Saigon nightlife

Saigon is another name of Ho Chi Minh City, the former capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). Being the biggest city in the country, it also has the most diverse and very active night life. Even though most of the places are closing after midnight and most probably you will not find entertainment spots running 24/7, this city always has something to offer, and if you are searching for fun, you will definitely find it, regardless of day of a week. Ready for adventures? Here we go!

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Bars

People in Saigon like to spend time in bars, and there is plenty of them in the city. Most of them are located in the city center, and here you can find everything – from beer houses to fancy cocktail bars. And if you love magnificent views, choose one of the rooftop bars and enjoy watching the sleepless city! SONG XANH CRUISE

Bia Sai Gon 73
If you come to Vietnam, you will, probably, learn very fast what is “bia hoi”. From Vietnamese, it means “fresh-brewed beer”, and it is extremely popular among locals. One of the most popular bars that serves bia hoi is Bia Sai Gon 73, located in the heart of backpacker area of Saigon. It has plastic chairs along the pavement, and is always crowded with both, travellers and locals. A jug of beer will cost here nearly $0,5, and you will definitely enjoy its easy and relaxed atmosphere.
Address: 73 Bui Vien St, District 1 , Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam Alova Gold Cruise
Hours: 9:00 am – 3:00 am

Chill Skybar
We are not sure if you will ever get a chance to see more spectacular view on the city than from Chill Skybar. Located on top of AB Tower, the bar offers a rich variety of drinks and a fine dining menu as well. Each evening, since 9:30 pm, it hosts live performances of DJs. Come here before the sun goes down, and enjoy all the colours of Saigon.
Address: AB Tower, 76 Lê Lai, Bến Thành, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 5:30 pm – 2:30 am

Saigon nightlife

Q Bar 
This is one of Saigon's longest-running bars, that had been opened in 1992, and is always full of happy people. It is located in the historic Opera House building, and is considered to be a place of worship for locals and a “must” for expats and tourists. This is an excellent choice for chilling during the weekdays and for loud parties during the weekend!
Address: 7 Lam Son Square ,District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hours: 11 am – 12 am

Clubs
During weekends young people in Saigon often choose to spend their nights out in clubs, enjoying loud music, dancing, drinking and simply having fun together. Curious about how do the dance floors look here? Follow our piece of advice!

Apocalypse Now
This is one of the first clubs opened in Saigon and is also one of the most popular in the city. It has two floors and an outdoor terrace. On the first floor the DJ usually plays quite mainstream music and global hits, while on the second floor you may crash the retro party with the music from 80s and 90s! The club is open till 4 am, so if you party till early morning, it should become your choice!
Address: 2C Thi Sách, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hours: 8 pm – 4 am

Lush Nightclub
Lush Nightclub is a good alternative for those visitors who prefer contemporary design and great selection of music. This is definitely a club with a style. Sometimes it gets overcrowded, but this is just another proof that this is one of the best spots to visit in Saigon.
Address: Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 8 pm – 3 am

Gossip Club
The club is  located in the Dai Nam Hotel and is a popular place among local models and celebrities. Gossip club is a home to DJ Stanley, the former winner of the Heineken Thirst Competition, who regularly plays here. This is a fabulous way to experience local clubbing culture, excellent service and relaxing atmosphere.
Address: 79 Tran Hung Dao, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 11 am – 12 am

Music
Saigon can be easily called a heaven for music lovers, as there is a big number of places holding live performances in different styles and genres – from flamenco to hard rock. Just choose the one you want!

Sax N Art Jazz Club
Sax N' Art Jazz Club had been voted the best jazz club in Saigon and is highly popular among local people. The place is owned by a famous local saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan. It regularly hosts jam sessions and live concerts of famous Vietnamese musicians. Sometimes there is a fee nearly $5, which is added to your first drink.
Address: 28 Lê Lợi, Bến Nghé, 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 7 pm – 12 am.

