I spent around 3 hours in the War Remnants Museum as part of my 7 day trip in Vietnam, which includes a 3-day adventure in Da Lat as well.

If you're in HCM at all, visiting the War Remnants Museum is a must. I'm not a fan of history, but I found this to be a profoundly moving experience that provided deep insights into the harrowing past of the Vietnam War.

Last I went in December 2022, the entrance fee was 40,000VND for adults and 20,000VND for children. This is a pay-to-enter price with no reservation needed. I purchased a ticket on the spot and could enter the museum immediately.

If you prefer a guided tour, booking through Klook is a great choice, which offers options for a private walking tour or even a visit to Independence Palace.

In the outdoor area of the museum, you'll get the chance to see life-sized military vehicles used during the war like fighter jets, tanks and transport helicopters, though I couldn't discern their authenticity.

You can also learn about torture and execution mechanisms used in the past by soldiers (Like this guillotine above). Another torture method named Sunbathing Rooms described imprisoning naked prisoners in an outdoor chamber and exposing them to the scorching heat or cold rain round the clock. If things aren't bad enough, others prisoners' waste are collected from their cells and dumped into the sunbathing rooms as fertilizer for crop.

Inside, the staggering 3-floor museum is divided into approximately six rooms, each dedicated to different aspects of the war. You can expect to find various exhibits ranging from photographs and journal entries to telegrams and preserved equipment.

Some images encountered can also be disturbing and not for the faint-hearted, so do be mindful if you're bringing children to the museum. Some exhibits feature the final moments of journalists before they met their demise, or even pictures of dead bodies.

One room in particular focused on the devastating effects of Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used during the war. Agent Orange is a class of herbicides that was utilized by the military, where they would spray the substance over Vietnam to defoliate trees and shrub with the aim of eliminating food and shelter sources for opposition forces. The room was filled with information on Agent Orange, its impact on those who have been affected by it, and highlighted its lasting disruption to current and subsequent generations.

I spent the 3 hours here well-immersed in the exhibits and gaining an understanding of the war's brutality and the resilience of the people. I felt that the museum brought the grim realities of warfare to life, and offered a thought-provoking perspective on this tumultuous period in Vietnamese history.

If you're planning a visit soon or want to know more in detail, I found this great article by Vinpearl.