With kids · Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Phương Huy, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
With children, Ho Chi Minh City works best in short bursts: the zoo, the walking street in the evening, the Independence Palace's bunker and a river boat trip, broken up with hotel-pool time in the heat. Top picks: Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Independence Palace and Nguyễn Huệ walking street. Families usually base themselves in District 1 (Đồng Khởi).
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
- Rainy-day options
- 0
Best things to do with kids
Zoo · District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
1.Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Founded in 1864, one of the oldest zoos in the world combines shaded botanical gardens, animal enclosures, playgrounds and the Museum of Vietnamese History, which covers prehistory to the Nguyễn dynasty and stages short water puppet shows.
Go early in the morning when animals are more active and the gardens are cool.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- History
Palace · District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
2.Independence Palace
The modernist presidential palace of South Vietnam, completed in 1966, was where a North Vietnamese tank broke through the gates on 30 April 1975, ending the war. Its 1960s reception rooms, rooftop helipad and basement command bunker with maps and radios are preserved much as they were.
Head straight for the basement first, which shows the war-time telecommunications rooms, before the tour groups arrive.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Street · District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
3.Nguyễn Huệ walking street
A broad pedestrian boulevard running from the yellow colonial City Hall, with a Ho Chi Minh statue in front, down to the Saigon River. In the evenings families, skateboarders and street performers fill it, and the old apartment block at number 42 is now stacked with small cafés and shops.
Come after sunset when it is cooler, and take the lift (for a small fee) or stairs up the café apartment block for a view of the boulevard.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- After dark
- Kids
- Photo spot
Park · District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
4.Tao Đàn Park
A large shaded park where locals practise tai chi, badminton and dance from dawn. In the mornings, bird lovers gather at a café on the park's edge with their songbirds in cages hung from the trees.
Arrive around 6–7am to see the park at its liveliest, then have breakfast nearby.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Experience · District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
5.Saigon River by waterbus
Public waterbuses leave from the Bạch Đằng pier at the end of Nguyễn Huệ and run up the Saigon River past Thủ Thiêm, Landmark 81 and Thảo Điền, giving river views of the skyline for a low fare.
Ride in the late afternoon for the skyline at golden hour; check current departure times at the pier.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours return
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury, shopping and families
District 1 (Đồng Khởi)
The streets between Đồng Khởi, Nguyễn Huệ and Lê Lợi form the historic core, with the Opera House, City Hall, the Central Post Office and the cathedral within a few blocks. Most upscale hotels, malls such as Vincom Center and Saigon Centre, and rooftop bars are here, along with Metro Line 1's central stations.
- Good
- Walking distance to the main sights; Wide choice of hotels with pools; Metro and ride-hailing everywhere
- Watch out
- Expensive by Vietnamese standards; Heavy traffic; Phone snatching is most reported here
- Nearby
- Saigon Opera House, Nguyễn Huệ walking street, Central Post Office, Bến Thành Market
Family travel tips
- Choose a District 1 hotel with a pool for afternoon breaks from the heat.
- Hold children's hands firmly when crossing roads, and use a baby carrier rather than a stroller.
- Metro Line 1 ends near Suối Tiên, a Buddhist-themed amusement park popular with local families.
- Use insect repellent to reduce the risk of dengue, especially in the rainy season.
- Ride-hailing cars are easier than motorbikes with young children; car seats are rarely provided.
Day trips for families
- Củ Chi Tunnels (About 1.5–2 hours each way by road) — A network of tunnels used by Việt Cộng fighters, with sections widened for visitors to crawl through, booby-trap displays and reconstructed bunkers.
- Mekong Delta (Mỹ Tho and Bến Tre) (About 2 hours each way by road) — Small boats thread through coconut-palm canals, with stops at coconut-candy workshops, fruit orchards and river islands.
- Vũng Tàu (About 2 hours by hydrofoil or road) — A seaside city on a peninsula with long beaches, seafood restaurants and a large statue of Christ on Small Mountain, reached by several hundred steps, with views along the coast.
- Cần Giờ mangrove forest (About 1.5–2 hours by road and ferry) — A protected mangrove biosphere reserve on the river mouths south of the city, with boat trips through the channels, a reconstructed wartime base and a monkey park.
When to go with children
The best months overall are December–March. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Ho Chi Minh City good for kids?
With children, Ho Chi Minh City works best in short bursts: the zoo, the walking street in the evening, the Independence Palace's bunker and a river boat trip, broken up with hotel-pool time in the heat.
+What can kids do in Ho Chi Minh City?
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Independence Palace, Nguyễn Huệ walking street, Tao Đàn Park and Saigon River by waterbus.
+Where should families stay in Ho Chi Minh City?
District 1 (Đồng Khởi): Colonial landmarks, international hotels, malls and rooftop bars by the river.