Acoustic Bar
The first thing we should tell you about Acoustic Bar is that performances here are not only acoustic. The second thing is that this is a home of rock music in Saigon. You can hear here songs of young and talented Vietnamese musicians, as well as renditions of legendary hits – from John Lennon to Rolling Stones.
Address: 6E1 Ð Ngo Thoi Nhiem, District 3, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 6 pm – 12 am

Seventeen Saloon
This is a crazy two storey live music hall inspired by Wild West. Joyful rock’n’roll parties with featuring a live Filipino band of performances of Vietnamese musicians always last here till late night! You will definitely have a lot of fun here and make it a night to remember!
Address: 103A Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Hours: 7 pm – 2 am

Top 10 Saigon foods you should not miss

These are simple yet delicious dishes. Look yummy?
1. Broken rice

Cơm tấm, or broken rice, used to be called "poor people's rice” since it was made from grains that broke during harvest or cleaning and were sold cheap.
Over the years it has become a popular dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
It is usually served with grilled pork ribs, bì (thinly shredded pork mixed with cooked and thinly shredded pork skin) or chả (a mix of steamed eggs, crab meat, ground pork meat, Jew's ear mushroom, and vermicelli) or both. SONG XANH CRUISE
It can be found almost everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces, from street stalls with plastic stools and tables to fancy air-conditioned restaurants.
2. Kuy teav

There are around 20 different versions of hủ tiếu (kuy teav) – a noodle soup consisting of rice noodles with pork stock and toppings – in HCMC.
The most famous ones are hủ tiếu Nam Vang (Phnom Penh rice noodle soup), hủ tiếu sa tế (Chinatown satay noodle soup) and hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho (My Tho rice noodle soup).
There is also a dry version (without soup and with sauce) of kuy teav. Alova Gold Cruise
3. Bánh mì

Bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) is so famous that it has entered the Oxford English Dictionary. It defines bánh mì as "a Vietnamese snack consisting of a baguette (traditionally baked with both rice and wheat flour) filled with a variety of ingredients, typically including meat, pickled vegetables, and chili peppers."
The best bánh mì should be grilled over coals, with the crispy shell filled with meat, crunchy pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs, smeared with mayonnaise and pâté, and seasoned with a few drops of soy sauce and a spicy chili condiment. travel South Vietnam
Saigonese have many choices of filling for bánh mì -- like thịt nướng (grilled pork), xíu mại (Chinese meatballs known as shu mai in Chinese), and chả cá (deep-fried fish paste).
4. Fried rice flour cakes

Top 10 Saigon foods you should not miss

Bột chiên (fried rice flour cakes) is a dish that originated in China and has become a popular street snack in Saigon.
It is made from rice flour cakes chopped into chunky squares and fried in a large flat pan with whipped eggs and green onion.
It’s served crisp with a sweet rice vinegar and soy sauce concoction and some shredded pickled young papaya and carrot to cool down the dish.
5. Mixed rice paper

Bánh tráng trộn (mixed rice paper) is the favorite snack of teenagers in Saigon. It is like a salad made of shredded rice paper mixed with jerky, dried shrimps, roasted peanuts, boiled quail eggs, shredded mangoes, fried onions, and herbs.
It is seasoned with chili sauce, salt, cashew oil, and onion oil until it is sour, spicy, salty, and sweet at the same time.
The dish can be found anywhere in Saigon but the most famous street for bánh tráng trộn is Nguyen Thuong Hien in District 3.
6. Papaya salad

Gỏi đu đủ (papaya salad) is made of shredded papaya, rice crackers, sliced jerky, roasted peanuts, and herbs seasoned with chili sauce.
It is usually sold on carts pulled by street vendors. The most famous spot to buy this dish is in front of Le Van Tam Park on Hai Ba Trung Street.
7. Pork and shrimp rolls

Gỏi cuốn (pork and shrimp rolls) is one of the healthiest snacks in Saigon. It is made of tightly wrapped rice paper bundles filled with sliced pork, shrimp, vermicelli noodles, herbs, and vegetables. A Hoisin sauce topped with crushed peanuts and chili is often served on the side for dipping.
8. Phá lấu

