Ho Chi Minh City was our final stop in Vietnam and by the time we arrived, we felt like we had finally worked out how Vietnam moved. The traffic that had seemed completely overwhelming when we first arrived in Hanoi no longer felt quite so intimidating, and getting around the city was much easier once we understood the rhythm of it all.
Why Visit Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City is a busy, energetic place with markets, street food, history and plenty happening from morning until late at night. But one of the biggest reasons to spend a few days here is what lies beyond the city. The Mekong Delta can easily be visited on a full-day tour, giving you a completely different look at life in southern Vietnam.
Our Ho Chi Minh City Experience
We flew into Ho Chi Minh City and spent our time doing what had become one of our favourite things in Vietnam, exploring and eating. We wandered through Ben Thanh Market, shopped for a few trinkets and, of course, booked another street food tour.
The highlight, though, was our full-day Mekong Delta tour. We travelled by boat, visited local communities and markets, sampled locally made sweets, visited a temple and enjoyed an outstanding Vietnamese lunch. I even ended up holding a snake, which certainly wasn’t something I’d expected when we started the day.
We decided against visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels. They’re one of the most popular attractions from Ho Chi Minh City, but the combination of confined spaces and heat wasn’t for me. Sometimes travelling is just as much about knowing what you won’t enjoy as ticking off what everyone else says you should see.
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How Long to Spend in Ho Chi Minh City
For a first visit, we’d suggest allowing at least three days in Ho Chi Minh City, or four if you prefer travelling at a slower pace. That gives you enough time to explore the city while still leaving a full day for the Mekong Delta.
A simple first visit could look like:
- Day 1: Get your bearings, explore the central city and visit Ben Thanh Market.
- Day 2: Take a full-day Mekong Delta tour.
- Day 3: Explore more of the city, visit a few historical sights and, of course, fit in a street food tour.
- Day 4: Add another day trip, do some shopping or simply leave yourself time to explore without a schedule.
If you’re planning to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, we’d allow another half or full day depending on the tour you choose.
We didn’t visit the tunnels ourselves. Confined spaces and heat are not a good combination for me, so crawling through underground tunnels wasn’t going to make my Vietnam highlights list. We were quite happy to leave that experience to others.
Tohu Tip: Don’t underestimate how tiring a big city can be in the heat. Leave some breathing room in your itinerary rather than trying to squeeze an attraction into every spare hour.
Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City has plenty to keep you busy, but we’d also recommend leaving at least one day free to explore beyond the city. For us, that meant heading into the Mekong Delta, and it became one of the highlights of our time in southern Vietnam.
Take a Full-Day Mekong Delta Tour
If there’s one day trip we’d recommend from Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta would be it. Our full-day tour packed an incredible amount into one day without feeling like we were simply being rushed from one attraction to another.
Our tour included:
- Travelling through parts of the Mekong Delta by boat
- Visiting local villages and communities
- Exploring local markets
- Sampling and buying locally made sweets and candy
- Visiting Vinh Trang Temple
- An outstanding Vietnamese buffet lunch
- Meeting some wonderful local people
- And somehow, we ended up holding a snake
The boat trips were a big part of the experience, taking us away from the city and giving us a glimpse of everyday life around the waterways.
Most organised tours include transport from Ho Chi Minh City, lunch, boat trips and entrance fees, but always check exactly what’s included before booking.
Difficulty: Easy
Tohu Tip: Give the Mekong Delta a full day. Don’t try to squeeze it around something else. There is a lot packed into these tours and it’s much more enjoyable when you’re not watching the clock.
Explore Ben Thanh Market
Back in the city, Ben Thanh Market was an easy place to spend some time wandering, shopping and, naturally for us, eating.
Inside and around the market you’ll find:
- Vietnamese food stalls
- Souvenirs and trinkets
- Clothing and accessories
- Local produce
- Plenty of opportunities to practise your bargaining skills
It can be busy and touristy, but that’s part of the experience. We enjoyed wandering through, picking up a few small things and stopping for something to eat.
Difficulty: Easy Access
Take a Street Food Tour
By the time we reached Ho Chi Minh City, we’d become big fans of Vietnamese street food tours, so there was no chance we were leaving the city without doing another one.
