Bui Vien Street: Nightlife Heaven for the Youth in Saigon

I. What is Bui Vien street?

Bui Vien is the backpacker street of central Saigon, in Ben Thanh Ward (former District 1), lined with bars, hostels, massage shops and plastic-stool beer stalls. On weekend nights it closes to traffic and becomes a walking street. Worth one loud evening if you like Saigon nightlife; if you want a quiet dinner, this is the wrong street.

Bui Vien street is so-called “Western Street” (Pho Tay) referring to its Western culture-orientated features. Before becoming a walking city, Bui Vien street was crowded with backpackers coming here to have fun, try unfamiliar cuisines and explore a new place during their trip to Saigon.

Bui Vien or Nguyen Hue: which walking street is which?

The city’s first walking street is Nguyen Hue, and people searching for “walking street Ho Chi Minh” often mean that one. Nguyen Hue Walking Street is the wide boulevard that runs from the City Hall (People’s Committee building) down to the Saigon River, with room to stroll and sit. Bui Vien is narrow, loud and built around bars. Both are in the centre of the former District 1, so you can see both in one evening.

II. History of Bui Vien Street

Bui Vien street, also known as Western Street or the International Intersection, is located on De Tham, Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao, and Do Quang Dau Street in Ben Thanh Ward (former District 1), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 

Bui Vien street used to be very thinly distributed in population, and the area only filled up with traders as the backpacker trade grew. Nowadays, Bui Vien street is one of the most crowded streets in Ho Chi Minh city. 

The street first closed to vehicles on weekend nights on 15th July 2017, as a pilot, and on 20th August 2017 a grand opening ceremony was held and Bui Vien street officially gained its title as a walking street. It is the second walking street in Ho Chi Minh city, after Nguyen Hue Walking Street.

Before 1975, the area was unofficially called the International Intersection by journalists and artists, the appellation referred to the streets around the Nguyen Van Hao cinema on Tran Hung Dao Street, renamed the Cong Nhan (Workers’) Theatre after 1975. The name was popular among journalists and writers for the fact that the area used to consist of many printing stores and newsrooms.

After 1975, the quarter became a tourist attraction, especially among backpackers, which explains the other name locals gave the street: Western Street. Nowadays, however, the area is considered a multicultural area with many travelers and residents coming from all around the world.

It was the Westerners’ flocking to Bui Vien street that helps the area become so crowded. Backpackers needed cheap beds, food and services, and traders moved in to sell them.

III. Is Bui Vien Walking Street Safe?

Being an extremely crowded tourist interest, the safety of travelers coming to Bui Vien street has always been questioned. It is unfortunate that we couldn’t say that Bui Vien street is completely safe for tourists. 

Large number of people makes it hard for police and the authority to put close control on activities there. Despite Ho Chi Minh City’s authority’s efforts, there is still prostitution, pickpockets, and other illicit activities on Bui Vien street. 

Travelers visiting Bui Vien street should take high care of their belongings and as long as they can keep that in mind, it is not likely that you will be victimized in illegal activities.  

Expect to be approached. Touts stand outside bars, people offer massages or “company” late at night, and vendors follow you down the street. Say no firmly and keep walking. Keep your phone off the table and your bag in front of you.

What scams should I watch for on Bui Vien?

The complaints that come up most in recent press coverage are touts pulling people into bars, vendors pushing menus at passers-by, pickpocketing and high prices: foreign visitors quoted by Thanh Nien and Tuoi Tre newspapers in August 2025 mentioned all of these, and one Tuoi Tre reader cited 180,000 VND for a small bottle of beer. The defence is simple: ask the price before you sit down or order, and check the bill before you pay. If the bill looks wrong, ask calmly for it to be checked. Walk away from any argument before it turns into a shouting match: in May 2025 a row between a tourist and staff at a drinks shop on Bui Vien ended with the tourist hit on the head with a beer bottle, VnExpress reported. If you need the police, call 113.

Is Bui Vien OK with kids or older parents?

The street is built around bars and loud music, so for an evening walk with small children Nguyen Hue Walking Street is the easier choice. If you do bring the family, come in the daytime, when the street is much less crowded.

IV. What You Need to Know about Bui Vien Street

Bui Vien street, which has made a household name for itself as a renowned bustling western town of the young Saigonese, has become the second walking street in Saigon. It is crowded with thousands of both Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese tourists in the evening or on weekends, so it is worth walking down at least once to see the hustle and bustle of Saigon. 

Bui Vien Street is perceived as a backpacker district comprising many restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, pubs and bars. No vehicles are allowed on Bui Vien Street between 7:00 PM and 2:00 AM on Saturdays and Sundays, to enable different sorts of entertainment activities including exploring Vietnamese folk games and the bustling and lively Saigonese nightlife, indulging yourself in foods and beverages and treating yourself to a massage.

1. Bui Vien Walking Street

Bui Vien Walking Street is a go-to destination for foreign tourists and Saigonese young generation when the night falls, making it a crowded multi-ethnic street with visitors from all over the world. This walking street aims to diversify forms of night entertainment activities for tourists and residents. 

On a weekend night, most of what happens spills out of the bars on both sides: music, pavement seating and staff calling people in, with vendors working the crowd in the middle of the road.

