Ho Chi Minh City travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City's history begins not with Vietnamese settlement but with a Khmer fishing village called Prey Nokor, absorbed into Vietnamese territory through southward migration in the 17th and 18th centuries and renamed Gia Dinh, then Saigon. French forces captured the city in 1859 and made it the capital of French Cochinchina in 1862, rebuilding it around a grid of boulevards, a cathedral, and civic buildings modeled on provincial France, a layout still visible in District 1 today. Chinese merchants, arriving over centuries but consolidating heavily in the 19th century, built the separate twin city of Cholon (now District 5) into one of Southeast Asia's largest Chinatowns. After the French withdrawal in 1954, Saigon became the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and the center of the American military and political presence during the Vietnam War, a period whose physical remnants, the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and the Cu Chi Tunnels, now form the backbone of the city's history tourism. The city fell to North Vietnamese forces on 30 April 1975, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City the following year, and has since transformed into Vietnam's commercial capital, though most residents and much day-to-day signage still refer to it as Saigon.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Ho Chi Minh City.
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1
Vietnamese settlers begin arriving in the Khmer town of Prey Nokor with permission from the Khmer king, starting a gradual demographic shift
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2
Nguyen Huu Canh formally establishes Vietnamese administrative control, founding the province of Gia Dinh
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3
French naval forces capture Saigon
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4
Saigon becomes the capital of French Cochinchina under the Treaty of Saigon
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5
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is completed using imported French materials
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6
The Saigon Central Post Office is completed
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7
Geneva Accords divide Vietnam; Saigon becomes capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
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8
Buddhist crisis erupts, including the raid on Xa Loi Pagoda, contributing to the fall of the Ngo Dinh Diem government
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9
Independence Palace (now Reunification Palace) is rebuilt and completed after the original Norodom Palace was damaged
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10
Tet Offensive brings fighting directly into Saigon, including an attack on the US Embassy
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11
30 April: North Vietnamese Army tanks crash through the gates of Independence Palace, ending the war
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12
Saigon is officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City
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13
Doi Moi economic reforms begin opening the city and country to market-based growth
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14
Landmark 81, Vietnam's tallest building, opens, symbolizing the city's modern economic rise
Historical eras
The chapters of Ho Chi Minh City's past.
Historical sites
Places where Ho Chi Minh City's past comes alive.
Reunification Palace
Where: District 1
Admission: ₫65,000 (~$2.50) adult
Independence Palace Grounds and Gate
Where: District 1
Admission: Included with Reunification Palace ticket
Cu Chi Tunnels
Where: Cu Chi District, about 40 km northwest of central Ho Chi Minh City
Admission: ₫110,000 (~$4.25) adult
Xa Loi Pagoda
Where: District 3
Admission: Free
Saigon Central Post Office
Where: District 1
Admission: Free
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
Where: District 1
Admission: Free
Cao Dai Holy See Temple
Where: Tay Ninh Province, about 100 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City
Admission: Free
Thien Hau Pagoda
Where: District 5 (Cholon)
Admission: Free
Museums
Curated collections that tell Ho Chi Minh City's story.
War Remnants Museum
Hours: 7:30am-6:00pm daily
Admission: ₫40,000 (~$1.50) adult
Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History
Hours: 8:00am-11:30am and 1:00pm-5:00pm, Tuesday-Sunday
Admission: ₫30,000 (~$1.15) adult
Fine Arts Museum (Bao Tang My Thuat)
Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm Tuesday-Sunday
Admission: ₫30,000 (~$1.15) adult
FITO Museum (Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine)
Hours: 8:30am-5:30pm daily
Admission: ₫120,000 (~$4.60) adult
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.