The liveliest spots are around St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hang Ma Street and the Old Quarter churches.
- St. Joseph's Cathedral (Nha Chung Street): a nativity scene and a huge tree out front; the city's busiest Christmas photo spot.
- Cua Bac Church and Ham Long Church: lit up every evening and quieter than the cathedral, so easier to photograph.
- Hang Ma Street: the whole street sells Christmas decorations, with lights and Santa hats covering the shopfronts.
- B6 Trung Tu block (Dang Van Ngu Street): a 100 m lane of shops decked out with trees, lights and giant plush toys.
- Big hotels such as the Sofitel Legend Metropole hold Christmas Eve buffets with live jazz (paid, book ahead).
Note: Decorations usually go up in early December; 20–25 December is the best time to go.