Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City: 16 Ideas With 2026 Prices and Hours
11/11/2025The best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City: the Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market, the French-era streets, the Saigon Waterbus at sunset and the Cu Chi Tunnels, with 2026 hours and prices.
The best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City are touring the Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum, browsing Ben Thanh Market, walking the French-era streets around the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral, riding the Saigon Waterbus along the river at sunset and spending half a day at the Cu Chi Tunnels. Apart from Cu Chi, most of these sights sit in central District 1, close enough to link on foot or by Metro Line 1.
Silverland Hospitality runs eight hotels in District 1, so this list follows the questions our front desks answer every day. We checked opening hours and ticket prices against official and dated sources on 12 October 2026. One change matters this season: from 1 October 2026 the War Remnants Museum, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum and the Fine Arts Museum charge 60,000 VND, and children, pupils and students enter free.
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City at a glance
Prices are for one adult and were checked on 12 October 2026. Hours can change on public holidays, so check the venue before you go.
| Experience | Where | Opening hours | Adult ticket (VND) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Palace | 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward | 07:00 to 18:00 daily | 80,000 |
| War Remnants Museum | 28 Vo Van Tan, Xuan Hoa Ward | 07:30 to 17:30 (ticket desk closes 17:00) | 60,000 |
| Ho Chi Minh City Museum | 65 Ly Tu Trong | 08:00 to 17:00 daily | 60,000 |
| Fine Arts Museum | 97A Pho Duc Chinh | 08:00 to 17:00 | 60,000 |
| Ben Thanh Market | Ben Thanh Ward | 07:00 to 22:00 (general hours) | Free entry |
| Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral | Cong Xa Paris | Exterior only during restoration | No ticket |
| Saigon Central Post Office | Cong Xa Paris | Mon to Fri 07:00 to 19:00, Sat 07:00 to 18:00, Sun 08:00 to 18:00 | Working post office |
| Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, Sai Gon Ward | 07:00 to 18:30 daily | 60,000 (child 1 m to under 1.3 m: 40,000) |
| Saigon Waterbus | Bach Dang pier, 10B Ton Duc Thang | Last departure from Bach Dang 21:20 | 15,000 per trip |
| Book Street | Nguyen Van Binh, Sai Gon Ward | Night book fair: last weekend of each month, 17:00 to 22:00 | Free to walk |
| Bui Vien Walking Street | Ben Thanh Ward (formerly Pham Ngu Lao Ward) | Car-free 19:00 to 02:00, Saturday and Sunday nights | Free entry |
| Cu Chi Tunnels (Ben Duoc) | About 70 km from the city centre | Plan a half day | 85,000 for international visitors |
| Metro Line 1 | Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien | Daily | 7,000 to 20,000 per trip; 1-day pass 40,000 |
History and landmarks
1. Independence Palace
The palace, also called Reunification Palace, is where the Vietnam War ended on 30 April 1975. You walk through the original meeting rooms, the presidential quarters and the basement command bunker. It opens 07:00 to 18:00 every day, including holidays and Tet. Adults pay 80,000 VND, students and seniors 40,000 VND and children 20,000 VND.
2. War Remnants Museum
Allow two hours. The photo galleries on the war and its aftermath are direct and, for many visitors, hard to forget. The museum opens 07:30 to 17:30 and stops selling tickets at 17:00. Since 10 February 2026 you can buy tickets online and enter with a QR code, and from 1 October 2026 the adult ticket costs 60,000 VND. Our War Remnants Museum guide covers the floors in order.
3. Ho Chi Minh City Museum
The museum fills the former Gia Long Palace at 65 Ly Tu Trong, a colonial building that is often quieter than the bigger sights. It opens 08:00 to 17:00 daily and charges 60,000 VND from 1 October 2026. The tunnel under the palace is temporarily closed while its exhibits are reworked, with no reopening date announced yet.
4. Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office
The red-brick cathedral has been under restoration for close to a decade. Its two gilded crosses went back on the towers on 19 March 2026, but the parish has said the work will not finish in 2027. For now you can see and photograph the outside only; the interior is kept for services. Across the square, the Central Post Office is still a working post office, with its painted wall maps and wooden phone booths. See our guide to religious sites in District 1 for the other churches and pagodas nearby.
5. Fine Arts Museum
Three linked colonial buildings at 97A Pho Duc Chinh hold Vietnamese painting, lacquer and sculpture. Entry is 60,000 VND from 1 October 2026 and the museum opens 08:00 to 17:00. It is a short walk from Ben Thanh Market, so it pairs well with a morning at the market.
Markets, food and coffee
6. Ben Thanh Market
Ben Thanh is the market most visitors come to see first, and its clock tower is the easiest landmark in the city. General hours are 07:00 to 22:00 and entry is free. Go in the morning for the food stalls and the coffee, tea and dried goods sections, and agree a price before you pay. Our full Ben Thanh Market guide covers the gates, what to eat and how to bargain, and our list of markets in District 1 adds quieter alternatives.
