Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Saigon Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City
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Photo: Balon Greyjoy, CC0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- Unofficial: daily from about 7:00 until 18:00–19:00; guides disagree, the safe window is 8:00–17:00
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Admission
- Free, no ticket
- Closed
- No weekly closing day; hours may be shorter around Tet
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time needed
- 20 minutes for the hall, 40 with postcards and photos
- Address
- 2 Công xã Paris, Sài Gòn ward (old District 1); in Grab, ‘Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn’
- Metro
- Line 1, Opera House (Nhà hát Thành phố) station — about 10 minutes on foot
- Payment
- Stamps and postcards: carry small VND notes
Key facts
1886–1891when the present building went up, under French rule in Cochinchina
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English and Vietnamese Wikipediavietnamtourism.comStill opena working Vietnam Post office, not a museum: stamps, letters, parcels
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English and Vietnamese WikipediaNot Eiffeloften credited to Gustave Eiffel, but records name French colonial architects instead
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English Wikipediavietnamtourism.comFoulhouxAlfred Foulhoux is the usual attribution; Vietnamese Wikipedia credits Auguste Henri Vildieu, assisted by Foulhoux
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English and Vietnamese Wikipedia2 mapshand-drawn maps on the hall walls: Saigon and its surroundings in 1892, and the telegraph lines of southern Vietnam and Cambodia
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English and Vietnamese WikipediaIronmetal columns and trusses with decorative joints hold up the vaulted roof
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Vietnamese WikipediaScientistsplaques on the facade name pioneers of telegraphy and electricity: Morse, Ampère, Volta, Ohm, Faraday
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English and Vietnamese WikipediaClocka large clock above the main arch crowns the facade
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Vietnamese Wikipediavietnamtourism.comEclecticEuropean architecture with Eastern decorative touches
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English and Vietnamese WikipediaWhat are Saigon Central Post Office opening hours?
It opens every day, weekends included. Vietnam Post doesn’t publish separate visiting hours, and guides disagree. The most common answer is about 7:00–19:00 daily; others give weekdays until 17:00, Saturday until 18:00 and Sunday 8:00–18:00.
The window every source agrees on is 8:00–17:00. If you want to post a letter or buy stamps at a counter, come then: the postal counters can close before the hall and the souvenir stands do.
Around Tet (Lunar New Year) and national holidays, hours may be cut. Mornings are the safe bet on those days.
Is Saigon Central Post Office free?
Yes — there is no ticket and no donation box you have to fill. You only pay if you buy a postcard, stamps or a souvenir. Bring small Vietnamese dong notes: the counters and souvenir stands are a cash world, and cards are not something to count on here. Grab, for getting here, takes cash or a card linked in the app.
Allow 20 minutes for the hall and facade, or about 40 minutes if you write postcards and take photos.
Is it worth visiting?
Yes, if you are in the centre: it is one of the city’s finest buildings, it is free, and it shares a square with Notre-Dame Cathedral, with Book Street and the Opera House a short walk away. Don’t cross town just for it, though — it works best as one stop on a walk around the old French quarter.
The real reason to come is the hall itself: a long iron-framed vault that still does its original job. Buying a stamp at a 19th-century counter is the cheapest souvenir in Saigon.
A short history: who built it, and was it Eiffel?
In Vietnamese it is Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn — ‘Saigon Central Post Office’. It was built in 1886–1891, when the south of Vietnam was the French colony of Cochinchina. The style is eclectic: a European facade of arches and pilasters outside, and inside a long barrel-vaulted hall on iron columns.
You will often read that Gustave Eiffel designed it. He didn’t — there is no record of it. English Wikipedia credits Alfred Foulhoux; Vietnamese Wikipedia names Auguste Henri Vildieu with Foulhoux assisting. We stick with French colonial architects and leave Eiffel out.
The building still works as a post office, run by Vietnam Post: people buy stamps and send letters and parcels. It is also very much a sight, with postcards, books and souvenirs on sale in the hall.
