Ho Chi Minh City Attractions

Discover a choice of must-see attractions in and around Ho Chi Minh City, including:

Ho Chi Minh City
Formerly known as Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city is a chaotic whirl of colourful sights, sounds and activities. Don’t miss the elaborate woodcarvings of gilded characters and local deities at the Emperor of Jade Pagoda. Visit the bustling markets of Cholon, located in the ancient Chinese quarter or the visitor-friendly Ben Thanh Market.

See the Reunification Palace where, in 1975, tanks crashed through the gates of the Prime Minister’s palace. At the War Remnants Museum – formerly called the Museum of American War Crimes – learn about the American War through a range of fascinating exhibits.

Cu Chi Tunnels
Head underground into some of the 250km of tunnels that crisscross Cu Chi for an insight into the life of a Viet Cong guerilla during the American War. Located just across the Saigon River, the guerrilla base, known as the Iron Triangle, made it easy for roughly 15,000 Viet Cong fighters to infiltrate Saigon at will, and successfully launch attacks against US forces.

Today, at Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc, you can clamber down and through widened tunnels. Or, bent-over, squeeze through the dark, claustrophobic half- to one-metre wide original passageways that lead to underground hideouts, shelters and entrances to other tunnels. Don’t worry – all lethal booby traps and trap doors have been removed!

Exhibits show the horrors that American ‘tunnel rats’ faced when trying to hunt the VC inside their own lair, as well as display the ingenuity of the Vietnamese when it came to protecting themselves.

Discover a range of hotel accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City . . .

Vinh Long
Located along the banks of the Mekong River, Vinh Long is a great base for exploring the many islands in the Mekong River and taking interesting boat trips into the Mekong Delta.

Enjoy timeless river scenes, visit tropical fruit gardens and ancient pagodas and don’t miss the colourful Cai Rang Floating Market, probably the most famous and the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta.

Watch the early morning rush of hundreds of boats packed with fruit, vegetables, plants and various foods. Or discover life along the riverbanks on a bicycle tour.

Phu Quoc Island
Discover some of Vietnam’s most beautiful, palm-fringed, white-sand beaches on the country’s largest offshore island, just 15km from Cambodia. Swim, dive or snorkel in the clear turquoise waters.

Or rent a motorcycle to explore interior forests and far-flung beaches on both sides of the island, which are ideal for picnics, swimming, snorkelling or fishing.
Find Phu Quoc hotels . . .

Cat Tien National Park
Explore this amazing UNESCO biosphere reserve on foot, by mountain bike, jeep or by boat along the Dong Nai River. Take your binoculars and spot numerous bird species, including white-winged ducks, Siamese firebacks, great hornbills and black eagles.

And from well-established hiking trails that meander through the lowland tropical rainforests, look out for Javan rhinos, elephants, gaur, sun bears, yellow-cheeked gibbons, silvery langurs, crab-eating macaques as well as civets, mouse deer and treeshrews.

Ride the Reunification Express
Experience the journey as well as the destination on the Reunification Express as it puffs its way from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, passing through Nha Trang, Da Nang and Hué en route. With several trains and a range of carriages, you can choose your style of comfort for the 30-hour ride.

Accommodation
Ho Chi Minh City offers a great variety of accommodation options to suit all budgets. For a good choice of hotels with discount prices, visit Hotel Reservation in Ho Chi Minh for more information.