A post office may not sound very exciting but the one in Ho Chi Minh City was designed by Gustave Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. 
Still often referred to by its old name, Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City is a clamorous, chaotic sensory feast.
Period military vehicles and weapons are displayed in the museum's courtyard.
The Bitexco Financial Tower was designed by Carlos Zapata and is made up of 68 storeys. Aside from walking the old winding streets and haggling at the local markets, visitors can also stop by other Hanoi attractions, like the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and visit Hoa Lo Prison Memorial to get an insight into the history of the country. Guided tours in English are available.
Water puppetry originated in rural villages in the Red River Delta and has been performed in Vietnam for more than 1,000 years. You can also get vegetarian versions if you prefer, or you can also try some of the other local specialties on the menu.
This is widely said to be the grandest building in the city and this is the place to come to learn all about the culture and history of Ho Chi Minh City.
It's worth a stop for an overview of the city's history and a look at the grand architecture, which includes Oriental and European flourishes. This vast 250-kilometer-plus network of tunnels served as the base for the Viet Cong's military operations during the Vietnam War. Disclaimer, 14 Best Things to Do on the Big Island, Hawaii.
You'll visit the Cu Chi tunnels, learn about the guerrilla welfare and the booby traps used in the tunnels, then step right into one of the tunnels. 
This hole in the wall joint is nothing fancy and there are no tables and chairs, but you will recognize it before you see it thanks to the long line of patrons queuing up for one of the best sandwiches in the city. Almost as interesting as the museum exhibits is the building itself, which dates from 1929 and fuses French and Asian architectural styles.
The building looks much as it would have done in 1966 and you can take a free guided tour here which will fill you in on the cultural and historical significance of this monument to the Vietnam War.
The markets are also notorious for pickpockets, so make sure any valuables are secure and out of sight. 
After 1956, the building was used as the home of the Lower House assembly of South Vietnam and again became a theater in 1975, after the fall of Saigon. The temple took some 20 years to build and was finally completed in 1956. If you venture into the church itself, you will find a plaque that marks the place where President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu were seized in 1963 as they tried to flee from the presidential palace. Home Travel Guides Vietnam 25 Best Things To Do In Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). As a general rule, the best time to visit Vietnam is always outside the rainy season, which runs between May and September and can cause flooding and make outdoor time a little uncomfortable. Giac Vien Pagoda is not the best known temple in Ho Chi Minh City, but it has also not been restored in the way that many others in the city have been, which means that it retains a lot of its traditional charm. Some of the items on display include old military vehicles like Huey helicopters as well as attack bombers and M48 Patton tanks. The cathedral got its name from the Virgin Mary and the inside is covered in devotional tablets and pretty stained glass windows. 
It's presented in Vietnamese, but the strength of the puppet characters, both people and animals, transcends the language barrier. There is also a rooftop bar if you want to relax with a drink as you take in the scenery below you.
Address: 7 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Today, the post office is still in use and is a popular meeting place for locals. As you would expect, there are also galleries dedicated to the history of the Vietnam War. Encompassing about 40,000 square kilometers, the delta produces more than half of the country's grain and 90 percent of its exports, and it's well-known for its floating markets, which usually take place during the early morning. If you want to learn more about the period of reunification in Vietnam, then you can visit monuments, museums and spots used during the Vietnam War like the Cu Chi Tunnels, but you will also find a vibrant modern side to the city at the same time.
Ben Thanh Market is located in the center of Ho Chi Minh City and is a great place to come to shop and eat.
Hoi An, a 15th-century trading port, is home to a number of beaches, including popular An Bang, the not-so-secret Hidden Beach, and Cua Dai Beach, which is becoming narrower and narrower due to erosion but is still beautiful and a great place to escape the crowds. Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City: Best Areas & Hotels, Where to Stay in Phnom Penh: Best Areas & Hotels, 15 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Phnom Penh, 14 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Nha Trang, 11 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Siem Reap, Where to Stay in Siem Reap: Best Areas & Hotels, 13 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Hoi An, 11 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Hue, Where to Stay in Pattaya: Best Areas & Hotels, 22 Best Places to Visit in the United States, 20 Best Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts in the World, Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta Full-Day VIP Tour from Ho Chi Minh, Mekong Delta Discovery Small Group Adventure, http://www.hcmc-museum.edu.vn/en-us/home-page.aspx.
