17 Ho Chi Minh City Travel Tips for First-Time Visitors

Ho Chi Minh City can be overwhelming to navigate for first-time visitors. The city’s infrastructure isn’t fully developed, and the overall travel experience isn’t as streamlined as nearby cities like Taipei and Bangkok. There’ll likely be some minor hiccups throughout your trip to Vietnam. But as I’ve said before, there’s a charm in Vietnam, and exploring the country is more rewarding.

As someone who’s lived in five different districts of Ho Chi Minh City, spent countless hours navigating the city on a scooter, and interacted with hundreds of locals, I’ve put together a list of my personal Ho Chi Minh City travel tips.

If you’re planning a visit to Ho Chi Minh City, check out my common Vietnam travel FAQs guide, the visa requirements, and how to get around Ho Chi Minh City. Here’s a Saigon travel itinerary with things to do and the best hotels to help with your planning.

If you have any questions, ask me directly in my free Saigon travel planning Facebook group.

Stay in District 1 or District 3

District 1 and District 3 are the best areas to stay for first-time visitors to Ho Chi Minh City. I say this as someone who’s lived here for years. District 1 is more expensive and walkable. It’s more touristy than District 3. But District 3 is a pinch quieter, slightly cheaper, and just as walkable. The streets in D3 are more pleasant to wander and are lined with more trees than in D1.

Here are some of my personal hotel recommendations for each:

Hotel Class	District 1	District 3
Luxury	The Reverie Saigon	Hotel des Arts Saigon
Midrange	Liberty Central Citypoint	Au Lac Legend
Budget	Calista Saigon Hotel	Aristo Saigon

Pre-arrange Your SIM Card or eSIM

SIM cards and data are cheap in Vietnam, but you’ll want to have a plan to get one ahead of time. I would pre-order a physical SIM card through Klook or eSIM through Airalo. You don’t want to be tired or disoriented after a long flight but still have to deal with SIM vendors at the airport. See my guide on SIM cards and eSIMs in Vietnam.

Getting from HCMC Airport to Your Hotel

Countless people will offer you a ride as soon as you step outside the arrivals area at the airport. It can be overwhelming if you’re not prepared. Taxi scams (inflated prices) are common. You should pre-book an airport transfer or order a Grab taxi to get to your hotel. With both methods, you’ll know the price ahead of time. The easiest, with the least headaches, is pre-booking the transfer. Here’s my full guide on getting from HCMC airport to District 1.

Use Grab to Get Around HCMC

If you decide to pre-book your airport transfer, you should still use the Grab app to get around Ho Chi Minh City or elsewhere in Vietnam. When giving advice to first-timers traveling to Vietnam, the first thing I always tell them is to download the Grab app — it’s the Uber of Vietnam. You can book GrabBikes (moto-taxis), GrabCars (private cars), and GrabTaxis (regular taxis). Read about my other recommended apps for traveling in Vietnam.

Use Mai Linh or Vinasun Taxis

As mentioned, I recommend using the Grab app to get around Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere in Vietnam. But if you find yourself hailing a regular taxi, choose either Mai Linh (green) or Vinasun (white), as these companies have the best reputations in the city.

Maneuver Around Rush Hour and Traffic

Central District 1 and District 3 are gridlocked from around 4 PM to 6 PM or later. This includes the areas around the War Remnants Museum, the Independence Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, the Ho Chi Minh Statue, and all nearby roads. It is very chaotic if you’re trying to drive a motorbike or have to sit in a taxi. I’ve gotten nauseous in a taxi from the honking, the stopping and starting, and the heat. You can use this time to be inside somewhere, like a museum or restaurant.

Cross the Street in Groups and Wave Your Hands

Make sure you’re seen when crossing the road. Don’t assume you are. And don’t assume that everyone will stop for you in the crosswalk. I’ve been in the crosswalk, clearly seen, and cars or motorbikes will weasel in front of me, causing me to abruptly stop walking. Proceed slowly, as a group, if possible, and use your hands to wave. You’ll see other people doing this, too, even locals.

Pay Attention on the Sidewalks

The sidewalks in Ho Chi Minh City aren’t only for walking. Motorbikes will also drive on the sidewalks to avoid making a proper U-turn on the road or to skip ahead of congested traffic. It happens all over the city.

