The backpacker quarter and the city's rowdiest nightlife — the neon chaos of Bui Vien 'walking street', cheap hostels, travel agents, street-food carts and bars blasting till dawn. Loud, cheap and full of energy, a short walk from the sights; the base for budget travellers and night owls who want the party and the bus tours right outside.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€20–45
typical per night in Vietnam
Easy on the wallet
Among the cheapest areas to sleep in Ho Chi Minh City.
Where it sits
The circle is Pham Ngu Lao & Bui Vien and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Reunification Palace13 min walk1.1 km
- War Remnants Museum16 min walk1.3 km
- Nguyen Hue walking street17 min walk1.5 km
- Notre-Dame Cathedral18 min walk1.5 km
- Saigon Central Post Office19 min walk1.6 km
- Vietnamese coffee culture23 min walk1.9 km
- Jade Emperor Pagoda8 min taxi2.8 km
- Thien Hau Temple11 min taxi3.7 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 5.Ben Thanh Market — The city's iconic covered market under its landmark clock tower — a frenetic maze of stalls piled with fabrics, souvenirs, coffee, spices and, best of all, a food section dishing out bún, phở and fresh spring rolls. Touristy and you'll need to haggle, but a lively rite of passage; come for lunch, and return in the evening when the surrounding streets turn into a night market.
- 6.Saigon street food — Saigon eats on the street, and it's a wonder — bánh mì (the world's great sandwich), steaming bowls of phở and bún, crispy bánh xèo pancakes, cơm tấm broken rice and grilled skewers, all from plastic-stool kitchens for a euro or two. Follow the crowds and the sizzle, and don't miss a bánh mì from a legendary corner cart. The city's greatest, cheapest pleasure.
- 12.Bui Vien walking street — The heart of backpacker Saigon and its most riotous nightlife — a neon-blazing pedestrian strip that erupts every night into a carnival of bars, blaring music, street-food carts, fire-breathers and crowds. Chaotic, cheap and wildly fun (or overwhelming); pull up a plastic stool with a cheap beer and watch the madness, or dive straight in. Not subtle, but unforgettable.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Pham Ngu Lao & Bui Vien; flights via Google Flights.