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Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide
Buy Vietnamese DongHo Chi Minh City at a glance
Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by most locals and nearly every menu, moves faster than Hanoi and feels more commercial, motorbikes everywhere, skyscrapers next to French-colonial buildings, and Vietnam's most card-friendly major city by a real margin. Most of the best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City sit within walking distance of each other in District 1, the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Ben Thanh Market, and it's the natural southern anchor for a wider Vietnam trip, or the start of a Mekong Delta or Cu Chi Tunnels day.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport sits genuinely close to the centre, only about 6 to 8km from District 1, though traffic can stretch that short distance to 45 minutes or more at rush hour. Public Bus 152 is the cheapest option at roughly ₫6,000, and Airport Bus 109, more tourist-friendly with English signage and air conditioning, runs about ₫12,000. Grab or Be offer the best value private option, book from the designated ride-hailing zone in the international arrivals car park (follow the signage rather than accepting help from anyone claiming to be Grab at the curb, this is a known scam) for roughly ₫100,000-160,000.
Day 1: Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office in the morning, Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum in the late morning and afternoon, Ben Thanh Market and dinner in District 1 to close the day.
Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels, a genuine half-day to full-day outing depending on which option is chosen, back to the city by evening for a Bui Vien street food crawl.
Where to stay
Where you base yourself in Ho Chi Minh City shapes the trip more than almost anything else.
District 1
The classic base, walkable to nearly everything in this guide, colonial landmarks, Ben Thanh Market, and the Bui Vien backpacker strip. Ranges from genuine backpacker hostels to five-star hotels within a few blocks of each other.
District 3
Just west of District 1, quieter, still walkable or a short Grab ride to the centre, home to the War Remnants Museum itself. Suits a traveller who wants a calmer base without losing central access.
District 7 (Phu My Hung)
Further out, a modern, planned district popular with expats and Korean and Japanese residents, genuinely different character, better value, a 20 to 30 minute Grab ride from District 1. Suits a longer stay or a traveller who's already covered the tourist core.
Paying in Ho Chi Minh City
For the dong itself, how much cash to carry, the ATM situation and the LRS and TCS numbers, see the Vietnam travel guide.
Before you fly it is worth reading what an ATM withdrawal in Vietnam actually costs.
What Ho Chi Minh City actually costs
Set the length and style of your trip to see what to budget, in dong and rupees.
Indicative, excluding international flights and accommodation, per person per day. Converted at the verified mid-market rate on 17 September 2026, VND 100,000 ≈ ₹370, not a Matrix board rate.
Budget roughly ₹2,600 to ₹5,200 per person per day on the ground for a mid-range trip, two sharing a room, excluding flights.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ₫20,000-35,000 |
| Banh mi | ₫20,000-45,000 |
| Grab ride (short) | ₫30,000-50,000 |
| Hotel (mid-range, per night) | ₫800,000-1,400,000 |
Getting around
District 1's core sights sit within a comfortable walk of each other, though the heat and the sheer volume of motorbikes make some travellers prefer Grab even for short hops. The same street-crossing method as Hanoi applies here too: walk at a steady, predictable pace and let motorbikes flow around rather than stopping.
Grab (and Be) remain the default for anything beyond walking distance, cheap, transparently priced in the app, available as both car and motorbike-taxi options. Metro Line 1, which opened in December 2024, runs from Ben Thanh station, right at the market this guide's District 1 section is built around, out to Suoi Tien in the east, 14 stations for ₫7,000-20,000 a trip depending on distance, a genuinely useful, air-conditioned alternative to a Grab for that specific corridor. A second line connecting further into the city isn't expected until around 2030, so Line 1 remains the only metro option for now.
Common mistakes in Ho Chi Minh City
Taking a taxi without checking the door markings
Getting into a taxi without checking the door for the correct company website and phone number, fake Vinasun and Mai Linh look-alikes with rigged meters are a documented problem specifically at the airport
Bringing young children to the War Remnants Museum unprepared
Skipping the War Remnants Museum's content warning and bringing young children in unprepared, some exhibits are genuinely graphic
Assuming Notre Dame Cathedral's interior is open
Assuming Notre Dame Cathedral's interior is open, it's currently under a long renovation, plan to see it from outside
Treating the Cu Chi Tunnels as a casual photo stop
Treating Cu Chi Tunnels as a casual photo stop rather than a genuinely significant historical site.
Ho Chi Minh City FAQs
Neither is strictly better, they're genuinely different cities. Ho Chi Minh City leans commercial and fast-paced, Hanoi leans historic and traditional. Most itineraries in this guide series visit both.
Two to three days covers District 1's core sights comfortably. A Cu Chi Tunnels or Mekong Delta day trip adds meaningfully to that.
Broadly yes, with the usual city-travel caution. The main specific risk to know is fake taxis with rigged meters, easily avoided by checking the door signage or defaulting to Grab.
Cards cover more ground here than in Hanoi, hotels, larger restaurants, and malls, but street food, markets, and most Grab rides still expect cash, so carrying some remains essential.
Worth deciding deliberately rather than assuming, several exhibits are genuinely graphic and multiple sources specifically flag it as not suitable for younger visitors without preparation.
Either works. A half day (roughly 5-6 hours including travel) covers the tunnels and demonstrations comfortably. A full day usually combines it with the Mekong Delta or a less-crowded second tunnel site.
Buy vietnamese dong before you fly
See your Matrix rate and the applicable charges before you confirm. Order online for doorstep delivery or collect from your nearest branch.
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