Ho Chi Minh City Attractions

Bink Quoi Tourist Village

As the name suggests, this village is tailor-made for package holidaymakers, but nonetheless offers a pleasant choice of activities including water puppet shows, boat rides, and river cruises. It was built in 1994 by the Sai Gon Tourist Corporation on the banks of the Sai Gon River in Binh Thanh District, eight kilometres from the centre of Saigon. Generally considered the largest tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City, it has an evening dinner cruise with cultural show. 

Cong Vien Van Hoa Park

Formerly a club for the French colonists, this elegant tree-shaded sports club has numerous tennis courts and a swimming pool which are open to the public for a reasonable fee. There is also a gym and table tennis facilities. In the early morning, there are usually groups of locals practicing the art of thai cuc quyen (slow-motion shadow boxing).

Giac Lam Pagoda

This pagoda the oldest in Saigon. It was built in 1744 and remodeled in the 19th century and again about 100 years ago. The temple reflects interesting Taoist and Confucian influences in addition to Buddhism. Shoes may be worn in the temple but visitors should take off their hats and refrain from smoking. 

History Museum

The History Museum was built in 1929. It was expanded and thoroughly renovated in 1975, when it was renamed the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum. It houses a good collection of displays and illustrations depicting the cultural evolution of the country from ancient times plus valuable artifacts from Angkor Wat and household implements, clothing, ceramics and weaponry from Vietnam’s past.

Jade Emperor Pagoda

Built in 1909, this impressively colorful, incense-filled Chinese temple contains a plethora of remarkable statues and figures. The intricate architecture is augmented inside by beautiful wood carvings.

Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica

Built by the French between 1863 and 1880, the Neo-Romanesque cathedral has two 40-metre-high spires dominating the skyline, with a statue of the Virgin Mary out front.

Sunday mass is celebrated at 09:30 and is open to all. The cathedral is in the heart of the city at the intersection of Dong Khoi and Han Thuyen Streets. 

Revolutionary Museum

The many interesting exhibits inside this beautiful white neo-classical building illustrate the Communist-inspired struggle for independence from French and then American dominance. Construction of the museum began in 1885 and was completed in 1890 under the eye of French architect Alfred Foulhoux. It was put to a variety of uses over the next 90 years before becoming the Ho Chi Minh City Revolutionary Museum in 1978. 

Xa Loi Pagoda

This pagoda, the largest in Saigon, was built in 1956 to contain fragments of bone from The Buddha – Xa Loi means “sacred bones”. The pagoda was a centre of political protest against the regime of President Ngo Dinh Diem and in August 1963 it hit headlines around the world when troops attacked monks and nuns barricaded inside at the start of a campaign that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Buddhists around the country. 

The Fine Art Museum

The 16-room Fine Art Museum exhibits a broad spectrum of exhibits including contemporary paintings, some of which are for sale, along with older, fascinating works of art, including some valuable Cham, Indian and Khmer pieces. The museum is at 97A Duc Chinh street, District 1, just a few blocks from the traffic circle in front of Ben Thanh Market. 

The Quoc Tu Pagoda

The pagoda is next to a children’s amusement park. Built in 1962, is has seven storeys, though usually only the first two are open. Visitors are welcome to view the beautiful shrine and Buddha statues inside. Around it are lakes and gardens. 

The Saigon Opera House

The Opera House, also known as the Ho Chi Minh Municipal Theater, is an elegant building at the intersection of Le Loi St and Dong Khoi St in District 1, very close to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and the classic Central Post Office.

The restored three-storey 1,800-seat Opera House is used for staging not only opera but also a wide range of performing arts including ballet, musical concerts, Vietnamese traditional dance and plays.