Saigon places worth your time

Japanese-style wood-fired pizza with house-made burrata cheese.

Vietnamese home-style food in an old villa full of nostalgia.

A serene vegetarian restaurant where dishes are presented like art.

A wood-fired bistro with bread baked on the spot.

Bánh mì with cold cuts and many kinds of filling.

A restaurant serving shrimp-and-pork bánh xèo on Đinh Công Tráng street.

"Giant" cơm tấm (broken rice) with pork chop, mentioned by Michelin.

A phở restaurant at 260C Pasteur, District 3.

Family-recipe Hoa phở, open until late.

Modern Vietnamese bistro with eye-catching propaganda-poster murals on the walls.

A Vietnamese restaurant hidden on a rooftop, full of plants and lanterns.

Riverside restaurant in the Thảo Điền area.

Bún bò with a strong Huế character in the heart of Saigon.

A Chinese dessert shop in the Chợ Lớn area.

A Michelin-selected snail and shellfish restaurant well known among Saigon people.

Eatery and bar with a swimming pool, a resort vibe in the middle of the city.

A long-established Chinese-style Hainanese chicken rice place in Cho Lon.

A one-Michelin-star tasting-menu restaurant on the 9th floor of the Le Méridien hotel, overlooking the Saigon River.

A modern Vietnamese restaurant inside the old Tôn Thất Đạm market, with one Michelin star and a rooftop bar.

A crab banh canh stall of more than 40 years inside Bình Tây market, run by Ms. Lan, who learned the trade from her mother.

A family bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls) shop opened in 1961, at 127 Đinh Tiên Hoàng since 1978.

A hot bánh đúc stall of more than 40 years in a Phan Đăng Lưu alley, open only in the afternoon.

A bánh mì chảo (sizzling pan breakfast) shop open since 1958, where you sit on stools at the mouth of Cao Thắng alley for breakfast.

A bánh xèo shop in the Hoài Nhơn, Bình Định style, in a Phan Văn Trị alley, with student-friendly prices.

A vegetarian restaurant tucked under the Nguyễn Tri Phương bridge in District 5, with a brown wooden gate and red lanterns.

A bột chiên cart run by a Teochew family on the corner of Phú Đinh street, in front of a clan association hall, selling for more than 40 years across two generations.

A bột chiên cart of almost 40 years on the corner of Sư Vạn Hạnh and Hòa Hảo, a snack for generations of Trương Định school students.

A bún mọc shop that sells only from late night until morning on Phạm Thế Hiển, run by one family across three generations, in the same spot for more than 40 years.

A bún riêu shop of more than 40 years, which started as a carrying-pole stall at the East gate of Bến Thành market and now has a premises on Lê Thánh Tôn.

A grilled pork vermicelli stall in the eating area of Bà Chiểu market, selling during market hours.

A kim tiền grilled pork vermicelli shop of more than 30 years, run by Ms. Kim Huệ on Lạc Long Quân, selling from the morning until early afternoon.

A bamboo-shoot duck vermicelli shop run from a house, with no sign, selling for only about an hour each afternoon until it is gone.

A small burger shop in Thảo Điền that lets dogs in both inside and on the porch.

A canh bún shop of more than 40 years in an alley next to the Lê Văn Sỹ railway tracks, where you eat upstairs.

A garden vegetarian restaurant in an Indochinese-style house on Võ Văn Tần street.

A tasting-menu restaurant in a villa in Thao Dien, which won a Michelin star seven months after opening.

An evening cơm tấm (broken rice) place run by Ms. Bảy's family behind Xom Chieu market. The name "bãi rác" (garbage dump) comes from the fact that it first sold next to a garbage collection point.

A beef-ball hủ tiếu (noodle soup) shop more than 60 years old, started as a push cart and settled on Vĩnh Viễn street in 1995.

A three-generation beef-ball hủ tiếu shop run by a Hoa family near Thu Duc market, selling since before 1975.

A chicken hủ tiếu shop more than 40 years old on Vĩnh Nam street: the Hoa mother sold first, her daughter took over, and it sells almost around the clock.

A sidewalk Mỹ Tho-style hủ tiếu stall next to chùa Chà, selling since 1946 and now run by the next generation.

