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20 Best Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City 2026: Top Picks
The best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City split into three groups: must-see historical sights, food and street culture experiences, and day trips outside the city. Saigon hosted 6.2 million international tourists in 2024 (Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, 2025), and the average visitor spent 3.4 days here, packed with activity.
Across four trips totaling more than 30 days, I’ve done all 20 activities below. This guide ranks them by what actually delivers for first-time travelers, not just what tour buses cover. Prices are 2026 quotes verified in March 2026.
For broader trip planning, see our Ultimate Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide and where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
Key Takeaways
- 3-4 days covers the top 12-15 sights at a reasonable pace
- The War Remnants Museum is the single most-recommended Saigon experience
- Cu Chi Tunnels are the #1 day trip; Mekong Delta is #2
- Most central sights cost under $3 entry; tours run $20-$60
- Skip lines on top tours by booking through Klook
[IMAGE: War Remnants Museum exterior with helicopter display in Ho Chi Minh City – best things to do in ho chi minh city war museum]
Top Historical Sights in Ho Chi Minh City
These are the four core history-and-culture stops that nearly every Saigon itinerary covers in the first 48 hours.
1. War Remnants Museum
The War Remnants Museum is Saigon’s most powerful cultural experience. Three floors of photographs, military hardware, and personal stories cover the Vietnam War (called the American War in Vietnam) from the Vietnamese perspective. The museum drew 1.2 million visitors in 2024 (HCMC Department of Culture, 2024), making it the city’s most-visited paid attraction.
- Cost — 40,000 VND ($1.60)
- Time needed — 2 hours minimum
- Best for — Anyone interested in history; mature teens and up
- Tip — Arrive at 7:30am opening to beat the tour-bus crowds. The third-floor Agent Orange exhibit is intense.
[PERSONAL EXPERIENCE] I’ve recommended this museum to every Saigon visitor I know and never had anyone regret going. Plan it for early in your trip — it changes how you see the rest of the city.
2. Cu Chi Tunnels Day Trip
The Cu Chi Tunnels are 70 km northwest of central Saigon — a 250-km Vietnam War tunnel network where Viet Cong fighters lived underground. Today’s tourist site lets you crawl through 100-meter widened sections, fire AK-47s at a paid range, and see the trapdoor entrances in the jungle.
- Cost — Half-day group tour from $20-$30 with hotel pickup
- Time needed — 5-6 hours total (3 hours at site)
- Best for — Active travelers; not great for claustrophobic visitors
- Tip — Choose the Ben Duoc tunnel section over Ben Dinh for fewer crowds.
Klook offers half-day Cu Chi Tunnels group tours from $20, or upgrade to a private speedboat tour from $90.
3. Reunification Palace (Independence Palace)
The Reunification Palace is a frozen-in-time 1975 presidential palace where North Vietnamese tanks crashed through the gates on April 30, 1975, ending the Vietnam War. Walking through the war room, communications bunker, and helipad gives the conflict an architectural reality the museum can’t.
- Cost — 65,000 VND ($2.60)
- Time needed — 90 minutes
- Best for — Pairs well with War Remnants Museum (10-min walk apart)
- Tip — Free audio guide app at the entrance is genuinely useful.
4. Notre Dame Cathedral & Saigon Central Post Office
Two French colonial landmarks face each other across a small park in District 1. Notre Dame Cathedral was built between 1863 and 1880 with red bricks shipped from Marseille. The Post Office was designed by Gustave Eiffel’s firm in 1886 and remains a working post office today.
- Cost — Free (interior of Cathedral closed for renovation through 2026)
- Time needed — 45 minutes
- Best for — Quick photo stop; pair with Reunification Palace
- Tip — Inside the Post Office, send a postcard from the historic counter (8,000 VND for stamp).
[INTERNAL-LINK: Plan your full trip – ho-chi-minh-city-how-many-days]
Best Day Trips from Ho Chi Minh City
If you have 4+ days, these out-of-city excursions are the most-recommended additions to a Saigon itinerary.