Phá lấu is pig/cow intestines boiled down to a soft texture in a salty broth. It can be served with bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich) or noodles.
9. Sweet soup

Chè (sweet soup) is the perfect dessert in always-hot Saigon. There are a myriad of sweet soups differentiated by origin, taste or ingredients.
10. Snails

If one comes to Saigon for the first time, chances are they will be invited first to a coffee shop and then to an ốc (snail) eatery.
Saigon is famous for many kinds of snails and diverse styles of cooking.

How to Spend a Weekend in Hanoi, Vietnam

Iconic image of Vietnam, with tea-pickers dressed in local conical hats

There are so many things to see in Hanoi and the real question is not ‘How to spend a weekend in Hanoi” but how much can be possibly be fitted into one weekend?

A good place to begin is the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex. This attraction was developed around a old French palace. The first unique feature is having to enter the museum passing through a rigorous security system. Guards ensure visitors do not stray from the accepted area during tours that can require several hours if all areas are visited. The first area, devoted to Ho Chi Minh photos and biographical information has explanatory data in English, French and Vietnamese. Classic North Package 7 days

The next area contains the body of Ho Chi Minh. Upon entering here, visitors are given a list of rules that must be strictly observed including no photography allowed. Visitors are required to leave such equipment at a check-point. Guards have authority to issue warnings and/or escort offenders out of the mausoleum. Guests are encouraged not to miss a massive statue of Ho Chi Minh located on the fourth floor. Huong Hai Sealife

Continuing around the complex, visitors pass the palace, not open to the public, but are allowed to enter and photograph Ho Bungalow which is a wooden structure on a stilt base. One highlight of this area is viewing the presidential vehicle collection.

How to Spend a Weekend in Hanoi, Vietnam

A very popular site within the complex is One Pillar Pagoda. This Gothic-style edifice was erected in 1049, only to be almost totally destroyed when set on fire by the French in 1884. Restored around 1955, the pagoda was originally created by Emperor Ly Thai To to honour the mercy goddess, Quan An. The base of One Pillar Pagoda is situated in a lotus pond. JAHAN CRUISE

One must-see during a weekend in Hanoi is St. Joseph’s Cathedral erected in 1887. The church was closed for 10 years (1975-1985) during the North/South Vietnamese reunification period. This massive structure, flanked by two towers, dominates the entire city. Whether entering the cathedral or electing to walk around it, visitors are treated to breathtaking stained-glass windows and beautiful paintings of Christ on the outer walls. At Christmas, the courtyard becomes a festival site complete with vendors selling refreshments including a confection resembling cotton candy.

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Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword) is definitely a not-to-be-missed site. According to legend, Emperor Le Loi encountered a giant tortoise while boating on the lake. The tortoise gave him a gigantic sword and a set of directions he was to follow regarding this sword. After defeating his enemies and returning the sword to the tortoise, the emperor erected a pagoda out in the lake to honour the tortoise. While no visits are allowed at this particular pagoda, a similar site, Ngoc San Pagoda, is open to the public. This pagoda whose name means ‘Bridge of the Rising Sun’ is entered by crossing a red wooden swinging bridge. Ngoc San Pagoda honours various Vietnamese forefathers.

One place of special significance to Americans is Hoa Lo Prison, more familiarly-known as the Hanoi Hilton, dating back to 1896. Among many military personnel incarcerated at this facility was current Arizona Senator John McCain. Exhibits in the prison include McCain’s flight suit and photos depicting his capture. One eerie, up-close-and-personal experience is afforded by seeing the guillotine where many prisoners met their death.

History and military buffs must also see Viet Nam Women’s Museum housing exhibits including feminine accounts of life in a tunnel located under the DMZ. Also on display are implements and outfits worn by women soldiers fighting alongside North Vietnamese male soldiers.