Combo tour: Black Virgin Mountain, Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnels Tour. These include effigies of Christ, Brahman and Buddha, which reflect a range of faiths in one building. Vietnam's capital should be on everybody's list Hanoi is a frenzied, hectic city with lots of energy and a charming Old Town Quarter. Book online: Bonsai Cruise: 2-Hour Dinner Cruise on the Saigon River. For sightseers, the hot and hectic Ben Thanh Market is almost an obligatory stop, even if only to witness the crammed stalls and market chaos. Its twin square towers rise almost 60 meters above the city, capped by iron spires. This is the central bar and cafe hub of the city and you will find a huge range of watering holes here if you fancy a cold drink at the end of a long days sightseeing. These include collections of weaponry as well as art pieces and gifts that would have been offered to Ho Chi Minh by visiting dignitaries.
If you want to try banh xeo when you are in Ho Chi Minh City then you need to head to Banh Xeo 46A. This is one of the most popular museums in all of Vietnam and more than half a million visitors come here every year.
Address: 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Thin Hau Temple, Chinatown | bvi4092 / photo modified. The only way to see the theater's interior is to purchase a ticket to a show. The building is designed in the Gothic style and dates from 1886 and is still one of the most famous monuments in the city.
You can also choose from a number of different meats to add to your soup such as beef or pork.
Cha Tam Church was built in the 19th century and is painted a beautiful caramel color on the outside.
Local legend claims that the Emperor Gia Long who died in 1819 used to worship here and this is a great place to get a glimpse of the Vietnam of old. Hue sits on the banks of the Perfume River and is home to the Thai Hoa Palace and the walled Imperial City. Address: Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, Ben Ngh, tp. Set on 44 acres of lush lawns and gardens, the palace also offers a fascinating glimpse at the lifestyle of privileged heads of state in 1960s Saigon. Staff are on hand during the week to explain all the history of the cathedral to visitors. The atmospheric 19th-century Thin Hau Temple is one of the best places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown (ChoLon) and one of the oldest Chinese temples in the city. The market was built in the 1880s during the colonial period and you can go for a walk and try out the food stalls here. As you step inside, incense shrouds the many local worshippers, and candles illuminate altars brimming with offerings. At the temple's entrance, masses of turtles swim in a pond, some with inscriptions on their shells, and for this reason, the temple is often called the tortoise pagoda.
Both the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera perform here, and tickets are available at the box office or local travel agents. We recommend these great-value hotels in Ho Chi Minh City close to shops, restaurants, and attractions: While the northern half of Vietnam experiences a cool season between the months of December and March, the southern half of the country sees average temperatures in the 30s Celsius all year long. Discover destinations, find outdoor adventures, follow the journeys of our travel writers around the world, and be inspired. Available tour: Ben Thanh Market Tour and Cooking Class. The theater is air-conditioned, and if you're sitting in the front row, be prepared for some gentle splashes. The Mekong Delta Discovery Small Group Adventure Tour offers these activities, as well as the chance to sample traditional dishes and tropical fruit from the region. Banh mi is probably the most famous of all of Vietnams foodstuff as well as being one of the best loved sandwiches in the world. Reunification Palace was the former home of the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
The small city of Nha Trang is best known for being the getaway to one of Vietnam's most famous stretches of shoreline.
If you are looking for some nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City then you need to head for Pham Ngu Lao Street. Most of the displays are photographic images, and some of these are confronting especially the graphic shots of child Agent Orange victims.
Entry to the temple is free. In the area around the opera house are some of the city's new shopping malls and exclusive hotels. Ho Chi Minh City used to be known as Saigon although this was officially changed after Ho Chi Minh unified Vietnam following the Vietnam War. The War Remnants Museum is one of the most popular museums in Vietnam, with harrowing exhibits related to the horrors of war in this battle-worn nation. To see the interior, try visiting in the morning or attending a Sunday mass.