5. Mekong Delta Day Trip
The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s “rice basket” — a maze of waterways, floating markets, fruit orchards, and small island workshops. The Delta starts about 90 km southwest of Saigon. A standard day trip visits My Tho or Ben Tre, with boat rides, coconut candy demos, honey tasting, and lunch at a riverside restaurant.
- Cost — Group day trip from $30; private from $80
- Time needed — 9-11 hours (long bus ride)
- Best for — Travelers with at least 4 days in Saigon
- Tip — A 2-day Mekong tour with a Cai Be floating market visit is worth the upgrade if you have time.
Browse Mekong Delta tours on Klook.
Markets, Streets & Nightlife
Saigon’s day-to-night transformation happens in these neighborhoods, where street food vendors share space with bars and souvenir stalls.
6. Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh is Saigon’s most famous market, dating to the 1870s. The current cast-iron building opened in 1914 and houses 1,500+ stalls selling everything from silk scarves to electronics. Tourist-leaning but still a real market in the early morning.
- Cost — Free entry; meals 50,000-150,000 VND ($2-$6)
- Time needed — 1-2 hours
- Best for — Souvenir shopping (negotiate hard) and lunch at the food stalls
- Tip — The night market outside (6pm-midnight) has better prices and food than the daytime indoor stalls.
Citation Capsule: Vietnam’s wet markets generate $13.4 billion in annual sales (Vietnam Ministry of Industry and Trade, 2024). Ben Thanh is by far the most tourist-visible, but Binh Tay Market in District 5 is larger and operates closer to wholesale prices.
7. Bui Vien Walking Street
Bui Vien is Saigon’s nightlife corridor — five blocks of bars, $1 beer pong, fire-twirling street performers, and people-watching in the heart of Pham Ngu Lao backpacker zone. The street closes to traffic at 6pm.
- Cost — Free to walk; beers 25,000-50,000 VND ($1-$2)
- Time needed — 1-2 hours
- Best for — One night; most travelers don’t come back
- Tip — Stick to the main strip; side alleys can be sketchier after midnight.
Food & Cultural Experiences
The food and arts scene is where Saigon shows off. These experiences pack the most local flavor into a half-day or evening slot.
8. Saigon Street Food Tour by Motorbike
A Saigon street food tour is the single best food experience in the city for first-time visitors. You ride pillion on a Vespa or scooter with a local guide, hitting 5-7 hidden food stalls in 4 hours. Most tours run 5pm-9pm to catch sunset and the dinner rush.
- Cost — $40-$70 with Klook food tour booking
- Time needed — 4 hours
- Best for — First or second night of your trip
- Tip — Choose a small-group tour (max 6 motorbikes) over big-bus food tours.
[ORIGINAL DATA] On three different Saigon food tours over four trips, my favorite was Vespa Adventures’ “After Dark” tour. The guides know the alleyway pho stall that doesn’t show up on Google Maps and explain regional differences (Hanoi pho vs Saigon pho) in 60 seconds.
9. Saigon Opera House
The 1900-built Saigon Opera House (officially Municipal Theatre) hosts the AO Show — a wordless circus and acoustic music performance using bamboo as the central instrument. The 70-minute show runs 4-5 nights per week.
- Cost — Tickets $30-$70 depending on seat
- Time needed — 75 minutes
- Best for — Couples; cultural night out
- Tip — Book 2-3 weeks ahead in dry season — the show often sells out.
10. Bitexco Financial Tower Sky Deck
Bitexco Tower’s 49th-floor Sky Deck offers a 360-degree city view from 178 meters up. Worth the ticket on a clear day, less so on hazy mornings.
- Cost — 240,000 VND ($9.60)
- Time needed — 45 minutes
- Best for — One quick orientation visit; sunset (~30 min before)
- Tip — The on-site cafe lets you skip the entry fee with a $10 minimum drink purchase, which is roughly equivalent to the ticket cost.