What to see inside
- The clock facade — yellow render, green shutters and a big clock above the main arch. It looks best from the cathedral side of the square.
- Scientists’ names on the facade plaques — Morse, Ampère, Volta, Ohm, Faraday and other pioneers of telegraphy and electricity.
- The main hall — a barrel vault on iron columns and trusses with patterned joints. Stand at the entrance to see all the way to the far wall.
- Two old maps on the side walls: Saigon and its surroundings in 1892, and the telegraph lines of southern Vietnam and Cambodia. Both are hand-drawn and restored.
- The portrait of Ho Chi Minh — a large portrait on the far wall, part of the interior.
- Wooden phone booths along the wall and the old counters — barely used now, but still in place.
- Souvenir stands — postcards, collectors’ stamps, notebooks and books.
Sending a postcard from Saigon
This is the thing to do here: buy a card, stick on a stamp and drop it in the box in the historic hall. Stamps are sold at the postal counters at the normal rate. International postage depends on the destination and rates change, so ask at the counter rather than trust a figure online.
Cards in the hall cost more than on Book Street next door — buy them there and come back for the stamp. Write the address in Latin letters with the country in capitals. Unofficially, cards take two to four weeks to reach Europe or North America.
The public letter writer who once helped visitors write and translate letters is no longer here: the last one worked at his desk in the hall until the early 2020s.
How to get to Saigon Central Post Office
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon is about 2 min away on foot.
- Saigon Opera House is about 8 min away on foot.
- Independence Palace is about 10 min away on foot.
More tips
- The post office is on Công xã Paris square, facing Notre-Dame Cathedral. Look for the cathedral’s twin towers.
- By metro — Line 1 to Opera House (Nhà hát Thành phố) station, then about 10 minutes’ walk north-west up Đồng Khởi street to the square.
- From Ben Thanh Market — 15–20 minutes on foot via Lê Lợi and Đồng Khởi, or one metro stop to Opera House.
- From Nguyen Hue walking street — about 10 minutes on foot.
- By Grab or taxi — set ‘Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn’ or 2 Công xã Paris. Grab takes cash or a card in the app.
- From Tan Son Nhat airport — Grab or taxi in 25–40 minutes, or bus 109 to the centre near Ben Thanh Market, then walk or take the metro.
- Next door: Notre-Dame Cathedral across the square and the Independence Palace about 10 minutes’ walk away, via Công xã Paris and Lê Duẩn.
Next door: Notre-Dame and Book Street
Right across the square stands Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is under a major restoration, it is closed to sightseers and open inside only for Mass, so check its page before planning around it.
To the right of the post office runs Book Street (Đường sách Nguyễn Văn Bình), a pedestrian strip of bookshops and cafés between Công xã Paris and Hai Bà Trưng. Postcards are cheaper here. Unofficially it is open about 8:00–21:00, a little later at weekends.
Post office, cathedral or Book Street?
| Central Post Officeyou are here | Working post office, 1886–1891 | Free | Hall, postal counters, souvenirs | Daily, safely 8:00–17:00 | 20–40 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre-Dame Cathedral | Catholic cathedral under restoration | Free | Mostly the exterior | Outside at any time | 10–15 minutes outside |
| Book Street | Pedestrian street of bookshops | Free | Shops and cafés | Unofficially about 8:00–21:00 | 20–30 minutes |
Cathedral details from vietnamtourism.com and Tuổi Trẻ; Book Street from Vietnamese media and travel guides. All three sit around one square, so an hour covers them.
