Vietnam: My 5 favorite things to do in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) has plenty of sights and exploring the city can at least take a couple of days. Nevertheless, some sights are more interesting, some are less. To give you an idea of what you can do in 1-2 days, I put together the things and sights that I liked most during my stay in Saigon.

So here are my personal highlights:

1. See the city from above

For me this was really a big highlight: The Saigon Skydeck in the Bitexco Financial Tower. There are probably a couple of cool sky bars in Saigon, but I guess not many will beat this 360-degrees view at the whole city from floor number 49. On floors 50 to 52 there is even a bar/cafe with live music and delicious cocktails. Definitely a must-see!

2. Watch the crazy traffic

The traffic in Saigon was the craziest one I've ever seen somewhere in the world! The amount of motorbikes on the streets is insane and the special thing is that the traffic is actually running and there are not many accidents.

After a few days in Ho Chi Minh City you will get used to it. Then you just do it the local way: Raise your hand, cross the street and see how all the scooters drive around you. Just don't make one mistake: Don't stop while you're walking, because this is going to confuse them ;)

So one thing you definitely shouldn't miss is to grab an ice-cold beer (or other soft drink) from the street vendors, sit on their tiny chairs beside the road and just watch the traffic.

3. Visit Saigon's temples

There are plenty of temples in Ho Chi Minh City. Although I visited only two of them, I still think that I have seen some of the most important ones: The Jade Emperor Pagoda and Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown. While the Jade Emperor Pagoda is quite popular with tourists, the Thien Hau Temple is still not too frequented yet.

Jade Emperor Pagoda

Thien Hau Temple does not look very spectacular from outside but inside it's really beautiful. Especially the incense spirals hanging from the ceiling are nice to look at.

Inside the Thien Hau Temple

4. Eat the delicious Vietnamese food

OF COURSE you have to try Vietnamese food when in Saigon! Street food can be found everywhere in the city but also there are food markets or restaurants with a higher standard if you prefer them.

What I loved everywhere in Vietnam is the Banh Mi sandwich. It's probably the best fast food in Vietnam and it's not only cheap - it's absolutely delicious and for me one of the best sandwiches in the world!

Also don't miss the Pho noodle soup that is famous beyond the borders of Vietnam. I will soon write another article about my favorite Vietnamese dishes by the way, so follow me if you don't want to miss them ;)

"Pho Bo": noodle soup with beef

5. Talk with the locals

This is actually not a thing to do, but it was so much fun to talk with the young local people. Mostly students come to places like September 23 Park or the big square at the Ho Chi Minh statue to talk with tourists in order to practice their English. They are so nice and it's actually a win-win situation as you can ask them about some real insider tips for Saigon or other Vietnam related things.

A nice place to meet locals, especially in the afternoon and evening

Also you can sit with the older ones and have a drink or two. Most of them don't really speak any English, but you can still have a good time and maybe you can even practice some basic Vietnamese words with them.

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Of course there are even more things to do in Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding areas in Southern Vietnam. These are just the things that I personally liked most.

Have you been to Saigon yet? If so, what were your sightseeing highlights? Let me know if I have missed something really cool!

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