Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Vietnam's oldest zoo and botanical garden, commissioned by Admiral de La Grandière in 1864 and opened in 1869. That makes it one of the oldest zoos in the world still running, with old shade trees over its paths.
- Where
- Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 10.7881, 106.7047
Get the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Ho Chi Minh City volume with your photos and a note.
Near Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens
Jade Emperor Pagoda 0.9 km
A smoky temple founded by the Cantonese merchant Liu Daoyuan, mixing Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian worship under one roof. Its dim halls are crowded with carved figures of gods and spirits, and turtles swim in the pond outside.
Saigon Central Post Office 1.0 km
A colonial era post office on Paris Commune Square, right beside the cathedral and still in daily use. Inside, under a high arched roof, a large portrait of Ho Chi Minh hangs above the counters and old maps line the walls.
Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica 1.1 km
A red brick cathedral built by the French between 1877 and 1880, its two bell towers rising 58 metres over central Saigon. The name Notre Dame dates from 1959, when a statue of Our Lady of Peace was set up in its forecourt.
Saigon Opera House 1.3 km
The city's municipal theatre, built by the French in the same colonial style as the opera houses of Hanoi and Haiphong. It still stages performances, and its arched front faces the hotels of Dong Khoi Street.
Saigon Central Mosque 1.3 km
A white mosque with four slim minarets on Dong Du Street, built in 1934 and 1935 for the city's Indian Muslim community. It sits quietly among the hotels of the old centre.
Ho Chi Minh City Hall 1.4 km
A cream and yellow French colonial building at the top of Nguyen Hue Boulevard, the seat of the city government. A statue of Ho Chi Minh stands in the square before it, and the facade is lit up at night.
Museum of Ho Chi Minh City 1.4 km
A grand colonial mansion once known as Gia Long Palace, set in two hectares of gardens near the Independence Palace. It now tells the history of the city, and its white columned halls are a favourite backdrop for wedding photos.
Tan Dinh Church 1.5 km
A Catholic parish church painted a bright candy pink, formally the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It takes its name from Tan Dinh, a village that once stood here before the city spread over it.
More hidden gems in Ho Chi Minh City
Questions
Where is Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens?
Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Jade Emperor Pagoda (0.9 km), Saigon Central Post Office (1.0 km), Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica (1.1 km).
How do I get the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Ho Chi Minh City volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Ho Chi Minh City volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.