Vietnam

AI may have contributed to this destination’s text and activity data. Confirm opening days, transport, prices and entry conditions with the relevant operator or authority; automatic live-data updates do not verify these descriptions.

Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam's biggest, busiest city

Visa & entry checker Plan a trip to Ho Chi Minh City Plan a trip around Vietnam

Best time to visit: Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Currency: VND
Time zone: UTC+7
Country: Vietnam

Photo: Jim 陳, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, is Vietnam's largest city and its economic and transport hub. Visitors come for French colonial landmarks, war history museums, Chinatown, street food and a lively nightlife around Bui Vien Street.

Largest cities

Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi
Da Nang
Hai Phong
Can Tho

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi
City population: 14M
Population of Vietnam: 96.2M
Country area: 331,690 km²
Official language: Vietnamese
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND) · 1 USD ≈ 25,863 VND
Time zone: UTC+7
Calling code: +84
Drives on the: Right
Elevation: 10 m
Plugs: A / C / F · 220V
Emergency numbers: 113 · 114 · 115
Best time to visit: Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	32°	33°	35°	34°	33°	32°	31°	31°	31°	31°	31°	31°
Low	23°	24°	25°	26°	26°	25°	25°	25°	25°	24°	24°	23°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$20
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$62
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$195

Plan a trip to Ho Chi Minh City

Top things to do

≈ $2
War Remnants Museum
Three floors of photographs, documents and military hardware covering the Vietnam War; go early as it gets hot and crowded by mid-morning.
- Half day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Indoors
≈ $3
Independence Palace
The 1960s presidential palace preserved as it was in 1975, with war rooms and a rooftop helicopter; allow about 90 minutes.
- Half day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
Free
Notre-Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office
Two French colonial landmarks side by side on Dong Khoi; the cathedral exterior is the main sight as interior visits are restricted.
- Half day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Good for kids
Free
Ben Thanh Market
The city's best-known market for coffee, textiles and souvenirs, with a food section and a night market on the surrounding streets; bargain hard.
- Half day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
- Good in the evening
≈ $10
Bitexco Financial Tower Sky Deck
An observation floor on the 49th level with a full sweep of the skyline and river; time it for sunset.
- Half day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Good for kids
- Indoors
- Good in the evening
≈ $10
Landmark 81
Vietnam's tallest tower, with a viewing gallery, shops and restaurants; reachable by taxi or the metro towards Suoi Tien.
- Half day
- Thu Duc City
- Good for kids
- Indoors
- Good in the evening
Free
Cholon and Thien Hau Temple
Wander the Chinese quarter's markets and lanes and visit the 18th-century temple to the goddess of the sea; mornings are cooler and livelier.
- Half day
- Cholon (Chinatown, District 5-6)
- Good for kids
≈ $20
Cu Chi Tunnels day trip
A half-day or full-day trip about 70 km northwest to the wartime tunnel network, with crawl sections and firing-range extras; book a tour or arrange a car.
- Full day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Good for kids
≈ $35
Mekong Delta day trip
A long day out to My Tho or Ben Tre for boat rides, canals and orchard stops; expect an early start and a late return.
- Full day
- District 1 (city centre)
- Good for kids

Before you go

Entry and visas

Many nationalities, including British citizens, can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days for tourism, with an entry and exit stamp giving the date you must leave by; a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa is available for longer stays. From 15 April 2026, all foreign nationals arriving via Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City are encouraged to complete a digital arrival card online before arrival, and a health declaration may be required from 1 July. Passports need at least 6 months' validity and 2 blank pages, and rules differ by nationality, so check the official Vietnamese immigration guid

Official website

From the airport

Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) sits about 8 km from the centre and handles nearly half of all international arrivals to Vietnam. A taxi takes roughly 30 minutes in normal traffic, while air-conditioned city bus 152 (about 5,000 VND) or express bus 109 (about 20,000 VND) are far cheaper.

Getting around

Traffic is heavy, so most trips are by taxi or ride-hailing app, with the new metro line and air-conditioned buses useful for longer hops.

Local tips

Dress modestly at temples and pagodas, covering shoulders and knees.
Carry small notes of dong for markets and street food; many stalls do not accept cards.
The Vietnam War is a sensitive topic locally, so avoid raising it in conversation.
December to February is the most comfortable window; May to October is hot, humid and wet, with flooding in some streets.