Things to do in Ho Chi Minh
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh
Travel can easily be described as one of the most chaotic and aggressive things to do in Ho Chi Minh (also known as Saigon) when it comes to traffic. Dodging motorbikes like you’re playing a game of “Frogger” can be a bit much at times, but the reward is more than worth it! After making it the first destination visited in Vietnam a mere two years ago after finishing up my month long tour in Laos, I knew I needed a chance to revisit it and rekindle the fire, as nothing is quite like traveling in Vietnam!
This city is far more than meets the eye and can easily show a needle in the haystack if you open your mind and let it! From some of the best street food in the world to exploring the tunnel networks used in the war to sipping a freshly poured Heineken atop one of the nicest and new skyscrapers in Saigon to closing your eyes freeing your thoughts and dining in the dark!
This city can show you as little history or as much as you’d like, and if you’re just looking for a modern escape...look no further! Ho Chi Minh is the most modern city in Vietnam, even more than the capital city of Hanoi.
Just arrived to travel in Ho Chi Minh, what to do now?
You’ve just got off the plane and made it through to visa processing and picked up your luggage...so what should be done next?!
Get a sim card from one of the retailers
Exchange some money (enough to get to city center as the rates are better)
Download Grab App so you can order a car to your hotel without getting scammed
Get a Vietnamese coffee from one of the cafes while you wait. Trust, it’s one of our favorite things to do for sure.
Be your own person in a city of millions and feel free to try any and all advice below!
Getting around the city
With a population of approximately 9 million people and covering a whopping 2,061 sq. km (796 sq. mi) it’ll make it nearly impossible for you to explore even a fraction of it only by foot.
However, whenever the chance is available always walk as it’s the only way to be able to see how each neighborhood truly changes.
That being said you have got the options of taking a public bus, motorbike taxi, metered taxi or rent a motorbike.
Public Transport - With around 100 different routes going through every part of the city it’ll be easy for you to find a bus. It’ll usually cost around .25cents a ride and usually congested on the bus and in traffic. Only recommend this if you would like to experience the real Vietnamese commuter lifestyle.
Motorbike Taxi - The grab app makes this the most efficient and cost-effective way to get around the city. You can usually travel anywhere within 15-20 minutes for around $1-2 USD.
Metered Taxi - We don’t use this option much and we try to agree on the price before the ride even if the taxi has a meter. You can get a nice driver or the one who will try to scam you so be careful with that, it’s a luck of the draw.
Rent a motorbike - One of the more fun and challenging things to do when visiting this city with chaotic traffic. You should not do this if you’ve got no prior driving experience as it’s extremely dangerous and will result in injury/ ending your trip shortly! If you decide to rent a motorbike we’d highly recommend Style Motorbikes as they’ve some of the most reliable bikes and incredible customer service.
When to visit Ho Chi Minh
This can be the crucial element to having the best time of your life...or the worst if you visit not knowing what to expect. December through March is when you’ll find some of the best weather of the year. With temperatures averaging around 35°C (95°F) daily and no rainfall.
Temperatures then begin to climb up to 37°C (100°F) in April/May. May - September brings in the monsoon season where you’ll still have the high temperatures but with the humidity, it’ll make it feel around 45° (113°F). Note: These temperatures are the daily highs...night time the temps go down to 23°-24° (75°F)
Things to do
Shop the local markets - This one can be a lot of fun especially if you’ve got the special gift of haggling prices. Whether you’re looking for clothing, produce, souvenirs, or basic electronics...the local markets will have them for you.
They will always start the prices higher because they know you’re a tourist and will be willing to say ok to that.
For example, recently I purchased a 3 in 1 north face jacket from the Russian Market and they started the price at 1,300,000 VND and we managed to work it down to 800,000 VND with a free neck warmer.
Tip: If Ho Chi Minh is not your last stop in Vietnam, it’s better and cheaper to go shopping in other cities. For example, the above mentioned north face jacket will cost you 500-600K VND in Hanoi.
Watch Sunset at the Skydeck - Easily one of the most epic views you can get from the city as it takes you 50 floors above Ho Chi Minh.
For 200,000 VND you can take in the views for as long as you’d like and even visit the cafe to have some coffee to take it all in.
We opted for the combo package for 250,000 VND which got us a tour of the Heineken Experience giving us the highest visible view of the city.
Also included with the tour is 3 beers, chips, water, and a Heineken bottle with your name on it to take home as a souvenir!
