Planning a trip to Saigon in Vietnam and wondering where are Ho Chi Minh City best places to stay? Find detailed guide to the best areas in Ho Chi Minh City to stay during your holidays and recommended accommodation options in each popular area of Saigon.
We recommend doing a research and booking your hotel in advance, especially when traveling during peak season, to save time and nerves during your trip. The best websites to book hotels in Ho Chi Minh City are Booking.com and Agoda.com that always offer great deals.
Best Places to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City
Wondering where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)? Finding a hotel that suits your needs best is a hard job for many travelers. We’ve made a list of Ho Chi Minh City’s best places to stay with recommended hotels in each area for different budgets so you could easily find the ideal place to stay.
1. District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City
District 1 is the main area to stay for most of travelers coming to Ho Chi Minh City. The area is so popular because of the convenience for traveling, visiting attractions as well as a wide choice of activities. Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 is also the financial and economic center of the city.
Most of tourists choose to stay in District 1 which is the heart of the city. You can find thousands of hotels spread across the area that are the perfect starting point for sightseeing, experiencing local culture, enjoying street food, and spending the bustle of the night in Saigon.
District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City is known as the area where you can find the best entertainment venues, variety of cheap street food stalls, and numerous cafés. For diving into Vietnamese coffee culture, visit some of The 14 Best Cafes in District 1 to sip a cup of coffee in a peaceful and poetic space.
Main Attractions in District 1: Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Opera House, Central Post Office, Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, Independence Palace, Bitexco Tower Skydeck
As the central area of Ho Chi Minh City is large, the most popular areas to stay in District 1 can also be picked out.
Bui Vien Night Street - Pham Ngu Lao
Bui Vien Night Street - Pham Ngu Lao is known as the backpackers street which attracts many foreign and domestic tourists. This is the main entertainment venue in Saigon. There are many bars and pubs spread throughout the street that open in the evening. If you are looking for a place to stay that would be near the best place for partying and enjoying nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City, staying at Bui Vien Night Street would be ideal choice for you. There are plenty of hotels in the area and you can choose from affordable to luxury ones.
Some of the best rated hotels around Bui Vien Night Street - Pham Ngu Lao in District 1:
Budget hotel: Long Hostel
Ho Chi Minh City is one of the few places in the world that offers extremely affordable hotels with best value.
Mid-range hotel: Urban Lodge Hotel
Luxury hotel: Pullman Saigon Centre
Nguyen Hue Walking Street
Nguyen Hue Street has become an extremely active street on festivals and weekends when it is filled with crowds of locals. Tourists love this area because they are immersed in a happy atmosphere of Saigon. Around this area, you will see many hotels, high-end shopping malls with a variety of diverse items and old-fashioned houses with European architecture.
Some of the best rated hotels around Nguyen Hue Street in District 1:
Budget hotel: Toi's Travel Home Central
Mid-range hotel: The Hammock Hotel Fine Arts Museum
Luxury hotel: Liberty Central Saigon Citypoint
Bach Dang Wharf
Bach Dang Wharf is Ho Chi Minh City’s riverside area where many 4-5 star hotels are located. Hotels in this area can make your stay a special experience as the best rooms here come with Saigon River views. When staying in this area, taking boat trips along the Saigon River is also very easy.
Some of the best rated hotels around Bach Dang Wharf in District 1:
Budget hotel: AHA Dai Nam Sai Gon Hotel
Mid-range hotel: Lief Mojo Sai Gon
Luxury hotel: Caravelle Saigon
If you are looking for a luxurious, modern and convenient hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, choose one of top luxury hotels in District 1 to make the most of your next trip.
