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Family outings

Family outings in Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon is a city of terraces, shady parks and street festivals, where children are kings: everyone smiles at them, they get fruit at the market and the pagoda doors open for them. With the heat, you go out early in the morning or at the end of the day, and take refuge in museums and pools during the burning hours. Here are our addresses, checked on official websites.

Verified on 30 October 2026

Parks, zoo and theme parks

The downtown parks come alive at dawn, when Saigon residents do their exercises, and again in the cool of the evening. The century-old zoo and the two big theme parks complete the picture for weekends.

Good to know

  • Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, opened in 1864, is one of the oldest in the world: over 120 animal species and 320 plant species, open daily from 7:00 to 18:30, next to the history museum. Source
  • Tao Dan Park, ten hectares of century-old trees in the heart of downtown, is free and open from 7:00 to 22:00: playgrounds, sandpits, and the bird café where breeders hang their cages at weekends. Source
  • Dam Sen offers more than thirty rides including twelve for little ones, a water park, an aquarium and a Japanese garden; children under one metre enter free with an adult. Source
  • Suoi Tien, at the terminus of metro line 1, lines up more than 150 attractions, an artificial 'sea', an aquarium and a crocodile kingdom: the big full-day outing. Source

Addresses

  • Thảo Cầm Viên, zoo et jardin botanique de Saïgon

    Park

    2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, quartier de Saïgon (ancien district 1)

    Elephants, white rhinos, a white tiger, gibbons and giraffes under the great trees of the 1864 botanical garden; children's games and combined tickets. Come at opening time, before the heat.

    Website Source

  • Parc Tao Đàn

    Park

    Rue Trương Định, Bến Thành (ancien district 1)

    The green lung of downtown, between Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Cach Mang Thang 8 streets: playgrounds, shady paths, picnics and the bird café; free, from 7:00 to 22:00.

    Website Source

  • Đầm Sen, parc d'attractions et parc aquatique

    Park

    3 Hòa Bình (ancien district 11)

    Rides, roller coasters, water park, aquarium, lake and gardens in the west of the city; open seven days a week, tickets online.

    Website Source

  • Suối Tiên

    Park

    120 Xa lộ Hà Nội, Tăng Nhơn Phú (Thủ Đức)

    The giant cultural and leisure park of the east, at the end of metro line 1: artificial sea, aquarium, snow castle, farm and crocodiles; bring hats and sunscreen.

    Website Source

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Museums and palaces

Saigon's museums are small, cheap and air-conditioned: perfect for an hour or two during the hot hours. The Independence Palace and the city museum, in handsome colonial villas, appeal to children; the War Remnants Museum is to be visited with care.

Good to know

  • The Independence Palace, the former presidential palace, is open daily from 7:00 to 18:00: state rooms, cinema, bunker and gardens, with a 360° virtual tour, and a reduced rate for ages 6 to 15. Source
  • The Museum of Ho Chi Minh City, in the Gia Long Palace, is open daily from 8:00 to 17:00, holidays included: the city's history, Viet, Cham, Hoa and Khmer cultures, and retro staircases and corridors children love for photos. Source
  • The War Remnants Museum (7:30 to 17:30) displays planes and tanks in the courtyard, but its rooms on Agent Orange and the prisons are very graphic: with young children, stay in the courtyard. Source
  • The Fine Arts Museum, in a Chinese merchant's 1930s villa, is free for under-6s; the history museum, next to the zoo, closes on Mondays. Source

Addresses

  • Palais de l'Indépendance (Dinh Độc Lập)

    Museum

    135 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Thành (ancien district 1)

    The Reunification Palace and its gardens, daily from 7:00 to 18:00: reception rooms, command bunker, helicopter on the roof; child rate from 6 to 15.

    Website Source

  • Musée de Hô Chi Minh-Ville (palais Gia Long)

    Museum

    65 Lý Tự Trọng, quartier de Saïgon (ancien district 1)

    Saigon's history in an 1890 colonial palace, open daily from 8:00 to 17:00; city collections, temporary exhibitions and an online 3D tour.

    Website Source

  • Musée d'histoire du Vietnam

    Museum

    2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Bến Nghé (ancien district 1)

    Champa Buddhas, national treasures and collections from across the country, Tuesday to Sunday (8:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 17:00), within the zoo grounds: the two visits combine well.

    Website Source

  • Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Museum

    97A Phó Đức Chính (ancien district 1)

    Hua Bon Hoa's 1934 villa, stained glass, spiral staircase and 22,000 works, Monday to Sunday from 8:00 to 17:00; free for under-6s.

    Website Source

  • Musée des Vestiges de guerre

    Museum

    28 Võ Văn Tần (ancien district 3)

    Planes, tanks and helicopters in the courtyard, very hard photo exhibitions inside; open daily from 7:30 to 17:30. For older children only.

    Website Source

  • Musée des Femmes du Sud

    Museum

    200-202 Võ Thị Sáu, Xuân Hòa (ancien district 3)

    Ao dai collections, costumes of the southern ethnic groups and the history of Vietnamese women, in a quiet villa; open mornings 7:30 to 11:30 and afternoons 13:30 to 17:00.

    Website Source

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Libraries and French médiathèques

To read in French, two historic downtown addresses: the IDECAF médiathèque, one of the largest French-language collections in South-East Asia, and the General Sciences Library, with its children's and teenagers' rooms. Saigon Accueil also lends books to its members.

Good to know

  • The IDECAF médiathèque (780 m²) lends books, magazines, DVDs and CDs in French, with a children's library for under-14s; open Tuesday to Thursday 13:30 to 18:00 and Friday and Saturday 9:30 to 17:00, annual membership with proof of residence, passport and two photos. Source
  • The city's General Sciences Library, on Ly Tu Trong street, has a reading room for children and one for teenagers, and hosts a French-Vietnamese information portal. Source
  • The Institut français du Vietnam gives access to its digital library and the online catalogue of its médiathèques: books, press and films in French from home. Source
  • Saigon Accueil keeps a French-language library for its members: a good way to renew children's picture books without waiting for the next suitcase. Source

Addresses

  • Médiathèque de l'IDECAF

    Library

    31 Thái Văn Lung, quartier de Saïgon (ancien district 1)

    The heart of French reading in Saigon, inside the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France: children's library, documentation on France, DVDs, three books borrowed for three weeks.

    Website Source

  • Bibliothèque générale des sciences de Hô Chi Minh-Ville

    Library

    69 Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Thành (ancien district 1)

    The city's big public library, in a handsome 1970s building: children's and teenagers' rooms, registration on site, a stone's throw from the Independence Palace.

    Website Source

  • Bibliothèque de Saigon Accueil

    Library

    French-language book loans for members, during the association's drop-ins and activities.

    Website Source

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Activities, classes and holidays in French

Keeping French alive when school is international, or simply finding French-speaking friends: IDECAF gives children's classes, the Institut français screens films, Boule et Billes opens its holiday club to all during the holidays and the parents' associations liven up the year.

Good to know

  • IDECAF offers French classes for children and teenagers, regular sessions and the DELF Prim, at its premises on Thai Van Lung street. Source
  • The Boule et Billes holiday club takes 3 to 11-year-olds, whether or not they attend the school, during the holidays (autumn, spring, July and August): arts, cooking, pottery, dance, sport and one outing a week, on one of the two campuses. Source
  • The Institut français du Vietnam programmes original-version films, exhibitions and concerts in Ho Chi Minh City; its branch shares the consulate building and classes are held at IDECAF. Source
  • The UPMD, the Lycée Marguerite Duras parents' association, organises the end-of-year fair, Halloween, Christmas and Tet parties, parents' get-togethers and football; the lycée runs its own extracurricular activities and UNSS school sport. Source

Addresses

  • IDECAF, cours de français pour enfants

    Activity

    31 Thái Văn Lung, quartier de Saïgon (ancien district 1)

    French as a foreign language classes for children and teenagers, DELF Prim preparation, theatre and cinema at the downtown institute.

    Website Source

  • Institut français du Vietnam, antenne de Hô Chi Minh-Ville

    Activity

    27 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, quartier de Saïgon (ancien district 1)

    Original-version cinema, exhibitions, concerts and Digital November; online calendar filterable by city.

    Website Source

  • Centre de loisirs Boule et Billes

    Activity

    183 Điện Biên Phủ, Gia Định (Bình Thạnh) et 42 Nguyễn Đăng Giai, An Khánh (Thảo Điền)

    Holiday clubs in French for 3 to 11-year-olds, open to all children, on the Binh Thanh and Thao Dien campuses; online registration.

    Website Source

  • Saigon Accueil

    Activity

    Workshops, outings, coffee mornings and events for the whole family, drop-in on Tuesday mornings; the first circle of friends for many newcomers.

    Website Source

  • UPMD, Union des parents du lycée Marguerite Duras

    Activity

    Lycée Marguerite Duras, Long Bình (Thủ Đức)

    The lycée's parents' association: fair, parties, football, canteen and transport committees, and a valuable relay for arriving families.

    Website Source

  • Lycée français international Marguerite Duras, activités périscolaires

    Activity

    260 Đường 11, Long Bình (Thủ Đức)

    Extracurricular activities, sports association and UNSS school sport for the lycée's pupils, at the end of the day on the Long Binh campus.

    Website Source

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Through the seasons and festivities

Just two seasons: the dry season from December to April, the most pleasant, and the rainy season from May to November, with its late-afternoon showers. The year is punctuated by Tet, which brings the country to a standstill, the Mid-Autumn Festival and its lanterns, and the big national dates.

