Make sure to take your first walking route around Ho Chi Minh City through Ben Thanh Market. Locals rarely come here because the prices are mostly aimed at tourists and are a bit steep.
But at the market, you'll get a taste of the local colorful atmosphere. You don't have to buy anything. Just stroll between the stalls and browse the souvenirs, condiments, exotic fruits and vegetables. You can also attend a frog legs cooking workshop at Ben Thanh. Entrance to the market is free. The opening hours are from 06:00 to 19:00.
Ho Chi Minh City's tourist route can also take you through the waterfront. There are modest shacks of poor fishermen, and a bunch of Vietnamese kids running around, entertaining visitors for a few hundred VND. This is the flip side of the tourist town coin, introducing visitors to the realities of life in Vietnam.
District 1 is the most popular for walking around Ho Chi Minh City. The route passes through Notre Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace, the General Post Office, the Opera House, City Hall, the Rex Hotel and the Botanical Gardens.
At night, all routes in downtown Ho Chi Minh City converge on Pham Ngu Lao Street, the busiest spot in District 1. Here you can eat at penny cafes, visit a massage parlor or just stroll along the street with the crowds of Vietnamese youth.
