Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, a dynamic city, is one of the ideal destinations for tourists in Vietnam. The city attracts tourists by its combination of ancient and modern architectural buildings, historical and cultural attractions, and diverse gastronomy. If you only have one day in Saigon, which activities should you join and which places you should visit? Let’s see the suggestion for a perfect one-day Saigon trip itinerary.

Your journey to explore Saigon in one day will include these activities below.

• Visiting Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Post Office
• Exploring the Independence Palace and War Remnants Museum
• Dropping in the Chinatown 
• Learning about the Thien Hau Temple 
• Enjoying the crowded atmosphere in Ben Thanh Market
• Admiring the town at night

Let’s find detailed information on the one-day Saigon trip itinerary with Handspan! 

Visiting Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and Saigon Post Office

The first attraction in your one-day Saigon trip is Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral. This cathedral is one of the most beautiful, meaningful, and the oldest church in Saigon. Overcome more than 140 years of history, Notre Dame Cathedral has become a construction with religious meaning and the city’s symbol.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

Visiting the cathedral, you can admire its unique architectural design, from outside to inside. The cathedral is a unique construction without the campus or surrounding fence, which creates a beautiful view from every city center’s side. Besides the architecture, you will feel impressed with the Peace Mother’s statue outside the church. The statue has a height of 4,6 meters, a weight of 8 tons, standing in an upright position. Coming inside the cathedral, you will see the altar carved in monolithic marble inside. There are 56 multi-colored glass windows depicting biblical characters and events put together, creating a beautiful image. Besides, you can also catch up with the bell tower with six bells designed by France artisans. 

Leaving Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, you will continue your one-day Saigon trip in the Saigon Post Office, some steps from the cathedral. The post office is also an example of typical architecture during the Indochine times in Vietnam. From the outside, the post office stands out with the yellow color of paint with a row of curved windows, a large clock above the main entrance to the building, and the national flag of Vietnam fluttering in the wind. Stepping inside the post office, you will be impressed with the beautiful patterns decorated. Besides admiring Saigon Central Post Office’s unique architectural characters, coming here, you can immerse yourself in a world of antiquity with ancient items. 

Saigon Post Office

Exploring the Independence Palace and War Remnants Museum

After visiting Saigon Central Post Office, your one-day Saigon trip will continue in the Independence Palace. It is the symbol of victory and peace, an attraction you should visit when you travel to Ho Chi Minh City. Besides the historical significance, the Independence Palace also shows Vietnam’s typical architectural features during the 60s.

Independence Palace

Coming to the Independence Palace, you will have the chance to learn about the unique architecture here and visit the exhibition area with valuable objects inside. Overcome many historical stages, the Independence Palace can still store many historical artifacts, such as UH-1 helicopters on the palace’s roof and two bombs next two, Jeep car, tank cars, combat aircraft, etc. Besides, you can also admire many artworks by excellent artisans in Vietnam. 

Moving out of District 1, you will get to District 3 to visit the War Remnants Museum. This museum displays many artifacts, documents, and truthful and vivid images about the colonial times in Vietnam and its consequences on the country and the people of Vietnam. War Remnants Museum has three floors with different topics and artifacts.

Among the artifacts inside the museum, the Tiger Cage is the most outstanding. The tiger cage is the most brutal torture that the Americans use for patriotic revolutionary communists. They were contained in cells only about 5 square meters wide, with no beds or large windows. Besides, there are also galleries on the Southwest Border War, the Northern Border Protection War, Truong Sa Islands issue, the conspiracy of hostile forces, etc., that you can see when you visit the museum.

The Tiger Cage inside War Remnants Museum

Dropping in the China Town 

After learning about Vietnam’s history during the Indochine times, you will depart to China Town in District 5. Coming to Chinatown, you can see the harmony between Vietnam and Chinese communities. Walking around Chinatown, you will be fascinated by the ancient architecture and the diverse dishes here. 

Below are some places you can drop in when you walk around Chinatown.

• Tam Son Assembly Hall
• Ha Chuong Assembly Hall
• Thien Hau Temple
• Lantern Street
• Binh Tay Market

Binh Tay Market

China Town is indeed an attraction you should not miss for your one-day Saigon trip due to its featured architecture and combination of culture. 

Learning some information about the Thien Hau Temple

It will be a miss that you do not visit the Thien Hau Temple if you are on the way to explore China Town. Among Saigon’s crowded street, this 200-year-old temple can still keep its ancient beauty and architectural features. Many engraved lines, sculptures, and artifacts with historical and artistic values remain intact until now, which attracts many tourists to visit.

Thien Hau Temple

The temple is built in the 18th century by the Chinese to honor Mazu, the ‘Lady of the Sea.’ Mazu’s statue is kept in the main shrine with the yellow and red lights surrounding, creating a mystic and tranquil atmosphere. Besides Mazu’s statue, there are other statues that honor Chinese history’s gods in the front shrine and the central shrine. Besides, there are many other sculptures, statues, and artworks to discover. 

Enjoying the crowded atmosphere in Ben Thanh Market

Coming back to District 1, your one-day Saigon trip will continue by visiting Ben Thanh Market, one of the city’s oldest markets. It is located at the intersection between Phan Boi Chau Street, Phan Chu Trinh Street, Le Thanh Ton Street, and Quach Thi Trang construction site in Ben Nghe Ward, which is exceptionally comfortable to access. The market has four main gates in four directions. 

• The South gate: selling fabrics, clothes, and dried food
• The North gate: selling fresh flowers and fruits
• The East gate: selling cosmetics and candies
• The West gate: selling shoes, handicrafts, souvenirs, etc.

Coming to the market, you will feel impressed with various and colorful stalls here. Indeed, you can find gifts for your family and friends due to the diversity of goods here. 

Ben Thanh Market

Besides, when you visit the market, you should try Saigon specialties here. There are many food stalls here, from snacks to the main dishes, such as Che Saigon, Saigon broken rice (Com Tam Saigon), dried noodles (hu tieu), etc. 

Admiring Saigon at night

Ho Chi Minh City is an always-on-the-move city, no matter in the daytime or the nighttime. In the evening or at night, the city is crowded with people on every road. You can finish your one-day Saigon trip by walking along Saigon streets and admiring the city at night. Below are some places you can drop in for a wonderful experience at night in Saigon. 

Nguyen Hue pedestrian walking street

Nguyen Hue pedestrian walking street is extremely crowded at night. Especially on the weekend, the area is more dynamic, with the youngsters and street artisans gathering to perform their music, sing, and dance. 

Bui Vien Street

Bui Vien Street is full of people, together with bars, restaurants opened overnight. You can come here to talk, drink beers with your friends, and enjoy the lively atmosphere. 

Bitexco Tower

Bitexco Tower is located in the heart of the city, symbolizes the modernity, dynamism, and integration of Saigon. The Saigon Skydeck on the tower’s 49th floor is one of the ideal places to admire a panoramic view of the city center, especially at night. 

Bitexco Financial Tower

Besides, there are many cafés and bars you can come to enjoy your night. 

In conclusion, you can refer to the itinerary above to have a wonderful one-day Saigon trip. Hope that these pieces of information can be helpful for you!