Formerly known as Saigon (a name still used by locals and hashtags alike), Ho Chi Minh City is Vietnam’s most populous city, and the gateway to the Mekong Delta. Alongside Hanoi, it’s one of the two major international hubs that you’re likely to arrive at on a trip to Vietnam, however few tourists take the time to visit the city itself.

During 2024’s Black Friday sales, I managed to make my Vietnamese dreams come true and grab a really great fare from London to Ho Chi Minh City for £454 return. Before heading north to Hoi An, I spent 4 days moving to the beat of Saigon’s drum. Here’s everything you need to know to get yourself sipping cà phê sữa dá in no time!

A quick note on the links in this guide: we’re not affiliated with any external sites we’ve chosen to include, so we’re not getting any kick-backs or commission. We’ve only included resources we think will genuinely be useful to help you make a decision on whether this destination is for you.

Getting There

Ho Chi Minh City is a relatively easy city to reach by air from all over the world. 

Vietnam’s national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, operates non-stop routes to major hubs in Europe, like London, Paris, Frankfurt and Munich. They also offer connections to major cities across Asia and Australia, as well as one non-stop route across the Pacific to San Francisco.

Connecting flights are even easier to come by, with cheaper fares taking you via China and India, or fancier airlines like Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Cathay Pacific offering layovers at their hubs.

Here’s a handy JFC guide on what to expect when booking your flight to SGN:

From Europe:

• Expected average JFC price range: €480–€580 rtn
• How many cheap flight alerts we’d expect in a year: 8+
• Lowest price we’ve ever seen: €306 rtn

From the UK:

• Expected average JFC price range: £420–£480 rtn
• How many cheap flight alerts we’d expect in a year: 8+
• Lowest price we’ve ever seen: £330 rtn

From the USA:

• Expected average JFC price range: $650–$850 RT
• How many cheap flight alerts we’d expect in a year: 8+
• Lowest price we’ve ever seen: $483 RT

From Canada:

• Expected average JFC price range: $900-$1000 RT
• How many cheap flight alerts we’d expect in a year: 6+
• Lowest price we’ve ever seen: $750 RT
  
  

Of course, you might be into the idea of ticking off a few more places in Southeast Asia during your trip, like Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. There is a huge range of flights available between Ho Chi Minh City, the rest of Vietnam, and other Asian hubs, both with budget airlines such as Vietjet, and with the national carrier, Vietnam Airlines.

When planning any international transfers, allow plenty of time to navigate security and immigration at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The lines are long and checks can be quite thorough — the whole process took me around 1 hour without any complications.

The Domestic terminal is a different story — check-in/bag drop, security, and finding your gate is all very straightforward. You’ll probably find that arriving in this terminal is the more time-consuming part, especially if you need a bus transfer to the terminal or have checked luggage. There are so many domestic flights here that it can take ages for things to move and your bags to be delivered (and the air conditioning in the baggage hall is not cut out for the heat!).

Ho Chi Minh is also well-connected via bus and rail. Vietnam itself has an extensive rail network running the length of the country, from the Chinese border in the north, all the way to Ho Chi Minh City in the south. 

Sleeper trains and luxury sleeper buses offer lots of comfortable options that’ll help you avoid short-haul flights across SE Asia. From HCMC, you can reach Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in around 6 hours by bus, where there are onward rail connections towards Thailand. If you want to visit Laos, you’ll first have to head north from HCMC to Hue, or all the way up to Hanoi.

For context, the train between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi takes around 35 hours and stops off at all the major cities along the coast, including Nha Trang, Da Nang (for Hoi An), Hue, and Ninh Binh. If you enjoy the journey as much as the destination, this is a great way to see the country. Just make sure you book a ‘soft sleeper’ cabin, otherwise you might be in for a rocky ride.

We recommend the Man in Seat 61 for up-to-date info on trains in Vietnam and onward connections to other parts of Southeast Asia.

Visas

Whether or not you need a visa to visit Vietnam will depend on the passport you hold. From the UK and much of Europe, you can stay for up to 45 days without a visa, while visitors from the USA and Canada are usually eligible for an e-visa. These should be requested in advance, and cost 25 USD for a single entry or 50 USD for multiple entries at the time of publishing (May 2025).

The rules for each country are updated regularly, so it’s important to check your own government guidelines before travelling.

Note: The palm-fringed island of Phu Quoc in the Gulf of Thailand is exempt from all Vietnamese visa requirements for up to 30 days. This only applies if you travel directly to and from Phu Quoc without visiting any other area of Vietnam (connecting flights on the way there or back within Vietnam are allowed).

Cash & Currency

The currency in Vietnam is the đồng (VND), though you’re unlikely to ever see one đồng on its own. At the time of publishing (May 2025), $1 USD was worth around 26,000 đồng — just enough for a local beer in a comfy bar.

Your money will likely go a long way in Vietnam, with a bed in a hostel dorm costing less than 200,000 VND per night ($8/£6/€7.50), and 5-star accommodations for under $100/night.

Vietnam is generally a cash-based society. You’ll be able to pay by card in hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and chain stores like 7-Eleven, but you definitely need cash for shopping at local independent businesses or street vendors. 

