Ho Chi Minh’s Bui Vien Walking Street

By alantvuong on March 2, 2020

Pho Di Bo Bui Vien Walking Street is a main street which is widely known as “backpackers area” of Ho Chi Minh City. This area is in District 1 and is vibrant and bustling with cheap restaurants, bars, shops, hotels, hostels and very loud music. Closed off from vehicles since 2017, this strip offers a great chance to stroll, sit, relax, shop or party at one of the businesses and absorb the local lifestyle and culture.

so busy on this street

Staying Here

Me and three other friends were wanting to book a cheap hotel where all the action was. We wanted a great location that was close to other attractions as well. Researching online for accessible hotels with roll in showers, we booked Rosabella Hotel directly on Bui Vien Street and was surprised to what we saw when we arrived. The hotel had 3 steps to get into the front lobby and the elevator was quite small. Lucky I was in my manual wheelchair and got help from my buddy up the steps and to position properly in the tiny elevator.

there are 3 steps from street level to the front lobby

We knew hotel rooms are generally smaller in Asia, so we had 2 rooms for the 4 of us. My bathroom didn’t even have the roll in shower like we were promised. The room itself was definitely tight for me with my wheelchair but we did not spend much time in here except to sleep. Speaking of sleep, since this budget hotel is directly on a busy street, it was really noisy at night until very late with loud music and people talking outside.

small but decent room

tight bathroom with a big step into the shower

Eating and Drinking Here

With so many food and drink options here, there is something that will excite anyone really. Not only are there authentic Vietnamese food, there is Indian, Italian, Chinese and more. We see everything from small restaurants, to street food vendors to fancier nice looking restaurants everywhere. Prices are typically really cheap here with prices ranging from $5 to $10 USD. Drinks could be had for $1 to $5 so it is easy to stay in this area to get drunk and spend the night here.

restaurant tables and chairs overflow onto the street

Shopping and Services Here

There are many souvenir shops selling affordable gifts ranging from little knick knacks, toys, clothing, shoes and bags. Salons, spas, massage parlors are also everywhere in this area. Again, everything was cheaper here compared to Canadian prices back home. Since all my friends was at a spa having some kind of work done, I joined too and got my first ever pedicure in my life and remember it being very cheap as well.

first time ever getting a pedicure… and really cheap too

Experiencing the Walking Street

Since our hotel was right on Bui Vien Street we got to hang out there everyday for the first part of our Vietnam trip. In the day time, the street looks almost completely different. It looks like just a regular busy tourist street. At night, all the lights are on and people sitting around drinking and watching street performers or music acts at mini stages. One night, the 4 of us just smoked shisha, drank and watched people go by. We saw lots of rowdy drunk people, motorbikes and scooters go by and even working girls here too.

shisha, drinks and people watching on Bui Vien Street

Overall, Bui Vien Street is a great time spending at the backpacker’s district. With cheap eats and drinks, loud music, and with a little bit of sleaze and rowdy people, I highly recommend visiting this little section of Ho Chi Minh. I just wouldn’t stay at a hotel or hostel here if you can’t tolerate noise when sleeping. It was pretty wheelchair accessible just strolling the street but keep in mind that some of the restaurants, shops and bars have steps and are not accessible.