Vietnamese food was one of the real highlights of our entire trip. We found it fresh, light and absolutely tasty, and a food tour introduced us to dishes and places we probably wouldn’t have discovered by ourselves.
A good food tour can also help you:
- Understand what you’re ordering
- Discover smaller local eateries
- Learn how different dishes are eaten
- Try foods you might otherwise walk straight past
Tohu Tip: Don’t wait until your final night to do a food tour. Book one early and you’ll have time to go back to any places you discover and love.
Visit Some of the City’s Historic Sights
Ho Chi Minh City has a complicated history and there are several important places to visit if you’d like to understand more about the city and Vietnam’s past.
Depending on your interests, consider:
- War Remnants Museum
- Independence Palace
- Saigon Central Post Office
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
You don’t need to race through all of them. Choose the places that genuinely interest you and leave yourself some time simply to explore the city around them.
Consider the Cu Chi Tunnels
The Cu Chi Tunnels are one of the best-known day trips from Ho Chi Minh City and an important historical site, but we decided this one wasn’t for us.
Visitors can learn about the underground tunnel network and the role it played during the war, with some sections allowing you to experience the confined tunnels for yourself.
For me, the combination of enclosed spaces and the heat wasn’t appealing, so I was quite happy to give it a miss.
Good to know: You don’t have to crawl through the tunnels to visit the site. If you’re interested in the history but aren’t comfortable in confined spaces, check what your tour allows before booking.
Tohu Tip: There will always be attractions that appear on every “must-do” list. That doesn’t mean they have to be on yours. Choose the experiences you’ll actually enjoy.
Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is huge, so where you stay can make quite a difference to your visit. For a first trip, we’d choose somewhere central rather than saving a little on accommodation and then spending more time travelling back and forth each day.
District 1
For most first-time visitors, District 1 is the easiest place to base yourself. Many of the city’s best-known attractions are nearby, along with an enormous choice of restaurants, cafes, shops and markets.
Staying around District 1 puts you within easy reach of places such as:
- Ben Thanh Market
- Independence Palace
- War Remnants Museum
- Saigon Central Post Office
- Notre-Dame Cathedral area
- Plenty of restaurants and street food
It’s also a convenient pickup area for many organised tours, including trips to the Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels.
Around Ben Thanh Market
We stayed close to Ben Thanh Market, although neither of us can remember the name of the hotel now. What we do remember is how convenient the location was. By this stage of our Vietnam trip, we were comfortable getting around the busy streets, and having the market and plenty of places to eat within easy reach worked really well for us.
Staying around this area gives you:
- Ben Thanh Market within easy walking distance
- Plenty of local food and restaurants nearby
- Shops, markets and small streets to explore
- Easy access to many of the central city sights
- A convenient base for tour pickups and getting around
It is a busy part of the city, so don’t expect complete peace and quiet. For us, though, being close to everything was far more important.
Why we’d choose it: For a first visit to Ho Chi Minh City, we’d happily stay near Ben Thanh Market again. It made exploring the city easy and meant we could head out for food or a wander without having to organise transport every time.
District 3
District 3 is worth considering if you’d prefer to be slightly removed from the busiest tourist areas while still staying reasonably close to central Ho Chi Minh City.
You’ll find plenty of local eateries and cafes, and you’re still within easy reach of District 1 by Grab or taxi.
What We’d Look For
Wherever you decide to stay, we’d prioritise:
- A central location
- Air conditioning
- Good recent reviews
- Breakfast if you like an easy start to the day
- Tour pickup availability
- Restaurants and food within walking distance
- Somewhere reasonably quiet at night
Tohu Tip: In a city this size, location is worth paying a little more for. Being able to walk out of your accommodation and immediately find food, shops and things to see makes exploring so much easier.
Getting Around Ho Chi Minh City
By the time we reached Ho Chi Minh City, we were finally used to Vietnamese traffic. What had seemed completely chaotic when we first arrived in Hanoi now made a lot more sense, and we felt far more confident walking around and getting from place to place.
