Things To Do In Ho Chi Minh – Budget Travel In Vietnam

Visit Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to experience a city where old meets new and colonial structures and war relics sit alongside skyscrapers and modern malls.

Our Vietnam adventure came to an end with a few days in the former capital and most visited city in the country. If you thought Hanoi was hectic, then you are in for a real shock when you visit Ho Chi Minh!

Ho Chi Minh was previously known as Saigon and the locals still call it by its original name. It is extremely busy and pedestrians are warned to take extra care. However, as the Lunar New Year would take place during our stay, we had been told that the city would be much quieter as many of its residents returned to their home towns to celebrate with family.

How To Get To Ho Chi Minh From Da Lat

We had decided to fly into Ho Chi Minh as the flights were cheap and were 7 hours quicker than the bus. There were no delays so we arrived on schedule.

Ho Chi Minh Airport To The City

We went for the bus from the airport to the centre of Ho Chi Minh. The yellow bus (109) is the most popular one with tourists. It cost 20,000 dong to reach the centre. When we arrived, we were told we had to wait half an hour for the 109 so we instead went for the green bus (152). These were older buses but only cost 5,000 dong. We had to pay extra for baggage but this was made clear on the information posters on the buses. These buses are government-owned so you are unlikely to face any scams here (you should always get a ticket).

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Things To Do In Ho Chi Minh

Looking for things to do in Ho Chi Minh? There are plenty of tours available from any of the tour companies scattered around the centre of the city. With one exception, we spent our time within the main city itself. These are some of the Ho Chi Minh attractions.

Backpackers’ Street

We didn’t even know we were staying near ‘Backpackers’ Street’ (map) and we didn’t go looking for it. It seemed to pull us in with its neon lights, thumping music and array of bars. This is where to come to experience the Ho Chi Minh nightlife. We spent most nights here as it was Lunar New Year and the city was quieter and not every place was open. The bars can be pricey but there were cheap places to be found, especially the street bars with the small plastic stools. Don’t be shocked if you see children as young as five trying to sell you mints!

Book Street

Located near the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, Book Street is a pleasant street filled with book shops and coffee shops. It is a nice respite from the heat as it is mostly shaded by trees. Books in many languages are available here. (Map).

Cu Chi Tunnels

See separate post.

Cultural Walk

Not far from the Ho Chi Minh statue at the top of Nguyen Hue is the beginning of a short walk that will take in the Opera House, City Hall, Notre Dame and the Central Post Office. These buildings are popular with tourists and all can be viewed within a 15 minute walk.

Nguyen Hue

This is a pedestrian area that runs down one of the city’s busy shopping areas. Tourists often get caught out by the fountains that come on at random intervals. Whilst we were there, the city was preparing for the new year, so there were lots of flower displays and art. At the top of the street is a statue of Mr Ho Chi Minh.

War Remnants Museum

This memorial museum has many artefacts from the Vietnam war, including military vehicles and aircraft. However, it is the photography that really hits hard. Some of the stories behind the images are harrowing and learning about the ongoing trauma of agent orange is truly heartbreaking. Take your time in the museum and have a break on each floor as it is not easy-going. I have not included pictures here as they may be too distressing for some readers. (Map).

Is Ho Chi Minh Worth Visiting?

Ho Chi Minh is a lively city that is full of energy and colour. We visited during the Vietnam New Year and were told that the city was much quieter! It didn’t seem that way! The backpacker street was still packed with travellers looking for a good time. Ho Chi Minh was a great place to end our adventure.

Goodbye Vietnam!

And so, our month in Vietnam came to an end. Our next travel would take us, via land border, to Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

We were both looking forward to Vietnam and it did not disappoint. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh were busy cities to bookend our adventure but there was also plenty of opportunity to relax in between, such as the beautiful island of Cat Ba, the scenic town of Hoi An, and even the golden beaches of Nha Trang.

We both loved Vietnam so much. We had a feeling we would return before our adventure was complete.