A vegetarian restaurant in a villa with a garden in Thao Dien, open since 2017 and a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2026.

A classic French restaurant in a villa in Thao Dien, open since 2010 and listed by the Michelin Guide in 2026.

A Cantonese restaurant in The Reverie hotel, with one Michelin star for three years running, 2024 - 2026.

A snail and shellfish restaurant more than 20 years old on Vĩnh Khánh street, picked by Michelin since 2024.

A beef phá lấu (offal stew) shop in the Tôn Đản alley, run by Dì Nũi's family for more than 40 years.

Mediterranean-style wood-fire restaurant in a French-era house on Ký Con street.

Vegetarian restaurant and tea house in a French-style house near Bến Thành market, inspired by Tibetan Buddhism.

KOTO's contemporary Vietnamese restaurant in the Sofitel Saigon Plaza hotel, recommended by Michelin in 2025 and 2026.

Bakery and brunch restaurant in Phú Mỹ Hưng, with outdoor tables where dogs are welcome.

Vegetarian restaurant in a Nguyễn Trãi alley in District 1, where dogs are allowed indoors too.

Garden restaurant in Thảo Điền with a children's playground, and dogs are welcome.

A noodle shop run by a Hoa family of Cantonese origin, which grew out of Ông Tư Ky's noodle cart and has been in the alley at 66 Lê Đại Hành since 1975.

A third-generation sticky rice shop near the east gate of Bến Thành market, which grew from the grandmother's sticky rice stand around 1960.

A roastery for real coffee addicts.

A bean-to-bar chocolate paradise made in Vietnam.

A hub of Saigon's specialty coffee craft in a sunlit old workshop.

A glass-walled roastery, up to the standard of coffee connoisseurs.

A concept store and European bistro in the middle of the Western quarter.

A sun-filled Indochine villa, utterly beautiful.

An Indochine cafe with a Bauhaus touch, beautiful in every corner.

A miniature European garden with a treehouse.

A gentle, elegant English-style tearoom.

Western-style chill spot, a cafe by day and a bar by night.

Cozy coffee shop in the center, with strong wifi.

A vintage cafe tucked at the end of an alley, strangely peaceful.

A cafe using the traditional cloth-filter method, almost 90 years old, one of the rare ones left.

A cafe on the 50th floor of Bitexco, with a panorama of Saigon.

A cafe branch on Sư Vạn Hạnh street, with cheese-foam drinks.

A one-of-a-kind, cozy 'sit on the bed' cafe.

A colorful fairy-tale garden with a strong film-set feel.

A 1.000m² Mediterranean-style garden with a pond and a city view.

A cool, green garden cafe with many pretty photo corners.

A peaceful corner of Da Lat in the middle of Saigon.

A rooftop sky-garden cafe for watching planes take off.

A garden cafe with a cool Koi fish pond.

Has a whole "Study Cafe" floor for laptop users.

An entire old apartment building turned into a hive of unique cafes.

A cafe in an alley, like a colorful fairy-tale garden.

A relaxing garden complex with pretty cupcakes.

A young, green cafe strong on cold brew.

A hugely popular coffee chain with big cups and photo-friendly corners.

Minimalist all-white decor, a paradise for photo lovers.

Modern coffee shop on Phan Xích Long, a street known for eating and going out.

Cool, green garden cafe in the airport area.

A small, pretty cafe with gentle prices, good for sitting quietly.

A spacious vintage cafe with student prices.

A roastery in Thảo Điền, airy, where staff keep water bowls ready for dogs.

A buffet cat cafe inside AEON Tân Phú, where the ticket includes snacks and drinks and unlimited time.

A two-floor dog and cat cafe in District 10, with raccoons and capybaras as well.

A small specialty coffee shop on Lý Tự Trọng, District 1, that welcomes guests with dogs.

A dog and cat cafe in Thao Dien with nearly 30 purebred cats and a pack of Shiba and Mame Shiba dogs.

A cafe on the 4th floor of the old apartment building at 14 Tôn Thất Đạm, formerly Mockingbird and now called Make Room.

A two-floor cat cafe opposite Ben Thanh market with about 30-40 cats and a rooftop bar on the top floor.

A garden cafe that is also a parrot shop in the old Linh Chieu area, where parrots can perch on your hand, with cats and rabbits too.