That doesn’t mean the traffic had become any quieter. We’d just learned how Vietnam moves.
Walking
If you’re staying centrally, walking is one of the easiest ways to explore smaller areas of the city. We were based near Ben Thanh Market, which meant we could walk to plenty of food, shops and nearby sights.
A few things to remember:
- Watch for motorbikes, including when crossing smaller streets.
- Don’t assume a pedestrian crossing means traffic will automatically stop.
- Take your time and watch how the locals cross.
- Wear comfortable shoes and carry water in the heat.
Grab
Grab is a convenient option when somewhere is too far to walk. Having the fare and destination organised through the app can also make getting around much simpler when you don’t speak Vietnamese.
It’s particularly useful for:
- Longer trips across the city
- Getting back to your accommodation after a long day
- Travelling when the heat has finally beaten you
- Reaching attractions outside comfortable walking distance
Taxis and Private Drivers
Taxis and private transfers are another easy option, particularly if you have luggage or are travelling to and from the airport.
For longer day trips such as the Mekong Delta, we’d choose an organised tour rather than trying to arrange the entire journey ourselves.
Crossing the Road
This probably deserves a section of its own because crossing a Vietnamese road can be an experience when you first arrive.
Hanoi had been our introduction to it and, initially, the traffic felt overwhelming. By Ho Chi Minh City, we’d learned to stay calm, watch what the locals were doing and move predictably rather than panicking halfway across.
Good to know: Never become complacent around the traffic. Even when you think you’ve worked it out, motorbikes can appear from just about anywhere.
Tohu Tip: Give yourself time to adjust. What looks like complete chaos when you first arrive starts to make a strange kind of sense after you’ve been in Vietnam for a while.
What to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City
By the time we reached Ho Chi Minh City, one thing was very clear: Vietnamese food had become one of the highlights of our trip. It was fresh, light, full of flavour and, despite eating our way around the country, we still weren’t tired of it.
Ho Chi Minh City has everything from tiny street stalls and busy markets to local restaurants and modern cafes, so this is definitely a city where you should arrive hungry.
Foods to Look Out For
There are plenty of dishes to try, but a few to keep an eye out for include:
- Banh mi: Crispy baguettes filled with meats, pate, herbs, pickled vegetables and sauces.
- Pho: Vietnam’s famous noodle soup, with plenty of regional variations.
- Com tam: Broken rice usually served with grilled pork and other accompaniments.
- Banh xeo: Crispy Vietnamese pancakes filled with ingredients such as pork, prawns and bean sprouts.
- Fresh spring rolls: Light, fresh and perfect when you want something simple.
- Vietnamese coffee: Strong, sweet and definitely worth trying at least once.
Eat at Ben Thanh Market
Because we were staying close to Ben Thanh Market, it became an easy place for us to wander through, shop and grab something to eat.
Markets are also a great way to see what’s available before deciding what you want. Sometimes half the fun is watching what everyone else is ordering and pointing to the one that looks good.
Take a Street Food Tour
Yes, we did another one.
Food tours had become one of our favourite ways to explore Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City was no exception. They took away some of the uncertainty about what to order and introduced us to foods and small local eateries we might otherwise have walked straight past.
For us, a street food tour isn’t only about eating. It’s also a chance to:
- Meet local guides
- Learn about the dishes you’re trying
- Discover places away from the obvious tourist restaurants
- Understand a little more about everyday life through food
- Find somewhere you may want to return to later
Tohu Tip: Be adventurous, but you don’t have to eat something simply because it’s put in front of you. Try what appeals to you and enjoy the experience. Vietnam is a wonderful country for discovering food one dish at a time.
Best Time to Visit Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City is warm and humid throughout the year, so there isn’t really a cold season to plan around. Instead, the year is generally divided into a drier season and a wetter season.
December to April
These are generally the drier months, making them a popular time to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
You can still expect plenty of heat, but the lower chance of prolonged rain makes it easier for:
- Walking around the central city
- Exploring markets
- Taking a Mekong Delta day trip
- Visiting outdoor attractions
- Joining walking and street food tours
May to November
The wetter months bring more frequent tropical rain, along with plenty of warm and humid weather.