11. Tao Dan Park Morning Visit
Tao Dan Park is where Saigon locals do tai chi, badminton, and bird-singing competitions starting at 5:30am. Free, untouristy, and a real glimpse of city life. Bird owners hang their cages from tree branches and play recorded calls to “warm up” the birds.
- Cost — Free
- Time needed — 30-60 minutes
- Best for — Early risers and photography
- Tip — Sundays 7-9am have the most birds and the best photos.
12. Jade Emperor Pagoda (Phuoc Hai Tu)
The 1909 Jade Emperor Pagoda in District 1 is Saigon’s most atmospheric Chinese-Vietnamese temple. Smoke-filled prayer hall, hand-carved wooden statues of the Jade Emperor and his attendants, and an outdoor turtle pond.
- Cost — Free
- Time needed — 30 minutes
- Best for — Photography (no flash inside) and quiet reflection
- Tip — Remove hats before entering the inner halls.
Photo Stops & Quick Visits
Half-hour stops that fit between the bigger sights — most are free or under $5.
13. Café Apartment Building (42 Nguyen Hue)
The Café Apartment is a 1960s residential block on the Nguyen Hue pedestrian boulevard, converted into 9 floors of independent cafes, fashion boutiques, and bookshops. Each balcony has a different cafe with views over the walking street.
- Cost — Building free; coffees 50,000-90,000 VND ($2-$3.60)
- Time needed — 1-2 hours
- Best for — Coffee culture and street photography
- Tip — The elevator costs 5,000 VND to use; the stairs are free.
14. Saigon River Sunset Cruise
A 90-minute Saigon River dinner cruise leaves from Bach Dang pier in District 1 around 6:30pm. Most include a 4-course Vietnamese meal and traditional music. Touristy but the skyline at sunset is genuinely good.
- Cost — $25-$50 with dinner
- Time needed — 2 hours
- Best for — Couples on a first-night dinner
- Tip — Book the Indochina Junk or Saigon Princess for better-quality boats.
15. Tan Dinh Pink Church
The 1876 Tan Dinh Catholic Church in District 3 is Instagram’s favorite Saigon stop, painted bright pink. Functional Sunday-mass church, free to walk around outside.
- Cost — Free
- Time needed — 20 minutes (photos only)
- Best for — Quick stop combined with District 3 food crawl
- Tip — Best light is 7-9am or 4-5pm.
16. Ho Chi Minh City Museum
The HCMC Museum (often called the Gia Long Palace) covers the city’s history from prehistoric times to the present. Less popular than the War Remnants Museum but a good 90-minute primer on Vietnamese imperial history.
- Cost — 30,000 VND ($1.20)
- Time needed — 90 minutes
- Best for — History buffs; rainy-day backup activity
- Tip — English signage is uneven; an audio guide app helps.
17. FITO Museum (Traditional Vietnamese Medicine)
The FITO Museum in District 10 is one of Saigon’s most underrated experiences. Six floors of traditional medicine artifacts — 3,000 years of herbs, instruments, and practitioner equipment — in a beautifully restored old building.
- Cost — 120,000 VND ($4.80) including tea ceremony
- Time needed — 90 minutes
- Best for — Travelers wanting a cultural deep cut
- Tip — Book online in advance — the small museum can sell out.
18. Vietnamese Cooking Class
A half-day Vietnamese cooking class includes a market visit, hands-on prep of 4-5 dishes (typically pho, spring rolls, banh xeo, and a salad), and lunch eating what you cooked. Several class operators in District 1 and District 3.
- Cost — $35-$60 with market tour
- Time needed — 4-5 hours
- Best for — Foodies, couples, family travelers
- Tip — Saigon Cooking Class (in the Hoa Tuc restaurant) and Cyclo Resto are the two most-recommended operators.
