Backpacking Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 2013 - Day Tour

Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; formerly named Saigon (Vietnamese: Sài Gòn; French: Saïgon), is the largest city in Vietnam. Under the name Saigon, it was the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina and later of the independent republic of South Vietnam from 1955–75. -Wikipedia

Language: You can communicate in english, it has become a second de facto language in Saigon. Vietnamese is there official language. 

Currency: 1 Php = 480 VND (Vietnamese Dong), 1 USD = 21000 VND at the time of writing.

Hostel/Lodging: Average Cost is around  7-10 USD per night

Top Places to Visit

1. Saigon Square

This historic area is bordered by City Hall, the beautiful Rex Hotel and numerous French and Vietnamese restaurants.

Entrance Fee: No

Ho Chi Minh Square, Saigon, Vietnam.[click to enlarge] 

2. Notre Dame Cathedral

Built during the late 1800's by french architect, this magnificent cathedral has a huge statue of the Virgin Mary in front of the Church . The neo-Romanesque church is located at the heart of the city facing the General Post Office at the left side. 

Entrance Fee: No

Saigon's Notre Dame Cathedral, HCMC Vietnam [click to enlarge]

3. General Post Office

If you have been to a lot of railway station, this post office is a bit similar to it. It was designed by the famous Gustav Eiffel in the 1800's. You can send free postcards too. :)

Entrance Fee: No

Operating Hours: 6AM to 10 PM Daily

General Post Office Building, HCMC, Vietnam (Exterior) [click to enlarge]

General Post Office Building, HCMC, Vietnam (Interior) [click to enlarge]

4.  War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum showcases photograph exhibits, firearms, weapons, artillery, fighter jets and battle tanks. It defects a long story line of the sad reality during the vietnam war. 

Entrance Fee: VND 15,000

Operating Hours: 7:30am-12pm, 1:30pm-5pm daily

War Remnants Museum, HCMC, Vietnam [click to enlarge]

War Photo exhibit, War Remnants Museum, HCMC,Vietnam [click to enlarge]

5. Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater

Water Puppets originated in the delta of the Red river in Vietnam in the 11th century, and are still popular. The importance of water in all aspects of life really comes through in these performances.  This unique art form has won many international puppet awards.

Entrance Fee: VND 249, 000

Operating Hours: 8:30am-11:30am, 1:30pm-7:30pm daily

Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St. | Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnamn

A live orchestra accompanies the performance with traditional music and song. Singers tell the stories and shout encouragement to the puppets that range from dragons, fishes, water fairies and farmers. It's all in the local language and quite incomprehensible. The puppet show is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface, which acts as the stage.  The puppeteers stand behind a split-bamboo screen, decorated to resemble a temple facade, and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and brightly colored.

6. Reunification Palace

This fascinating government building, significant for its role in the Vietnam conflict, is preserved almost exactly as it was in 1966.

Admission Fee:: VND 20,000

Operating Hours: 7:30AM - 5:00PM Daily

Reunification Palace, 106 Nguyen Du St | District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Wandering Around the City

Try "bánh mỳ"  (Saigonese bread! Solid core, butter-smelling!”) hawkers selling bread cried their wares as they pedaled bicycles through alleys in the poorer districts of Saigon.

Hawker Stool, preparing Bahn My for our breakfast.

Despite the name, the Ben Than Old Market is not the place to find antiques, although it is quite old. This is the place to buy imported food, wine, shaving cream, shampoo and so on.

Saigon Ben Than Old Market, HCMC, Vietnam

Former US President Bill Clinton stopped by at Pho 2000 to taste the best pho in Vietnam. 

Pho 2000 noodles restaurant, HCMC Vietnam

Check out Tran Nguyen Han Monument, which is located in the roundabout where the streets of Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao and Le Lai intersect – just in front of the Ben Thanh Market.

Tran Nguyen Han Monument, Saigon, Vietnam

Foods

Phoo noodles, taken at Phoo 2000, Saigon, Vietnam

Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Pho 2000, Saigon Vietnam

Fried Beef, Pho 2000, Saigon Vietnam

Sources:

http://www.tripadvisor.com

http://www.virtualtourist.com
http://www.lonelyplanet.com
http://en.wikipedia.com