Exploring Saigon: A Guide to History, Culture & Food

Saigon—officially known as Ho Chi Minh City—is a destination that surprises and captivates visitors. Before arriving, we carried perceptions shaped largely by history, particularly the Vietnam War. However, what we discovered was a thriving, energetic city brimming with culture, resilience, and an impressive blend of tradition and modernity.

Vietnam’s largest city sits along the Saigon River in southern Vietnam and serves as the country’s economic and cultural engine. Although renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1976 following the end of the Vietnam War, locals and visitors alike still commonly refer to it as Saigon, especially when speaking about the historic downtown districts.

Over two days, we immersed ourselves in Saigon’s fascinating past, iconic landmarks, and vibrant culinary scene. From French colonial architecture to bustling markets and unforgettable street food, our time exploring Saigon revealed a city that is both deeply historical and unmistakably modern.

🏛 Day 1: Saigon’s Historical and Cultural Highlights

Our first day in Saigon focused on understanding the city’s complex history and cultural roots. With the help of a knowledgeable guide and private driver, we visited several of the most important landmarks in the city.

📮 Saigon Central Post Office

One of the most beautiful buildings in the city is the Saigon Central Post Office, a remarkable example of French colonial architecture.

Completed in 1891, the structure was designed by French architects and often associated with Gustave Eiffel, the same engineer behind the Eiffel Tower. The building features soaring vaulted ceilings, elegant ironwork, and large historic maps of Vietnam painted along the interior walls.

Despite its age, the post office is still fully operational today. Locals stop by to send mail and conduct business while tourists admire the beautiful architecture and vintage phone booths.

Exploring Saigon - Interior Post office with world phone booths

⛪ Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon

Directly across the street stands the striking Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon.

Constructed between 1863 and 1880 using materials imported from France, the cathedral was built by French colonists to serve the city’s Catholic population. Its red brick façade and twin bell towers remain one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city.

During our visit the cathedral was undergoing renovation, but even surrounded by scaffolding it was easy to appreciate its historic beauty. At night the cathedral is beautifully illuminated and remains a gathering point for locals and visitors alike.

🏙 District One: The Heart of Saigon

Most of Saigon’s major landmarks are located in District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, the city’s commercial and cultural center.

This district showcases the fascinating contrast between historic colonial buildings and modern skyscrapers. Here you’ll find elegant French-era hotels, wide boulevards lined with trees, and many of the city’s most famous attractions.

Highlights of the district include the Saigon Opera House, the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, and the historic Independence Palace, where the Vietnam War effectively ended when North Vietnamese tanks rolled through its gates in 1975.

Walking through District One gives visitors a sense of how dramatically Saigon has evolved—from colonial capital to wartime focal point and now a booming global city.

Saigon - shops decorated for the New Year - District 1

🏺 Ho Chi Minh City History Museum

Our next stop was the Ho Chi Minh City History Museum, a small but fascinating museum that traces Vietnam’s history from ancient kingdoms through the modern era.

The exhibits illustrate centuries of Chinese influence on Vietnamese culture, religion, and governance. Displays of ancient artifacts, statues, and ceramics offer insight into Vietnam’s long and complex history.

One unexpected sight outside the museum was a large group of young Vietnamese women dressed in elegant traditional clothing posing for photographs. Many were celebrating engagements or upcoming weddings, while others were taking photos ahead of the Lunar New Year festivities.

🛍 Saigon’s Bustling Markets

No visit to Saigon would be complete without experiencing its lively markets.

We visited both the Central Market and a nearby Wholesale Market, where vendors sold everything imaginable—from textiles and clothing to seafood, spices, jewelry, and household goods.

The narrow aisles buzzed with activity as merchants negotiated prices and shoppers navigated the crowded stalls. The markets offered an authentic glimpse into everyday life in Saigon.

saigon - fresh seafood - Ben Thanh Marketplace

🛕 Temples and the Cao Dai Religion

Vietnam’s religious landscape is remarkably diverse. During our tour we visited several Buddhist and Taoist temples, as well as a temple dedicated to the unique Cao Dai faith.

Founded in southern Vietnam in the 1920s, Cao Dai blends elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity. Followers believe that all religions will ultimately unite into one universal faith.

The temples are filled with vibrant colors and elaborate symbolism, making them some of the most visually striking religious sites in the country.

🍜 Day 2: Saigon’s Food Culture and Traditional Medicine

Saigon is widely considered one of the great food capitals of Southeast Asia, so we devoted our second day to exploring its culinary scene.

But first, we visited one of the city’s most unusual museums.

🌿 FITO Museum: Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

The FITO Museum offers a fascinating look at traditional Vietnamese medicine.

The museum itself is stunning, built from intricately carved wood and designed to resemble historic Vietnamese houses. Inside, exhibits explain centuries-old practices involving herbal remedies, medicinal roots, and plant-based treatments.

One display that definitely caught our attention featured large jars of rice wine infused with herbs—and even a king cobra.

While these remedies remain a respected part of traditional medicine, we decided not to sample any of them!

Saigon - Fito Museum - diagnose and prescription filling

🍲 Saigon’s Legendary Street Food

Later that day we embarked on a guided food tour through some of Saigon’s best local eateries.

Our first stop was Ben Nghe Street Food Market, where we sampled several local specialties. One dish featured pork wrapped in aromatic lychee leaves, while another was a savory Vietnamese pancake filled with seafood and vegetables.

Vietnamese cuisine is known for its balance of flavors—sweet, salty, sour, and spicy—all enhanced with fresh herbs.

🍽 Dinner at Ngon Restaurant

Our culinary adventure ended at Ngon Restaurant, one of the city’s most famous dining destinations.

The restaurant recreates the experience of a traditional Vietnamese street market but in a more elegant setting. Around the dining courtyard are more than 25 cooking stations, each specializing in a different regional dish.

It was a wonderful way to experience the incredible variety of Vietnamese cuisine in one place.

🛵 Final Impressions: The Energy of Saigon

As our time exploring Saigon came to an end, we reflected on the city’s remarkable contrasts.

The modern luxury hotels and skyscrapers of District One stand alongside centuries-old temples and bustling markets filled with street vendors. Everywhere we looked, the city felt alive with energy.

One of the most thrilling aspects of Saigon is its traffic. With more than six million scooters, crossing the street becomes an adventure. Instead of waiting for traffic to stop—which it never does—you simply walk steadily into the street and allow the scooters to flow around you.

Surprisingly, it works.

A new metro system is being developed to help reduce congestion, but it may take time before locals trade their beloved scooters for trains.

Beyond the sights and sounds of the city, what stood out most during our visit was the warmth of the Vietnamese people. Everywhere we went we encountered kindness, smiles, and genuine hospitality.

For anyone considering a visit, exploring Saigon offers an unforgettable journey through history, culture, and extraordinary food.