Cafe run by a rescue group, with dogs and cats waiting for adoption and a private swimming pool for dogs, in Thảo Điền.

A private áo dài museum set among trees and ponds on the outskirts, in Long Phước.

A museum about the Vietnam War, with photographs, artifacts and military equipment displayed outdoors.

A museum of Vietnamese history from prehistory to the Nguyễn dynasty, in an Indochinese-style building next to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden.

A fine arts museum in the Hui Bon Hoa mansion (1929–1934), known for its staircase and stained glass.

A museum about women of southern Vietnam: clothing, traditional crafts and their role in the war.

Gia Long Palace, built 1885–1890, now a museum telling the story of Saigon through its different periods.

A private museum of Vietnamese traditional medicine, open every day of the week.

A dragon-roofed building from 1863 on the Saigon River, where Nguyễn Tất Thành left in 1911 to seek a way to save the country.

A post office built 1886–1891 next to Notre-Dame Cathedral, still operating, with a steel-framed vaulted roof that photographs well.

A Cantonese assembly hall in Cho Lon, built around 1760, with a multi-tiered ceramic roof full of figurines.

A pagoda founded in 1744 and a national heritage site, with a multi-story stupa and a green, leafy compound.

A Chinese-style temple from the early 20th century, known for its papier-mâché statues and thick incense smoke.

A pagoda built from 1964 to 1971 on the model of Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Bac Giang, notable for its seven-story, 40 m tower.

A Buddhist studies pagoda built in 1956 to 1958 in an old part of District 3, with a seven-story, 32 m bell tower.

A Hindu temple of the Tamil community, built in the late 19th century, a few minutes' walk from Ben Thanh market.

A 1960s palace in the center, associated with the events of midday on 30/4/1975.

The wartime base of the Cu Chi District Party Committee during the American War, about 13 km from the Ben Duoc area toward the center, usually busy with tour groups.

A contemporary art gallery operating since 2000, with exhibitions that change every few months.

An assembly hall of the Fujianese people originally from Zhangzhou, dating from the early 19th century, dedicated to Thien Hau.

A Teochew (Triều Châu) assembly hall more than 200 years old, dedicated to Quan Công (Guan Yu), a national architectural and artistic monument since 1993.

The oldest hotel in Vietnam, opened in 1880 at the corner of Đồng Khởi and Công trường Lam Sơn, opposite the Opera House (Municipal Theatre).

A three-floor observation deck at the top of the 461 m Landmark 81 tower, looking down on the Saigon River and Thu Thiem.

The tomb complex and temple of Tả quân Lê Văn Duyệt, a national monument since 1988, right next to Ba Chieu market.

A Fujian (Phúc Kiến) assembly hall founded around 1730, dedicated to Bổn Đầu Công, on Hải Thượng Lãn Ông, the street of Chinese herbal medicine.

A French-style theatre opened in 1900, which still regularly stages bamboo circus, dance and music shows.

A 19th-century red-brick cathedral under restoration; for now you can only view and photograph it from outside.

A striking pink church on Hai Bà Trưng street, the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu).

A pedestrian street running from the Ho Chi Minh statue to Bach Dang wharf, lively in the evening.

Observation deck on the 49th floor of the Bitexco tower, with a panorama of the city center and the bend of the Saigon River.

French-era city hall built between 1898 and 1909, now the seat of the city People's Council and People's Committee, at the head of Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street.

A 360-degree rooftop bar that is hugely popular with young people.

7 Bridges' 40-tap taproom on Đông Du street, with half the taps given to beer from small Vietnamese breweries.

A long-running live music bar in District 3, with a four-piece band and several singers performing every night: pop, rock and Vietnamese music.

A Belgian-style brewery brewing right in Saigon, with its main bar on Nguyễn Văn Thủ street in the Đa Kao area.

BiaCraft's first taproom, on the corner of Lê Ngô Cát in District 3, with 47 rotating craft beer taps.

A cafe and bar on floors 75-76 of Landmark 81, where you sit and look over the whole city from more than 400 m up.

A small three-floor bar on the Nguyễn Huệ walking street, with two rooftop levels looking down on the street.

An almost 300 m snack alley in District 4 with more than 50 stalls, selling from early afternoon until evening.