Try Street Food in Ho Chi Minh - Easily one of the most affordable and best things you can do when visiting all of Vietnam.
You can find most of the must-try dishes in Hanoi but cooked for a Southern Vietnam manner.
For just around $1 you can try things like (Bun Cha, Pho, Fresh Spring Rolls, Banh Mi, and many more items).
Don’t be afraid to try things that are cooked on the street for sanitary reasons...if that’s your fear, do your homework and find the places with the good reviews or places where you see a lot of locals eating.
Visit the Cu Chi tunnel network - One of the must-do historical attractions in the entire city, and luckily for you, it’s a very affordable one to do.
For as little as 150,000 VND you can jump on board with a tour company and explore the real tunnels used by the Vietcong during the war.
Have no fear if you’re claustrophobic or have problems squatting down as they got a variety of tunnels to take all sorts of groups through.
Note: If doing this, know that it’ll take up at least half your day as it’s about an hour outside of the city and a lot of the time traffic doesn’t work in your favor.
Unique eats in Ho Chi Minh
Bep Me In - Don’t be fooled when it comes to this hard to find eatery. Once you hop in line to get inside they will funnel you through quickly as the turnover rate is extraordinary. Inside you’ll be able to try an array of local dishes in a short period of time, making it ideal for those who just have a day or two to visit the city.
Mountain Retreat - Set down a dark alleyway and in an old apartment building is where you’ll find this comfy little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the main streets. It is a 5 flight walk up to the top but if you time it right it’ll totally be worth it! Great authentic and affordable Vietnamese food with a great view overlooking some of the city and a nice place to watch the sunset.
Noir: Dining in the Dark - This one a kind experience will make for the perfect special date night while in the city on vacation. Fully immersed into darkness and only relying on your senses of touch and smell you’ll be left slightly confused at moments trying to figure out what it is you just ate. Be aware that you must notify them ahead of time if you or anyone in your group have any food allergies or dietary restrictions. We found that this is one of the most affordable places in the world to do such an activity!
Night Life
It’s Friday night and you’re looking for some things to do in Ho Chi Minh! With hundreds, if not thousands of places to go drink, dance, sing karaoke, or just get lost in, one thing is for certain.No one will be left without something to do!
Walking Pub Street (Bui Vien)- A trip to Saigon would never be complete with visiting the famous walking pub street – it’s like the Khao San Road in Bangkok! With an endless selection of bars, clubs, restaurants, massage parlors, cheap beer, cheap banh mi carts, and tons of energy...it’s a tough place to miss! Try not to party too hard as they next day you’ll be hurting too much to make it to all the attractions around the city or worse...miss your flight! (Pictured Above)
East-West Brewery - Easily one of our favorite places to go for drinks in all of Saigon. Every day from 5-7pm they offer mix and match buy 2 get 1 free for beers, wines, cocktails, and spirits.
The open format space can hold hundreds of people and is ideal for large groups. We recently held a CouchSurfing travel meetup with 20 people and couldn’t have been more pleased with the outcome.
Very accommodating staff, good food, amazing craft beer, and just so much space that we couldn’t have asked for more
Try: Red Rye Lager and Steamed Mussels
LightHouse Nightclub - Saigon's premier nightclub for International techno dj’s. Every Friday and Saturday from 10pm till late you’ll be able to pay a small fee to enter and dance the night away. The crowd is very mixed between foreigners and locals which make for a great time, the house djs here are a mix between Belgian, Dutch, German, and a few other backgrounds.
Accommodation in Ho Chi Minh
With a whopping total of 3,500 properties listed on the booking.com app and somewhere around another 1,000 that aren’t even using a booking platform, it’s easy to say that this city has accommodation for everyone! We’ve stayed in all different types of accommodation over the past two years weighing the differences between hotels and hostels and can hands down give you a solid recommendation in each price bracket.
Hostel - Vietnam Backpackers - If you’re looking to live up the proper party style here in Ho Chi Minh and for a good price then this is the spot for you. An excellent spot to meet people and find out information about where to visit in Vietnam while exchanging stories upstairs at the rooftop bar which has a daily happy hour and night time bar games. It should run you about 165,000 VND a night to get a bed in a mixed dorm and qualify you to go on one of the most legendary pub crawls in Saigon.
