It will be pretty helpful to know answers to top questions from experienced travelers before you commence a Vietnam tour or Vietnam holiday in which the first destination is Ho Chi Minh City.
Top questions about Ho Chi Minh city
How do I get from the airport to Ho Chi Minh city center?
Never get worried about how to travel to the Ho Chi Minh city center from the airport since there is more than one way in this case: bus, taxi, airport shuttle bus, and private chauffeured services.
- The first means of transport is by bus; it is very easy and cheap to get on the bus as there is one bus station next to the bike parking area in the Tan Son Nhat international airport. The bus will take you to the backpacker area (Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien streets), and the ticket is just under USD 0.5 free for bags.
- Taxicab service: remember more than one taxi company operates in Ho Chi Minh City, so make sure you must do some research in advance to know which ones are reputable recently. It is known that Mai Linh and Vinasun are two best choices for most travelers. It just costs about USD8-9 to take you to the city center.
- Airport shuttle buses: this is a new type of bus system in the city; it specializes in transferring passengers from the airport to the city center without any stop en route. The ticket is USD2 for per passenger.
- Private chauffeured services: if spending time seeking for private transport services, you can come across some companies which you can get a chauffeured car from. It is actually comfortable but pricey for sure.
When is the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh city?
The climate of Ho Chi Minh City is split into two seasons: wet and dry. Often, foreign travelers are advisable to avoid the wet season as streets are always dirty and sticky during the period. Therefore, dry is the best time to experience Vietnam day trips in this city. The dry season lasts from the beginning of December to the end of April. With the moderate humidity, the average temperature of 82 °F, and blue sky, it is ideal to travel around.
ATMs, Dong or USD in Ho Chi Minh city?
Under Vietnamese law, it is illegal to use foreign currencies in normal transactions, so it is strongly advised that you should have your money exchanged at home before traveling to Vietnam or make sure that you have Dong at the exchange booths in Ho Chi Minh City. For some places allowed to accept US dollars in their transactions, such as restaurants, hotels, travel agents, and others, perhaps exchange rates are probably overprice. Be mindful that! As for ATMs, dozens of international banks in Ho Chi Minh City enable foreign tourists to obtain cash by Visa or Master Card from Maestro, Cirrus, JCB, and Plus network. Remember that ATMs in Vietnam just dispense Vietnamese Dong and you will be charged a certain fee.
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Any good places in HCMC to buy gifts?
- The House of Saigon (address: 16-18-20 Thu Khoa Huan Street, District 1): there is a wide range of impressive souvenirs here, such as handmade accessories, clothes and items made from recyclable materials. Especially, what is sought the most is the footwear with “dragon” soles from a group of young designers, namely Fashion4Freedom.
- Gingko Concept Store (address: 254 De Tham Street, District 1): the shop specializes in gifts and souvenirs, but the most outstanding one is handcrafted items made from environment-friendly materials such as recycled rice bags and linen. Besides, notebooks whose covers are fabric and papers are sewn together without glue will impress you so much.
- Authentique Home (address: 113 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1 and 71/1 Mac Thi Buoi Street, District 1): fabric home décor, ceramics, dinnerware, and wooden furniture.
- Sadec District (address: 3A Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1 and 91 Mac Thi Buoi Street, District 1): furniture, ceramics, clothing items, and other handicrafts.
Travelling during Tet holiday, do many places close? Is travel difficult?
During the Tet holiday, most stores, hotels, restaurants, and bars at the heart of downtown like District 1 and Saigon backpackers’ enclave still open and offer services as usual. However, the ambience seems more peaceful in areas far away from the city center. Anyway, it is not difficult to travel in these days as travel companies still operate Vietnam tours and holiday or Vietnam day trips to key destinations.
Any reputable places in HCMC to buy electronics?
It is not hard to find good electronic shops in Ho Chi Minh City. Some suggestions include:
Nguyen Kim (address: 216 Phan Dang Luu Street, Phu Nhuan District; Tel: +84 8 6252 3399).
FPT Shop: there are three stores
+ 213 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 3; Tel: +84 8 3932 0014
+ 149 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 3; Tel: +84 8 3929 3985
+ 261-263 Khanh Hoi Street, District 4; Tel: +84 8 7302 6666
The gioi di dong (address: 130 Tran Quang Khai, District 1; Tel: +84 8 3812 5960).
Vien Thong A
+ 74 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 3; Tel: +84 8 3930 5869
+ 473 Huynh Tan Phat Street, District 7; Tel: +84 8 6262 0672
+ 139 Tran Nao Street, District 2; Tel: +84 8 3740 6997
+ 326-330 Ba Thang Hai Street, District 10; Tel: +84 8 3862 2996
+ 415A Hoang Van Thu Street, Tan Binh District; Tel: +84 8 3811 2766
+ 172 Phan Dang Luu Street, Phu Nhuan District; Tel: +84 8 3990 2440
Phong Vu Computer
+ 125 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 1; Tel: +84 8 6290 8777
+ 264A-264B-264C Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3; Tel: +84 8 3933 0766
Should I use UBER in Ho Chi Minh city?
Using Uber in Ho Chi Minh City for your Vietnam tours and holiday is indeed cheap for your traveling from one place to another. Not only that, there is one app to control the service, so you must not get worried about the so-called Uber car; most of the cars are also innovative and clean to take.
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