Ride-hailing apps
Grab and Be book cars and motorbike taxis with the fare shown before you confirm. Show the driver our Vietnamese address card if the pin is off.
Saigon, street by street.
Today's exchange rate, how far the Mekong and the islands are, the cơm tấm, bánh xèo and Chợ Lớn noodles locals queue for, and a pocket map for walking or riding pillion. From Toward Local's Saigon hosts, with every address checked on Google Maps in September 2026.
You don't visit Saigon. You unlock it.
The District 1 loop
4.1 km · 9 stops · about 1 hour of walking
Walk it with the map →
4.1 km · 9 stops · about 1 hour of walking
- Right now in Saigon
- --:-- · …Loading what locals are doing at this hour…
- Vietcombank rate today
- 1 USD = …Counters pay less for worn or torn notes
- Weather this month
- …
- WhatsApp a local
- +84 334 370 563Mr Tim · we usually reply within a few hours
Money, distances and the right season
Three things to sort before your first bowl of phở: what your cash is worth, how long the road trips take, and which months each place is at its best.
Today's exchange guide
Vietnam uses the đồng (VND, ₫)
Rates below are Vietcombank's cash buying rates, the price one of Vietnam's biggest banks pays for foreign banknotes today.
Expect a little less at the counter. Exchange counters, hotels and gold shops check every note. Torn, taped, stained or written-on bills, very worn notes and older series are bought below this rate, and badly damaged ones can be refused. Bring clean, recent notes.
USD
At the Vietcombank rate: …Counters pay less for worn or damaged notes.
₫
That's about …
Know your notes
Changing and spending
- Change cash at banks, the airport or licensed exchange counters, and keep the receipt.
- Crisp notes get the best rate. Keep your cash flat and dry, and don't write on it.
- ATMs are everywhere. Most charge a fee per withdrawal, and your home bank may add its own.
- Cards and QR payments work in malls, hotels and many cafés. Street stalls and markets want cash.
- The 20,000₫ and 500,000₫ notes are both blue. Count the zeros before you hand one over.
How far from Saigon, and when to go
Road distances measured from District 1 on OpenStreetMap
By road
Fast boat
Best months
Good, with some rain
Wet or rough seas
Special season (see notes)
Times are by car or coach on today's expressways and add up at weekends and holidays. Boat times are the operators' published crossing times; seas close routes in bad weather, so keep a spare day on either side of an island trip.
Getting around Saigon
Metro Line 1 & the river bus
The metro runs from Bến Thành to Suối Tiên, 6,000–20,000₫ a ride. The Saigon Waterbus leaves Bạch Đằng pier on the river, 15,000₫ a ride.
Ride as a passenger
An International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 convention isn't valid in Vietnam, and riding without a valid licence can void your travel insurance. Sit behind a licensed local driver instead. Emergency: 113 police · 114 fire · 115 ambulance.
Where Saigon eats
Twenty-four places our hosts send friends to, grouped by what you're craving: broken rice, crispy bánh xèo, grilled-pork noodles, five vegetarian kitchens, the essential noodle soups and a few more classics. Fifteen are in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide. Hours come from each place's Google Maps listing, checked on 29 September 2026.
- DirectionsOpens Google Maps with a route from where you're standing. Tap the motorbike icon for two-wheeler routes.
- Show driverShows the address in large Vietnamese for your Grab or taxi driver.
- On our mapJumps to the pocket map below, with the place highlighted.
- Before you goDownload Saigon for offline use in Google Maps, and carry some cash: street stalls rarely take cards.
Eating in Chinatown
Saigon's Chinese quarter since the 1700s, about 15–20 minutes by motorbike from District 1. Six addresses, from morning dim sum to late sweet soups.
Morning: dim sum at Tiến Phát → Bình Tây Market → Thiên Hậu Temple → chicken rice at Đông Nguyên. Evening: duck noodles at Hải Ký → sweet soups at Tường Phong or Chè Hà Ký.
Go with someone who grew up here. Our Chinatown rides and walks visit the temples, markets and food stalls with a host who orders for you.
Saigon's photo spots, and how to reach them
Twenty places worth the photo, with the best time of day, what it costs and a one-tap route from wherever you're standing. Walking and riding times are estimates from Nguyen Hue Walking Street, the heart of District 1.
Must-try experiences in Saigon
Hands-on workshops, rides most visitors never take, and a few things you can do on your own with a 15,000₫ ticket. Everything marked Toward Local is hosted by our own team.
Hosted by Toward Local
Eat Saigon after dark, from the back of a motorbike
Saigon moves at motorbike speed. Your local driver rides, you sit behind, and the food alleys, night markets and family-run stalls come to you. It's how we'd spend a first night in the city.
- You ride as a passenger. A licensed local driver rides; helmet and rain poncho included.
- Evening pick-up from hotels in central districts, 3–4 hours.
- Stops follow the evening: the weather, the traffic and what's cooking decide the route.
- Prefer daylight? The Must-Try Food Adventure covers the classics by day.
DIY activities
Make it with your own hands, then eat or drink the result.
Unique experiences
Ways of seeing Saigon that most visitors miss.
More rides with a local host
Each one includes hotel pick-up in central districts.
On your own
Checked by our hosts; no booking with us needed.
Prefer not to ride? Try the Hidden Gems Walking Tour, the Foodie & History Tour on Foot or the Foodie Tour by Car. Every Saigon tour is listed on towardlocal.com.
Walk it, or ride it
Two routes drawn on real Saigon streets: a 4 km loop around District 1 on foot, and a 20 km ride out to the flower market, Chợ Lớn and District 4's snail street. Switch to "All places" to see every address on this page. Drag to move, pinch or use the buttons to zoom.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Help us make this guide better
Tell us what worked, what didn't and which places we missed. It goes straight to our team, and we read every message.
Your message
Sent by email to the Toward Local team.
What happens next: one of our hosts reads it. If you asked something, we reply by email or WhatsApp. We visit the places you suggest ourselves before adding them to the guide.
Planning Saigon? Message our hosts.
Toward Local is a small team of local hosts in Saigon, Da Nang and Hội An. Ask about routes, weather, food, or which tour fits your trip. We usually reply within a few hours.
WhatsApp · Mr Tim+84 334 370 563
WhatsApp · Mr Vinh+84 934 146 935
EmailTowardlocal@gmail.com
Websitetowardlocal.com