Must-visit museums in Saigon

For many visitors Saigon is the starting point of their trip to Vietnam, and there’s no better way to begin a journey through Vietnamese culture and history than to take in Saigon museums.

Reunification Palace, also known as Independence Palace, has remained untouched since the day Saigon fell to the north in the 1960s. Today the former presidential palace can be toured, including its kitsch recreation room and vintage basement with radios and telephones. Tours are free but not really necessary.  

Next stop is the controversial War Remnants Museum, formerly labelled the Exhibition House of American War Crimes. Despite the biased commentary, this museum is a harrowing reminder of the cruelty that was inflicted on the Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. Armament fans will enjoy the tanks, jets and helicopters outside.

Less macabre is the Museum of Vietnamese History with its collection of antiquities. The signage here isn’t up to much so you may need to make your own interpretations of what you’re viewing. The Ho-Chi-Minh Museum will give you a nice taste of propaganda while revealing interesting tales of Ho Chi Minh’s life, but for a close up of Uncle Ho you’ll need to head to Hanoi to see his embalmed body.