After touring the countryside and the Cu Chi Tunnels, you'll find these exhibits even more moving, but note that some of the exhibits are not suitable for small children. There are a number of Cao Dai temples in Vietnam although the one in Ho Chi Minh is said to be the most beautiful of its kind. These include local dishes like noodle soups or you can just stop by for a coffee.
A walk around Hon Kiem Lake is a great way to end the day. With that in mind, the church is stepped in Vietnamese history and is well worth a visit if you are in the area. This charming museum features a range of Vietnamese art work that dates from the Bronze era all the way to the present day. 25 Best Things To Do In Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Ho Chi Minh City Food by Night: Private Motorbike Tour, VIP City Highlights: War Remnants Museum & Ben Thanh Market, Bonsai Cruise: 2-Hour Dinner Cruise on the Saigon River, 4-Course Hands-On Vietnamese Cooking Lesson in Small Group, Mekong Delta Small Group W/ Vinh Trang Pagoda & Rowing Boat, Black Virgin Mountain, Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnels Tour, Bitexco Saigon Skydeck +The Heineken Experience Combo Ticket, 40 Places to See in California Before Your Kids Are All Grown Up, 30 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in California, 40 Places to See in Florida Before Your Kids Grow Up, 15 Best Things to Do in Gaithersburg (MD).
Located in a colonial style mansion, the Fine Arts Museum is a great place to come for anyone who is an art lover. It was built on the site of the former Norodom Palace, which was bombed by fighter jets in 1962 in an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem.
The current building was completed in 1966 and became the home and workplace of the successive president when Vietnam was split between the north and the south. From here, you can see the altar, with statues of the goddess, and the intricate porcelain dioramas adorning the roof depicting scenes from 19th-century Chinese life.
The museum traces the city's past with exhibits on the struggle for independence, nature and archaeology, trade, village handicrafts, currency, and the culture of Saigon. For more ideas on the best places to visit and the most rewarding things to do, read our list of the top attractions in Ho Chi Minh City.
Temples huddle amid skyscrapers and designer shops; locals cast bamboo fishing rods into the languorous Saigon River; and in places, the city feels almost European, with its elegant French colonial architecture and wide, tree-lined avenues. You can walk around the grounds and admire the picturesque architecture here and take in the serene atmosphere at the same time.
Live music enhances the experience; the talented musicians play traditional instruments such as bamboo flutes and two-stringed violins.
Also make sure that you check out the intricate woodcarvings around the altars, walls and columns, as well as the large and aromatic incense coils. War Remnants Museum | Sistak / photo modified. As you would expect from the name, this is one of the fanciest temples in Ho Chi Minh City and you will find statues of deities here as well as large coils of smoking incense. Locals come here frequently to worship, so it's important to be respectful when you visit.
Many argue that the museum's approach is biased; however, the exhibits poignantly portray the brutality of war. Dedicated to the Lady of the Sea, Thin Hau, this evocative temple is visited by local worshippers, as well as tourists, and many of the materials used in its construction were brought from China.
If you want to take in the city from the vantage point of the water, then head for a Bonsai River Cruise. Here you will find floating markets as well as schools and homes and this is one of the most unique sights in all of Vietnam. Particularly interesting are the stone and bronze sculptures, Angkor Wat relics, and the well-preserved mummy. For a trip back in time, both Hoi An and Hue offer stunning architecture going back hundreds of years. Interestingly, the building sits on a network of tunnels and bunkers, which served as escape routes for past dignitaries, though these are closed to the public. The exhibits are organized chronologically and include artifacts from Vietnam's former ethnic groups, including the Dong Son, Funan, Khmer, and Cham civilizations.
In town, the ancient Po Nagar Cham Towers are well worth a visit, and so is the Alexandre Yersin Museum, dedicated to the French-Swiss bacteriologist who co-discovered the bacteria responsible for the bubonic plague. Notable features include the president's living quarters, the war command room with large maps and antiquated communications equipment, and the maze of basement tunnels. Note that this is not an ideal place to visit if you suffer from claustrophobia as the tunnels are very small indeed. If you look up, you will find rooftop statues which show scenes from Buddhist and Taoist legends.
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