Saigon Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon Opera House, Cathedral and Central Post Office

The heart of the colonial centre is a cluster of grand buildings within a few minutes of each other. The Saigon Opera House, built by the French in 1900, faces Lam Son Square with its arched entrance and carved façade. A short ride away stands Saigon Cathedral, built in red brick between 1877 and 1880 with two square bell towers, and beside it the Central Post Office, completed in the 1890s with a vaulted iron-framed hall, old wall maps and wooden phone booths.

Hop off here to visit the post office, which is free to enter and still works as a post office, and to photograph the cathedral from the small square in front. Allow about an hour for the area. The audio guide on the bus explains how the French rebuilt Saigon in the late 19th century, which helps you understand the architecture you see along both routes.

The Independence Palace

The Independence Palace, also called the Reunification Palace, is one of the most important historic sites in Vietnam. The present building, a striking example of 1960s modern architecture with a façade of concrete screens, was completed in 1966 on the site of the former French governor's palace. On 30 April 1975 a tank broke through its gates, an event that marked the end of the war and the reunification of the country.

Inside, you walk through reception halls, banquet rooms and state offices that have barely changed since the 1970s, and descend into the basement with its command room, radio equipment and tunnels. Allow one to one and a half hours. Independence Palace tickets are not included in the bus ticket and are bought at the gate; opening hours can change on holidays, so we recommend going in the morning.

The War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum is the most visited museum in Ho Chi Minh City. In the courtyard stand aircraft, helicopters, tanks and artillery left from the war, and inside, several floors of photographs and documents show the conflict and its long effects on Vietnamese families, including the consequences of chemical spraying. The exhibits are powerful and some images are hard to see, so parents may prefer to guide younger children.

Plan around one and a half to two hours to see the museum properly. It is open every day, usually from early morning to late afternoon, and entry is paid separately at the ticket office. With a hop-on hop-off ticket, it is easy to combine the museum with the Independence Palace, which is only a few streets away, in the same morning.

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market, opened in 1914, is the best-known market in Saigon and a symbol of the city, with its clock tower above the south gate. Inside, hundreds of stalls sell Vietnamese coffee, dried fruit, spices, lacquerware, silk, clothes and souvenirs, while the food section serves noodle soup, broken rice and fresh tropical fruit. Bargaining is normal for souvenirs, so start lower than the first price and smile.

The market is busiest in the late morning; in the evening the streets around it fill with snack stalls. Allow an hour to wander. Hopping off here is also convenient for lunch, and the bus brings you back to the colonial centre or on to the riverside afterwards, so you do not need to deal with taxis in the midday heat.

The Saigon riverside

The routes also run along the Saigon River, where riverside parks, ferry piers and the river bus terminal line the bank. From the top deck you see the old port buildings of Nha Rong Wharf with dragons on its roof, the modern towers of District 1 and the new skyline of Thu Thiem on the opposite bank, linked by bridges lit at night.

The riverside is a pleasant place to hop off late in the afternoon, when the heat eases and locals come out to walk and exercise. From the river bus pier you can take a short boat ride along the river on another day. Using the second day of your ticket to revisit favourite areas or to ride the full loops for the views is one of the easiest things to do in Saigon.