Ho Chi Minh City travel guide: visas, the craft beer crawl, and Saigon district 1
A personal Ho Chi Minh City travel guide. Vietnam e-visa, where to stay in District 1, the Saigon craft beer crawl (Heart of Darkness, Pasteur Street, Belgo, East West), and a one-day cultural circuit.
Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon to most people who live there, is the Vietnam entry point I find easiest to plan but easiest to underestimate once you land. It is hot, humid, motorbike-saturated, and much better for craft beer than most first-time visitors expect. The cultural circuit fits into a day on foot. The beer crawl is its own evening. The food sits between the two and is the reason the city rewards a second visit. The full pin map sits below. This writeup covers the parts of it that change the trip.
On this page
- Get the e-visa first
- Getting in from Tan Son Nhat
- Festivals and big annual events
- Where to stay
- The cultural day
- The craft beer crawl
- Where to eat
- Day trips: Cu Chi and the Mekong
Get the e-visa first
Most western visitors need a visa. Vietnam runs an official e-visa portal that handles 30-day single-entry ($25) and 90-day multi-entry ($50) visas, processed in 3 business days. The scam ecosystem around this is large. Search results for "Vietnam visa" surface dozens of lookalike sites that charge two to three times the official rate for the same document. The only correct address is evisa.gov.vn. Apply at least five business days before you fly.
Getting in from Tan Son Nhat
Tan Son Nhat International (SGN) sits 7 km from District 1.
| Option | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grab | $5 to $10 | 20 to 40 min | Pickup is in the multi-storey across from arrivals. App-based, card payment |
| Vinasun / Mai Linh taxi | $7 to $12 metered | 20 to 40 min | Walk to the official rank, avoid touts |
| Bus 109 | Under $1 | 45 to 60 min | Goes to Ben Thanh. Fine if you are traveling light |
Traffic is the variable. From 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays add 50%.
Festivals and big annual events
HCMC's calendar runs on the Vietnamese lunar calendar (Tết is the year-defining holiday) plus a small set of civic events. Tết changes the city completely for a week and is worth either timing for or steering clear of.
| Event | When | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year) | Late January or February, the lunar new year week | The single biggest Vietnamese holiday. The whole country travels home, so HCMC empties of locals (most of the city is from somewhere else and goes back). Many restaurants and shops close for three to seven days. Flower markets fill Nguyen Hue Walking Street with the apricot-blossom (mai) and kumquat-tree displays in the days before. Hotels are reasonable because the visitor crowd is small that week, but service is reduced. A trip to consider only if you want a quiet HCMC and are willing to do most meals at hotels and international restaurants |
| Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu) | A day in September or October (full moon of the eighth lunar month) | The children's festival. Lantern shops in District 5 (the Chinese district) fill Luong Nhu Hoc Street with elaborate lanterns. Mooncake stalls open on every corner three weeks before. A reasonable evening to be in Chinatown |
| Reunification Day (Ngày Thống Nhất) | April 30 | National holiday commemorating the fall of Saigon in 1975. Civic ceremonies, military displays, fireworks at the Saigon River. Public holiday, many shops closed |
| Labor Day | May 1 | National holiday, falls the day after Reunification Day, so May 1 to 3 is often a four-day weekend. Hotels in HCMC stay reasonable but domestic tourists fill Da Nang and Phu Quoc |
| Vietnamese Independence Day (Quốc Khánh) | September 2 | National holiday commemorating Ho Chi Minh's 1945 declaration. Civic events. Many shops closed |
| Vietnam Grand Prix (cancelled) | The Hanoi F1 race was contracted to start in 2020 but has not run. HCMC has no F1 event. Verify before assuming any motorsport calendar | |
| Saigon Pride | A weekend in September | Smaller and less public than Bangkok or Manila Pride, but real. Various venues across District 1 |
| HCMC Ao Dai Festival | Early March, a week | The traditional Vietnamese costume festival. Free outdoor displays, parades, the Ao Dai workshops. Small-scale but a local-feel city event |
| Christmas Eve | December 24 | Not a national holiday, but HCMC has a serious Catholic minority and the area around Notre-Dame Basilica (currently undergoing restoration) and Tan Dinh Church fills the night of December 24. Crowds, motorbike scooter convoys, decorations |
The trip-shaping window is Tết. Either commit to the quiet-city version and accept the reduced service, or push the trip a week in either direction. The Mid-Autumn Festival in autumn is the underrated lantern-photography evening that most international travelers do not know to look for.
