Where to stayBy Clever Tourists · Published
For a first visit, stay in the old District 1, between Nguyen Hue walking street and Ben Thanh Market. Ben Thanh Market, the Central Post Office, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum are all within about a 20-minute walk, and the city's first metro line starts underneath Ben Thanh. Choose District 3 for leafier, calmer streets a short ride away, Thao Dien for cafes and a slower pace by the river, and Bui Vien and Pham Ngu Lao only if you want the cheapest beds and the noise that comes with them. Saigon was our base from 13 to 19 May 2023, with two nights in Can Tho in the middle, and our Ho Chi Minh City guide has the sights.
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• First visit, 2 to 4 nights: District 1 around Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi and Ben Thanh Market.
• Quieter nights, still central: District 3, west of the Reunification Palace.
• Longer stays, cafes, families with time: Thao Dien, across the Saigon River, linked to Ben Thanh by Metro Line 1.
• Nightlife and the cheapest rooms: Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien, the backpacker blocks at the western end of District 1. Loud until late.
• Short layover or early flight: central District 1 still works, because Tan Son Nhat Airport is only 7 to 8 km away.
Vietnam's 2025 administrative reform merged the city's old districts into new wards, and the old District 1 is now mostly the Ben Thanh and Saigon wards. Hotel listings, maps and every taxi driver still use the district names, so this guide does too. If a booking site shows a new ward name, check the pin on the map rather than the address line.
What it's like: the colonial core and the commercial center. Nguyen Hue is a broad pedestrian boulevard running to the river, lined with old apartment blocks whose stairwells hide cafes and shops. Dong Khoi runs parallel past the Opera House to the cathedral and post office. Ben Thanh Market, finished in 1914 under its clock tower, sits at the western end with the underground metro station beside it.
Who it suits: almost everyone on a first trip. Day one of our how many days in Ho Chi Minh City plan is walkable from here, and Cu Chi tours and Mekong Delta day trips pick up from District 1 hotels. Vinh Khanh food street in the old District 4 is a short ride across the canal.
Downside: the highest room prices in the city, and the traffic noise of a city of motorbikes. Choose a room above the street level or at the back.
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What it's like: tree-lined residential streets and old villas west and north of the Reunification Palace, with local restaurants, cafes and small hotels. The War Remnants Museum sits on the District 3 side of the center, and District 1's landmarks are a short Grab ride or a long walk away.
Who it suits: travelers who have done a first trip or want to eat where locals eat; couples who want a quieter night without leaving the center.
Downside: fewer international hotels, and evenings are mostly cafes and street food rather than bars. Walking in the midday heat is hard work, so you will use Grab more than in District 1.
What it's like: a leafy riverside neighborhood in what used to be District 2, known for its expat community, cafes, international restaurants and serviced apartments. Since 22 December 2024, Metro Line 1 has run from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, with stations at Thao Dien and An Phu; a single ride from Ben Thanh to Thao Dien costs about 7,000 VND (≈ $0.27).
Who it suits: longer stays, remote workers, families who want a pool and space, and return visitors.
Downside: it is a base for living, not sightseeing. Everything in our two-day plan means a metro ride or a Grab back into the center, and evenings out in District 1 end with a ride home. A taxi or Grab from the airport usually costs 30,000 to 50,000 VND (≈ $1.2–1.9) more than to District 1.
What it's like: Bui Vien is the backpacker walking street of neon bars, loudspeakers and plastic stools, and Pham Ngu Lao is the grid of guesthouses and hostels around it at the western end of District 1. Our Ho Chi Minh City guide calls it fun for one night.
Who it suits: budget travelers and anyone who wants nightlife on the doorstep. It is walking distance from the end of the airport bus 109 route and a short walk from Ben Thanh Market.
The caveat: the music runs late into the night, every night. If you are a light sleeper or traveling with children, stay two or three streets away, or in central District 1, and visit Bui Vien for an evening instead. Keep phones away from the curb, and read our Vietnam scams guide before your first night out.
Seasons. December to February is the driest and busiest; the rainy season, roughly May to November, brings short afternoon downpours and the lowest room rates. Tet, on 6 February in 2027, is busy beforehand and quiet afterward, when many family restaurants close for several days. See the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Getting in. From Tan Son Nhat, bus 109 costs about 15,000 to 20,000 VND (≈ $0.58–0.78), and taxis and Grab roughly 150,000 to 280,000 VND (≈ $5.8–10.9) to District 1; our airport guide compares them. Use Grab rather than street taxis to avoid meter games.
One base or two. Keep one Saigon hotel and add nights in Can Tho for the dawn floating market, as we did from 15 to 17 May; our Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho guide covers the trip, and day trips from Ho Chi Minh City covers Cu Chi and the delta.
The old District 1, between Nguyen Hue walking street and Ben Thanh Market. The market, post office, cathedral, Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum are all within about a 20-minute walk.
Only if you want nightlife and the cheapest rooms. The music runs late every night, so light sleepers and families should stay a few streets away and visit for an evening.
Yes for longer stays, cafes and a quieter pace. It is linked to Ben Thanh by Metro Line 1, about 7,000 VND (≈ $0.27) a ride, but every sightseeing day starts with a trip back into the center.
Officially it is now mostly the Ben Thanh and Saigon wards after the 2025 reform, but hotels, maps and drivers still call it District 1.
Tan Son Nhat Airport is 7 to 8 km from District 1. Bus 109 costs about 15,000 to 20,000 VND (≈ $0.58–0.78), and a Grab or taxi roughly 150,000 to 280,000 VND (≈ $5.8–10.9).
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