Two of the most recognisable buildings in Ho Chi Minh City stand within 100 metres of each other in the centre of District 1, and they represent the most elegant physical legacy of French colonial rule in Saigon: the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Together, they take about 45 minutes to visit and are almost always included in a first-day walking tour of the city.

Notre Dame Cathedral

The Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception — universally called Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon — was built between 1863 and 1880 using materials almost entirely imported from France, including the red bricks that give the facade its distinctive terracotta colour. The twin bell towers, added in 1895, have become the building’s most recognisable feature and appear on more photographs of Saigon than almost any other structure.

The cathedral was undergoing significant restoration work in recent years and access to the interior has been intermittent. Check current status before visiting — even if the interior is closed, the exterior plaza and the surrounding Paris Commune Square (Công Xã Paris) are worth seeing. The square itself is a pleasant open space that feels unusually calm for the centre of District 1.

The Central Post Office

The Saigon Central Post Office (Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn), located directly across the square from Notre Dame, is one of the finest examples of French colonial architecture in Vietnam and — equally important — it’s still a functioning post office. Designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel) and completed in 1891, the interior is a vast, vaulted space with arched ironwork ceilings, tiled floors, and a long row of wooden phone booths along one side that look like they haven’t changed since 1960.

The interior is open to visitors at no charge. You can send postcards and letters from here (there’s a convenient philatelic counter with Vietnamese stamp sets that make good gifts), change money at the exchange counter, and photograph the interior freely. The building is beautiful and often underappreciated by visitors who assume it’s just a functioning post office.

The surrounding area

The streets around Notre Dame — particularly Đồng Khởi and Nguyễn Huệ — are among the most commercial in the city, lined with international brands, upscale Vietnamese restaurants, and the Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian boulevard that runs toward the river. This area is more pleasant in the early morning or late afternoon when the heat is less intense and the tourist crowd is thinner.