Bui Vien Street

兵庫胡志明倶楽部 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Saigon's backpacker street — speakers at full volume, chairs into the road, open until dawn.

Bui Vien has been where backpackers land in Saigon since the 1990s, and it has never calmed down. At weekends the whole street closes to traffic and becomes a pedestrian zone: bars packed shoulder to shoulder, each with its speakers aimed straight out into the road, plastic chairs set right down the middle, balloon sellers and sunglasses hawkers working the crowd. This is not a street for conversation — the volume makes you shout. But if you want to understand why Saigon is called the city that does not sleep, you have to walk through it once, and before midnight is enough.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Bui Vien Street?

Weekend evenings, when the street is closed to traffic

How long do you need at Bui Vien Street?

1 - 2 hours

What are the opening hours of Bui Vien Street?

About 18:00 until dawn

Did you know

The street is in District 1 and has been Saigon's backpacker quarter since the 1990s.
At weekends the entire street closes to traffic and becomes a pedestrian zone.
Bars line both sides with loud music and tables set out into the roadway.
The street runs until dawn, later than almost anywhere else in the city.

Travel tips

It is very loud — if you want to talk, sit at the De Tham end of the street.
Watch your belongings and confirm drink prices yourself; billing disputes are common here.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B9i_Vi%E1%BB%87n_Street

Updated: 2026-08-16