The Saigon Central Post Office is in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, in a very convenient area of District 1. It is next door to Ho Chi Minh City Book Street and in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon.
The post office was built by the French between 1886 and 1891 and is free to visit. It is still a functioning post office, and many travelers buy postcards inside and mail them home. It’s also a good place to buy souvenirs because items are fairly priced, and there’s no negotiating or haggling.
There are several other French-colonial-era buildings around HCMC, including the Saigon Opera House, Ho Chi Minh City Hall, the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, the Tan Dinh Church, and one of the city’s oldest hotels, the Hotel Continental Saigon (see on Agoda / Booking).
If you have any questions about visiting HCMC’s attractions, ask me and other travelers in my Ho Chi Minh City travel planning group.
About the Saigon Central Post Office
- Hours: 7:30 AM to 6 PM (M to Sa), 8 AM to 5 PM (Su)
- Location: Google Maps
- Cost to visit: FREE
- Still a functioning post office
- Good place to buy souvenirs
- No pushy salespeople
- Conveniently located
- French-colonial architecture
Saigon Central Post Office Location
The Saigon Central Post Office is conveniently located in District 1. If you’re going to visit Ho Chi Minh City Book Street or the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon, you’ll be right next to it. And since it’s free to visit (so is Book Street), it’s 100% worth checking out.
The nearby cathedral has been undergoing repairs since 2017 and isn’t expected to finish until 2027. It’s had scaffolding since I first came to Ho Chi Minh City in 2018.
If you’re staying in most areas of District 1 or District 3, you’ll be able to walk here. I’ve covered the best areas to stay in HCMC here. The entire center city area around the post office, cathedral, and Book Street is very walkable. If you’re a bit further out, you can hire a Grab taxi and have it drop you off right at the post office. Learn about getting around HCMC here.
The JW Marriott Saigon (Agoda / Booking) is a nice hotel around the corner. The Au Lac Legend (Agoda / Booking) is a good four-star hotel in nearby District 3. Here’s my article covering more great hotels in HCMC.
Visiting the Saigon Central Post Office
Since checking out the post office is free, it’s definitely worth visiting when you’re in HCMC. It is still a functioning post office after more than 130 years in operation. Read about more things to do in HCMC here.
Other than being a post office, it’s also somewhat of a museum because of all the old items inside. Plus, it’s a great place to buy souvenirs. Like the outside, the building’s French-colonial interior is pretty amazing.
There are 14 old phone booths on both sides of the post office by the front entrance. Above each phone booth are maps that were painted just after the post office opened in 1891.
A popular thing for visitors to do is to buy a postcard inside and mail it home to family or friends. The postcards are around 20.000 to 40.000 VND each, give or take. There is a lot to choose from.
The post office is also a great place to buy souvenirs in Ho Chi Minh City. The vendors inside aren’t pushy. The items are fairly priced, and there’s no haggling. There are handmade items, hats, statues, postcards, bookmarks, coin purses, small drawings, and much more.
Buying souvenirs here is a much better experience than buying them in Ben Thanh Market or similar places. The markets (like Ben Thanh and Saigon Square) are overpriced, and you’ll have to haggle with the vendor for a fair price. Personally, I prefer to come to the post office instead.
You can also buy tour tickets inside, whether for the city, the Cu Chi Tunnels, or the Mekong Delta. There is also the hop-on, hop-off bus tour (website here). I also recommend checking Viator, GetYourGuide, and Klook to compare tour prices.
