Located southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, close to where the Saigon River meets the South China Sea, the low-lying Can Gio island houses a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This is an important natural wetland with attractions like Monkey Island, Rung Sac Military Base, Vam Sat Salt-Marsh Forest Ecological Tourist Center, and a crocodile farm.
Near Tay Ninh town, in Long Hoa village, this temple is considered the greatest of all Vietnam’s Cao Dai temples. Founded in 1926, the Cao Dai Temple (Tòa Thánh Tây Ninh) complex functions as a Holy See for the Cao Dai religion (Caodaism), Vietnam’s third most popular belief system after Buddhism and Catholicism. Visitors are welcome at prayer sessions in the Great Temple.
The Mekong River, the 12th-longest river in the world at 2,700 miles (4,345 kilometers), is the main artery of Southeast Asia. Its flowing waters are the beating pulse for 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.
At the heart of Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinese district, sits Binh Tay Market (Chợ Bình Tây). Built in 1928 after the original bazaar burned down, Binh Tay is the city’s largest market teeming with vendors selling a mind-boggling array of wares, including pottery, flowers, and cheap souvenirs, as well as piping hot noodles and wholesale produce.
Often referred to as the “rice bowl of Asia” for its emerald-green rice paddy fields, the Mekong Delta is surrounded by fertile land. On Vietnam’s mighty Mekong, sleepy floating communities live alongside an abundance of tropical fruits, buffalo wallowing in paddy fields, and mangroves rich with birdlife.
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.
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.
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.
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 answer to Bangkok’s Khao San Road, Pham Ngu Lao Street boasts dozens of affordable guesthouses, cheap pubs, and backpacker-focused restaurants. In fact, Saigonese know it simply as the backpacker district. Despite the noise, traffic, and chaos, Phạm Ngũ Lão is a mecca for travelers looking to experience Saigon’s unfiltered energy.
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.
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 (Công Trường Công Xã Paris) serves as the perfect hub for travelers looking to explore the key landmarks of Ho Chi Minh City in a single stop. The Saigon Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Central Post Office are all within walking distance, and the tree-covered parks, Versace Plaza, and bustling cafés make for great people-watching.
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.
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 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.
