Opposed to Hanoi with four seasons in a year, Saigon has only two seasons: dry season and wet season.
- From May to November: The special point of Saigon this time is sudden thunderstorms. If you travel to Saigon this time, remember to bring an umbrella or raincoat to avoid getting wet.
- From December to April next year: this is the dry season in Saigon, although it is so muggy in daytime but at night, the weather is very cool, suitable for sport activities or walking by the river.
Means of transportation to Saigon for visitors:
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Plane: Many airlines offer routes to Saigon. If you want to save money, you can choose flights of low-cost airlines such as Vietjet or AirAsia.
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Train: Trains are the ideal choice for travelers who have a lot of time and want to enjoy the scenery along the way. You can choose the Thong Nhat train at Hanoi station for about 1,000,000 VND/person.
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Bus: If you live in the neighboring provinces of Saigon, the bus is a reasonable choice. Ticket price is only about 100,000 - 200,000 VND/person/trip, there are many trips running continuously during the day.
Means of transport in Saigon:
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Saigon tourist bus: Saigon bus is quite easy to go. You can check the stops in advance with Google maps or ask the driver on the bus.
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Motorbike taxis to Saigon: The motorbike taxi drivers are very enthusiastic and hospitable, so if you want to both explore Saigon and listen to interesting everyday stories from the drivers, you can take a traditional motorbike taxi. However, you should ask the price before getting in the car.
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Rent a motorbike to travel to Saigon: Motorcycles are very convenient for exploring the roads in Saigon, also helping you to be more proactive in your schedule. Motorbike rental price from 100,000 VND/day.
Landmark 81 Building - See the beauty of Saigon from above: Landmark 81 with a height of 416.2m2 is one of the 10 tallest buildings in the world, symbolizing the development, luxury and modernity of Vietnam. Landmark 81 owns an amusement and dining area up to 700m2, the highest bar in Southeast Asia and 5-star hotel Vinpearl Landmark 81, Autograph Collection. Coming to this place, visitors can shop as much as they want at Vincom commercial center, enjoy rich cuisine by a diverse system of restaurants, and enjoy the magnificent panoramic view of Saigon at the Landmark 81 Skyview observatory.
Suoi Tien tourist area: Located at the gateway to the Northeast of Saigon, 19 km from the city center, Suoi Tien is an entertainment destination that attracts many tourists when coming to Ho Chi Minh City. Suoi Tien is also a place of cultural and historical education through sightseeing areas built on the ideas of national legends and Eastern mystic thought. Opening hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Monday - Friday), 8:00 am - 6:00 pm (Saturday and Sunday), 6:30 am - 10:00 pm (New Year's Eve).
Entrance ticket: 60,000VND/adult, 30,000VND/child;
Tickets for games: 5,000 - 40,000 VND/time;
Address: 120 Hanoi Highway, Tan Phu Ward, District 9; Moving from Ben Thanh market: Take bus number 19 or ride a motorbike through Thu Thiem tunnel, straight to Hanoi highway
Independence Palace: Independence Palace is a unique architectural work, bold Asian, this place is associated with many important milestones in history, is a symbol of peace, where the end of the war lasted longer. 20 years of the Vietnamese people. Visiting this place, visitors will admire valuable artifacts along with more than 100 rooms that used to be where senior leaders, politicians worked, held meetings...
Address: 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours for reference: 7:30am - 11am, 13:00 - 16h00 daily
Reference ticket price: Adults: 40,000 VND/person/time; Student: 20,000 VND/person/time; Children: 10,000 VND/person/time.
Notre Dame Cathedral: The next tourist destination in Saigon that you should visit is Notre Dame Cathedral, a symbol of the city. Among the modern, skyscrazer buildings, Notre Dame Cathedral stands out with its Roman style and Gothic architecture from Europe. This place owns the largest pair of bells in Vietnam, the pride of the diocese of Saigon.
