I've been to HCMC three times. Each trip taught me something that no guidebook mentioned. Here's the practical, unfiltered version of what you need to know.
The Essentials
1. Download Grab before you land. It's Southeast Asia's Uber and it's your lifeline. Airport to District 1: 120,000-160,000 VND ($5-6.50) via Grab vs 200,000-300,000 VND in a taxi. GrabBike (motorbike taxi) is even cheaper for solo travelers and way faster in traffic.
2. The bag snatching warning is not overblown. Motorbike-mounted phone and bag snatchers are a real and common problem — locals deal with it too. Carry your bag on the building side of the sidewalk, never the road side. Don't use your phone while walking near the curb. Use a crossbody bag. I watched it happen to someone on my second trip. It was over in two seconds.
3. Crossing the street is easier than it looks. Step off the curb. Walk at a steady, predictable pace. Do NOT stop, run, or make sudden movements. The motorbikes will flow around you. Start at intersections with traffic lights until you build confidence. By Day 3, you'll be crossing six-lane roads without thinking about it.
4. Bring or buy an eSIM. Vietnamese SIM cards are cheap (100,000-200,000 VND for 30 days of data) and available at the airport. You need data for Grab, Google Maps, and Google Translate (point your phone camera at Vietnamese menus and it translates in real time).
Money & Budget
5. Vietnam is absurdly cheap but the zeros will confuse you. 1 USD = approximately 25,000 VND. So when something costs 500,000 VND, that's $20. Your brain will panic at the numbers. Quick math: drop four zeros and divide by 2.5. Or just remember: 25,000 VND = $1.
6. Carry small bills. Street vendors often can't break 500,000 VND notes. Keep 10,000, 20,000, and 50,000 VND notes handy. ATMs usually dispense 100,000 and 500,000 notes — break them at convenience stores.
7. Street food is the best food, not the compromise food. The best banh mi in the city is from a street cart (Banh Mi Huynh Hoa, 55,000 VND / ~$2.20). The best pho is at a sidewalk stall, not a restaurant. The best ca phe sua da (iced coffee) comes from a woman with a thermos and a plastic stool. Restaurants are fine, but the street is where the magic happens.
Food Specifics
8. Banh Mi Huynh Hoa is worth the queue. Always a line. Always 15-20 minutes. The sandwich is overstuffed with pate, cold cuts, and chili sauce on a baguette so crispy it shatters. 55,000 VND. There's no menu — everyone gets the same thing. Don't try to customize. On Le Thi Rieng Street, District 1.
9. District 4 is the real food district. Cross the bridge from District 1 and eat where the locals eat. Com tam (broken rice, 35,000-50,000 VND), bun mam (fermented fish noodle soup, 35,000 VND), banh xeo (crispy crepe, 25,000 VND). Three meals for under 100,000 VND ($4). No English menus. Use Google Translate.
10. Vietnamese iced coffee is a lifestyle. Ca phe sua da — strong drip coffee with condensed milk over ice. 15,000-25,000 VND (~$0.60-1) at street stalls. It's thick, sweet, and caffeinated enough to power a small engine. You'll drink three a day minimum.
Sights & Activities
11. The War Remnants Museum needs 2-3 hours, not 45 minutes. Most people rush through. Don't. The photojournalism exhibits and Agent Orange section deserve time and attention. Entry: 40,000 VND. Go in the morning when it's less crowded. Have lunch somewhere quiet afterward — you'll need the decompression.
12. Book Cu Chi Tunnels through a local agency, not your hotel. Same tour, 50-60% cheaper. Local agencies on Pham Ngu Lao Street (backpacker district) or through Klook/GetYourGuide. A half-day tour costs 200,000-350,000 VND vs 600,000-800,000 VND through hotels. Go to Ben Duoc site for the more authentic experience.
13. The Central Post Office is more interesting than the cathedral. Notre-Dame Cathedral has been under renovation for years. The Gustave Eiffel-designed post office next door is open, free, and features a stunning arched interior with a Ho Chi Minh portrait. Actually mail a postcard — it costs about 10,000 VND and takes 2-3 weeks to arrive.
Nightlife & Social
14. Bui Vien is messy and that's the point. The backpacker street isn't for everyone. Bia hoi costs 10,000 VND ($0.40). The music is loud. The energy is chaotic. If that sounds awful, go to the rooftop bars instead — Saigon Saigon at the Caravelle Hotel or Chill Skybar offer craft cocktails with skyline views for 150,000-250,000 VND.
15. Learn three Vietnamese words. "Xin chao" (hello), "cam on" (thank you), and "bao nhieu" (how much). That's it. Vendors and locals visibly warm up when you try. The pronunciation is tricky (Vietnamese is tonal) but the effort matters more than accuracy.
Logistics
16. The airport is incredibly close to the city. Tan Son Nhat (SGN) is 8 km from District 1. A Grab costs $5-6. But traffic can make a 20-minute trip take 60-90 minutes during rush hour (7-9AM, 5-7PM). Build in time.
17. Visa situation is easy now. US, UK, and several other passport holders get 45-day visa exemption. Indian citizens and others from 80+ countries can get a 90-day e-visa online for $25 (3 business days processing). The old letter-of-approval-plus-visa-on-arrival process is largely unnecessary now.
The Packing Essentials Nobody Mentions
A crossbody bag — for bag-snatching prevention, not fashion
A portable fan or cooling towel — the heat is relentless
Wet wipes — street food stalls don't always have napkins
A power bank — your phone does everything (Grab, maps, translation, payment)
Sunscreen — even on cloudy days, the UV is brutal
HCMC doesn't ease you in. It throws you into 9 million people, 8 million motorbikes, and the best street food in Asia, and it expects you to figure it out. Read our complete Saigon guide for the full breakdown. The good news: it's not as hard as it looks. The motorbikes really do go around you. The food really is that cheap. And the city really is that extraordinary once you stop being scared of it. For our personal take, check out five days in Saigon. Heading north? Hanoi and Da Nang complete the Vietnam trifecta.
