Saigon
Notre Dame Cathedral
Saigon Opera House at night
Ho Chi Minh City Town Hall
Saigon Traffic
Boats on a canal in District 7
While it may not be the capital of Vietnam politically, you only need to spend a short time in Saigon to see how it the pace of change in the south is shaping the country. The largest city in the country, with over 6 million inhabitants (and over 8 if you count temporary residents), Saigon is a crowded, fast, noisy, and overwhelming place at first. Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll find there is an energy and vibrancy to the city that can be very infectious.
Brimming with life, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC or Saigon as the majority of its residents still call it) offers a great deal for travellers and expatriates alike. There's a great deal to see and do, and no shortage of delicious treats to eat, whether at top restaurants or equally delicious street stalls for a couple of dollars.
The pace of change in the city is staggerring - on a daily basis buildings are pulled down so newer, shinier ones can be errected in their place. In around ten years the city went from a city of 3,000,000 bicycles to 5,000,000 motorbikes, leading the Saigon's very unique brand of traffic. Now car use is on the rise gridlock threatens to set in, but it is yet another reminder of how fast lives are changing in HCMC, and how more and more people are working their way out of poverty.
Yet with a closer look you can find beautiful old buildings as well as striking new ones, cool, calm cafes with gardens that are set back from the road to give you a moments rest from the madness outside, relaxing spas and cool pools to swim in.
There's also a number of great day trips that can be done from the site, whether to Tay Ninh mountain and the Cao Dai temples in the North West, the famous Cu Chi Tunnels where the resistance launched sneak attacks on the US forces based in Saigon, boat trips to Vung Tau, the Mekong Delta or to Can Gio, the huge area of mangrove swamps to the south, known as 'the lungs of the city'.
Best hotels in Saigon
We have partnered with HotelsCombined who check over 30 top hotel websites to find you the very best room rates on the web!
Showing 56 hotels from $24 to $312 per night
Caravelle Hotel Saigon (19 Lam Son Square)
Duxton Hotel Saigon (63 Nguyen Hue Boulevard District 1)
Equatorial Hotel Saigon (242 Tran Binh Trong District 5)
Legend Hotel Saigon (2A-4A Ton Duc Thang St. Dist 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Majestic Hotel Saigon (1 Dong Khoi St. District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Marco Polo Omni Hotel Saigon (253 Nguyen Van Troi Street)
New World Hotel Saigon (76 Le Lai Street District 1)
Omni Hotel Saigon (253 Ngyuen Van Troi Sreet Phu Nhuan District Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Park Hyatt Hotel Saigon (2 Lam Son Square District 1)
Prince Hotel Saigon (63 NGUYEN HUE BLVD)
Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon (08/15 TON DUC THANG STREET DIST 1)
Rex Hotel Saigon (141 NGUYEN HUE Blvd)
Sheraton Towers and Hotel Saigon (88 Dong Khoi St. District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Sofitel Plaza Hotel Saigon (17 Le Duan Boulevard)
Somerset Ho Hotel Saigon (8A Nguyen Binh Khiem Street District 1)
Windsor Plaza Hotel Saigon (18 An Duong Vuong District 5)
Amara Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Saigon (323 Le Van Sy Street District 3)
Chancery Hotel Saigon (196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street District 3)
Continental Hotel Saigon (132-134 Dong Khoi St. Dist. 1)
Domaine Hotel Saigon (1057 Binh Quoi Ward 28)
First Hotel Saigon (18 Hoang Viet Street Tan Binh District)
Grand Hotel Saigon (8 Dong Khoi Street District 1)
Kimdo Royal City Hotel Saigon (133 Nguyen Hue Ave. District.1)
Lac Vien Hotel Saigon (28/18 Bui Vien Pham Ngu Lao Ward Dist 1. Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Liberty 3 Hotel Saigon (187 Phan Ngu Lao St. District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Liberty 4 Hotel Saigon (265 Pham Ngu Lao St. District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Metropole Hotel Saigon (148 Tran Hung Dao Ave. Districe 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Novotel Garden Plaza Hotel Saigon (309B - 311 Nguyen Van Troi St. Tan Binh District Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Oscar Hotel Saigon (68A Nguyen Hue Blvd. District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Palace Hotel Saigon (56-66 Nguyen Hue Blvd District 1)
Sedona Suite & Hotel Saigon (65 Le Loi Boulevard Saigon Center)
Somerset Chancellor Court Hotel Saigon (21-23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street District O)
Somerset Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Saigon (8A Nguyen Binh Khiem Street District 1)
The Hotel Saigon (309B-311)
Asian Hotel Saigon (146-150 Dong Khoi St.)