Budget Hotel - Havy Hotel - We stumbled across this little gem among budget hotels in the center of it all in District 1. For 230,000 VND a night you can get a basic bedroom with air conditioning, private bathroom, decent bed, comfortable pillows, and away from the noise that pollutes the streets late at night. Note, this place is basic accommodation and can be hit or miss when it comes to the rooms as they’re a bit outdated.
Tip: ask to see the room before you book and request the quiet room.
Average Hotel - Cozrum Lux Hotel - The first place that caught our eyes when we arrived in Saigon after making our trip around the corner to the biggest Starbucks in Vietnam. Centrally located and with rooms that overlook the city, it’s nearly impossible to find such a place for the price and comfort that’s offered by Cozrum. Should cost around 700,000 VND a night to stay on one of the higher-level floors or 600,000 VND for lower.
Luxury Hotel - Grand Hotel Saigon - We may have only spent one night at this beautiful establishment, but it will hold a special place in our hearts forever. Not only is this hotel gorgeous and comfortable, but the staff here really do make you feel right as if you were at home. Location is spot on and comes equipped with a spa, 2 restaurants, rooftop lounge, bar, banquet halls, and even a cooking class. For 1,800,000 VND this can all be yours and more!
Note: All hotels listed above are centrally located and the prices are set for that exact reason. Ho Chi Minh has 24 districts, if you’re looking to stay somewhere cheaper you should look outside of District 1.
Expenses
When you think about visiting Asia I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s cheap cheap! Why yes, that can be true, it can easily turn into one of the most expensive trips if you let it. We’ll break it down for you into 3 categories as we had the chance to live fully in each bracket this time around.
Backpacker budget - Here the average backpacker can expect to spend roughly $15 a day without going to any paid attractions. If you’re looking to do some of the paid sightseeing or you want to go out partying for the night you should double the amount to $30.
Hostel beds will average about $5, the key to this purchase is to find the hostel which offers one of the best breakfasts included. If you eat street food for your meals you can easily stay within the $5 range again as banh mi costs $1 and pho will run you around $1-$1.50 as well.
Transportation around the city is clutch when it comes to using the Grab App (Uber in Asia) you can usually get anywhere in the city one way for less than $1.
Average budget - The normal budget person who’s visiting and looking to be comfortable and not break the bank while doing the attractions as well. You should have no problem finding a clean and centrally located hotel for around $20 a night.
Your meals shouldn’t cost more than $15 over the course of the entire day. Transportation will be about $1 by motorbike or $2-$3 if you’re looking to take a car around town.
So we would say the total you should expect to spend would be $40 without attractions or going out for the night.
Luxury Living - If you’re looking to ball out in Vietnam, this should be one of the cities to do it in. For $100 a night you’ll get a colonial deluxe king-sized room in the center of the city. With all your meals for the day and including coffee, you should expect to spend around $60.
For transportation, you can get a grab car for the day to take you around for $30...which is a steal at that price.
Overall we’d say be ready to comfortably drop $200 if you’d like to explore the luxurious side, and $250 if you want to include the attractions.
5 tips for saving money in Saigon
Grab your drinks from the Vinmart, KMart, or Circle store as they’re far cheaper than in bars/restaurants. You can buy water for 5000 VND and sparkling water for 8000 VND.
Stay in budget accommodation or choose to stay in a dorm room if you don’t mind sleeping in a room with other people, this alone can save a substantial amount of money in your budget if you’re traveling through Vietnam for a month!
Cut down on the drinking and partying! This is the easiest way to save money and is one the best practices for staying healthy while traveling long term.
Don’t choose to eat at all the restaurants people are in as you pass them by; instead, go down the little alleyways to find some of the cheapest and honestly most authentic food in the entire city.
If you have the option, walk everywhere that you possibly can – it saves you money and tires you out resulting in you not wanting to go out later that night and will be the first asleep in the dorm room! An all-around win-win!
Staying Safe
When traveling anywhere in the world you should always focus on your safety and know where you should and shouldn’t visit. Saigon is just like the other places, it’s very safe to travel alone or with a group. But that doesn’t mean you should just let your guard and inhibitions down fully.
Sketchy things can and will happen if you want to be that person who goes and gets blackout drunk. If you’re responsible and stay in control of yourself you should run across no problems having a few drinks while partying and then heading home.
One big thing to watch out for here in the city though is the intense traffic at all times. You must keep your eyes peeled on the roads as motorbikes, cars, trucks, and buses will hit you if you’re not paying close attention.
Pro Tip: We always say you should have “find my iPhone” or location services on when traveling, in case anything does happen, your last ping will be available!