Things to do in Ho Chi Minh City between dental appointments

The best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City on a dental trip are the ones that fit around your appointments. On treatment days, stay close to your hotel: the Central Post Office, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Bến Thành Market and Nguyễn Huệ walking street are all in the centre. On free days, visit the War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace or Chợ Lớn. Save the big day trips, the Củ Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta, for days well away from any surgery.

Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, has the largest number of dental clinics in Vietnam, and many sit in the same central streets as the main sights. That makes it easy to fit sightseeing between visits. This guide groups things to do by how active you can be, so you can plan each day around the clinic instead of the other way round.

Plan outings around your treatment

Most treatment trips have three kinds of day:

• Treatment days. You're at the clinic for an hour or more, and you may be numb or tired afterwards. Plan short walks and a quiet evening.
• Lab days. While the lab makes your crowns or veneers, the clinic often doesn't need you for a day or two. These are good days for a museum or a neighbourhood walk.
• Free days at the end. Once your final check is done, longer trips are fine.

After extractions or implant surgery, rest for at least the first day and stay close to the hotel for the next few. Our planning guide shows typical schedules, and the trip planner builds a sample day-by-day trip for Ho Chi Minh City.

Things to do at a glance

Activity	Area	Good on a treatment day?	Notes
Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral	Centre (former District 1)	Yes	Short walk, next door to each other
Nguyễn Huệ walking street	Centre (former District 1)	Yes	Wide pedestrian street, good for an evening stroll
Bến Thành Market	Centre (former District 1)	Yes, briefly	Busy and crowded, keep valuables close
War Remnants Museum	Xuân Hòa ward (former District 3)	Better on a free day	Graphic content
Independence Palace	Bến Thành ward	Better on a free day	Indoor rooms plus gardens
Chợ Lớn and the Jade Emperor Pagoda	Former District 5, and the centre	Lab day	Best explored on foot
Củ Chi tunnels	Củ Chi, outside the centre	No, full day	Wait until you've healed after surgery
Mekong Delta boat trip	Mekong Delta	No, full day	Cần Thơ is about three hours by road

Gentle outings for treatment days

The Central Post Office. Built between 1886 and 1891 under French rule, it stands next to the cathedral on Paris Commune Square. Inside are two painted maps from soon after it opened, one of greater Saigon and one of telegraph lines in southern Vietnam and Cambodia. It's a short, shaded visit that suits an afternoon after a check-up.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral. Vietnam's official tourism site suggests walking down Đồng Khởi street to reach it. Combine it with the post office and you've seen two of the city's best-known French-era buildings in under an hour.

Nguyễn Huệ walking street. This was the city's first pedestrian street when it opened in 2015. It runs through the centre and is a calm place for an evening walk, away from the motorbikes. Old buildings such as 42 Nguyễn Huệ are full of small shops.

Bến Thành Market. The market has around 1,500 stalls selling everything from everyday goods to luxury items, with food stalls by the northern gate, and it draws more than 10,000 visitors a day. After 6pm it becomes a night market, with more food stalls, until about 10pm. It's crowded, and the UK government warns that bag snatchers work in busy tourist areas, so carry only what you need.

The riverside. A walk along the Saigon River in the evening, when it's cooler, is an easy way to end a treatment day.

Fuller days for lab days

The War Remnants Museum. At 28 Võ Văn Tần Street, in what is now Xuân Hòa ward, the museum covers the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War in themed rooms, with military equipment in the yard outside. It includes graphic photographs of the effects of Agent Orange, napalm and the My Lai massacre. Allow time, and go on a day when you're feeling well.

Independence Palace. Officially called the Reunification Hall, the palace at 135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street is where a tank broke through the main gate on 30 April 1975, effectively ending the war. Visitors can see the former presidential office, the banquet and cabinet rooms, the war room underneath the palace, and a tank in the gardens.

Chợ Lớn. The city's Chinese neighbourhood is, in the words of Vietnam's tourism site, great for exploring on foot. It's a lab-day outing, as it involves a fair amount of walking.

The Jade Emperor Pagoda. The official tourism site picks it out, with Bến Thành Market, as worth a visit for a more local side of the city.

Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City

Day trips are long, mostly by road, and often start early. Book them for lab days after a non-surgical treatment, or for the end of your stay.

The Củ Chi tunnels. The tunnel network lies in Củ Chi, on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. There are two visitor sites. Bến Đình is closer to the city and has reconstructed tunnels. Bến Dược contains part of the original system. Visitors can crawl through the safer sections, and some tunnels have been enlarged for tourists, but it's still cramped, hot and physical. Skip it until you've healed if you've had extractions or implant surgery.

The Mekong Delta. Vietnam's official tourism site describes touring the delta's islets by bicycle or sampan, gliding through canals, and visiting fruit orchards and rice paper villages. Floating markets, such as Cái Răng near Cần Thơ, are busiest early in the morning. Cần Thơ is about three hours by road from Ho Chi Minh City, so a day trip is long. The dry season, from December to April, suits boat trips, and fruit orchards are at their best from May to August.

On any day trip, take water, your medication and your clinic's phone number. If you've had treatment in the last few days, sit in the car rather than on a motorbike, and avoid rough boat rides.

Eating out in Saigon while you heal

Ho Chi Minh City is one of Vietnam's best food cities. The tourism site recommends bánh mì, bánh xèo (savoury pancakes) and cơm tấm (broken rice). All three need proper chewing, and bánh mì has a hard crust, so keep them for after your final check.

In the first days after treatment, choose soft dishes: cháo (rice porridge), hủ tiếu (a clear noodle soup common in the south), and phở with the broth left to cool. Ask for không cay (not spicy). Our guide to soft food after dental work lists what to order and what to avoid.

Getting around

Ride-hailing apps are the simplest way to move between your hotel, the clinic and the sights. The UK government advises using official apps such as Grab and Xanh SM. After surgery or sedation, always take a car, not a motorbike. Metro Line 1, which opened in 2024, runs from Bến Thành to Suối Tiên. Our guide to getting around Vietnam covers apps, taxis and safety.

A note on addresses

In July 2025 Vietnam removed its district level of local government. Ho Chi Minh City is now divided into wards and communes, and the old numbered districts no longer exist officially. The former District 1, for example, is now Sài Gòn, Bến Thành, Tân Định and Cầu Ông Lãnh wards. Many hotels, guides and clinics still use the old district names, so you'll see both. Check your clinic's address on a map before you book a hotel, and read where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City for help choosing an area.

When you're ready to compare treatment options, see the Ho Chi Minh City guide and the verified clinics in Ho Chi Minh City.