Good to know

  • It is hot all year round; the dry season (December to April) brings sunny, less humid days, the rainy season (May to November) short afternoon showers, perfect for pools in the morning and museums at 16:00. Source
  • Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls between 21 January and 20 February (6 February in 2027): administrations, banks, museums and transport slow down for around ten days, the French schools close for two weeks and the city is covered in flowers. Source
  • Before Tet, the 'on the quay, under the boats' flower market moors its flower-laden junks along the Tau Hu canal, with banh tet workshops, calligraphy and traditional music, and Nguyen Hue street becomes a flower street. Source
  • The Mid-Autumn Festival (Trung Thu), in September or October, is the children's festival: lanterns, unicorn dances and mooncakes, also celebrated in the French schools; in March, the Ao Dai festival dresses up the city, and 30 April, 1 May and 2 September are public holidays. Source

Addresses

  • Rue piétonne Nguyễn Huệ

    Activity

    Nguyễn Huệ, quartier de Saïgon (ancien district 1)

    The great downtown promenade, from the city hall to the river: fountains, street shows in the evening and, during Tet, the flower street; very busy, come early with a pushchair.

    Website Source

  • Marché aux fleurs du Têt « Trên bến dưới thuyền »

    Activity

    Quai Bình Đông, Phú Định (ancien district 8)

    The delta's flower-laden junks moored on Binh Dong quay, two weeks before Tet: lotus lanterns, cake workshops and calligraphy, southern music.

    Website Source

  • Festival de l'áo dài de Hô Chi Minh-Ville

    Activity

    Centre-ville

    Each spring, parades, contests and workshops around the traditional tunic, on Nguyen Hue street and in museums; the chance to have an ao dai made for the children.

    Website Source

  • Fête Nghinh Ông de Cần Giờ

    Activity

    Cần Giờ

    The Can Gio fishermen's festival, in September or October: boat procession at sea, lion dances and stalls, an hour and a half from the city.

    Website Source

  • Parc aquatique de Đầm Sen

    Activity

    3 Hòa Bình (ancien district 11)

    Slides, wave pool and lazy river in the west of the city: the families' refuge during the hottest months.

    Website Source

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Trips under two hours away

The sea, the mangrove, the tunnels and the delta: four classics one or two hours away by car or boat, done as a day trip or a weekend. Leave early, the roads fill up fast.

Good to know

  • Vung Tau is about two hours from the city, by hydrofoil from the Saigon river or by bus; the waves at Back Beach are flat and safe for little ones, and the Christ statue can be climbed for free. Source
  • The Cu Chi tunnels, 70 km north-west, are open daily from 7:00 to 17:00: free for under-7s, half price from 7 to 16, with a fruit orchard to pick and a wildlife rescue station a kilometre away; the widened tunnel section is still narrow, to be avoided with a claustrophobic child. Source
  • The Can Gio mangrove, a biosphere reserve recognised by UNESCO in 2000, is visited by rowing boat and speedboat from the Vam Sat ecological park: bat swamp, crocodile farm and greedy monkeys. Source
  • The Mekong Delta begins at My Tho and Ben Tre, two hours' drive away: canals by rowing boat, orchards, coconut candy workshops; further on, Can Tho and its floating markets deserve an overnight stay. Source

Addresses

  • Vũng Tàu

    Vũng Tàu (ancienne province de Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu)

    Beaches, lighthouse, Christ statue and banh khot: Saigon residents' seaside resort, two hours by hydrofoil or bus, now part of the city.

    Website Source

  • Parc écologique de Vàm Sát, mangrove de Cần Giờ

    15A Lý Nhơn, Cần Giờ

    Rowing boat in the mangrove, bats, crocodiles, fishing and observation tower, in the heart of the biosphere reserve; a day in the open air an hour and a half from the centre.

    Website Source

  • Tunnels de Củ Chi

    Củ Chi, à 70 km au nord-ouest

    The Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh sites: widened tunnels, village reconstruction, orchard and wildlife rescue centre; open daily from 7:00 to 17:00, free for under-7s.

    Website Source

  • Delta du Mékong : Mỹ Tho et Bến Tre

    Mỹ Tho et Bến Tre (province de Đồng Tháp et Vĩnh Long)

    The gateway to the delta two hours' drive away: rowing boat under the coconut palms, orchard fruit, coconut candy and traditional music; perfect for a first outing.

    Website Source

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Ho Chi Minh City will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Thảo Cầm Viên, zoo et jardin botanique de Saïgon
  2. 2 Office du tourisme de Hô Chi Minh-Ville (visithcmc.vn)
  3. 3 Palais de l'Indépendance
  4. 4 IDECAF, médiathèque
  5. 5 Institut français du Vietnam à Hô Chi Minh-Ville
  6. 6 Boule et Billes, centre de loisirs
  7. 7 Vietnam Tourism, Hô Chi Minh-Ville et Vũng Tàu
  8. 8 France Diplomatie, informations utiles (Têt)

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