Ho Chi Minh City Holidays

Historical Ho Chi Minh City has a range of cultural and architectural attractions, reflecting its influences from China, Cambodia and France. Make sure you see the oldest temple in the city, Giac Lam Pagoda, which dates back to 1744. And check out the impressive Notre Dame Cathedral, with its 40-metre-high towers, iron spires, and stained glass windows. There’s more evidence of France’s footprint at the Central Office. This Gothic-style post office designed by Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame.

A visit to the War Remnants Museum should also be on your list of things to do in Ho Chi Minh City. This poignant museum is filled with exhibitions on the Vietnam War, featuring photographs, artefacts and first-hand accounts. You can take a guided tour around Reunification Palace, too, which was once home to the president of South Vietnam. Wander through the grand rooms of Ho Chi Minh Museum, which houses ancient maps, traditional dress and ceramics. And you can admire Vietnamese paintings, pottery and sculptures in the Fine Arts Museum.

Vietnam is famous for its spice-filled cuisine, and you can look forward to lots of delicious flavours during your holiday to Ho Chi Minh City. Feast on satisfying pho – a tasty noodle soup made with bean sprouts, chillies and lemongrass, plus shredded chicken or beef. And make sure you try bánh mi. A small baguette filled with pork, pickled vegetables and chillies, this makes the perfect lunchtime bite.

Ho Chi Minh City also has a thriving café culture, with coffee shops scattered all over the place. Stop by one for breakfast, or get your caffeine fix with a traditional ca phe sua da – a super-sweet iced coffee, made with condensed milk.

For a true taste of Vietnam, why not join a cooking class? There are plenty in Ho Chi Min City. In a small group, you can learn how to make popular dishes like spring rolls and Vietnamese pancakes. Some classes also include a visit to a food market, where the chef will help you select your ingredients.

Ho Chi Minh City has lots to keep you busy, but it’s also well-placed for daytrips to some of Vietnam’s most famous places.

It’s worth setting aside some time to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. About an hour’s drive northwest of the city centre, this vast network of underground passages was dug by Communist Viet Cong soldiers in the Forties and Sixties. The tunnels were used to transport troops and supplies underground, to avoid detection by US and Southern Vietnamese forces. The tunnels have since been preserved as part of a war memorial and, today, you can even crawl through some of them.

When you stay in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll also be close to the Mekong Delta. If you have a day to spare, we’d recommend taking a full-day excursion to this luscious area. After a short drive through the countryside’s green rice paddies, you can sail down the Mekong River in a long-tail boat, visit local villages, and marvel at the lush greenery.

Ho Chi Minh City has fairly steady temperatures all year round, with the average usually between 27°C and 30°C. And, like the rest of Vietnam, the city has two distinct seasons – dry and wet.

The dry season runs from December to April, so this is the best time for your Ho Chi Minh City holiday. March and April are the hottest months, with temperatures often soaring as high as 34°C. So, if you’d prefer slightly cooler weather, consider visiting between December and February.

Between May and November, Ho Chi Minh City is very wet. It rains most days, especially in July and August – so this time of year is best avoided.