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Asia Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Do & See The Independence Palace

Overview

The Independence Palace

The guide was updated: 2024-05-21

Located just a 6-minute walk from the Notre Dame Basilica, the Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, is another not-to-be-missed destination in Vietnam’s second city. The Independence Palace was first designed by a French architect and originally given the name Norodom Palace; it once served as living and working quarters to French and Japanese colonist-generations.

Useful Information

Address: 106 Nguyen Du, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Sun - Sat 7:30 AM - 11:00 AM 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Website: www.dinhdoclap.gov.vn/index-en.html

Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase

Central Post Office

Central Post Office

The historic Saigon Central Post Office, which has long been one of the city's symbols, continues to offer postal services such as mailing and money exchange to-date. One interesting fact about the Post Office is that it was designed and constructed by the renowned French architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who is best known for the eponymous Eiffel Tower. Eiffel derived artistic inspiration from Western neoclassical architecture and Asian decor styles before harmoniously fusing them during the construction of the Central Post Office.

The Independence Palace

The Independence Palace

Located just a 6-minute walk from the Notre Dame Basilica, the Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, is another not-to-be-missed destination in Vietnam’s second city. The Independence Palace was first designed by a French architect and originally given the name Norodom Palace; it once served as living and working quarters to French and Japanese colonist-generations.

The Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument

The Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument

In times of conflict between the Vietnamese government and the country's Buddhist population, Thich Quang Duc calmly sat down in lotus position in the midst of Buddhist protesters and lit himself on fire as a sing of protest. In memory of his sacrifice, a monument was inaugurated in 2010, showing him surrounded by flames.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral is a harmonious combination of Roman architecture and late medieval Gothic features. The most unique features of the Church – the two 60-meter high bronze bell towers – were added years following original construction in to magnify the Church’s beauty. Until now, the Church still remains in a near-undisturbed original state due to the special bricks used in its construction: they were originally created in France and shipped directly to Vietnam.

Cho Lon (Chinatown)

Cho Lon (Chinatown)

Cho Lon, also well-known as Chinatown, is an area of Ho Chi Minh where many Chinese immigrants reside and earn their living. Within Cho Lon, the biggest and most crowded trade hub is Tan Binh Market, where you can find a wide range of clothing and knick-knacks at very low prices (although be warned the assortment is mostly made up of obscure dried edibles and Chinese ritual paraphernalia). An interesting time to visit Cho Lon is when locals celebrate the Chinese New Year Festival. During Tet, all shops and eateries are lavishly decorated with multi-coloured lanterns, and streets seem to become deluged with the lucky colour red.

Emperor Jade Pagoda

Emperor Jade Pagoda

Many beautiful pagodas (temples) are located in Ho Chi Minh City while the Emperor Jade Pagoda is considered to be the finest and most lavishly decorated temple. To understand more about the meaning of the carvings and statues and the purpose of different rooms, it is recommended to visit with a local guide.

War Remnants Museum

War Remnants Museum

The War Remnants Museum contains exhibits reflecting the restless effort and deep devotion of people who endured the hardship of war, more specifically the Vietnam War and the First Indochina War. More than 20,000 valuable war documents, artefacts and films are exhibited here, but the biggest draw must be the outdoor exhibition of military equipment: the M48 Patton tank, aircraft, and original attack bombers.

Cu Chi Tunnels

Cu Chi Tunnels

The tunnels of Cu Chi hide an entire world including classrooms, kitchens and medical facilities underground. Today you can see the tunnels from above and even try to go down one, so as to better understand the hardships that Vietnamese soldiers had been through during wartime. One is left utterly amazed by the determination and endurance of those who dug through solid soil, gravel and sand to construct this 200-kilometer (125 miles) long underground network.

Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta

The Mekong River flows from the Tibetan Plateau and ends in the area close to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. The delta, dubbed a 'biological treasure trove', is also home to over 17 million people who live their daily lives on the river. Several different tour operators offer day and overnight trips to the Mekong Delta. On these tours, you will get to see both the magical nature and the floating market.