Where to stay
District 1 is the default. Inside that, three tiers cover most travelers.
| Tier | Hotel | Why pick it | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splurge (~$160/night) | Vinpearl Landmark 81, Autograph Collection | Tallest building in the country, strong hotel breakfast, attached shopping, and wide city views | In Binh Thanh district, 10 minutes from central District 1 by Grab |
| Mid ($100ish) | InterContinental Saigon | Staid but central, next to Book Street. Family-friendly thanks to the Executive Apartments wing | The default IHG choice. Reliable rather than memorable |
| Boutique ($30 to $75) | Independent 4-star and serviced apartments | District 1 has a deep bench. Many of the new residential towers rent units by the night | Read recent reviews. Quality varies more than at the chains |
Bittexco Financial Tower hosts a Sky Deck if you want the view without paying for the hotel. It sits in the heart of District 1 with the river on one side and Ben Thanh on the other.
The cultural day
A tight on-foot circuit, starting early to beat the heat.
| Stop | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reunification Palace | 60 to 75 min | The 1975 surrender site, frozen in 70s decor. Buy tickets at the gate |
| War Remnants Museum | 90 min | Heavy. Plan a coffee break after |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon | 20 min outside | Often under restoration. The exterior is the picture |
| Saigon Central Post Office | 30 min | Beautifully preserved French-colonial. Free |
| Ho Chi Minh City Opera House | 15 min outside | The building, not a performance. If A O Show (the long-running bamboo-and-acrobatics cultural production) is on, the night ticket is worth it |
| Ben Thanh Market | As long as you want | Souvenir prices are 2 to 3 times what street stalls charge. Negotiate, or just enjoy the photos |
The Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument and the former US Embassy site sit a short Grab apart and add context if you want a fuller history day.
The craft beer crawl
This is the part of HCMC most travel writing skips. The four big breweries are all within walking distance in District 1, the heat means you walk slowly and drink steadily, and the food at each stop is good enough to anchor a meal. Start at Heart of Darkness while it is still light.
| Stop | Move | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Heart of Darkness Craft Brewery | Cucumber pils, a flight, and the kitchen specials (Sunday tomahawk is the photo) | HOD is dim and air-conditioned, welcome after the walk in. Consistent quality across the menu |
| Pasteur Street Brewing Co. | Flight of whatever is new on tap. Check in on social and they often give you a free taster | Off Pasteur Street, up an alley, second floor. The OG. Passion fruit wit and the IPA rotation are the picks |
| Belgo Belgian Craft Beer & Restaurant | A strong Belgian-monastic-style ale at a traditional pour | Belgian-style range done well. Bottled beers for takeaway if you want one for the hotel |
| East West Brewing Co. | Whatever fruit-led local-ingredient beer is on rotation (dragon fruit shows up often) | The biggest taproom of the four, near Ben Thanh, more brunch-spot than brewery. Good landing point for the rest of the night |
| Ben Nghe Street Food Market | Heineken, satay, a stagger | The right closing move. Pick stalls by queue length |
7 Bridges Brewing Co. Saigon Taproom and Hoprizon Brewing Company are the second-tier additions if you have a second night. The full HCMC brewery list is longer than this. The four-stop crawl is the version that fits one evening.
Where to eat
| Spot | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anan Saigon | Modern Vietnamese tasting menu, Michelin recommended | Book ahead. The rooftop bar is open later |
| Propaganda Vietnamese Bistro | Sit-down Vietnamese, easy menu for first-timers | District 1, walking distance from the Opera House |
| Pizza 4P's Saigon Pearl | Vietnamese take on Japanese-style pizza. House-made burrata | The chain is everywhere now, but Saigon Pearl is the better-staffed location |
| Vietnam House Restaurant | A polished introduction to Vietnamese fine dining | Classic colonial-era space |
| Pho Minh | A bowl of phở done unfussily | The local-style spot for a cheap, fast lunch |
| Bánh Mì Huynh Hoa | The famous bánh mì. Cash, queue, walk away with two | Take it to the river or to your hotel. Do not eat standing up |
| Soul Classic Rooftop Bar and Vi Vu Rooftop | Skyline drink after the crawl | Both are easy walk-ups |
Day trips: Cu Chi and the Mekong
Cu Chi Tunnels is the half-day. Most guided trips run via Ben Dinh (less crowded) rather than Ben Duoc. Both are real, both are worth doing. Plan on 4 to 5 hours door-to-door from District 1. Wear clothes you can crawl in.
The Mekong Delta is a separate trip rather than a day add-on. Cai Be and Can Tho both make sense for a one-night out. Tours that promise a day-trip Mekong from HCMC mostly land you at My Tho, which is the least interesting of the options. Fine for the photo, not worth the drive.
Planning Ho Chi Minh City
HCMC is hot, loud, full of motorbikes, and unusually good for craft beer. Most western visitors need an e-visa, base in District 1, and underestimate the day-of pace. Plan the visa three business days ahead, stay near the river, and treat the beer crawl as the centerpiece evening.
Get the e-visa, not from a middleman
Vietnam offers 30-day single entry ($25) and 90-day multiple entry ($50) e-visas. The application takes 3 business days. Use the official Government of Vietnam portal at evisa.gov.vn. There are many lookalike sites charging two to three times more for the same thing.
Stay in District 1
Walking distance to Ben Thanh Market, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Opera House, and the start of the beer crawl. The InterContinental Saigon is the central family pick, and small boutique 4-stars in District 1 run $30 to $75 a night. Vinpearl Landmark 81 is the view splurge, but sits in Binh Thanh, a 10-minute Grab from central District 1.
Do the craft beer crawl in one evening
Heart of Darkness, Pasteur Street, Belgo, East West Brewing, all within walking distance in District 1. Start at HOD with the cucumber pils because of the heat, eat at one of the early stops, finish at Ben Nghe Street Food Market.
One day is the culture day
Reunification Palace + War Remnants Museum + Notre-Dame + Central Post Office + Ben Thanh Market is a tight one-day circuit on foot. Cu Chi Tunnels is the half-day add. Mekong Delta is its own overnight.
Quick answers
- Do I need a visa for Vietnam?
- Most western visitors do. Use the official Government of Vietnam e-visa portal at evisa.gov.vn. The 30-day single-entry visa is $25 and the 90-day multiple-entry is $50. Processing is 3 business days, so do not file the night before you fly. Avoid third-party "visa service" sites. They charge two to three times the official rate for the same e-visa.
- Where should I stay in HCMC?
- District 1, almost always. The cultural attractions, the craft beer crawl, the Opera House, Ben Thanh Market, and the river are all walkable from there. Vinpearl Landmark 81 (~$160/night) is the view splurge and has a strong hotel breakfast. InterContinental Saigon ($100ish) is the staid family pick near Book Street. There is also a deep bench of 4-star boutiques and serviced apartments at $30 to $75 a night.
- Is Saigon good for craft beer?
- Yes. The scene is dense, the breweries are within walking distance of each other in District 1, the prices are reasonable, and the quality is high. Heart of Darkness, Pasteur Street, Belgo, East West, and 7 Bridges are the names you will see most. The one-evening crawl below covers the four big ones.
- How do I get from Tan Son Nhat (SGN) to District 1?
- Grab is the answer. Around $5 to $10 to most District 1 hotels, 20 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. Avoid the airport taxi touts in arrivals. Official metered taxis (Vinasun, Mai Linh) are fine if you walk to the rank, but Grab is easier with luggage. Bus 109 runs to Ben Thanh for under $1 if you are traveling light.
- Is it safe to walk around at night?
- Yes for District 1, with normal city common sense. Watch crossings. Pedestrians have right of way only in theory. Walk slowly and predictably so the motorbikes can flow around you. Phones snatched from hands by passing scooters is the petty crime to actually watch for, not muggings.
Keep reading
Companion pages on places and themes that overlap with this list.