Ho Chi Minh City by metro, bowl by bowl

The metro took twelve extra years to build. The noodle shops were ready all along.

Why go now

Go if you travel to eat and would rather not spend the weekend on the back of a motorbike: base yourself in District 1 or on its edge with District 3, ride Metro Line 1 by day and work through the city's new Bib Gourmand noodle shops. The compromise is the metro itself, which is new, a little clumsy to pay for and better in daylight. Book a room away from Bui Vien unless you want the noise.

Line 1 opened in December 2024, twelve years later than planned, and runs about 20km from Ben Thanh in the centre out to Suoi Tien. The elevated stretch shows you the city's sprawl in a way a Grab never will. The food news is better still. The 2026 MICHELIN Guide Vietnam, announced in June, gave the city a new one-star in Upstairs, an intimate four-table room above a wine bar, and five new Bib Gourmands, most of them single-dish noodle and soup shops.

How to get there

Direct flights take about two and a half hours, with Vietnam Airlines flying the route several times a day. Ho Chi Minh City is an hour behind Singapore, which buys back a little of Friday evening. Check airline schedules for current options.

Where to stay

District 1, or its edge with District 3, puts you near the line and within reach of most of what follows. MEANDER Saigon is a social hostel near Japan Town that keeps you off the Bui Vien party strip; Silverland Yen Hotel is a mid-range base near Ben Thanh; The Myst Dong Khoi is the boutique splurge with a rooftop pool. Compare prices for your dates before booking.

What to eat

Make it a noodle crawl through the new Bibs, one bowl per stop. Bánh Canh Cua Bà Ba serves one thing, a crab rice noodle soup, in a bowl or a claypot. Bún Riêu Yến is the tomato-and-crab broth. At Chị Mơ, the phở comes with a choice of three broths simmered for 24 hours. Bánh Cuốn Tây Hồ 127 rolls its rice sheets to order. For a sit-down dinner, NÔM, the guide's Opening of the Year, runs a tasting menu through Vietnam's regions, floor by floor. Quán ăn Ngự Bình, a long-running Huế canteen for bún bò Huế, is the better choice if you'd rather spend the money on more bowls tomorrow.

What to do

Ride the line and get off often. At Ben Thanh, start with coffee at Lacàph and the French-era Museum of Fine Arts. The Opera House stop is for the 1899 theatre and the cafés and boutiques at 26 Ly Tu Trong. At Ba Son, duck into the alleys of Japan Town for ramen. Thao Dien, the riverside expat quarter, has Okkio for coffee and Tre Dining for dinner. Tan Cang is the stop for Landmark 81 and its Sky View observatory, though the walk from the station is awkward. With children, ride to the end of the line for Suoi Tien Theme Park, or take a short taxi to the multi-storey Chua Buu Long pagoda.

For a half-day off the line, Cho Lon in District 5 is worth the trip for markets, temples and Chinatown food. We wouldn't base ourselves there on a first visit.

What to skip

Skip the metro after dark: the interior lighting kills the view, so ride by day. Don't expect the ticket machines to be easy either; the cash machines take notes only up to 100,000 dong, so carry small ones. Check frequencies and last trains on the official HURC app before you ride rather than trusting a timetable you read somewhere else. And unless you want the noise, skip a room on Bui Vien.

Good to know Metro hours, fares and payment options come from an April 2026 rider's guide and are unconfirmed; check the official HURC app before you ride. Underground station entrances are poorly signed, so allow extra time.