2. District 3 in Ho Chi Minh City
District 3 is adjacent to District 1 and it takes just few minutes by taxi or motorbike to move between these areas of Ho Chi Minh City. You can easily visit some of famous attractions such as Turtle Lake, War Remnants Museum, Tan Dinh Church and Vinh Nghiem Pagoda when staying in this area. District 3 is home to many headquarters of foreign embassies, set up in buildings built during the French colonial period and, of course, full of various entertainment venues such as cafes, bars or restaurants. District 3 is somewhat quieter and provides more local feel than its magnificent neighbor.
For tourists, staying at the hotel in District 1 or District 3 is not much different as prices of hotels in District 3 are similar to District 1 because it is still the center of Ho Chi Minh City. However, when traveling for business purposes, hotels in District 3, especially in Phu Nhuan area, are often a better choice. When staying in District 3, you will have enough time to move between places and won’t need to worry too much about traffic congestion.
Main Attractions in District 3: War Remnants Museum, Tan Dinh Church, Turtle Lake
Some of the best rated hotels in District 3:
Budget hotel: The Hut Boutique Hotel-Notre Dame
Mid-range hotel: MAI HOUSE Saigon
Luxury hotel: Hotel Des Arts Saigon
3. District 5 in Ho Chi Minh City
District 5 is one of the most developed areas of Ho Chi Minh City, which is located about 15 minutes by taxi from District 1 to the west. District 5 is a dining paradise, where you can enjoy the delicious food and bustling life. District 5 is home to Chinese people, so you will see many shops and eateries operated by Chinese. Saigon’s Chinatown is a pretty interesting area to explore.
Main Attractions in District 5: Cholon (Chinatown), Dai The Gioi Waterpark, An Dong Market
Some of the best rated hotels in District 5:
Budget hotel: The Common Room Project
Mid-range hotel: Luxurious Chinatown Hideaway
Luxury hotel: Windsor Plaza Hotel
4. Tan Binh - Near Tan Son Nhat Airport
Tan Binh is one of the urban districts of Ho Chi Minh City. For travelers who like peaceful atmosphere, Tan Binh is a good choice as it is not far from the city but still a quiet area. A large area of Tan Binh is occupied by Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN). Near the airport, it is often easy to find mid-range and budget hotels. There are also many goods restaurants, boutiques and shopping malls nearby. Consider staying in Tan Binh area if you want to have a good rest and prepare for an early morning flight. Many hotels offer a free shuttle service to/from the airport which is very convenient.
Some of the best rated hotels in Tan Binh area:
Budget hotel: Thanh Long Hotel - Tra Khuc
Mid-range hotel: Holiday Republic Saigon Airport
Luxury hotel: Parkroyal Saigon Hotel
There are countless good quality hotels near Ho Chi Minh Airport for you to choose. The area’s best hotels offering top value for money deals are listed here: Top 9 Hotels near Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City.
5. District 7 in Ho Chi Minh City
Unlike other districts that offer buzzing lights and sounds of the city, Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 is a residential area of foreigners so it gives more peaceful vibes.
The Phu My Hung area of District 7 has been fairly recently developed. One of the best shopping centers of Ho Chi Minh City is located in the area so you can easily find many restaurants and nice shops here. District 7 is located about 15 - 20 minutes’ drive from District 1 and taxi fare between these areas should be 100,000-150,000 VND each way. Although District 7 is the place preferred by the upper class, finding an affordable hotel is still quite easy.
Some of the best rated hotels in District 7:
Budget hotel: Bin Bin Hotel 4 - Near Sunrise City D7
Mid-range hotel: Anneta Star Hill
Luxury hotel: Oakwood Residence Saigon
Tips
In this never-sleeping-city, you can easily find a lot of places to go at night. The list of Top 15 Nightlife Experiences in Ho Chi Minh City will help you not to miss the best ones!
Enjoying the city view with a drink in your hand is one of the feelings that rooftop bars gives you the best, so choose one from the list of Best Rooftop Bars in Ho Chi Minh City to admire the sparkling scenery of the city at night.
The guide to amazing day trips from Saigon can be found here: Best Places for Day Trip from Ho Chi Minh City.