Ho Chi Minh City
Founded as a small fishing village, Ho Chi Minh City is now Vietnam’s largest city. Though still commonly called Saigon, locals are as likely to simplify the name of their hometown to HCMC. No matter what you call it, it is a seamless blend of history and modern youthful energy, where pagodas and French colonial grandeur mingle with bustling old-world marketplaces and modern skyscrapers, all against a constant buzz of motor scooters and trill of bicycle bells. From enduring, narrow alleyways to wide, Parisian-style boulevards, Ho Chi Minh City has an identity all its own.
6.5 hour Iconic Bến Thành Market & Traditional Vietnamese Medicine
Genuine Vietnamese Food and Ancient Herbal Practices
Delight your senses on a tour of Bến Thành Market and discover the roots of ancient Vietnamese herbal medicine.
Visit the FITO Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine and Pharmacy and take a journey through the centuries to learn about the ancient practices once favored by physicians. Next, tantalize your taste buds during a visit to Bến Thành—the place for finding genuine Vietnamese food. Discover a profusion of eye-popping food displays and tempting dishes, including Vietnamese pancakes (banh xeo), spring rolls (goi cuon), steamed rice cakes (banh beo) and noodle soup (pho), and explore its array of handicrafts, lacquerware and embroidery. Then head to Ngon Restaurant, also known as “la maison jaune” due to its bright yellow exterior. Here, enjoy a lunch featuring a range of classic Vietnamese dishes, each exemplifying the succulent simplicity of northern and southern street fare.