An alley by the flower market that turns into a snack area with over a hundred stalls in the evening, known for Cambodian dishes such as grilled beef and bún num bò chóc.

A beer restaurant with an on-site brewery, over 15 house-brewed beers and seating for about 250 guests over two floors.

A Tokyo-style whisky counter on the second floor, with a few hundred Scotch and Japanese whiskies and cocktails mixed to your taste.

The taproom of the craft beer brand Heart of Darkness, with over 20 taps, food, and a backyard area of an old villa.

A fresh-beer restaurant using Czech technology, open since 1995, three floors, seating about 450 guests, suited to large drinking groups.

A bar on the 8th floor of the Majestic hotel looking straight onto the Saigon River, with a live band every evening from 20:00.

A small bar on the rooftop of a building in Tan Dinh, looking down on Tan Dinh market.

Pasteur Street's first taproom, from 2015, in the alley at 144 Pasteur, serving craft beer made with Vietnamese ingredients.

District 3's night food street, open since the end of 2022 on the stretch of Nguyễn Thượng Hiền near Vuon Chuoi market.

Nearly 1 km of snail, seafood and grill restaurants in District 4, named in Time Out's top 10 most interesting streets in the world in 2025.

A night food street in front of Binh Tay market, with food trucks and carts selling Chinese dishes, officially open since 24/4/2026.

Saigon's lively backpacker street at night: bars with loud music, sidewalk beer joints and tourists from everywhere.

A street of about 700 m on the border of District 5 and District 11 with more than a dozen Hoa-run sủi cảo (dumpling) shops, officially a food street since early 2024.

Jazz club of saxophonist Trần Mạnh Tuấn, now in Thảo Điền, performing almost every night from 21:00 to 23:00.

Bar on the 24th floor of the Hôtel des Arts, with an infinity pool and a view of the center, and half-price happy hour every afternoon.

Upstairs cocktail bar overlooking Bến Thành market, inspired by Vietnamese street drinks, ranked 84 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.

Cocktail bar in a French-era villa on Tôn Đức Thắng, ranked 55 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026.

Three-level rooftop on the Đức Vượng hotel, right in the middle of Bùi Viện street, open until 2 a.m.

Lounge on the 14th floor on Hàm Nghi street, with singers and DJs every week, open until 3 a.m.

The first AEON Mall in Vietnam (2014), open on public holidays, with many play areas for children and a large car park.

A long-established wholesale clothing market of Chợ Lớn, around since 1954, now a six-floor building between four streets: An Dương Vương, Hùng Vương, Nguyễn Duy Dương and Yết Kiêu.

The central market of old Gia Định, rebuilt in 1942, right next to Lăng Ông.

A market set inside the alley network of the Bàn Cờ area, spreading out like a fishbone, selling everything from vegetables and meat to second-hand goods and food.

Saigon's emblematic market, operating since 1914, with a food area, souvenirs and dried goods.

The wholesale hub of the Cho Lon area, opened in 1930 and built by the merchant Quách Đàm, with more than 1.400 stalls.

A market since 1954, specializing in American-style military surplus, protective gear, mechanical tools, electrical items and collectible second-hand goods.

One of the three largest wholesale markets in the city, covering more than 20 ha and receiving thousands of tonnes of vegetables, fruit and flowers every night.

A wholesale flower market that formed around 1987, with flowers coming from Da Lat and the Mekong Delta, next to a snack alley that is busy at night.

A long-established wholesale market for ready-made clothing and wedding wear in Tan Binh, formed in the 1960s.

A market built in 1926 and opened in 1927, with a yellow three-tower facade, known for its fabric section and breakfast food.

A mall beside Ban Nguyet lake in Phu My Hung, with over 200 stores across 6 floors and a lawn that hosts Pet Weekend.

A pedestrian street lined with books, connecting Hai Ba Trung with the Notre-Dame Cathedral area, opened in January 2016.

A mall on Xa lo Ha Noi, piloting a policy that allows dogs and cats under 20kg (in bags or strollers) from 22/5/2026.

A 5-floor mall in District 8, open since September 2024, with an AEON supermarket, Galaxy Cinema, tiNiWorld and pet festivals.

Shopping complex on Lê Lợi, with the Japanese Takashimaya department store spread from floor B2 to L3.

Five-floor mall on Nguyễn Văn Linh, with the B-Zone mini zoo, Funzone and the Co.opXtra supermarket.

Basement shopping area with more than 40 local streetwear brand stalls, in the middle of District 1.

Mall in the Sala urban area, with more than 100 brands, an Emart supermarket in the basement and the Kids Camp play area.

A familiar mall for District 10 locals, with CGV cinema, bowling, karaoke, Bigfun for children and the Co.opXtra supermarket.

Shopping center between Đồng Khởi and Lê Thánh Tôn, with about 150 stores, a CGV cinema and WinMart.

Mall at the foot of Landmark 81, with an indoor ice rink on floor B1 and a CGV IMAX cinema.

A long strip of park between Phạm Ngũ Lão and Lê Lai, right by Ben Thanh market and the backpacker district.

A park strip of more than 1 km along the Saigon River at the head of Nguyễn Huệ street, renovated and reopened in early 2022.

A park strip of about 14 ha along the Thu Thiem bank, facing District 1 and Ba Son bridge.

A park of almost 5,8 ha next to the airport, with wide lawns and a large children's play area.

A central park with football, volleyball and basketball courts, where people from the neighborhood exercise every morning and afternoon.

A park of old trees in the middle of District 1, with a bird-coffee corner in the early morning and the Spring Flower Festival at Tet.

A riverside park of about 14 ha on the Saigon River inside the Vinhomes Central Park development, with many photo spots.

A crescent-shaped lake in the middle of Phu My Hung, with the Anh Sao pedestrian bridge across it, lit by color-changing LEDs at night.

An outdoor mini animal farm in The Global City: dogs, cats, sheep, goats, ostriches and capybaras.

A riverside educational farm for children in Binh Quoi: feeding rabbits and sheep, catching fish, paddling a small boat.

Zoo and botanical garden open since 1864, right at the start of Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm street.

A ferry terminal linking Ho Chi Minh City with Nhon Trach (Dong Nai) across the Dong Nai River, running day and night and carrying nearly 40.000 passengers a day.

River bus departing from Bạch Đằng pier, running up the Saigon River to Linh Đông, with stops at Thủ Thiêm, Bình An, Thanh Đa and Hiệp Bình Chánh.

A tunnel heritage site that was once the base of the Saigon - Cho Lon - Gia Dinh Zone Committee, about 70km from the center.

A garden of more than 3 ha beside the Saigon River on the Thanh Da peninsula, managed by Saigontourist and known for its Southern Vietnamese buffet.

A riverside resort at the end of Bình Quới street on the Thanh Da peninsula, with 39 bungalow rooms and a restaurant facing the Saigon River.

A tourist complex of about 711 ha: a large temple, a zoo, an artificial beach and a games area.

Eco-tourism area in the Cần Giờ mangrove forest: a turmeric-bat lake, a crocodile pond and the Tang Bồng tower.

A 32m statue of Christ on Núi Nhỏ. Climb 811 steps for a view down to Bãi Sau and the Vũng Tàu sea.

A long-standing amusement park around a large lake in District 11, with an all-inclusive ticket for rides and a water music show.

Amusement park themed on Vietnamese legends, with an artificial sea, a crocodile kingdom and an aquarium.

An indoor trampoline park with 11 activities such as wall climbing and obstacle courses.

Escape room with many themes, 60 minutes per session, for groups solving puzzles to get out of the room.

Arcade game center with a bowling alley (Social Bowling) in Parc Mall.

Indoor play area for children aged 0-12 inside AEON Mall Binh Tan, air-conditioned and open for play on rainy days.

Indoor play area built like a miniature city, where children aged 4 to 15 play doctors, firefighters, pilots and chefs.

Pottery studio in Lái Thiêu offering workshops in wheel throwing, hand building and pottery painting, with long-term classes for children.

Coworking and serviced office in central District 1, with meeting rooms, printing and a cafe.

Large public library in the middle of District 1, with quiet reading rooms and wifi. A card costs 40.000đ per year.

Coworking space of about 1.300 m² between Notre-Dame Cathedral and Independence Palace.

A public swimming complex with a 50m Olympic-standard pool, an adult practice pool and a children's pool.

Indoor climbing gym in alley D2, with top rope, lead and bouldering, and classes for children.