Bach Dang Hotel Saigon (33 Mac Thi Buoi Street District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Best Western Chancery All Suite Hotel Saigon (196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street District 3)
Bong Sen 1 Hotel Saigon (117 123 Dong Khoi St District 1)
Bong Sen Annex Hotel Saigon (117-123 Dong Khoi Street)
Crystal Hotel Saigon (70 Nguyen Trai Street District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Dai Nam Hotel Saigon (79 Tran Hung Dao Street District 1 Ho Chi Minh City)
Dong Khanh Hotel Saigon (2 Tran Hung Dao B Street Ward 07 District 5 Ho Chi Minh City)
Elios Hotel Saigon (233 Pham Ngu Lao St. Dist 1 HCMC Vietnam)
Empress Hotel Saigon (136 Bui Thi Xuan St Dist 1)
Huong Sen Hotel Saigon (66-70 Dong Khoi Street District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Le Duy Hotel Saigon (18-20 Nguyen Thi Nghia District 1 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Vietnam)
Liberty 1 Hotel Saigon (167 HAI BA TRUNG DISTRICT 3)
Liberty 2 Que Huong Hotel Saigon (129 ??? 133 Ham Nghi. Dist 1. Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Liberty 6 Hotel Saigon (177 - 179. Le Thanh Ton Street. District 1 Ho Chi Minh Vietnam)
Norfolk Hotel Saigon (117 Le Thanh Ton District 1)
Riverside Hotel Saigon (18-19-20 Ton Duc Thang Street District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam)
Star Hotel Saigon (204 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street District 3)
Tan Hoang Ngoc Hotel Saigon (52-54 Thu Khoa Huan St. - Dist.1 - Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam)
Tan My Dinh 2 (32A - 34 Bui Thi Xuan St. Dist.1 HCMC)
Tan My Dinh Hotel Saigon (288 Le Thanh Ton District 1 HoChiMinh city Vietnam)
Vien Dong Hotel Saigon (275A Pham Ngu Lao Street District 1)
Bong Sen 2 Hotel Saigon (61-63 Hai Ba Trung Street District 1)
Top Rated Restaurants in Saigon
Find a great place to eat tonight in 2 by choosing the place, taste n price that's right for you below - and don't forget to review it when you get home! If there's somewhere you love thats missing, please add it, whether restaurant, club, cafe pub or bar!
| Name | Rating | Type | District | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil Churrascaria | International | D3 | > $10 | |
| Luna d'Autunno | International | D1 | $5 - $8 | |
| Sesame | French | Binh Thanh | $3 - $5 | |
| Akbar Ali | Indian | D1 | $2 - $3 | |
| An Vien | Vietnamese | D1 | $5 - $8 | |
| Tib | Vietnamese | D1 | $5 - $8 | |
| Com Nieu Saigon | Vietnamese | D3 | $2 - $3 | |
| Huong Lai | Vietnamese | D1 | $2 - $3 | |
| Quan An Ngon | Vietnamese2 | D1 | $3 - $5 | |
| Au Lac Do Brazil | International | D3 | > $10 |
See more restaurants, cafes and bars in Saigon...
Related Links
Asia Life - Magazine with places to eat drink and more
Saigon Today - Occationally updated events listings
Saigon Childrens Charity - Great charity working to help the children of South Vietnam. Run the annual Saigon Cyclo Challenge event
People's Committee of HCMC
Chefmoz: HCMC More reviews of HCMC restaurants
Saigon Hotels