As a Saigon Western Street, there is a widely held belief that Bui Vien must be filled with a fast-paced lifestyle, a good few bustling bars and noisy pubs. Be that as it may, in the midst of that seemingly endless noise, there are various cafes nestled in an empty, tumultuous alley, waiting to be explored.

>> Check out: 16 Dos & Don’ts When Traveling in Vietnam

2. Bui Vien Street Bars & Pubs

Earning a name for itself as a Western street, Bui Vien also has Western characteristics – vibrant night outs with a series of unique and exciting pubs and bars. There is Western-style decoration and English translation for international visitors. The bar’s DJ team is always on fire to create the best remixed version based on the typical Vietnamese EDM music, Vinahouse. Despite being frequently crowded, the bars in Bui Vien street attempt enormously to maintain good quality services. 

A few bars on upper floors, such as The View below, look out over the city at night. Others have billiards and darts. Bar prices run well above the pavement stalls, so ask for the menu before you order.

► Recommended places:

• The View Rooftop Bar

Location: rooftop of Duc Vuong Hotel, 195 Bui Vien Street, Ben Thanh Ward (former District 1), Ho Chi Minh City

Tel: +84 944 795 522 (Duc Vuong Hotel)

• Hair Of The Dog

Location: 194 Bui Vien Ben Thanh Ward (former District 1), Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam

Opening hours: 9:00 PM – 04:00 AM

Tel: +84 765 063 399

3. Eating in Bui Vien street 

Many restaurants and eateries have sprung up in Bui Vien Street from high-end to low-end types, creating a diverse rich cuisine with a variety of dishes that can’t be ignored at every opportunity. Food Stalls of Street food are quite popular here and are the cheapest way to fill your stomach and satisfy your appetites. The food is cooked according to Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Western cuisines.

The most ubiquitous in Bui Vien street is the barbecue offering grilled chicken, pork, beef and even seafood. The dishes are served together with dipping sauces at low tables and chairs on the pavement.

Just like Ta Hien Street (Bia Hoi corner) in Hanoi, Bui Vien runs on cheap draught beer (bia hoi and bia tuoi) poured at pavement tables. There is no special “Bui Vien beer”. Prices per glass differ from one stall to the next, so ask before you order.

If the majority in this Western street opt for beer, some come for smoothies – a combination of thick fruit pieces, milk, ice cream and yogurt.

► Recommended place: 

• Five Boys

Location: Alley 84 Bui Vien (No. 84/7), Ben Thanh Ward (former District 1), Ho Chi Minh City 70000 Vietnam

Main beverage: Smoothies

Opening hours: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

4. Bui Vien Street Accommodation 

If you are a long-distance visitor, it is advisable to access online channels such as Booking.com and Agoda, which are very convenient because you can refer to customers’ reviews, compare prices and book rooms in advance during the peak tourist season. 

Many types of accommodation are available, so with a wide range of choices, you can select one that suits your demands and pocket. Hostels and guesthouses are popular, and their dorm beds and basic rooms are favoured greatly by visitors on a tight budget. One option is The Hideout Hostel Saigon on Pham Ngu Lao Street, a few minutes’ walk from Bui Vien. Despite lying in the city center, accommodation in this area is very affordable and even budget-friendly for backpackers.

Light sleepers, take note: visitors quoted by Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien in 2025 described the bar music on Bui Vien as extremely loud and going on late into the night. Ask for a room at the back, or stay in one of the side alleys off the main street.

5. Bui Vien Street Massage

As a matter of fact, massage is a good way to ease pain in our body, namely our muscles and joints and put our mind at ease. In Bui Vien Street, as mentioned before, diverse art activities take place on the sidewalk and roadway. Here, you can easily find massage spas or salons for relaxation after a long tiring day, some of which are not quite affordable, so as for first-time tourists, it is necessary to ask about prices in advance.

There are a number of types of massage offered including foot massage, back massage, full-body massage and so on. The wifi is readily available in these massage parlors in order for you to kill the time while waiting or keep on chatting while enjoying decent services. If you want a full-body massage, the duration may range from one hour to two hours, and it depends on customers as to whether to use oil or not.

V. Extra Notes

• Never leave your personal belongings such as phones, wallets and other valuable items unattended.
• The notice of the ban on vehicles is put on De Tham – Bui Vien Street and Do Quang Dau Street. There are parking lots near the intersection of Pham Ngu Lao Street and Do Quang Dau Street.
• Ben Thanh Ward authorities said in August 2025 that they plan to add cultural programmes and street performances on Bui Vien.

Practical tips

• Vehicles are kept out only on Saturday and Sunday nights; on other nights you share the street with motorbikes.
• Bui Vien is about 1 km, a 10–15 minute walk, from Ben Thanh Market, so it fits after an afternoon at the market, Notre Dame Cathedral or Nguyen Hue Walking Street. More ideas in our Ho Chi Minh City guide.
• If you would rather not go alone, our evening highlights tour of Ho Chi Minh City includes a stop on the backpacker street.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions about Bui Vien Street

Sources: Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 (2025) on Ho Chi Minh City ward mergers; Tuoi Tre News on the walking street opening (2017); Tuoi Tre (2025). On safety, scams and noise: Thanh Nien (August 2025); Tuoi Tre (August 2025); Tuoi Tre on Ben Thanh Ward police checks (August 2025); VnExpress (May 2025)