Explore Saigon in 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to Top Hotels, Restaurants, Bars & Attractions

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Ho Chi Minh City, widely recognized as Saigon, is currently undergoing significant urban redevelopment. It boasts numerous thrilling eateries, pubs, retail outlets, and entertainment venues that can cater to even the most selective visitors.

Ho Chi Minh City, the most populated metropolis and primary economic powerhouse of Vietnam, is undergoing a remarkable revival in culture. This boom includes an unprecedented number of newly opened restaurants and bars along with a surge in tourist visits. For those inclined towards luxurious experiences, this development has transformed the city into a premier destination for high-end retail therapy and creative expression among young Vietnamese talents. These emerging venues and innovative boutiques present a dynamic outlook for Southeast Asia’s role as a leading region in fashion, art, and design innovation.

Looking for assistance in organizing your trip through the vast expanse of southern Vietnam but unsure how to begin? We can assist you with that.

Linger at JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon

Previously known as the InterContinental Saigon, this renowned and centrally situated hotel in Ho Chi Minh City’s bustling District 1 has been reborn under the new banner of JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon just recently. It now boasts modern amenities including the fashionable Driftwood Pool Bar. Located within easy reach of key attractions such as the Independence Palace and War Remnants Museum, it serves as an ideal starting point for newcomers and seasoned travelers alike. The property also offers premium concierge services along with adjacent residences featuring fully furnished apartments and suites.

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Although amenities such as the Executive Lounge – often a standout feature at numerous Marriott properties – might seem geared primarily toward professional business travelers, this hotel maintains a welcoming atmosphere for families too. Situated on the 19th floor within the Saigon Marriott, the lounge offers an cozy, homelike ambiance where guests can unwind with evening drinks before their next big adventure exploring the city’s attractions.

At the same time, the premium penthouse suite amply earns its title; spacious enough to easily accommodate a family of three—or even four or more—with expansive vistas of the adjacent neighborhood and cityscape. The facilities boast a contemporary and chic design yet maintain an unmistakable classic allure.

The meal service at this hotel really stands out, making it an exceptional place to visit. Don’t miss trying the banh mi — a must-try dish in Saigon. If you prefer Western-style baked goods, their afternoon teas are unparalleled, featuring exquisite mini-cakes and canapés so visually appealing they seem almost too beautiful to consume. During Lunar New Year, I enjoyed a chocolate ‘red envelope’ as part of the special afternoon tea menu, followed by some festive macarons from the in-house buffet restaurant called Market 39. The abundance of choices for even minor treats offers a glimpse into the opulence that defines this Marriott stay. It’s these small details, much like what founder J. Willard Marriott believed, that create something extraordinary.

Grab some literary works from Book Street.

Literature-themed travel has not yet reached the popularity of art or food tours, but Ho Chi Minh City’s cozy Book Street offers compelling reasons to organize your next trip around exploring literary landmarks. Located close to popular sites like the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon and the bustling Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, this picturesque street teems with pedestrian activity thanks to its open-air cafes and local bookshops brimming with both Vietnamese publications and global bestsellers alongside lesser-known treasures—a peaceful haven amidst an otherwise lively neighborhood.

Shop at Rue Miche

Thanks to significant support from prominent K-pop artists, Vietnamese fashion designers have recently gained prominence. They draw inspiration from Generation Z trends—ranging from flirtatious aesthetics to cutting-edge streetwear. The retail boutique Rue Miche showcases an exceptional selection of these brands along with a variety of art and cultural events each month. Additionally, they feature a stylish juice bar named Rotten, offering refreshing drinks like cool coconut or pomelo beverages—a perfect treat for the warm and muggy weather here.

Occupying two levels, some of our favorite labels at Rue Miche feature Subtle Le Nguyen, which has been sported by numerous celebrities.
Kylie Jenner
; The Moon, popularized by
Lisa from Blackpink
; often worn by Vietnam’s It girls, as attributed to Beuter.

Dine at Cuc Gach Quan

Cuoc Gach Quan appears like a potential hidden treasure — marked by its inconspicuous location, lack of a public Instagram presence, and minimal English content on its Facebook page — but it fails to meet those expectations. Despite being featured in the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide, this local restaurant, which draws inspiration from traditional Vietnamese rural fare, remains an integral part of Ho Chi Minh City’s growing culinary landscape. Over the years, it has offered a broad array of dishes showcasing the rich diversity within Vietnam’s gastronomy.

Here you won’t encounter ordinary servings of pho; instead, you’ll be treated to robust communal meals meant for sharing, like slow-cooked spare ribs and pot-stewed fish, both satisfyingly tasty when enjoyed with others rather than alone. The ambiance also merits extra credit, crafted to make visitors feel right at home upon entry, enveloped in verdant surroundings, vintage treasures, vibrant paper lanterns, and even an exquisite koi pond greeting them at the door.

End your evening with Summer Experiment.

Nestled on the second floor of an inconspicuous structure near the bustling Ben Thanh Market, visitors entering Summer Experiment for the first time may experience unexpected delight. Upon entry, one encounters a flourishing garden followed by retro-inspired decor within an industrial setting—a combination that shapes the venue’s personality with relaxed yet sophisticated ambiance, offering top-notch beverages and customer care.

This does not imply that the cocktails lack intrigue; they showcase innovative uses of homegrown flavors and locally sourced ingredients, reflecting the lush diversity of Vietnam’s plant and animal life.

Stroll along the shores of Vung Tau

If the bustling resort city of Da Nang feels overly crowded nowadays, perhaps head south to Vung Tau—a destination only a couple of hours’ drive from central Ho Chi Minh City—for your beach getaway. Although less developed than its northern counterpart, Vung Tau offers an unpolished allure and distinctive charm that makes it ideal for travelers looking for a genuinely Vietnamese vacation.

In contrast to Da Nang, home to numerous large-scale luxurious resorts along the coast, and neighboring Hoi An, whose charm has been somewhat diminished by excessive tourism, you won’t encounter many typical tourist attractions here. This small town continues to be favored primarily by Vietnamese locals rather than visitors from abroad.

To immerse yourself in the nation’s renowned street culture, stroll alongside the less frequented shorelines where locals often meet up with friends and relatives outdoors for meals and perhaps some drinks. These expansive sandy stretches are bordered by two picturesque slopes known as Big Hill and Little Hill, adorned with a Vietnamese replica of Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Cristo Redentor statue.

Drift alongside the Mekong River Delta

Visiting Vietnam isn’t considered comprehensive without taking a boat tour since the nation’s vast river system has significantly influenced its historical development throughout the ages. Among these waterways, the Mekong stands out due to its remarkable length—it stretches across much of Asia, flowing from southwest China into Southeast Asia via Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and ultimately ending up in southern Vietnam.

In this setting, you will observe tour guides alongside local Vietnamese people traversing the renowned Mekong River Delta using both motorized speedboats and traditional rowing boats. They navigate through narrow channels beneath lush fruit tree canopies and near bustling floating markets. Despite howtouristythe experience might feel, witnessing firsthand the actual landscape of this area—with its extensive rice fields and strong agricultural focus—remains uniquely captivating. Of course, this assumes you’re content merely observing rather than personally taking up the oars.

Gloria Tso remained as a visitor at the JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon.

Explore Saigon in 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to Top Hotels, Restaurants, Bars & Attractions

Linger at JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon