Explore Saigon in 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to Top Hotels, Restaurants, Bars, and More

Ho Chi Minh City, widely recognized as Saigon, is currently undergoing significant urban redevelopment. It boasts numerous captivating eateries, drinking spots, retail outlets, and entertainment options that can cater to even the most selective tourists.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s most populous city and largest financial centre, is experiencing a cultural resurgence of sorts, with a slew of restaurant and bar openings and a greater influx of tourism than ever before. More importantly for our luxury-driven readers, it’s also become a shopping haven and hub for young Vietnamese creatives, with exciting new spaces and concept stores offering a vibrant vision for Southeast Asia’s future as a centre for fashion, arts and design.

Need help planning an itinerary to the sprawling heart of southern Vietnam but have no clue where to start? We’ve got you covered.

Stay 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 new management as the JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon just recently. The property now boasts modernized amenities including the stylish Driftwood Pool Bar. Located near key attractions such as Independence Palace and the War Remnants Museum, it serves as an ideal starting point for newcomers to the city and offers high-quality concierge services along with adjacent residences featuring fully equipped apartments and suites.

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Although amenities such as the Executive Lounge access — often a key feature at numerous Marriott properties — might seem geared primarily toward corporate travelers, this hotel maintains a strong appeal for families too. Situated on the 19th floor of the Saigon Marriott, the lounge offers an inviting, cozy atmosphere where guests can unwind with evening drinks before their next big adventure exploring the city’s sights.

In the meantime, the premium suite on the top floor lives up to its distinguished name, offering ample space for a family of three—or even four or more—with expansive vistas of the adjacent neighborhood and cityscape. The facilities boast a contemporary and stylish design yet preserve an element of classic appeal.

The true highlight at this hotel lies in its dining services, and you would miss out significantly by not trying the local delicacy—banh mi—which is quintessential in Saigon. Should traditional European sweets appeal more to your palate, then look no further than their exceptional afternoon teas; they feature an array of exquisite miniatures like delicate cakes and savory bites so visually stunning that eating them feels almost sacrilegious. During the Lunar New Year festivities, I relished a chocolate ‘red envelope’ treat from the specially curated afternoon tea selection and also sampled some seasonal macarons at Market 39, one of the property’s on-site eateries. The abundance of choices available for even minor nibbles offers a glimpse into the opulence that defines this particular Marriott stay as genuinely remarkable. Just as founder J. Willard Marriott often emphasized, small details contribute immensely towards making larger experiences memorable.

Pick up some literature from Book Street

While bookstore tourism has not yet reached the popularity of art or culinary tours, Ho Chi Minh City’s cozy Book Street strongly encourages travelers to consider visiting literary landmarks during their vacations. Located close to major attractions like the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon and the historic Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, this picturesque street teems with people due to its blend of outdoor cafes and independent bookshops. These stores offer an array of Vietnamese publications alongside popular global works and elusive treasures—providing a serene escape amid the bustling surroundings.

Shop at Rue Miche

Thanks to some high-profile help from K-pop in particular, local Vietnamese fashion designers have been having a moment of late. Their trendy looks borrow from styles popular with Gen Z – from the coquette aesthetic to futuristic streetwear. Retail boutique Rue Miche brings together the very best of these brands and so much more, with a stellar line-up of arts and culture programming every month as well as a storefront juice bar called Rotten: who doesn’t love a cool and fresh coconut or pomelo drink in these hot and humid climes?

Spanning two floors, some of our favourite brands at Rue Miche include Subtle Le Nguyen, worn by the likes of
Kylie Jenner
; The Moon, made famous by
Lisa from Blackpink
; often worn by Vietnam’s It girls, as was common for Beuter.

Dine at Cuc Gach Quan

Cuoco Cuc Gach Quan seems like an undiscovered treasure at first glance – tucked away with minimal online presence and limited English content on its Facebook page – but it fails to live up to this expectation. Despite being featured in the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide, this local restaurant offers traditional Vietnamese rural fare as part of Ho Chi Minh City’s growing culinary landscape. It stands out not only due to its extensive menu but also because it showcases the rich diversity found within Vietnam’s gastronomy.

Here you won’t encounter ordinary bowls of pho; instead, you’ll be treated to robust communal dishes meant for sharing, like slow-cooked pork ribs and pot-stewed fish. These meals are not just delectable but also more satisfying when enjoyed with others. Additionally, the ambiance merits extra praise, crafted to make visitors feel right at home upon entry. They’re greeted by verdant surroundings, vintage treasures, vibrant paper lanterns, and an exquisite koi pond gracing the front area.

End your evening with Summer Experiment.

Nestled on the second floor of an inconspicuous structure near the well-known Ben Thanh Market, visitors entering Summer Experiment for the first time may experience surprise at their discovery. Upon entry, one encounters a flourishing garden followed by retro-styled furniture within an industrial setting—elements that collectively shape the establishment’s distinct personality, characterized by relaxed ambiance yet delivering top-notch beverages and customer care.

This does not imply that the cocktails lack intrigue, as they involve experimentation with homegrown flavors and locally sourced ingredients, reflecting the richness and vibrancy akin to Vietnam’s varied ecosystem of plants and animals.

Stroll along the shores of Vung Tau

If bustling beach city Da Nang feels overcrowded nowadays, try heading south to Vung Tau—a mere two-hour journey from central Ho Chi Minh City—for a refreshing coastal getaway. Though less polished than its northern counterpart, Vung Tau offers an unrefined allure and distinctive appeal that caters well to travelers looking for a genuinely local Vietnamese vacation.

In contrast to Da Nang, where large-scale luxurious resorts monopolize the shoreline properties, and neighboring Hoi An, whose charm has been somewhat diminished by excessive tourism, you won’t encounter many typical tourist pitfalls in this small town. Instead, it continues to be favored predominantly by Vietnamese locals.

To immerse yourself in the renowned street life of this nation, stroll alongside the less frequented shoreline, where locals come together with their loved ones to enjoy meals and perhaps some drinks. This expansive beach area is bordered by two picturesque hills known as Big Mountain and Little Mountain, featuring Vietnam’s interpretation of Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Cristo Redentor statue.

Float along the Mekong River Delta

A trip to Vietnam wouldn’t be complete without a boat tour, the country’s extensive network of rivers having played such an important role in shaping its history over the years. The Mekong is particularly impressive as one of the longest rivers in Asia, running all the way from southwestern China down to Southeast Asia, through Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and, finally, southern Vietnam.

Here, you’ll see tour guides and local Vietnamese navigating the namesake Mekong River Delta in speedboats and rowing boats, along the smaller canals, under the shade of fruit trees and floating markets. However touristy it may all seem, there’s nothing quite as fascinating as seeing the reality of this region, dotted with rice paddies and still heavily driven by agriculture, with your own eyes. Assuming, of course, you’re not attempting to row the boat yourself.

Gloria Tso stayed as a guest of JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon.