Once known as Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is a metropolis in the south of Vietnam and an unmissable stop on a tour of the country along with the capital Hanoi. In this city, where tradition and modernity mingle, between skyscrapers and buildings dating back to the colonial period, one is left breathless among market stalls, museums that tell the story of the country, boutiques and cosmopolitan atmospheres.
After being the capital of the State of Vietnam between 1949 and 1955 and of South Vietnam until 1975, today Ho Chi Minh City is the most populous city in the country.
Here are our tips on what to see in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City during a trip to Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City's main attractions
Central Post Office: This important tourist attraction is located in Dong Khoi Street in a large square and is one of the landmark buildings of Saigon. The post office was founded in 1891 by French settlers and is still in operation. The palace was designed by Gustave Eiffel (the same engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower in Paris).
Notre Dame Cathedral: Another important tourist attraction of Dong Khoi Street, next to the Central Post Office, here is the Cathedral of Notre Dame with its spiers, built in the 19th century and similar to its Parisian homonym. Today it is used for Vietnamese celebrations and for the mass in English on Sunday mornings.
Reunification Palace: The Reunification Palace hosted the president of South Vietnam until Saigon became part of the Northern Government. The visit to this palace sheds light on the most controversial aspects of the city and the country.
War Remnants Museum: A museum that tells the tragic story of Vietnam War, with testimonies and photographs of the conflict. An experience that does one not leave indifferent.
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