Most Honking is Informative

Ho Chi Minh City is noisy, especially with all the honking. It may seem alarming at first, but honking in Vietnam is more informative than anything else. Drivers double-check that they’re seen when approaching a turn, going around a corner, or driving through an intersection. Likewise, when a car is backing out, you give a couple of brief honks to make sure you’re seen on your motorbike. I’m constantly honking on my scooter.

Avoid Bui Vien Unless You Party

The Bui Vien Walking Street area (and nearby Pham Ngu Lao Street) has long been popular for backpackers, hostels, and parties. There are a lot of bars, nightclubs, and karaoke venues. There are flashing neon lights, loud music, and parties up and down the main road and its alleys at night. During the day, it’s fine to walk through to check out. But at night, it quickly becomes very seedy. You’ll need to stay on your toes for bar scams, pickpocketing, phone or jewelry snatching, and countless locals offering all kinds of services.

Some Common Scams to Avoid

Here’s a short list of some of the most common scams I’ve seen:

• Taxi scams: rigging meters, longer routes, pretending not to have change
  • Use the Grab app (or Mai Linh or Vinasun taxis)
• Receiving incorrect change from cashiers
• Overcharging at markets/for street food
• Shoe cleaners who offer to clean your shoes for a later-revealed high fee
• Nightlife scams: inflated bills, diluted alcohol

Be Stern but Polite with Street Hawkers and Shoe Cleaners

In downtown District 1, in the areas all around Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue Street, Bui Vien, and nearby roads, there are lots of hawkers and shoe cleaners. If you’re in the market for cheap sunglasses and want to haggle, feel free to engage with the street hawkers. They’ll be carrying giant boards full of sunglasses. The shoe cleaners have mobile shoe cleaning kits, and they’ll point to your shoes and try to clean them for you. This is usually a scam, where if you agree to a cleaning, they’ll ask for a high fee.

Lock and Unlock Your ATM Card

Most mobile banking apps have the ability to lock and unlock your ATM card from cash withdrawals or unauthorized purchases. Getting into this simple habit can save a world of headaches. I unlock and lock my card in front of the ATM whenever I’m getting cash. Recurring transactions, like subscriptions and bills, still go through. ATM skimming, pickpocketing, bag snatching, hotel theft, or just losing your wallet on the go can all happen when traveling.

Exchange Money at Gold or Jewelry Stores

Avoid exchanging money inside the airports — this is good practice anywhere, really. Airports are known for the worst exchange rates. Either withdraw your money from an ATM in Vietnam or wait (if you can) until you get into the city to swap your currency for local Vietnamese dong. I’ve personally used Ha Tam Jewelry by Ben Thanh Market several times. If you’re nearby, great; otherwise, look for a gold or jewelry store close to your hotel.

Keep Smaller VND Bills Handy

Vietnamese dong comes in denominations ranging from 1,000 VND to 500,000 VND (about $20 USD at the time of writing). There are some smaller coins and a 500 dong bill, but these are hardly used. ATMs give either a mix of bills or only 500,000 VND notes. Certain drinks, like coffee or fresh juice, can cost less than 50,000 VND, and street vendors or smaller coffee shops may not always have change for a 500,000 VND bill. Smaller bills like 20,000 VND, 50,000 VND, and 100,000 VND are good for daily use.

Locate the Convenience Stores Near Your Hotel

Keep an eye out for 7-Eleven, WinMart, FamilyMart, Circle K, or GS25. You’ll be able to grab basic items like water bottles, drinks, light snacks, extra toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps, etc.

Most hotels will give you two bottles of water per day, but you’ll likely need more than that. Don’t drink any tap water. It’s fine to brush your teeth with (in my experience). Look for these convenience stores around (open up Google Maps, and type these store names into the search or just “convenience store”).

Ice cubes in drinks can be tricky. In a restaurant, they’re likely filtered. At street vendors, if you order something like sugar cane juice, it can be hit or miss. Ice cubes with holes in them are likely filtered (that’s how the supplier makes/delivers them). Iced coffee at most of the chain stores or popular coffee shops is fine.

Tipping is Not Required

Vietnam does not have the tipping culture we have in the USA. Tipping is not customary here, so eating a meal at a restaurant without tipping may feel strange. But you can still tip if you’d like. My advice is to make sure the person you’re tipping knows it’s for them. I once left a cash tip at a restaurant, and the waitress held the money out in front of her and walked over to the manager, who pocketed it instead.