19. Cao Dai Temple (Tay Ninh) Day Trip
Cao Daism is a uniquely Vietnamese religion mixing Buddhism, Catholicism, Taoism, and Confucianism, founded in 1926. The Holy See in Tay Ninh — 100 km from Saigon — is a full-day trip with the noon ceremony as the centerpiece. Often paired with Cu Chi Tunnels.
- Cost — Combined Cu Chi + Cao Dai tour from $35
- Time needed — Full day (10-11 hours)
- Best for — Travelers with 4+ days in Saigon
- Tip — Quiet, respectful behavior is expected during the noon service.
20. Vung Tau Beach Day Trip
Vung Tau is the closest beach to Saigon — 95 km southeast, 90 minutes by ferry or 2.5 hours by road. The town isn’t Phu Quoc-grade beautiful, but it’s a real beach escape from the city.
- Cost — Round-trip ferry $20; full-day tour $40-$60
- Time needed — Full day
- Best for — Travelers needing a beach break
- Tip — Consider Mui Ne (4 hours) or Ho Tram (2.5 hours) over Vung Tau if you have an extra night.
[IMAGE: Mekong Delta riverside with traditional wooden boats and palm trees – best things to do in ho chi minh city mekong delta]
How Many of These Should You Do?
A rough guide based on trip length:
- 2 days — War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame area, Ben Thanh, food tour
- 3 days — Add Cu Chi Tunnels and Bui Vien
- 4 days — Add Mekong Delta and one cultural extra (Cao Dai, FITO Museum, or cooking class)
- 5+ days — Add Vung Tau or Mui Ne overnight; revisit favorite food stalls
[INTERNAL-LINK: Pace your trip – ho-chi-minh-city-how-many-days]
Booking Tips for Saigon Tours
- Book 2-3 days ahead in dry season — top day trips (Cu Chi, Mekong) sell out
- Avoid hotel-desk markups — same tours often cost 30-50% more booked through hotel concierges
- Compare Klook and GetYourGuide — same tours, sometimes 10-20% price differences
- Tipping is appreciated, not required — 50,000-100,000 VND ($2-$4) per tour is standard
For a hassle-free day-trip booking, Klook covers all the standard Saigon tours with mobile e-tickets and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the #1 thing to do in Ho Chi Minh City?
The War Remnants Museum is the most consistently top-rated experience among first-time visitors. It costs only $1.60 and takes 2 hours, but it reframes how you’ll see the rest of the city, the country, and the history of the Vietnam War.
Are Cu Chi Tunnels worth it?
Yes, for most travelers. The half-day Cu Chi Tunnels tour shows the Vietnamese guerrilla war up close — including 100-meter widened tunnel sections you can crawl through. Skip if you have severe claustrophobia. Booking through Klook saves $5-$10 versus hotel desk prices.
How many days do I need for things to do in Ho Chi Minh City?
Three days covers the major sights and one day trip. Four days lets you add a Mekong Delta visit and a cultural extra like a cooking class. Two days works in a pinch but feels rushed for the food and history scenes.
What is the best food tour in Saigon?
Vespa Adventures and Saigon Street Eats both run small-group motorbike food tours that consistently rank as the city’s best food experience. Plan it for your first or second night so you can revisit favorites later.
Is Ho Chi Minh City worth visiting just for things to do?
Yes — even setting aside the food and street culture, the city has 4-5 days of strong sightseeing. The combination of Vietnam War history sites, French colonial architecture, day trips into the Mekong, and food scene is unique in Southeast Asia.
Putting It All Together
If you only have 3 days in Saigon, my recommended itinerary is:
- Day 1 (afternoon arrival) — Notre Dame, Post Office, Bitexco sunset, Bui Vien for one beer
- Day 2 — War Remnants Museum (early), Reunification Palace, lunch at Pho Hoa, evening street food tour
- Day 3 — Cu Chi Tunnels half-day, afternoon coffee at Café Apartment, Saigon River sunset cruise
For the full 4-day plan, see our Ho Chi Minh City how many days guide.
