Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, located in southern Vietnam, is often credited for leading cultural and economic developments in the country. With a rich historical background, it’s unsurprising that Ho Chi Minh City has countless attractions for visitors to explore. A visit to the Bitexco Financial Tower in the central business district is a great way to start your adventure, as the popular observation deck offers 360 degree views of the elegant cityscape and Saigon River, leaving you hungry for more.
To experience the various sights at a closer distance, how about a licensed motorbike tour of the city, which are available in English, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and various other languages? Special tours of the Saigon River are available too, with tourists often using a premium water taxi or ferry service to explore the majestic waterways and surrounding landmarks.
In terms of family-friendly attractions, a visit to the Dai Nam Tourist Park is highly-recommended for its amusement park, wonderland, campground, shopping centre, temples, restaurants and 12.5 hectare open zoo, which is home to 76 species of birds, reptiles and mammals. A great location to keep family entertained, it also includes the largest manmade mountain range in Vietnam and one of the region’s biggest water parks, with the terrifying ‘Space Bowl’ and other heart-pounding slides. Water parks are actually common in Ho Chi Minh City, so feel free to splash around at Water World, Ocean Water Park and Dai The Gioi Water Park too!
Binh Quoi Tourist Village is another family favourite, with a greater focus on the cultural heritage of Vietnam. Here, you will find landscaped gardens and a three-level floating restaurant that serves traditional cuisine, as well as cultural shows that recreate the water-borne bridal procession, rituals and dances of Vietnamese weddings.
To learn more about the past of Vietnam, why not visit the Museum of Vietnamese History, which features a host of authentic relics and artifacts from yesteryear, in addition to a lush botanic garden. Traditional water puppet shows at the museum are incredibly popular with tourists and also take place at the War Remnants Museum, which features a number of exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War.
Shopping is another favourite pastime of tourists in Ho Chi Min City, which has a range of centrally-located department stores, such as Diamond Plaza, Zen Plaza and Parkson. However, to haggle for real bargains, visit Ben Thanh Market, the largest outdoor market in the central district, which consists of various narrow aisles with hundreds of small stalls. The market is divided into two sections – the first for tourist products, such as souvenirs and clothes, and the second for regular items, such as food and flowers. If you want to escape the heat, Saigon Square is a popular alternative to Ben Thanh with air-conditioning, while there’s also a night market close by that opens from 6pm, after Ben Thanh closes.