Notre Dame Square

At the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's elegant District 1 stands the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, a striking red-brick Roman Catholic cathedral built by French colonists in the 1880s, its twin square bell towers rising over the surrounding square. Built entirely from materials imported from France (the distinctive red bricks came from Marseille), it's one of the most recognisable colonial-era landmarks in the city, fronted by a statue of the Virgin Mary. Right beside it is the equally beautiful Saigon Central Post Office, a grand French colonial building often attributed to the Gustave Eiffel era, making the square a wonderful concentration of 19th-century French architecture.

The square is a popular gathering and photo spot, especially lovely in the cooler evening. (Note: the basilica has undergone extensive restoration and its interior may be closed to visitors, check before relying on going inside.) Combine it with the post office, the nearby Book Street, and a stroll through colonial-era District 1.

Don't miss

• The red-brick twin-towered colonial cathedral
• The statue of the Virgin Mary out front
• The grand Saigon Central Post Office beside it
• A concentration of French colonial architecture
• A central, photogenic District 1 square

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Notre Dame Square

Cheapest way inHo Chi Minh City: Highlights & Hidden Gems - Free Walking Tour4.8★ · 248 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$1 per personSee dates →Best full dayExplore Cu Chi Tunnels: Vietnam War History & Underground Life4.9★ · 4,618 travelers8-9 hoursFree cancellationFrom$14 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleProfessional Photo Services in Ho Chi Minh City & Vietnam5★ · 15 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$75 per personSee dates →

Good for

How travelers rate it

Getting there

Know before you go

• The basilica has been under long restoration, check before counting on going inside.
• The red bricks were famously imported from Marseille, France.
• Don't miss the beautiful Central Post Office right beside it.
• Combine with the adjacent Book Street and colonial District 1.

A bit of history

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica was built between 1877 and 1880 by French colonial authorities, using bricks and materials shipped from France. With its twin bell towers added later, it became a defining symbol of French Indochina-era Saigon, alongside the neighbouring Central Post Office.