Steps from the international baggage claim at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), a swarm of taxi and ride-share drivers await jet-lagged travelers walking into southern Vietnam’s humid, tropical air for the first time. Grabbing a taxi from the airport serves most travelers just fine (the rate is around $10 USD), but inside the city itself, the Grab ride share app is the most convenient way to hail a motorbike or car to get from point to point. The Saigon Waterbus also offers service to-and-from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1, giving travelers a convenient way to combine sightseeing and transportation from other districts.

Many of the most popular sightseeing destinations in Saigon are within walking distance of one another. The War Remnants Museum and Independence Palace—separated by a 10-minute walk—provide a winner’s side glance at Saigon’s history during the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, the nearby Saigon Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon serve up a sample of the city’s French Colonial past. No first-time visit to Saigon is complete without an early morning or late afternoon stroll down Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard, where cafes and coffee houses dish out late-night eats and early morning treats flanked by views of the city’s historic opera house, City Hall. and riverside. Not all of the area’s most famous destinations are within walking distance, though. Plan a full day if you’re hoping to join the 1.5 million annual visitors to the Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground network of defense tunnels that now serves as a national landmark about 30 miles from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Heavy traffic often makes this historical side quest a time-consuming one.

Years after the passing of revered travel chef and host Anthony Bourdain, his presence still hovers over Ho Chi Minh City’s food scene. At the Saigon Lunch Lady—a District 1 food stall made famous by Bourdain’s spotlight—a crowd of tourists comes to dine in the shadow of Bourdain at the tables of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thanh. Beside her bubbling pots, noodle soups like bun Thai, banh canh, hu ties nam vang, and mi ga tiem combine flavors from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and China into a single-entry menu that rotates daily.

Bourdain’s favorite lunch stall is a great introduction to a Ho Chi Minh City food that branches far beyond pho. For a contemporary spin on a travel pro favorite, try the upscale, experiential Anon Saigon, pint-sized street food at Banh Cuon Hai Nam, or the laid-back brewpub fare at Heart of Darkness Brewery.

The tranquil, garden-lined streets of downtown Ho Chi Minh City take on an electric alter ego at night when the city’s rooftop bars twinkle and the alleys of Bui Vien Street begin to sing with the clamor of a thousand pint glasses. Enjoy a sunset cocktail at Blank Sky Lounge inside Vietnam’s tallest building, Landmark 81, before filtering down and “grabbing” a ride to Bui Vien Street. Cordoned off for pedestrians on weekend nights, Đường Bùi Viện is a hive of booming bass, reverberating rhythms, sidewalk street food, and towers of beer that hums with outgoing young locals and throngs of backpackers until the wee hours of the morning.

Glistening, glass skyscrapers may dominate Ho Chi Minh City’s skyline, but this historic city is also home to its fair share of awe-inspiring pagodas, temples, and cathedrals. Religion in Vietnam’s largest city is diverse. And in addition to the vestiges of French occupation at Notre Dame Cathedral, travelers can immerse themselves in other religious structures. Study the intricate Taoist and Buddhist woodcarvings of Phuoc Hai Temple (the Jade Emperor Pagoda) in District 1. Marvel at the golden spires of Buu Long Pagoda in District 9, or dine in Thien Duyen vegetarian restaurant alongside the herculean stuppas of the Minh Dang Quang Pagoda in District 2.