TOP 5 FAMOUS PLACES FROM ICONIC TO HIDDEN GEMS IN HO CHI MINH CITY

Ho Chi Minh City is a youthful city which has a combination of natural beauty and unique architecture, along with a history of development just more than 300 years. Dubbed as “Pearl of the Far East”, this city is filled with an energetic tone of charming architecture and the hustle and bustle of its nightlife.

Are you a new seeker for places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City? Buckle up! Let’s check out some practical information you need to bear in mind below:

• Time zone: Indochina Time (ICT), UTC +7

• Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)

• Language: Vietnamese; English is spoken in tourist areas

• Weather: Tropical, with hot and humid status all year-round. Also dry season and rainy season

• Visa: Check visa requirements based on your nationality

• SIM cards: Available at the airport

• Airport: Tan Son Nhat International Airport (IATA: SGN)

Let’s get started! Here are 5 must-come places when you visit this beautiful city - Ho Chi Minh City

1. Ben Thanh Market - A symbol of culture

Located in Ben Thanh ward, District 1, the first step into Ben Thanh Market feels like entering a sparkling world full of colors and sounds. Not only is it a shopping paradise with endless choices from clothes to souvenirs, but it is also where you can get engrossed in the unique local culture. To enjoy street food with a reasonable price and to be welcomed warmly by friendly people, this place is obviously indispensable for every tourist coming to Ho Chi Minh city.

• Address: Ben Thanh ward, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city
• Opening hours: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
• Ticket price: Free

2. Nguyen Van Binh book street - Happiness for bookaholics

Nguyen Van Binh book street is situated right in the center of the city, opposite to the Independence Palace and 3km to the west of the boisterous Bui Vien Street. This place is fulfilled with an intellectual atmosphere, sought-after by the youth. Visitors can freely explore, check-in, enjoy a good book and sip a good cup of coffee. A while to stay away from the boisterous life out there, Nguyen Van Binh book street will take you into the most tender world where hides the cloudless realms of the pages of a book even when you are not a bookaholic.

• Address: Nguyen Van Binh street, Ben Nghe ward, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city
• Opening hours: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
• Ticket price: Free

3. Notre Dame Cathedral - A historical imprint through the test of time

Notre Dame Cathedral de Ho Chi Minh Ville has been a long time a familiar symbol not only to the locals but also to anyone who has ever heard this city’s name. Placed right in the center of district 1, Notre Dame Cathedral is of all time outstanding with its old French architectural style, creating a charming and divine beauty that attracts visitors, making it infeasible to look away whenever paying a visit to this flashy city. With a large and vast space from the outside to the inside of the Cathedral, after over a century, this construction still preserves the soul of architectural brilliance. It is also an evidence of the harmony between Catholicism and the Nguyen dynasty during that time.

• Address: No.1 Paris commune, Ben Nghe ward, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city
• Opening hours: 5:30 AM - 5:00 PM
• Ticket price: Free

4. Nguyen Hue walking street - A vivid rhythm of life

Mentioning Ho Chi Minh city, we cannot forget to mention Nguyen Hue walking street. The two of them are just like joined at the hip. This place is attracted by tourists of all ages with fascinating creative outdoor activities. The street artists are unscrupulous to show their music styles and talents which make every corner of this street is lighted by melodies. Thanks to the monumental construction investment, Nguyen Hue walking street is frequently chosen to take place many artistic events with both small and large scales. So if you come here on these days of events, it might “kidnap” a half of your soul by an unpredicted way. Nguyen Hue walking street is also a great idea for food enthusiasts, not only to help you to satisfy your gustation but also to give you a chance to discover the beauty of distinctive flavors of Vietnamese street food culture.

• Address: 75 Le Thanh Ton street, Ben Nghe ward, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city
• Opening hours: All day
• Ticket price: Free

5. Memento Saigon - A world hidden behind a bookshelf

Memento Saigon is like a “sanctuary” away from the hurry-curry of the city, a place to find tranquility, an unrevealed world behind a shelf of books. Not merely a café, but Memento is also a space to whisper out loud all of your sorrows with a friend or even bartender. Decorated like a fairy secret garden, embellished with a bit of melancholy but still exceptionally beautified by its glamour and nostalgia, this garden recalls you of a peaceful part in the south of France, where everything in life just seems to pause, only you yourself cradle your own soul after all.

• Address: Floor 5, 14 Ton That Dam street, Nguyen Thai Binh ward, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city
• Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (for coffee) & 5:00 PM - 0:00 AM (for cocktail)
• Menu prices: 45.000 ~ 65.000 VND

With its diverse cuisine, abounding shopping malls, thrilling attractions, world-class hotels and latest infrastructure, Ho Chi Minh City has become a favorite destination for travelers from both Vietnam in particular and the world in general. When you visit this city, you can even discover more than what you unexpected about it. So what are you waiting for? Heal yourself with a trip to Ho Chi Minh City – who knows, you might leave your heart here without warning…