Vietnamese đồng is not a closed currency, meaning you can purchase it outside the country by ordering from your local bank or exchange office before your trip. However, ATMs and exchange services are widely available in the big cities in Vietnam, so you don’t need to bring large amounts of VND with you. 

Seasonality

Vietnam is a very long country, so the weather and climate can vary quite a lot from north to south. There are two main seasons in Ho Chi Minh City: wet and dry. But of course, it’s not that clear-cut, so let’s break it down:

December–February

You can expect pretty stable weather conditions during the winter months — daytime temperatures average around 30 °C/86 °F, falling to around 22 °C/72 °F at night. There may be a little rain, but it won’t last long. In fact, you’ll be glad of a little respite from the humidity!

Lunar New Year (aka Tết) is a major event in Ho Chi Minh City. The date changes every year, but it usually takes place sometime between late January and mid-February. 

The two weeks following Tet tend to make the city a little quieter than usual, with many local businesses closing for staff to spend time with their families. Aside from Lunar New Year’s Day itself, though, the usual visitor attractions remain open throughout.

Streets, shops, bars, and restaurants across the city are all decked out in red lanterns and yellow trees adorned with traditional red envelopes. 

The celebrations on Lunar New Year’s Eve itself involve a huge fireworks display, which you should absolutely enjoy from one of the city’s many rooftop bars. If you’re looking for somewhere central, I recommend The View, tucked away atop a hotel, above the madness of Bui Vien Walking Street.

March–May

The temperature starts climbing in March, with April typically being the hottest month of the year. You can expect it to get up to 38 °C/100 °F during the day. May stays pretty toasty, but it’s also when the major downpours start. The humidity definitely starts picking up in April as it moves towards the monsoon season.

June–August

The summer months are that hair-frizzing combination of hot and humid, sitting around 30 °C/86 °F. You’ll likely be in for some rain showers, but they tend to come hard and fast, then clear quickly, so lounging by the pool is still an option.

September–November

September and October are the wettest months of the year in Ho Chi Minh City. The average rainfall doubles, and skies tend to be pretty cloudy. It’s the ideal time to pack your rain jacket and grab an off-season hotel bargain, avoiding the usual tourist crowds at the major sights. Don’t be fooled, though — the city is always busy!

Vietnam’s Independence Day celebrations take place on September 2nd each year. If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City during this time, you’ll be able to catch a day of parades, street performances, and fireworks displays. 

Travel Style

Ho Chi Minh City is big and buzzing. But despite the hubbub, the city vibes are pretty relaxed on the whole — street-front coffee and tea shops are the go-to meeting places, usually overflowing with caffeine-seekers lounging by the roadside. 

Solo (female) travellers should feel pretty safe going it alone in Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll rarely find yourself alone on a darkened street, and despite the hustle and bustle, people rarely invade your personal space here.

LGBTQ+ travellers in Vietnam, particularly in a large city like Saigon, are unlikely to face particular discrimination. Same-sex relationships have never been criminalized in Vietnam, and the ban on same-sex marriage was lifted in 2015. 

That said, Vietnam as a whole is a fairly reserved country, so public displays of affection are uncommon and will probably draw stares, regardless of your gender or sexual orientation. 

Ho Chi Minh City’s gay scene is small but lively. Keep an eye on Full Disclosure Entertainment’s regular schedule of comedy, music and drag nights, or head to one of the many LGBTQ+ bars. Bonus points for a roof terrace!

Getting Around

I’ll be honest, getting around Ho Chi Minh City can be pretty hectic. The roads are packed with mopeds, and just crossing the street on foot can be a whole ordeal. 

Public transportation in the city is not the most elaborate. Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line opened in December 2024, connecting the downtown area of District 1 with the very north of the city. There’s not much that would take visitors all the way up there, other than Suoi Tien Theme Park, self-proclaimed as the ‘most weird park in Vietnam.’ However, the metro is pretty convenient for getting between the more central sights without breaking a sweat.

Being pretty new, the stations are shiny and modern. There are three ways to buy your tickets:

• Tap your contactless bank card at the ticket gate, and the fare will be automatically deducted.
• Download the HCMC Metro app and purchase a ticket. You’ll get a QR code ticket to scan on your phone.
• Purchase a paper ticket from the counter in the metro station — both cash and card payments are accepted.

The city is currently building a network of 6 metro lines, 2 monorails, a tram line, and a light rail airport link. But until those are completed, public buses are your best bet. There are over 150 different lines, but thankfully Google Maps knows where they all go and will tell you the best route to take to your destination.

While the buses are cheap, you should expect them to be busy, and often a little slow. You’ll need to pay in cash once you board — usually 6,000–7,000 VND — and the driver can give you change if necessary.

With the heat and traffic getting quite intense at times, I’d recommend downloading the Grab ride-share app and using that to get around when you’re travelling longer distances. 

You’ll need to provide personal details, including a passport number, when you sign up. But after that, it works just like the ride-share apps you’re used to back home. As a bonus, you can even opt for the full Ho Chi Minh City moped experience and request a GrabBike — don’t worry, the driver will provide a helmet!

Useful Links

Local Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide — great all-rounder site for any extra info and destination inspo you might need

The Man in Seat 61 — primarily info on trains in Vietnam and beyond, but also mentions where to grab onward bus connections