Address: 169A De Tham, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

 

This Saigon night tour is part night excursion, part street food adventure. Experience Saigon nightlife the way locals do, all from the back of a vintage Vespa scooter. The tour runs nightly from 18:30 and usually lasts for 4 hours.

 

While they may not be as bright and shiny as malls or supermarkets, night markets have their own character and are popular destinations for local people and travellers alike. Eating and drinking on the street is very popular in Vietnam, and night markets offer a great window into the life of the city. If you have a chance, we highly recommend joining the crowds to eat on the street for an atmosphere and experience that can't be matched by a hotel restaurant. Two of the most well-known night markets in Saigon are Ben Thanh Night Market and Cho Lon.
 

Address: Bach Dang Post, Ton Duc Thang Street, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening Hours: 

Source: Tripadvisor

Address: 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

 

Saigon Opera House was custom built in 1897 by the French architect Eugene Ferret. In 1955 it was transformed into South Vietnam's Assembly House and has undergone several refurbishments since. Anyone who has been to France can recognize many similarities between the Opera House and the Petit Palais. The applied ornament, balustrades, cartouches, and roof were imported directly from France. It is only open to the public during events.

 

Address: Cong Xa Paris, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 

Opening Hours: 7:00 - 19:00

 

The Central Post Office is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia.  Although the experience is a fascinating glimpse into history, the fact that this is still a functioning post office makes the experience even sweeter. On the other hand, Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral still serves as a religious institution for the local population. Located next door to The Central Post Office, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire.

Address: Le Loi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening Hours: 7:00 - 19:00 

 

Being a bustling market in the daytime and a social center after sunset, Ben Thanh Market is absolutely a must-see attraction. There a number of vendors and food stalls in the market food section that offers guests dishes freshly made to the order. Everything that Saigonese need for their daily life can be found here - from clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry to kitchen ware, grocery, sweets, and great Vietnamese coffee. Taking a look at things for sale here, seeing how people make transactions or which kind of goods is purchased most by the locals, one can learn much about the local life and get useful experience for shopping in Vietnam.

Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening Hours: 7:30 - 11:00 and 13:00 - 16:00
 

Reunification Palace was the base of  Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem until his death in 1963. The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975. You can see two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Reunification Palace was the home and workplace of the French Governor of Cochin-China. It has lush gardens, secret rooms, antique furniture, and a command bunker. It's still in use to host important occasions in Ho Chi Minh, including APEC summits.

Address: 180D Hai Ba Trung, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
 

Does food taste the same when you can’t see it? That’s the question Noir, Dining in the Dark, aims to answer. Choose between an Asian, Western or vegetarian set menu and spend your time in the pitch-black dining space trying to figure out what the ingredients actually are (this is surprisingly difficult). Dishes are revealed in the lounge after you've finished.

 

Address: 32 Vo Van Tan, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 

Opening Hours: 10:00 - 22:00

 

Hum Vegetarian is a health-focused vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City that puts great care into the ingredients and presentation of the food, as well as into creating a tranquil environment for their guests. The fresh and healthy pan-Asian menu and the vibe is with a focus that's more on food than cocktails. Try the square spring rolls, the visually appealing rainbow salad with sesame dressing, and the wild vegetable soup.

Address: 10 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 

Opening Hours: 9:00 - 23:00

 

Set on a quiet road and neighborhood away from the hustle of District 1, Cuc Gach Quan started as a way for a famous Vietnamese architect, Binh Tran, to build a reminder to locals and travelers about the traditional and basic fundamentals of Vietnamese food. Split between two French villas, the restaurant features zenlike fish ponds, homey trinkets from traditional Vietnamese history spread throughout the grounds, and interior design that transports you back into older times.

 

Address: 151B Hai Ba Trung, Ward 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening Hours: 10:00 - 23:00

 

Run by a Japanese chef who is a specialist in pizza and Neapolitan pasta, this restaurant is an institution for Ho Chi Minh City's expatriate community. Japanese owned, 4P’s adds a distinctly Japanese twist to the pizza experience - without straying too far from the familiar Italian roots. If you’re looking for a unique pizza  experience - and a great atmosphere, check out 4P’s.

 

Address: 160 Pasteur, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Opening Hours: 8:00 - 22:30

 

Ngon restaurant is a delight, skilfully combining a comprehensive menu of classic Vietnamese dishes, English speaking waiters and beautiful surroundings. Ngon restaurant stands out because it is housed in a charming French villa that has been restored to its former glory and painted a canary yellow. The menu is full of all the staples of Vietnamese cooking, popular dishes include fresh spring rolls, minced prawn on bamboo and an array of noodle soups. 

 

Address: 43 Nguyen Van Giai, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 

Opening Hours: 9:00 - 24:00

 

Indika has become a strong presence on the Saigon evening social scene. It features a packed weekly line-up of events and live music, and offers up a sanctuary on the outskirts of the city centre in Da Kao. Indika’s food and drinks menus have been designed with a focus on health, and though they don’t shy away from the ample amounts of craft beer available in Saigon, they also offer a range of healthy juices as well. 

Address: 28 Le Loi, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 
Opening Hours: 21:00 - 24:00
 

Sax n’ Art Jazz Club Ho Chi Minh is a bar to enjoy jazz by some of Vietnam’s most talented musicians. Dark and smoky, this live jazz bar is located on Le Loi Street, not far from Ben Thanh Market. The music here is mostly contemporary jazz with subtle Vietnamese influences usually played by the house band plus special guests. The drinks menu at Sax n’ Art Jazz Club includes cocktails, spirits, beers and wines.

Address: 41 Nguyen Hue, Ben Nghe Ward, Ho Chi Minh City 

Opening Hours: 17:30 - 2:00

Broma is very much a bar that occupies a central rooftop in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1. The funky, relaxed space features lots of lush couches and low lighting, and the view is fantastic. Craft beer drinkers will be happy at the 30 varieties of beer available across Broma’s taps and bottle list, while those who aren’t into beer are well served with a good selection of spirits and cocktails. Local and intentional DJs often play here, and there’s usually someone spinning live music on the decks until the early hours of the morning.

 

Address: 31D Ly Tu Trong, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 

Opening Hours: 11:00 - 24:00

 

The guys from Heart of Darkness run one of Saigon’s most popular craft beer operations. Their tap room’s a buzzing space of beers, food, events and live music - right downtown. It's a good spot for craft beer afficionados to experience Saigon’s flourishing scene. Heart of Darkness takes its name from Joseph Conrad’s classic novel and the beers do too. 
 

Address: The Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater:55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

 

Traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet Shows remain one of the cultural draws for most travellers to Ho Chi Minh City. Depicting the culture, traditions and folklore of Vietnamese life, visitors are entertained by puppets acting on a ‘stage’ of water accompanied by live old-fashioned music played on authentic instruments. The musicians are often positioned to one side of the stage adding in sound effects and songs as the people-styled puppets, dragons, fairies and other ornamental figures dance across the stage.