Pho Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Pho Museum is a new tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City, offering a further exploration of Vietnam’s iconic dish. This museum not only showcases the cuisine but also provides interactive experiences, allowing visitors to better understand the evolution of Vietnam’s national dish over more than 100 years. It’s an ideal destination for food lovers who enjoy combining cultural and historical discovery.

In this article, we provide comprehensive information about the museum, from its history to practical tips, to help you effectively plan your Vietnam tour.

History of Pho in Vietnam

This famous noodle soup, with its fragrant broth simmered with beef bones, thin rice noodles, melting tender beef, and fresh herbs, has become a Vietnamese culinary icon worldwide. Originating in the early 20th century in northern Vietnam, particularly in Hanoi, pho has been influenced by French and Chinese cuisines while adapting to local tastes. Once simply a street food in Hanoi sold by wandering vendors, pho quickly became popular in restaurants across the country.

These wandering pho vendors were very popular in Vietnam.

What makes pho special is its many variations. In the North, it is generally lighter, with simple ingredients like rare beef and scallions. Pho from the South, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City, is richer and more flavorful, with ingredients such as beef tendons, pork belly, meat balls and a variety of fresh herbs, reflecting the vibrant Saigon lifestyle. After wars and urbanization, pho crossed borders and became popular in major cities like Paris, New York, and Sydney. Today, pho is recognized as an integral part of Vietnamese culinary heritage, sparking the curiosity of tourists seeking its authentic flavor.

The Pho Museum in Vietnam preserves and recounts this history through more than 200 objects, including antique pots and pans, spice mills, a reconstruction of a traditional Hanoi street stall, and archieved photographs from these period. These exhibits highlight the place of pho in Vietnamese culture, helping international visitors to better understand Vietnamese identity.

The opening of the Pho Museum in Ho Chi Minh City

After two years of preparation and over a year of document collection, the Pho Museum officially opened on January 15, 2026. It is the first culinary museum in Vietnam dedicated to pho and is recognized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Located in the Ben Thanh ward (near Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien pedestrian street), it offers a new stop on southern Vietnam tours. The museum spans nearly 800 square meters across three floors, with a narrative exhibition.

Pho Museum is located at the intersection of Nguyen Thai Hoc and Pham Ngu Lao streets in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

More than just an exhibition space, the museum offers an immersive experience blending tradition and modernity. The first floor houses an open kitchen and dining area where visitors can observe the preparation process under the strictest hygiene standards. The second floor is dedicated to cultural artifacts tracing the history of pho across Vietnam’s three regions, interactive games about pho’s ingredients, and pho-related artwork. The third floor includes a screening room, and the visit concludes with a bowl of pho.

According to early visitors, the museum stands out for its creativity, particularly its use of contemporary art to illustrate the history of pho, and its themed exhibitions will be refreshed every two or three months. It’s an ideal destination for families, groups of friends, or individual visitors, especially during rainy season in Vietnam.

What can be found inside the Pho Museum?

A visit to the Vietnamese Pho Museum is quite short, lasting only 60 to 75 minutes, and is designed to provide a comprehensive experience. On the first floor, visitors will explore the open kitchen where chefs demonstrate the 12-hour broth simmering process, the traditional way of making rice noodles, and the blending of spices. This process adheres to strict hygiene standards: staff wear gloves, and utensils are always thoroughly sterilized, ensuring the highest quality of the dish.

Upstairs, the exhibition space displays over 200 artifacts. These include a Hanoi pho cart from the early 20th century, restored by artisans, to black-and-white photographs documenting the spread of pho during wartime and peacetime. A short film with English subtitles, suitable for international visitors, highlights the differences between pho from the three regions of Vietnam. The interactive area, with ingredient recognition games and art installations, encourages active visitor participation.

Displays at the 2nd floor about ingredients and related items throughout the history of pho in Vietnam.