Address: No. 1 Paris Commune, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Reference opening hours: 8:30 - 10:00, 14:30 - 15:30 from Monday to Friday
Time of reference Mass: 5:30, 17:00 from Monday to Saturday, Sunday: 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 16:00, 17:00, 18:30
Ben Thanh market: Ben Thanh Market is one of the busiest markets in Saigon. The market was established in the early 17th century. Currently, the market has nearly 1,500 stalls selling a variety of goods from popular to high-class. Ben Thanh Market has four main doors East, South, West, North, facing the main road and 12 side doors.
Address: District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Nguyen Hue Walking Street: Nguyen Hue Walking Street is a very popular attraction and entertainment for tourists and city residents. If traveling to Saigon, you must definitely visit and take pictures to check-in at this place. You should come to Nguyen Hue Street in the evening to be immersed in the vibrant street atmosphere by performances from street artists. Don't forget to enjoy super delicious snacks at 42 Nguyen Hue apartment building.
Address: Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Reference opening time: All evenings of the week
Cu Chi Tunnels: Cu Chi Tunnels was the resistance base of our army during the Vietnam War, likened to an "underground city" by its length of more than 200km, including many rooms, clinics, kitchens, offices, and storage rooms. …The tunnel system was built in 1946 and continued to be built 20 years later with a depth of 3-12m, withstanding the destructive power of heavy bombs.
Address: Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City
Snail dishes: Referring to the typical snacks of Saigon, snail dishes are indispensable. Saigon snails are processed in a variety of ways, from steamed snails, fried snails with lemongrass and chili, fried snails with tamarind.. every dish is very delicious. Besides snails, you can order more grilled oysters, steamed clams... also great.
Address: snail Nhu restaurant, snail Ba Van, snail Hoa …
Reference price: 50,000 VND - 100,000 VND/disc
Southern Banh xeo (Southern pancakes): Banh xeo is present in many regions, but Southern Banh Xeo is the most special. The cake consists of eggs, mushrooms, shrimp, meat, and bean sprouts. When eating, the cake is cut into small pieces, served with sweet and sour dipping sauce and raw vegetables.
Address: Ba Hai pancakes, Ngoc Son pancakes, Sammy pancake..
Reference price: 15,000 VND/piece
Pha lau (Beef offal): Pha Lau is also a pretty special dish in Saigon. This dish is cooked from stewed animal organs, served with bread.
Address: Lo Lau Li, Ms. Thao, Ms. Hat…
Reference price: 30,000 VND/piece
Saigon mixed rice paper: Mixed rice paper is an indispensable dish when traveling to Saigon. This is a very popular snack that is also often sold at school gates and night markets for 20,000 VND/piece. The ingredients for making mixed rice paper are also very simple, including rice paper, quail eggs, laksa leaves, dried beef, roasted peanuts. When eating, you just need to mix well and enjoy.
Hu tieu: Hu tieu is a very popular dish in Saigon. You can find stalls selling noodles anywhere, whether it's on a big street or in an alley. When eating, you just need to add meat, drizzle with sauce and add raw vegetables to have a full afternoon meal.
Address: Hu tieu Thanh Xuan, Hu tieu Quang Ky, Hu tieu Thieu Ky
Reference price: 30,000 VND - 70,000 VND/bowl
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There are many modern luxury hotels and motels in Saigon with prices ranging from 200,000 VND to several million VND/room. In particular, you should call to ask for the price and book a room in advance to avoid the case of running out of rooms and peak months.
If this is your first time coming to this city, of course you have to book a hotel in District 1. District 1 is the center of Saigon, extremely busy, with famous attractions such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Reunification Palace, Zoo and Botanical Garden, Ben Thanh Market, Bitexco Tower… We have consulted many Saigon travel reviews of young people, and they all recommend that you book a room in one of the following places:
- Pham Ngu Lao Quarter: also known as the Western Quarter, there are many cheap hotels, the night atmosphere is very busy and bustling, near the park, 800m from Ben Thanh market.
- The area around Ben Thanh market: a lot of hotels, quite close to the Independence Palace, there are countless shopping places as well as restaurants, cheap eateries, you also can walk to many other places.
The area around Nguyen Hue pedestrian street: there are the most beautiful streets in Saigon, near the river, beautiful view, surrounded by many commercial centers, the minus point is that the hotel price is a bit high.