Ho Chi Minh City attractions

The “green lungs” of Ho Chi Minh City, Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve is often simply referred to as Mangrove Forest. Close to where the Saigon River meets the South China Sea, this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is an important natural wetland. You’ll find attractions here including Monkey Island, Rung Sac Military Base, and Vam Sat Salt-Marsh Forest Ecological Tourist Center.

Cao Dai Temple (Toa Thanh Tay Ninh) is named so simply and definitively for a reason: it’s considered the greatest of all Vietnam’s Cao Dai temples. Founded in 1926, the complex functions as a Holy See for the Cao Dai religion, aka Caodaism, Vietnam’s third most popular belief system after Buddhism and Catholicism. Visitors are welcome at prayer sessions in the Great Temple, and to marvel at the temple’s wild architecture.

The Mekong River, the 12th-longest river in the world at more than 3,000 miles (4,900 kilometers), is the main artery of Southeast Asia. Its flowing waters are the pulse of a region that includes the fertile Mekong Delta around Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, the scenic hills of Laos, and the jungle-lined waterways of Thailand and Cambodia.

In the heart of Cho Lon, also known as Chinatown, stands Binh Tay Market (Cho Binh Tay). Built in 1928 after the original bazaar burned down, Binh Tay is one of the city’s largest markets, teeming with vendors selling a mind-boggling array of wares, including pottery, flowers, and souvenirs, as well as piping-hot noodles and wholesale produce.

On Vietnam’s mighty Mekong River, sleepy communities live alongside an abundance of floating tropical markets, buffalo wallowing in lush rice-paddy fields, and mangroves rich with birdlife. South of bustling Saigon, this region—with My Tho as the hub—is a popular destination for experiencing a different, slower side of Vietnamese living. And the best way to experience it is right on the water.

With dusty jars of ingredients, an altar devoted to two long-dead doctors, a disturbing selection of historical medical instruments, and more, the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine (Fito Museum is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s quirkiest museums. A documentary introduces the tradition, while the souvenir shop offers unusual gifts.

Spanning around 25 acres (10 hectares) in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Tao Dan Park is a fresh green space where locals exercise, particularly tai chi in the morning, aerobics after work, and badminton on weekends. Besides the pool, tennis courts, and sculpture garden, many travelers love the bird café, where local men bring pet birds.

From the giant bearded god towering over the water park to slides that emerge through a dragon’s mouth, Suoi Tien Theme Park takes its Buddhist theme to the limit. Local families flock here for games, local eats, swimming, child-centric rides, the zoo, and the grounds. Most overseas travelers visit to enjoy the bizarre design.

One of the oldest art museums in Ho Chi Minh City, the Museum of Fine Arts occupies a gorgeous colonial-era building from 1929. The collection starts with sculptures from the early Funan and Cham kingdoms, dating back as far as the fourth century, but it’s also home to intriguing modern art pieces, many focused on the Vietnam War.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater is the place to witness water puppetry, a beloved and almost ancient art form. Long ago, Vietnamese puppeteers performed for their rural communities in waist-deep water, and today the tradition lives on—only now, in a classic, comfortable venue built for a night on the town.

The Dam Sen Water Park (Công Viên Nước Đầm Sen) is a fun place to spend a few hours when the weather’s hot in Ho Chi Minh City, which is most of the time! Kids in particular will love the waterslides, wave pool, and watery rides. There are landscaped gardens, lounge chairs, and food outlets to keep parents happy, too.

Ho Chi Minh City’s answer to Bangkok’s Khao San Road, Pham Ngu Lao Street is a magnet for visitors hopping around the region, offering dozens of affordable accommodations, bars, and tourist-focused restaurants. Locals—both Vietnamese and expats—know it simply as the backpacker district, or backpacker street. Despite the noise, traffic, crowds, and late-night chaos, Pham Ngu Lao is a mecca for travelers looking to experience the city’s unfiltered energy.

Built in 1744, the Giac Lam Pagoda is one of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City. A Buddhist structure designated as a historic site by the Vietnamese government, the site boasts an impressive sanctuary filled with gold figures and a fat laughing Buddha. The large gardens surrounding the pagoda also contain a sacred bodhi tree.

Paris Square serves as the perfect hub for travelers looking to explore the city’s key landmarks in a single stop. You’ll sense it when you’re there—the Saigon Opera House, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Central Post Office are all within walking distance, and the tree-covered parks, bustling cafés, and Rex Arcade make for great people-watching. Consider it the visitors’ north star in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City has an insatiable appetite for shopping, and many locals get their retail therapy at the Vincom Center, a massive shopping complex in District 1. Skewing toward luxury brands like Ralph Lauren and Armani, Vincom is a treasure trove for those with cards to swipe—or those simply looking for a reprieve from the city heat.

The Quan Am Pagoda is a Chinese-style temple in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown area. It’s a very colorful place, devoted to the Goddess of Mercy, Quan Am. The Quan Am Pagoda is one of the city’s most popular Buddhist sites, and it is worth making a trip to Cholon to see.

The gateway to the Vietnamese city once known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City Cruise Ports sit along the Saigon River and serve as jumping-off points for exploring the nation's largest and most dynamic city. Ocean cruises normally dock at Phu My and sometimes Cai Mep, both about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of the city, while river cruises typically dock at My Tho, about 47 miles (75 kilometers) to the south.

Within the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve on the Saigon River and not far from the ocean, Vam Sat’s mangrove ecosystems welcome bats, crabs, and a spectacular array of birdlife, including storks, kingfishers, and pelicans. A lookout tower offers views of the area, while a small crocodile farm is popular with locals.