Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City

Let the spirit of Ho Chi Minh City lift you up and carry you through this network of colorful bustling activity. Cho Ben Thanh, or Ben Thanh Market, comes alive every evening with a thrum of tireless energy that never ceases to enthrall.

This is the most celebrated and regularly visited of the markets. It is also the most central, located in one of the liveliest parts of the city where the streets and alleyways surrounding the market place fill with food stalls.

At Ben Thanh Market you can expect to find almost everything that the locals might need in their day to day lives: from fresh meats and vegetables to clothes, domestic items, pots, woven baskets and bamboo ladders. This is a feast for the senses.Take in the sounds: the excited chatter of shoppers and the pitch of vendors’ voices rising into the steaming night.

Breathe in the sweet spiced air - chili, tamarind, ginger - and witness the bright array of colors from exotic fruits to beautiful silks. Try the food stalls for authentic dishes at local prices. This is a rich experience at the beating heart of the city, equally exciting for shoppers and spectators.

Deep in the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta, you can visit the bustling floating river market at Cai Be. The riverfront village is a major hub for the farmers, wholesalers and buyers who congregate here into a raft of produce-laden longtail boats, and the agricultural products bought and sold at this market are distributed throughout the country. Many vendors specialize in just a handful of fruits of vegetables, which they advertise with samples tied atop wooden poles. You can visit the market as part of a boat tour from nearby Vinh Long. Along the riverbank near the market, you can see a picturesque Catholic cathedral, and it’s worth exploring the village and strolling paths along the area’s numerous side canals.

At the heart of Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinese district, the central Binh Tay Market is a popular spot among visitors and tour groups thanks to the backdrop of picturesque French-Chinese architecture. The modern market was built in 1928 after the original burned down. A Chinese businessman Quach Dam funded the reconstruction, and you can find a memorial to him at the center of the market. The ornate statue of Quach Dam that was the market’s original centerpiece now resides at the Fine Art Museum. Binh Tay is Ho Chi Minh City’s largest market, comprising four city blocks. During a visit here, you can peruse a mind-boggling array of wares, everything from pottery and flowers to cheap souvenirs, noodle stalls and vendors selling bulk rice and wholesale produce.

Formerly known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a sophisticated city of more than seven million people, making it the largest city in Vietnam.  It is also a city of contrasts, with modern skyscrapers dotting the horizon and colonial-style buildings lining many of the streets.

How to Get to Ho Chi Minh City

Larger cruise ships will dock at Phu My, a port on the South China Sea, about 2.5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City. Smaller and mid-size ships that are able to navigate the Saigon River dock much closer to the city. Many ships will provide shuttles from either port into the center of the city. If yours doesn’t, head outside of the dock gates to hail a taxi. From the port at Phu My, taking a hydrofoil is also an option; the ride takes about an hour.

One Day in Ho Chi Minh City

Kick off your day with a visit to Reunification Hall, once the presidential palace of South Vietnam. Take a tour of this somewhat eerie building that has been left mostly untouched since the 1960s. From there, move on to the War Remnants Museum, whose moving and sometimes disturbing exhibits share the story of the Vietnam War from a distinctly Communist perspective. Then, to get a fuller understanding of the country’s history and culture, make your way to the Vietnamese History Museum. Peruse exhibits covering Vietnamese culture from the Bronze Age to the modern day and then enjoy a performance at the museum’s water puppet theater.

Next, head to the Ben Thanh Market, a bustling market that dates back to 1914. Scan the stalls for paintings, porcelain and jewelry before grabbing a late lunch at one of the food stalls.

Spend the rest of the afternoon visiting one or more of the city’s pagodas: the Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the sea goddess; the Quan Am Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in the city; and Phung Son Tu Pagoda, dedicated to the god of happiness and virtue. Or, escape from the heat to one of HCMC’s many water parks, such as the Dam Sen Water Park, closest to the city center.

If you still have time before returning to your ship, head up to the observation deck at the Bitexco Financial Tower for a panoramic view of the city.

Giac Lam Pagoda is widely recognized as an important and historic pagoda, the oldest temple in the city. Built in 1744 on an undeveloped area of jungle, it has since been consumed into the west of the city.

Originally thatched, the buildings have undergone significant remodeling at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Historically significant, it is now protected as an official cultural heritage site.

In the main garden stands a famous bodhi tree donated by Sri Lanka to the temple in 1953, in its shade stands a statue of bodhisattva Aralokiteshvara. In the grounds also stands a 32 meter (100 foot) high seven story hexagonal stupa; in total there are over 100 statues to admire.

There is also an eerie and worth seeing funerary chamber with photos and shrines dedicated to former monks of the temple. At the main altar, Buddhists pray for peace and good health. By writing their names and their relatives' names on paper and sticking it into the grand bell they believe their wishes will be carried when the bell is struck and echoes into heaven.

Cholon, Saigon's Chinatown district, dominates the west bank of the city, boasting the attractions of Quan Am Pagoda, Thien Hau Temple, Binh Tay Market and numerous teahouses. Visit this long-established Chinese community (the largest of its kind in Vietnam) and soak up the fascinating culture, architecture and sights. 

Quan Am Pagoda - a Chinese-style Buddhist temple -  features beautiful courtyards, gardens, a pond and a Jade Emperor. At Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the goddess of the sea, check the stunning carved porcelain ceiling designs.

Cholon Mosque and Cha Tam - the catholic cathedral - as well as the thriving Binh Tay market also add to the rich texture of this historic community.