Before you go
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Historic sights in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City’s historic places scored by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.
| Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon | 46 | 20 min | Free | 3 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saigon Central Post Officeyou are here | 45 | 30 min | Free | — |
| Independence Palace | 45 | 1 h 15 min | 40,000–80,000 VND | 10 min walk |
| Saigon Opera House | 44 | 30 min | Free | 9 min walk |
| Ben Thanh Market | 43 | 1 h | Free | 15 min walk |
| War Remnants Museum | 41 | 1 h 30 min | 60,000 VND; concessions 30,000 | 15 min walk |
| Museum of Vietnamese History | 37 | 1 h 15 min | 60,000 VND; kids and students free | 17 min walk |
| Cu Chi Tunnels | 35 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ 90,000–110,000 VND | 36.6 km |
Central Saigon morning: palace, cathedral, post office, opera and market
Start at the Independence Palace, then the cathedral and post office on the same square, the Opera House at the bottom of Đồng Khởi and Ben Thanh Market for lunch. Add it to your route and YesGo sets the times and walks.
- Independence Palace1 h 15 min · 40,000–80,000 VND
- 9 min walk from the previous stopNotre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon20 min · Free; inside only during Mass
- 3 min walk from the previous stopSaigon Central Post Officeyou are here30 min · Free
- 9 min walk from the previous stopSaigon Opera House30 min · Free outside; inside with a show ticket
- 12 min walk from the previous stopBen Thanh Market1 h · Free entry
5 places · about 4 h 8 min with walks · 33 min on foot in total
Nearby and on your route
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Independence Palace
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Ben Thanh Market
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How to do it right
- Arrive before 9:00 — tour groups fill the hall later in the morning.
- Buy postcards on Book Street, where they are cheaper, and the stamps at the post office counter.
- Write the destination country clearly in capitals.
- Bring cash in small VND notes for stamps and cards.
- Pair it with the cathedral and Book Street — all three are on one square.
- In the dry season the hall is hot under the glass roof by midday; carry water.
Questions
What are Saigon Central Post Office opening hours?
It opens daily. Unofficially, about 7:00 until 18:00–19:00; guides disagree, and the safe window is 8:00–17:00.
Is there an entrance fee?
No, entry is free. You only pay for postcards, stamps and souvenirs, best in cash.
Where is Saigon Central Post Office?
At 2 Công xã Paris, facing Notre-Dame Cathedral across the square, in the old centre of Ho Chi Minh City.
How do I get to Saigon Central Post Office?
Metro Line 1 to Opera House station, then about 10 minutes on foot; or 15–20 minutes’ walk from Ben Thanh Market. In Grab, set ‘Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn’.
Can you send a postcard from Saigon Central Post Office?
Yes, it is a working post office and sells stamps at the counters. Unofficially, cards take two to four weeks to reach Europe or North America.
Did Gustave Eiffel design Saigon Central Post Office?
No, that is a myth. Sources credit French colonial architects, most often Alfred Foulhoux.
How long do you need there?
About 20 minutes for the hall and facade, or 40 if you buy postcards and take photos.
What is inside the post office?
An iron-framed vaulted hall, two old maps of Saigon and the south, a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh on the far wall, wooden phone booths and souvenir stands.
Is Notre-Dame Cathedral next door open?
It is under a major restoration, it is closed to sightseers and open inside only for Mass. See its own page for details.
Is Saigon Central Post Office worth visiting?
Yes, as a stop on a walk around the centre: it is free and next to the cathedral, Book Street and the Opera House. It isn’t worth a special trip on its own.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Saigon Central Post Office — dates, architects and the Eiffel myth, maps, scientists’ plaques, portrait, owner
- Vietnamese Wikipedia: Bưu điện Trung tâm Sài Gòn — current address, iron-framed vault, maps, facade clock, 2014 repainting
- Wikidata Q2227270 — name, coordinates
- vietnamtourism.com (English and Vietnamese) — unofficial hours, entry, time needed, phone booths, postcards, walk from the metro and market, best time
- vietjetair.com, mia.vn — opening hours
- Tuổi Trẻ — Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration
- English Wikipedia: Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 1 — Ben Thanh and Opera House stations
- VOH, Vinpearl — Book Street location and hours
- VietnamNet, Al Jazeera — the post office’s last public letter writer
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