RTW Trip Day #24: Ho Chi Minh City and Dinner at Ben Nghe Street Food Market

andrewsco3
2 hours ago
4 min read

22 October 2025

Steps: 15,644

Today was our first day exploring Ho Chi Minh City. Since we only have two full days here and are driving out of the city to the Cu Chi Tunnels tomorrow, we wanted to make the most of it.

War Remnants Museum

We started with the War Remnants Museum, as we wanted the girls to learn more about the Vietnam War as part of their homeschooling program. It was a really interesting visit, but some parts were quite confronting.

I went into each room first to check if the exhibits were suitable for the kids, as a few had some very graphic photos, especially those showing the effects of Agent Orange on children.

The girls’ favourite part was the Food During Wartime exhibit, which had several interactive displays they could get involved with. They also loved exploring the planes and tanks in the museum grounds.

Independence Palace

It was just a short five-minute walk from the War Remnants Museum to the Independence Palace, and I have to say it wasn’t what I expected at all. Maybe it’s from growing up in the UK, but I had imagined something a bit more grand, but instead it looked more like a Marriott hotel built in the 70s!

We decided to take the electric car tour, which only cost a few dollars, and it was actually quite interesting. It explained how the original palace was bombed and destroyed, and how this new building was designed to replace it.

Inside, it was a little more impressive, but overall I’d say it was fairly underwhelming - still, worth a quick visit if you’re nearby.

Post Office Building in Ho Chi Minh City

It’s not often that a post office makes it onto a must-visit list in a city, but this one is a beautiful building, completed in 1891. While it’s still an active post office, it’s also a great place to browse for souvenirs and postcards.

The girls picked up a couple of fans and Susie found a postcard for a friend. There are plenty of spots to sit down and write them right there, and you can buy stamps and post them right there and then.

For lunch, we went to My Banh Mi, just around the corner from the post office. It was definitely aimed at tourists and the prices reflected that, but the food was incredible.

We ordered a beef and a chicken banh mi with a few dipping sauces on the side.

The girls loved the chicken, but the beef was mine and Susie’s favourite. The creamy black pepper sauce, which was delicious.

Book Street (Nguyen Van Binh)

Next up was a visit to Book Street, and even if you aren’t a bookworm, it’s definitely worth visiting. The whole street is lined with bookshops, but there were also lots of shops selling arts and crafts, postcards, bookmarks, and notebooks. There are a few cafes too, if you want to grab a coffee and people-watch.

There was this great second-hand bookshop and we found a book that we just had to get for Evelyn. Since she loves animals, it felt like the perfect find!

If you’ve read our blogs about Japan, you’ll know how much the kids loved collecting stamps in their books. Well, Book Street has at least three or four shops offering free stamps, so be sure to bring a book if you visit. If you don’t have your own book, you can buy small booklet to fill with stamps, which is what Jess ended up doing.

Nguyen Hue Walking Street and the Cafe Apartments

The final thing on our list was to check out the famous Nguyen Hue Walking Street. This wide pedestrian street has the Ho Chi Minh City Hall at the top, with a statue of Ho Chi Minh standing proudly in front of it.

It’s also where you’ll find the well-known Cafe Apartments, a former apartment block that’s now filled with cafes stacked one on top of another.

We went inside, but there was a long line for the lift (and there was a few), so we decided to skip it and grab some ice cream from a nearby street vendor instead.

Infinity Pool at the Vinpearl Landmark 81, Autograph Collection Hotel

In the afternoon we had a bit of pool time, and I can honestly say I’ve never swum in a pool on the 48th floor of a building before!

The views were incredible! From the pool we could see across most of the city, including looking down at the Saigon Skydeck, which is one of the most expensive things to do in the city!

Ben Nghe Street Food Market

For dinner, we visited the Ben Nghe Street Food Market, but not before a quick stop at the Ben Thanh Market, which we mistakenly went to first. That one turned out to be more of a bits and pieces market, not really a place for food, so we made our way over to the food market instead.

It was absolutely fantastic. The best part was the huge variety of food options, from local Vietnamese dishes to Indian, sushi, and more.

It meant that we could all choose something different, which has been a bit tricky in Asia where many restaurants tend to focus on just one dish, like pho or banh mi.

I ordered bún thịt nướng, which is grilled pork and spring rolls on rice noodles, Evelyn got a sausage banh mi (basically a hot dog), and Jess chose a curry. It was the perfect way to end the day!