7. Street food at the right hour
The safest rule for street food is to follow the queue. Stalls that are busy at breakfast, lunch and early evening turn their food over quickly, which keeps it fresh. Start with banh mi, pho, broken rice (com tam) or banh xeo, and carry small notes, since many stalls take cash only.
8. A ca phe sua da on a side street
Saigon iced milk coffee is strong drip coffee poured over condensed milk and ice. Drink it on a plastic stool by the road, or in one of the converted apartment blocks such as the Cafe Apartment at 42 Nguyen Hue, where each floor is a different cafe.
9. Book Street
Nguyen Van Binh Street, opened as a book street in January 2016, runs beside the Central Post Office and is shaded and calm in the afternoon. On the last weekend of each month it holds a night book fair from 17:00 to 22:00.
River, parks and open space
10. Saigon Waterbus at sunset
The Saigon Waterbus leaves from Bach Dang pier at 10B Ton Duc Thang and runs upriver past Thu Thiem, Ba Son and Thao Dien. A ticket costs 15,000 VND, and passengers aged 70 and over and children under one ride free. Daily departures from Bach Dang leave at 8:30, 11:00, 14:30, 16:30, 17:10, 18:05, 19:50 and 21:20, so the 17:10 or 18:05 boat catches the light going down. More about the river itself is in our Saigon River guide.
11. Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Bach Dang Wharf
The wide pedestrian boulevard runs from the People’s Committee Building down to the river, and it is at its liveliest on weekend evenings, when families, street performers and skaters fill it. Walk to the end and continue along Bach Dang Wharf for the river breeze. Our Nguyen Hue Walking Street guide lists what to see along the way.
12. Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Thao Cam Vien opened on 23 March 1864, which makes it one of the oldest zoos in the region. Its old trees make it a cool place for an early walk. It opens 07:00 to 18:30 every day; adults (1.3 m and taller) pay 60,000 VND and children from 1 m to under 1.3 m pay 40,000 VND.
13. Tao Dan Park in the early morning
Before 07:00, Tao Dan Park fills with people doing tai chi, badminton and dance workouts, and bird owners hang their cages in the trees. It costs nothing, and it shows a side of the city most visitors miss.
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City at night
14. A rooftop bar above District 1
A rooftop drink is the easiest way to see how far the city stretches. Our own rooftops each have a different character:
- Smith’s Kitchen & Bar on the 12th floor of Silverland Ben Thanh, open 06:30 to 23:00, faces Ben Thanh Market and is known for dry-aged steak.
- Maya Rooftop Pool Bar at Silverland Mây is open 08:00 to 01:00 beside a 150 m² rooftop pool. Outside visitors can arrange pool access through [email protected].
- Jolie Rooftop Garden Bar on the 10th floor of Silverland Jolie, open 10:00 to 23:00, looks out over the Saigon River.
- The rooftop bar at Silverland Yen won Luxury Rooftop View Hotel, South East Asia, at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2025, with live music on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Rooty Bar at The Myst Dong Khoi serves cocktails built on local ingredients.
For more choices across the city, see our rooftop bar guide.
15. Bui Vien Walking Street at night
Bui Vien Walking Street is the backpacker bar street of central Saigon, in Ben Thanh Ward (formerly Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1) and about 0.8 km on foot from Ben Thanh Market. It opened as the city’s second walking street on 20 August 2017, after Nguyen Hue, and vehicles are kept off from 19:00 to 02:00 on Saturday and Sunday nights. Entry is free; you pay per drink or dish.
Bui Vien at night is loud, crowded and cheap: beer on low plastic stools in the road, bar speakers competing with each other and snack vendors working the crowd. It suits a first night out with friends far better than a conversation, so treat it as a one-hour stop after an evening walk on Nguyen Hue rather than the whole night.
- Check drink prices on the menu before you order in the larger clubs; they are far higher than at the street-side beer stalls.
- Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket when the crowd is at its thickest.
- Skip the nitrous oxide balloons. They are illegal, and Ben Thanh Ward police seized 348 cylinders on and around the street in August 2025.
- Coming by Grab on a weekend night, ask to be dropped on Tran Hung Dao or Cong Quynh Street, the two ends of the walking street.
For the full picture, including how Bui Vien compares with Nguyen Hue and the hidden bars and comedy clubs to move on to, read our guide to Bui Vien at night and new Saigon nightlife. To sleep away from the noise but still walk there, Silverland Ben Thanh and Silverland Yen both sit near Ben Thanh Market.
A half-day trip from the city
16. Cu Chi Tunnels
The tunnel network sits about 70 km from the city centre, and its two visitor sites, Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc, are 13 km apart. At Ben Duoc, international visitors pay 85,000 VND. You can go by public bus 13 from Ben Thanh, by Grab or on a guided tour; most people leave early and are back by mid-afternoon. Our Cu Chi Tunnels tour guide compares the options.
Free things to do in Ho Chi Minh City
- Walk Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Bach Dang Wharf in the evening.
- Browse Ben Thanh Market (entry is free; bargain before you buy).
- Photograph the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral from the square and step into the Central Post Office.
- Browse Book Street, especially during the monthly night book fair.
- Watch the morning exercise groups in Tao Dan Park before 07:00.
- Children, pupils and students enter the War Remnants Museum, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum and the Fine Arts Museum free from 1 October 2026.
Getting around between the sights
Most of the places above in central District 1 are within walking distance of each other. For longer hops, Metro Line 1 runs from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, with underground stations at Ben Thanh, Opera House and Ba Son. A single trip costs 7,000 to 20,000 VND in cash, a 1-day pass 40,000 VND and a 3-day pass 90,000 VND; see our Metro Line 1 map. For everything else, Grab and other ride-hailing apps are the simplest option.
Where to stay to walk to most of these sights
District 1 is the practical base, because it puts the palace, the museums, the market and the river within walking distance. All of the hotels below belong to Silverland Hospitality and sit in District 1, each with a different strength:
| Hotel | What sets it apart | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Silverland Ben Thanh | 50 m from Ben Thanh Market and 40 m from Ben Thanh metro station; 12th-floor rooftop pool open 06:00 to 20:00 | First visits and metro users |
| Silverland Yen | About 230 m from Ben Thanh Market on a quiet street near Tao Dan Park; rooftop jacuzzi, no swimming pool | Quiet nights close to the market |
| Silverland Jolie | 400 m from the Opera House and 700 m from Nguyen Hue; 10th-floor rooftop bar facing the river | River evenings and walking |
| Silverland Sakyo | Japan Town on Le Thanh Ton; rooftop jacuzzi with hot (38°C) and cold (18°C) zones; free one-way airport transfer from 2 nights when booked direct | Japanese dining and longer stays |
| Silverland Sil | On Thai Van Lung, 140 m from the Japanese street corner; free airport transfer from 1 night when booked direct; breakfast from 05:30 | Short business trips |
| Silverland Mây | 4-star, 144 rooms, with the 150 m² Maya rooftop pool | Couples |
| The Myst Dong Khoi | 5-star at 6-8 Ho Huan Nghiep, a side street off Dong Khoi | A five-star stay |
For a district-by-district comparison, read our guide to the best area to stay in Ho Chi Minh City, and if you want a day-by-day plan, use our 3-day Ho Chi Minh City itinerary.
Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City: FAQ
What are the top things to do in Ho Chi Minh City for first-time visitors?
Start with the Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum and Ben Thanh Market, then see the Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral from outside and the Central Post Office. In the evening, walk Nguyen Hue Walking Street or take the Saigon Waterbus. All of these are in or next to District 1.
How many days do you need in Ho Chi Minh City?
Two to three days cover the main sights in District 1 at a comfortable pace. Add a half day if you want to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, which are about 70 km from the city centre.
What are the best free things to do in Ho Chi Minh City?
Walking Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Bach Dang Wharf, browsing Ben Thanh Market and Book Street, seeing the Notre-Dame Cathedral from the square and watching the morning exercise groups in Tao Dan Park are all free.
What is there to do in Ho Chi Minh City at night?
Walk Nguyen Hue Walking Street, take an evening Saigon Waterbus (the last boat from Bach Dang leaves at 21:20), have a drink at a rooftop bar, walk Bui Vien Walking Street (closed to vehicles from 19:00 to 02:00 on Saturday and Sunday nights) or, on the last weekend of the month, the night book fair on Book Street.
How much are museum tickets in Ho Chi Minh City in 2026?
From 1 October 2026, the War Remnants Museum, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum and the Fine Arts Museum charge 60,000 VND per adult, and children, pupils and students enter free. The Independence Palace charges 80,000 VND per adult.
Where should I stay to walk to the main sights?
District 1. Silverland Ben Thanh is 50 m from Ben Thanh Market and 40 m from Ben Thanh metro station, and Silverland Yen is about 230 m from the market on a quieter street near Tao Dan Park.
Sources
Hours and prices checked on 12 October 2026:
- Independence Palace, official site (hours and tickets, updated 7 January 2026)
- Tuoi Tre: museum fee changes from 1 October (30 September 2026)
- Ho Chi Minh City Museum: fee notice from 1 October 2026 (28 September 2026)
- SGGP: War Remnants Museum online tickets (10 February 2026)
- Dan Tri: Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration (21 March 2026)
- Thanh Nien: why the restoration will not finish in 2027 (11 December 2025)
- Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens: tickets
- Saigon Waterbus: timetable (September 2026 timetable)
- VnExpress: Cu Chi Tunnels travel guide (10 July 2026)
- Tuoi Tre: Book Street night book fair (2 August 2026)
- SGGP: Metro Line 1 fares (21 November 2024)
- VnExpress: Ho Chi Minh City travel guide (Central Post Office hours; updated 30 April 2026)
- Viet Nam News: Bui Vien pedestrian street opens for tourists (opening date and weekend car-free hours, 21 August 2017)
- Tuoi Tre News: Ho Chi Minh City clamps down on laughing gas at Bui Vien Walking Street (13 August 2025)
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