for tourists. If you master the local transport, you can literally get to know all the interesting places in Ho Chi Minh City for pennies, get from the airport to the center and back, and almost anywhere within the city and its suburbs. You can read everything in detail about Ho Chi Minh City transport in our full guide here, but for starters, here is a brief overview of the ways:

Ho Chi Minh City cannot be called pedestrian-friendly. Unfortunately, as everywhere in Vietnam, pedestrians are not respected here. There are very few sidewalks, and where they exist, they are occupied by trading carts, advertising stands, motorbike parking, and so on. While walking, you often have to step onto the roadway to get around obstacles. Pedestrian crossings and traffic lights are very few. Even the presence of a pedestrian crossing does not guarantee a safe crossing of the road.

But we are not scaring you, just stating a fact. We ourselves most often move around Ho Chi Minh City on foot with pleasure, especially since only this way can you feel the whole cool "vibe" of this city. What's good is that you can walk almost everything here, because almost all attractions, shops, markets are within walking distance from the tourist district. So download the points from our map of Ho Chi Minh City attractions, and go "conquer" the city, it's great.

There are a lot of taxis in Ho Chi Minh City. Like, really a lot!!! There are metered ones, negotiated price ones, or via apps. We advise ordering a taxi via the Grab and Maxim apps. Ride price from 30,000 dong (1.14 USD), on motorbike taxi half as cheap. This is the most convenient and reliable way. You see the price immediately in the app, pay at the end of the trip in cash or you can link a card (Russian cards do not work, even UP). The Grab and Maxim apps work. Uber and YandexGo do not work. More about the Grab app and how to use it.

Electric cars, or even micro-buses, since they can easily fit 6 people, cruise around the tourist center of Ho Chi Minh City. They move along a certain route that covers the most interesting tourist places. They can also be hired by agreement to go to a desired location, but there is no point in doing that; it will be more expensive than a car taxi. At the time of writing, the fare is as follows:

• 30-minute ride until 18:00 – 120,000 dong, after 18:00 – 250,000 dong.
• Each additional 10 minutes of ride until 18:00 – 40,000 dong, after 18:00 – 80,000 dong.
• Ride from one point to another along the established route until 18:00 – 60,000 dong, after 18:00 – 120,000 dong.

There are also tourist Hop-on-Hop-off buses. You can see all the attractions in the center on it, and that's a large part of all interesting places in the city. We compared the routes of Hop-On-Hop-Off and Mexbus electric cars; they are almost identical, so you can choose either. Important! Day and night routes differ in stops.

But still, Hop-On-Hop-Off buses are different in that tickets here are valid for a full 24 hours, and plus during the ride you can listen to information in the audio guide in several languages, including Russian.

If you feel confident behind the wheel, you can rent transport for trips around Ho Chi Minh City. However, be very careful; traffic in Ho Chi Minh City is just crazy. You can rent a low-power motorcycle (scooter) in the tourist district of Ho Chi Minh City on Pham Ngu Lao Street, real rental price - from 130,000 dong/day. You can rent a car, including at the airport. But unfortunately, car rental is not developed here; there are no international rental chains and aggregators with their low competitive prices, so you will have to pay from 50 dollars per day for car rental.

Ho Chi Minh City has an excellent city bus system. Figuring out the routes is not easy, because more than 30 different companies serve with a total number of buses over 2500 on more than 115 routes in all districts of Ho Chi Minh City, as well as in nearby suburban districts (provinces) Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, and Long An. But mastering at least the most important things here is easy. Fare costs from 5000 dong, paid to the driver or conductor in cash. By bus, you can get anywhere in the city, including from Ho Chi Minh City Airport to the tourist district and back.

The metro in Ho Chi Minh City was launched only in 2025. Currently, there is only one line L1, but expansion is planned. What exists is not interesting for tourists at the moment, and in our opinion, further development of the metro network will also not be particularly useful for tourists, unless they launch a metro to the airport. The fare depends on the number of stations, minimum 7,000, maximum – 20,000 dong. There are also one-day passes for 40,000, three-day passes for 90,000.

Attractions and entertainment in Ho Chi Minh City, what to see

There are many tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. But there are not so many truly impressive and significant places that you must visit. There are almost no ancient palaces and temples, and those that exist date back at most to the 19th century. Several significant places are dedicated to the American-Vietnamese War, including the most impressive War Remnants Museum.

In addition to attractions in the city itself, there are several interesting places in the vicinity of Ho Chi Minh City that are definitely worth visiting, and better with a ready-made excursion.

Overall, there are enough places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City and its surroundings for at least a week. Below is a full overview of the most interesting places in Ho Chi Minh City that we visited, with opening hours, entrance fees, and how to get there.

Here is our selection of must-visit attractions in Ho Chi Minh City:

• Ben Thanh Market
• Pedestrian street Bui Vien
• Independence Palace
• War Remnants Museum
• Ho Chi Minh City Museum
• Museum of Fine Arts
• Jade Emperor Pagoda
• Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon
• Central Post Office of Saigon
• City Hall Building
• One of the observation decks at the Bitexco or Landmark 81 tower
• Mariamman Hindu Temple (Mariamman Hindu temple)
• Cu Chi Tunnels
• Excursion to the Mekong Delta and floating market

Here is where you can go in Ho Chi Minh City with children

• Suoi Tien Theme Park amusement park
• Can Gio Monkey Island
• Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
• Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater

Excursions in Ho Chi Minh City can be bought at hotels and street travel agencies in various places in the city, but the most popular place where everything is concentrated is Pham Ngu Lao Street. This is the central tourist street, and if you need to buy an excursion, bus or train tickets, order a transfer, hire a driver with a car, then we advise going straight here (Pham Ngu Lao Street on the map).

If you plan everything in advance, you can select and buy tours online on these sites with payment by Russian cards:

• 📷 Excursions in Ho Chi Minh City on Trip.com (many excursions, low prices, but only English language)
• 📷 Excursions in Ho Chi Minh City on Tripster.ru (in Russian)
• 📷 Excursions in Ho Chi Minh City on Sputnik8.com (in Russian)

Ho Chi Minh City will not surprise you with tourist entertainments like water parks, oceanariums, and the like. But as for nightlife, everything is in order here. The tourist district of Ho Chi Minh City, and in particular Bui Vien Street – is undoubtedly the most happening place in all of Vietnam. Bars and clubs work here, beer flows like a river. You can find girls and boys.

Two more streets where girls "walk on the side" are Le Thanh Ton Street (Japanese Street) and Pasteur Street. This is all there, where Bui Vien Street is, in the very center in tourist district №1.

Bringing a guest to the hotel may be prohibited. As an option, you can find hotels with hourly payment. In Ho Chi Minh City, we even found a whole street with many such hotels, it's called Hem 839 Le Hong Phon, here on the map. There are no less than a dozen hourly hotels on it. But it's located several kilometers from the center, only reachable by taxi. In principle, hourly hotels can be found in the tourist district as well, they just for some reason do not actively advertise such services on signs.

But in general, be careful with nightlife in Vietnam; after all, it's not Thailand, prostitution is illegal here. If you get caught as a consumer of the service, you can be arrested, fined, and up to deportation.