Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam, one of the most important metropolises in Southeast Asia with historic French colonial buildings, elegant boulevards and markets and shopping centers for all tastes, it is also one of the most congested cities and has been considered the motorcycle capital of the world.
The best area to stay in Ho Chi Minh City is the city center, District 1, located around the Saigon River, where you can find a wide range of hotels, the most important tourist sites in the city such as the Opera House, Notre-Dame Cathedral, City Hall and the Central Post Office, as well as Ben Thanh Market, the tourist shopping place par excellence in Ho Chi Minh City.
Enjoy the best vacation from the most strategic area of Ho Chi Minh City, where the history, entertainment, and business life of this vibrant city converge.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Da Lat and where to stay in Hanoi.
Ho Chi Minh Center in District 1, the best area to stay
Located west of the Saigon River and north of the Mekong River, is Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh, formerly known as Saigon.Among its streets you will be able to appreciate the imposing historical buildings, markets with exotic souvenirs and millions of motorcycles that pass through the city. In fact, to move in Ho Chi Minh, we recommend you to make the tour on foot because the traffic is very agitated.The Center is located in District 1, the central urban district where most of the city’s administrative offices, consulates and large buildings are located. It is the busiest district with famous commercial and tourist streets such as Pham Ngu Lao Street, also known as the backpacker’s area.
On Dong Khoim Street in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, you will find the Saigon Opera House, one of the most visited tourist attractions, built in 1897 in the French colonial style, with a capacity of 500 people and used for artistic events and the celebration of important activities.In the vicinity of the Opera House you will find the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, as well as world-class shops, shopping malls and, in the distance, the highest skyscraper in the city, the Bitexco Financial Tower with 68 floors and a height of 265 meters, which houses offices, shops, an entertainment center and a shopping area.
The Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was built at the end of the 19th century, and its exterior façade features red French tiles, as well as two bells, situated at a height of 58 metres.For a time it was the tallest building in the city, today that title is held by the Torre Bitexco. Outside the Cathedral, there is a small park with a statue of the Virgin Mary, baptized as the Holy Mary Queen of Peace made in Rome (Italy) and taken to Vietnam.For its part, just in front of the religious headquarters, is the Central Post Office, a must for tourists, because it is one of the most sophisticated buildings of Ho Chi Minh. It was built in the late nineteenth century by Gustave Eiffel, the same architect who built the Eiffel Tower in Paris.It shows a clock that is on the main entrance of the building and its exterior facade has engraved the names and faces of the most representative characters and creators of the time as Benjamin Franklin, the Italian inventor Alessandro Volta, the French mathematician André-Marie Ampère, among others.To continue the tour of the city center, there is the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, in front of its door you will find a small park with an imposing statue of Ho Chi Minh sitting next to a child.
For those who love shopping, the best option is the Ben Thanh Market, a tourist attraction where you can find souvenirs for all tastes, clothes, the famous Vietnamese Ao Dai suit and also the Vietnamese hat, shoes, jewelry, handicrafts, flowers, nuts and restaurants that offer typical food. Among the most outstanding commercial streets is Le Loi street, which is the most touristic one and there you can find from small shops to luxury stores and shopping malls, while Nguyen Trai street has many street stands and is a good place to get the best prices.If you are looking for luxury shops, in District 1 you can also find the Parkson and Diamond Plaza shopping centers, with international brand stores.
Another place worth visiting for its historical character is the Saigon Reunification Palace.It occupies a large space and is guarded by a huge metal fence, has beautiful gardens and a high ceiling from which chandeliers hang.
If you have found our recommendation on where to sleep in Ho Chi Minh City useful, don’t miss our recommendation on the best areas to stay in other outstanding destinations in Asia
