5 Best Museums in Ho Chi Minh City: A Local’s Guide

There are more than a handful of museums in Ho Chi Minh City, but not all are worth visiting, especially with the consistent city traffic. Thankfully, most of the good ones are easily accessible from District 1 and District 3, two of the best areas to stay in Ho Chi Minh City.

The ticket prices on my shortlist range from entirely free to 180.000 VND. This one (the Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine) is expensive compared to what’s common city-wide, as the cost of most museums and other attractions is usually between 30.000 and 60.000 VND.

If you’re in trip planning mode, you’ll want to find out if you need a visa, read my sample one-day and three-day HCMC itineraries, and learn how to get your SIM card. You’ll want to download and use the Grab app to get to these museums, as it’s the most convenient way to get around HCMC.

When I lived in Saigon, I took the time to visit museums I hadn’t before and revisit others I hadn’t been to in years. This is my personal list of my favorite museums in Ho Chi Minh City.

1. War Remnants Museum

Address: Google Maps • Website • Ticket price: 40.000 VND

The War Remnants Museum is less than a 10-minute walk from the Independence Palace. Both attractions are must-sees, and they won’t cost more than 80.000 VND. Here are my guides on the War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace.

If you stay in District 3, you can visit the museum first. And if you’re staying in District 1, the palace would be closer to visit first.

Here’s a video I filmed from the courtyard of the museum.

I have been to this museum a few times. A visit here can be very emotional.

The museum’s outdoor yard has many aircraft and vehicles, including planes, tanks, and helicopters. There are also some artillery weapons and cannons – about 10 different items in all. There’s an outdoor coffee shop right on the grounds as well.

There are three floors of exhibits, and some of them are very graphic.

First Floor	Souvenir shop, displays, educational videos
Second Floor	Agent Orange exhibit and the War Crimes exhibit. These are both very graphic
Third Floor	Historical Truths, Requiem, and Vietnam War and Peace exhibits, plus a children’s education area

If you are visiting with kids, keeping them outside the graphic areas is easy. The graphic displays and exhibits mentioned above (Agent Orange and War Crimes) are separated from the central area.

The museum’s first floor is open and airy, but it can get a little hot inside, especially after going to the second and third floors. Fortunately, some individual exhibits are air-conditioned. And as mentioned, there is an elevator.

Exhibits and displays are written in English and Vietnamese. An audio guide is also available for an additional small cost. Many visitors wear headphones and listen to the guide, but this isn’t required to experience the museum fully.

An adult ticket is 40.000 VND. Children under 6 are free. If you have your own motorbike, you can park directly on the grounds for an additional 4.000 VND.

If you only have time to explore one museum while visiting Ho Chi Minh City, this one should be it.

2. Southern Women’s Museum

Address: Google Maps • Website • Ticket price: FREE

The Southern Women’s Museum, sometimes called the South Vietnamese Women’s Museum, is a free museum located in District 3. Including this on my list was a no-brainer, as it’s hard to find fault in free things.

Here’s a video I filmed from inside the museum.

The museum opened in 1985 and aims to educate visitors on the role of southern Vietnamese women in shaping the region’s history and culture.

There are three different floors of exhibits, and it’s a bit spread out and not entirely organized (at least not when I visited, though I was told they are in the middle of restoring the building and museum).

As I wandered around, I wondered if it being free had something to do with the slight disorganization. But I didn’t mind at all, as it was a very laid-back experience.

When I visited the museum, it was extremely quiet. The buildings on the grounds are pretty big, but only some space is reserved for the museum’s exhibits. I was the only person (no staff or visitors) in some of the exhibits.

There are photographs, videos, handwritten letters, tools, other artifacts, clothing items like ao dais, and more on display.

The building is somewhat open and airy. There are fans, but I didn’t notice any air conditioning. The museum has bathrooms. 

As mentioned, tickets are free. If you have your own motorbike, parking in the museum’s lot is 5.000 VND. (Ok, so not entirely free.)

Related: 24 Best Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City: A Local’s Guide With Map

3. History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City

Address: Google Maps • Ticket price: 30.000 VND

The History Museum of Ho Chi Minh City is in District 1, next to the Saigon Zoo. There are a couple of coffee shops right when you enter the gates and another one further inside the museum.

I filmed this video from inside the museum’s courtyard.

Like the Southern Women’s Museum, this museum is much more quiet than the War Remnants Museum. It is also convenient to access in District 1 and great if you’re looking for a more laid-back experience.

There is a lot to wander through, split over a couple of floors. I counted about 18 different rooms and exhibits. The museum is in a building that surrounds a courtyard. The grounds and architecture of the buildings are pretty interesting themselves.

Like most museums in Ho Chi Minh City, there is no air conditioning. But surprisingly, it wasn’t too hot, as there were fans around, and it was open and airy.

4. Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Address: Google Maps • Website • Ticket price: 180.000 VND (Adults) / 90.000 VND (Students/Seniors)

This is a very neat little museum located in District 10. It’s not in or near any touristy areas. The museum, also called the Fito Museum after the Vietnamese pharmaceutical company, actually blends into its neighborhood and can easily be overlooked.

I filmed this video while wandering around the museum.

There are 5 floors, 16 rooms, and 3,000 items. A lot of really cool-looking things, like vials, strange devices, artwork, and goopy things in jars.

After purchasing a ticket, visitors are led to a viewing room to watch a 15-minute video on the history of Vietnamese medicine. This room has fans and air conditioning. Many parts of the building, especially floors 4 and 5, are open and airy.

There are bathrooms on the second floor. There is an elevator, too.

The building is very cool – a lot of old, dark wood. There are numerous great photo opportunities inside. When I visited, a Vietnamese couple was having professional wedding photos taken.

A GrabBike or GrabTaxi from the Ho Chi Minh Statue in District 1 shouldn’t cost more than 60.000 VND or 100.000 VND, respectively. I highly recommend using the Grab app for any trip to HCMC or elsewhere in Vietnam.

An adult ticket for the museum is 180.000 VND, and for children, students, or the elderly, it’s 90.000 VND. You can pay with cash or a card. Afterward, I was offered free hot tea.

Related: 15 Best Hidden Gems in Ho Chi Minh City (By an Expat)

5. Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts

Address: Google Maps • Website • Facebook Page • Ticket price: 30.000 VND / Free for over 60 and under 6

The Fine Arts Museum is five minutes from the Ben Thanh Market in District 1. I don’t know how else to say it, but the museum is a really chill place to visit. The grounds were peaceful, and many people were quietly sitting and reading, as well as local students working on projects. 

A ticket grants access to the grounds and three different buildings. If you have your own motorbike, parking is super easy inside the main gate to the right. This does cost an additional 4.000 VND. 

Once inside the grounds, you can freely wander in and out of the three buildings. The first building is definitely the biggest – it has three floors. All three buildings are a bit worn, but not badly; it suits the experience.

In general, there is no air conditioning here, except in a handful of rooms in the first building. A local friend tells me that’s because these chosen few are the “national treasure” rooms.

There are lots of little rooms with paintings and sculptures to check out. Again, it’s a really laid-back experience and definitely worth the 30.000 VND entry. The museum is free for those over 60 years old and children under 6.

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My Favorite Museums in Ho Chi Minh City (FAQs)