Rain doesn’t necessarily mean the entire day will be ruined. You can have sunshine followed by a sudden heavy downpour and then find yourself back outside exploring again later.
If you’re travelling during these months:
- Carry a light rain jacket or small umbrella
- Keep plans reasonably flexible
- Expect high humidity
- Wear shoes that you don’t mind getting wet
- Check the weather before longer outdoor day trips
Don’t Let the Heat Catch You Out
Regardless of when you visit, the heat and humidity can be tiring, particularly when you’ve been walking around the city for several hours.
Carry water, take breaks and don’t feel guilty about disappearing somewhere air-conditioned during the hottest part of the day.
Tohu Tip: Don’t plan your Vietnam trip around finding the “perfect” weather in every destination. Vietnam is a long country and the weather can be completely different from one region to another. Pack for a bit of everything and adjust your days as you go.
Things to Know Before You Go
By the time we reached Ho Chi Minh City, we’d been travelling through Vietnam long enough to feel much more comfortable with the traffic, food and general pace of the country. There are still a few practical things we’d recommend thinking about before you arrive.
Talk to Your Doctor Before You Travel
Before travelling to Vietnam, it’s worth talking to your doctor or travel health clinic about vaccinations, medications and anything they recommend for your individual trip.
Stomach upsets are something travellers can experience in Vietnam, and we certainly weren’t immune. We needed the medication we’d brought with us while we were in Hanoi, so we were very glad it was sitting in our travel kit when we needed it.
A few basics worth packing include:
- Any medication recommended by your doctor
- Oral rehydration or electrolyte sachets
- Your regular prescription medications
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- A small basic first-aid kit
Good to know: If you become seriously unwell, symptoms are severe or you’re not improving, seek medical advice rather than simply relying on medication you’ve brought from home.
Give Yourself Time to Adjust to the Traffic
Ho Chi Minh City traffic can look completely overwhelming when you first see it. Fortunately, we’d already had Hanoi to break us in.
Stay alert, cross roads carefully and predictably, and never assume a motorbike has seen you just because you’re on a pedestrian crossing.
Check Where Your Tour Picks You Up
Many tours offer hotel pickup from central districts, but don’t assume yours does.
Before booking a Mekong Delta or Cu Chi Tunnels tour, check:
- Whether hotel pickup and drop-off are included
- Which districts are covered
- What time you’ll be collected
- Whether lunch and entrance fees are included
- What you’ll need to bring
- Approximately what time you’ll return
Keep Some Space in Your Suitcase
If you enjoy markets, you’ll probably find something to bring home. Ben Thanh Market is packed with souvenirs, clothing, food and little trinkets, and wandering through it was part of the fun for us.
You don’t need to buy everything that catches your eye, but leaving a little spare room in your luggage certainly doesn’t hurt.
You Don’t Have to Do Every Famous Attraction
The Cu Chi Tunnels are on almost every Ho Chi Minh City itinerary, but we chose not to go and had absolutely no regrets.
Travel should be about the experiences that interest you, not completing somebody else’s checklist. If something doesn’t suit your fitness, mobility, comfort level or simply doesn’t appeal to you, there will always be something else worth doing instead.
Tohu Tip: By the end of our Vietnam trip we’d learned one of the best lessons of all: don’t worry about seeing everything. Enjoy the things you do choose to see.
Final Thoughts
Ho Chi Minh City felt like a fitting place to finish our time in Vietnam. By then, the things that had seemed so unfamiliar when we first arrived had become part of everyday travel. The traffic made more sense, we were far more confident finding our way around, and ordering something we didn’t completely recognise from a food stall had become part of the fun.
Vietnam had surprised us in so many ways, but perhaps the biggest surprise was how quickly we became comfortable travelling through it. There were certainly moments that challenged us along the way, but there were far more that made us laugh, introduced us to wonderful people and left us wanting to see more.
From Ho Chi Minh City, we boarded a bus and headed across the border into Cambodia, bringing this part of our Vietnam journey to an end.
But Vietnam isn’t finished with us yet. We’re already planning to return, so I’m fairly certain there are a few more Vietnam stories still to come.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
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