On the third floor, visitors can sit in the center of the exhibition hall, equipped with multiple large screens, and enjoy an authentic bowl of pho: thick rice noodles, rare beef, pork belly, tendons, meatballs, all seasoned with aromatic herbs. Here, pho is not only delicious but also nutritious: protein from the beef, vitamins from the vegetables, and oxidized spices like ginger, star anise, and cinnamon.

Compared to world-renowned culinary museums such as the Ramen Museum in Japan or the Chocolate Museum in Belgium, the Pho Museum stands out for its dynamic space, which recreates the daily life of Vietnamese people and offers a more intimate and authentic experience.

Cultural value of the museum

Based on feedback from early visitors since its opening, the Pho Museum in Vietnam has received positive reviews for its creativity and educational value. The entrance fee may be slightly high, but it’s entirely worth the comprehensive experience the museum offers, combining exhibition viewing with culinary delights. The museum helps visitors understand that in Vietnam, pho is not just a dish, but an essential element of culture, which is especially helpful for first-time visitors.

This interactive game allows visitors to create their own pho recipe.

Pho Museum contributes to the preservation of Vietnamese culinary heritage at a time when wandering vendors are gradually disappearing. The pho here is not only delicious but also nutritious: a bowl provides approximately 500 to 700 calories, with high-quality protein, carbohydrates from the noodles, and antioxidants from the spices. The museum is therefore an ideal destination for cultural and wellness tourism.

Tips for visitors

For a successful visit, please take note of the following practical information:

Opening hours

The museum is open every day from 8am to 9pm, including during Lunar New Year, adapting to flexible schedules when traveling in Vietnam.

Ticket prices

The ticket for the complete experience (including a guided tour, pho tasting, and souvenirs) costs 750,000 VND (approximately 29 USD) for adults and 500,000 VND for children under 12. Visiting the exhibition alone is cheaper: You can also choose for the package without a guided tour and enjoy an à la carte bowl of pho for between 125,000 VND to 260,000 VND.

Enjoy a bowl of the finest pho at the museum’s restaurant.

Tickets can be purchased online on the official website or directly at the museum, under a multilingual guide.

How to get to the museum?

From Tan Son Nhat Airport, you can take a taxi (around 200,000 VND) or a private car, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes. If you are in District 1, you can walk, cycle (there are public bicycle rental services around Ho Chi Minh City), or take a bus.

It’s best to arrive early to avoid crowds and enjoy the freshest food. If that’s not possible, consider booking tickets in advance (especially meal-included tickets), as the number of meals per day is limited. The museum’s restaurant serves à la carte dishes, so you can order your own pho to your liking (for example, vegetarian pho if you are on a diet).

How to include a visit to the Pho Museum in your Vietnam tour?

The Pho Museum is an ideal destination during a Southern Vietnam tour, especially if you have plenty of time to explore or if the weather isn’t suitable for outdoor activities. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can extend your trip to nearby destinations excursions in Phu Quoc with its beautiful beaches, or Mekong Delta tours with its floating markets and local cuisine. By combining the visit with a tour of Thailand, Laos, or Cambodia, you can compare Vietnamese pho with other Asian noodle dishes, such as pad thai or khao soi, and thus fully appreciate the richness of Vietnamese cuisine.

For groups or individual travelers, the museum is well-suited to be integrated into food tours. Tour companies often offer this type of package, combining sightseeing, tasting, market visits to prepare ingredients, and cooking classes for an authentic Vietnamese culinary experience.

Discover the Pho Museum in Vietnam with Paradise Travel

The Pho Museum in Vietnam is not just a place of exhibition, but also a place where a true passion for Vietnamese cuisine and culture is awakened. Through its harmonious blend of history, exchange, and flavors, it offers unforgettable memories to international visitors. If you are planning to travel to Vietnam, be sure to include this museum in your itinerary to discover an authentic side of the country, where a bowl of pho can tell a national story.

If you want to embark on a culinary journey through Vietnam but don’t know where to begin? Discover our most latest Vietnamese food guide in 2026 for first-time visitors.