The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ho Chi Minh City

17 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Updated December 4, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Ho Chi Minh City

Entrance

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Suoi Tien Cultural Theme Park

Have fun at the world's first Buddhist waterslide park.

Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cu Chi Tunnels

A nightmare for the claustrophobic lies hidden in Southeast Asia.

The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Venerable Thich Quảng Đức Monument

A memorial to the monk who set himself on fire to protest the persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam.

A guillotine from the war

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

War Remnants Museum

Artifacts and memories from the Vietnam war, located in a place that experienced it first hand.

Saigon Central Post Office.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Saigon Central Post Office

This French colonial post office is arguably the grandest in all of Southeast Asia.

Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Nghia An Hoi Quan Pagoda

One of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City, dedicated to a deified Chinese military leader.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

Witnesses claim the Virgin Mary statue outside the church once mysteriously shed a single tear.

See All 17 Things To Do in Ho Chi Minh City

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Ho Chi Minh City

A next-level iced coffee.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hue Cafe Roastery

Order your coffee crowned with salted whipped cream or blended with coconut and ice.

Doling out heaping bowls of bún riêu.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Bún Riêu Gánh

This crab paste noodle soup specialist has been doling out its namesake dish for more than four decades.

A plate of chop-topped “broken rice” makes for a deeply satisfying lunch.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Cơm Tấm Nguyễn Văn Cừ

Vietnam’s everyman “broken rice” dish is given one major upgrade at this humble institution.

See all 5 Places to Eat in Ho Chi Minh City

Explore Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Military 3

Sacred Spaces 3

Religion 2

Colonialism 2

History 2

Restaurants 2

War History 2

Architecture 2

Postal 1

Buddhism 1

Culture 1

Fires 1

Weapons 1

Architectural Oddities 1

Follies And Grottoes 1

Subterranean Sites 1

Presidents 1

Vietnam War 1

Tanks 1

Coffee 1

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Stories About Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi’s street food is phenomenal from early morning to late at night.

Gastro Obscura's 10 Essential Places to Eat in Vietnam

Feast on broken rice, late-night noodles, and whipped egg coffee.

December 4, 2023

Inside King Koi Coffee Garden.

The Vietnamese Cafés Where Koi Fish Are the Stars

These lavish coffeeshops are aquatic wonderlands.