Núi Bà Đen (Black Virgin Mountain)

Núi Bà Đen (Black Virgin Mountain)

With 1000 metres in height, this mountain is not a giant, however the flat surroundings of the now extinct volcano make it seem like one. Located 2 1/2 hours north from Ho Chi Minh City, you can ride cable car up to the peak of the mountain or go for a hike with amazing views and beautiful temples, shrines and pagodas.

Nui Dinh Mountain and Waterfalls

Nui Dinh Mountain and Waterfalls

A 2 1/2 - 3 hour motorbike or scooter drive from Ho Chi Minh City, the Nui Dinh Mountain rises around 500 meters into the sky, remotely off the beaten tourist paths in Vietnam. Hike up the mountain and along the nearby Suoi Tien River and you will discover several waterfalls and opportunities for refreshing dips as well as a fairly untouched nature.

Cao Dai Temple

Cao Dai Temple

Also known as Holy See, Cao Dai Temple is the center of Cao Dai faith, an indigenous Vietnamese religion that incorporates the teachings of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism as well as part of Islam and Christianity. The balcony on the 2nd floor is the best vantage point from which the religious ceremony can be viewed.

Vinh Nghiem Temple

Vinh Nghiem Temple

This is a seven layer temple and southern Vietnam’s most majestic one. It was the first pagoda in Vietnam that was built in Vietnamese traditional architectural style but with concrete. Here you will find a large standing monument of Buddha and a beautifully decorated pagoda, which awaits you upstairs.

Scooter Tour

Scooter Tour

There are multiple local companies offering scooter tours of the Vietnam capital. These tours range greatly in thematic focus (street food to historic landmarks) and duration, and depend on the individual provider, but details can often be agreed upon on an individual basis. On these tours, an individual driver is normally assigned to each visitor, who then hops on the back of the scooter as a passenger. Helmets should normally be provided. One motorbike tour of Ho Chi Minh personally tested out by the editor is Non-profit Student Tour, an incredible initiative that works surprisingly well. The coordinator links up tourists with available local student volunteers, allowing the students to practice their English and bringing overseas visitors into contact with locals. Each traveller is assigned an individual driver (this even works with larger groups). Drop them a WhatsApp message to arrange the date and time.

Museum of Fine Arts

Museum of Fine Arts

Housed in a restored building, the Museum of Fine Arts offers a beautiful selection of Vietnamese and international artwork and ancient artifacts alongside contemporary works. You will be amazed by the number of pottery, sculpture and weapons exhibitions and how detailed the information is.

Museum of Vietnamese History (bao Tang Lich Su)

Museum of Vietnamese History (bao Tang Lich Su)

The Museum of Vietnamese History first opened its doors in 1929. The Museum houses an unique collection of interesting artefacts of Vietnam's history, from ancient times to modern day. A statue of the Buddha with 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms is also part of their collection.

Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck

Bitexco Financial Tower Skydeck

From the 49th level in Bitexco Financial Tower you can enjoy the panoramic view over the city and its surroundings. The design of the tallest building in the city is inspired by a Lotus bud, which makes it stand out against the city skyline.

Dam Sen Water Park

Dam Sen Water Park

To cool you off from the hot and bustling city, Dam Sen Water Park offers several swimming pools, water slides and rides that will keep you occupied and excited for a whole day. It is a very family-friendly destination, where you can try different levels of water slides, from easy to challenging ones.

Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Though it is quite small, the modern exhibition rooms of this compact museum contain a range of interesting exhibits dating back to different periods in the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine. You can easily understand everything with the help of an English-speaking guide.

Giac Lam Pagoda

Giac Lam Pagoda

Built in 1744, Giac Lam Pagoda is one of the oldest and most popular Buddhist pagodas, a place of pilgrimage during the Tet Holiday. It was officially accredited as a national cultural and historic site by the Vietnamese Department of Culture and Information. In addition, there are a lot of precious statutes of Buddha and Bodhisattvas made of both wood and bronze in the pagoda.

Saigon Outcast

Saigon Outcast

Saigon Outcast is a vibrant venue particularly favored by the younger crowd, where all manner of events, festivals and movie screenings (every Thursday) are held throughout the year – the "Wednesday free food" event enjoys an understandable popularity. There's even a climbing wall on-site, plus a miniature skate park. Check their website for event schedules and flea markets.

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