The cathedral, the post office and Book Street

Red bricks from France, a station-like post office full of painted maps, and a shaded street of bookshops and cafés right beside them.

Area

Saigon centre

Start from

District 1

Distance

walking distance, about 2 km

Time needed

2–3 hours

Best season

All year; mornings and late afternoons are best for light

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

On foot from central District 1

Tickets & rules

Post office free; cathedral interior may be closed during restoration, check locally; modest clothing for churches

Why go

Two of Saigon’s most photographed buildings stand facing each other across a small square, and between them they tell the story of the colonial city better than any museum. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, with its twin bell towers and red brick walls, looks as if it was lifted out of a provincial French town. The Central Post Office opposite is lighter and airier, a great vaulted hall in pale yellow with an iron roof and rows of wooden booths.

Walk inside the post office first. Under the arched ceiling hang two painted maps, one of Saigon and its surroundings and one of the telegraph lines of southern Vietnam and Cambodia. People still send postcards from here, and the counters still sell stamps. The floor tiles, the clocks and the old phone booths make it feel like a railway station from a century ago.

Then step around the corner to Nguyen Van Binh, the city’s Book Street, a short pedestrian lane of small bookshops, stationery stalls and cafés under shade trees. It is one of the calmest spots in District 1.

The story

The cathedral was built between 1863 and 1880, early in the French period, to replace a smaller wooden church. Its bricks are said to have been shipped from France, and the fact that their colour has stayed so warm after more than a century is one of the details guides love to repeat. The two bell towers, each topped with a spire, were added at the end of the nineteenth century. In 1962 the church was given the rank of basilica.

In front of the cathedral stands a granite statue of the Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace, set up in 1959. In 2005 a rumour spread that tears had been seen on her face, and for days crowds gathered in the square; the church never confirmed a miracle, but people still mention it.

The post office went up between 1886 and 1891. It is often credited to Gustave Eiffel’s workshop, though the design is usually attributed to the architect Alfred Foulhoux, and the iron framework shows the engineering style of the age. For decades an elderly letter-writer sat at a desk inside, helping people write and translate letters in several languages, and he became a small legend among travellers.

The cathedral has been under a long restoration since 2017, with scaffolding and closures coming and going. Even from outside, though, its proportions and the trees around the square are worth the walk.

Getting there

Both buildings are at the top of Dong Khoi street, about ten minutes on foot from the Opera House or fifteen from Ben Thanh Market. Grab drivers know them by name: Nha Tho Duc Ba for the cathedral, Buu Dien Thanh Pho for the post office.

A suggested plan

1. MorningStart at the post office when it opens; look at the maps, the ceiling and the old booths.
2. NextCross to the cathedral and walk around the outside; check whether the interior is open.
3. CoffeeTake a break on Book Street with a cà phê sữa đá and a browse through the shops.
4. Late morningWalk down Dong Khoi past the old Hotel Continental to the Opera House.
5. OptionalContinue to the People’s Committee Hall and the Nguyen Hue walking street.

Where to stay

The streets between the cathedral and the river are some of the most central in the city, with many mid-range and upmarket hotels. Budget travellers usually stay around Pham Ngu Lao, about twenty minutes’ walk away.

Good to know

• Buy postcards inside the post office and send them from there; they take their time, but they arrive.
• Morning light hits the cathedral’s facade nicely; late afternoon is softer.
• Book Street has small cafés with shaded seating, perfect for the hottest hour.
• Wedding couples often pose in front of the cathedral, so be patient with your photos.