Itinerary

48 Hours of Drinking in Ho Chi Minh City

Friday night to Sunday afternoon. Eight stops, properly sequenced for visiting drinkers.

  1. Stop 01

    Drinking & Healing

    Friday 17:00 — Arrival drink · District 1 · $$$ · Cocktail Bars

    Saigon's most awarded cocktail bar. Drop bags. Find a hotel-adjacent bar within a five-minute walk. Order something simple to anchor yourself to the city.

  2. Stop 03

    The View Rooftop

    Friday 22:00 — Local district drinking · District 1 · $$$ · Rooftop Bars

    26th-floor rooftop bar above the Hotel Bến Thành. Walk into the city's drinking quarter (the heart of the night, not the tourist version). Two drinks, two rooms. Pace yourself — Saturday is the long day.

  3. Stop 06

    Pasteur Street Brewing

    Saturday 22:30 — The destination · District 1 · $$ · Craft Beer

    Saigon's first craft brewery taproom. The bar that made you book the trip. The pre-research one. Reservation-only ideally. Stay until last call.

  4. Stop 08

    Layla

    Sunday 17:00 — Last quiet drink · District 1 · $$$ · Cocktail Bars

    Eatery-and-cocktail-bar with a Mediterranean food menu and a cocktail programme equal to the kitchen. Find the hotel bar at your departure airport equivalent — somewhere quiet, low-volume, well-staffed. End the trip on a martini and a clean conversation.

The plan starts polished on Friday night and peaks Saturday late. We've left Sunday afternoon for recovery, a brunch cocktail, and a quiet last drink before you fly out. Every stop is editor-picked and walkable from at least one of the others.

Total spend across the weekend: roughly £200-£350 per person on drinks alone (not counting food). Reservations are essential at any room flagged 'destination'. Book those first; the rest you can walk to.

Each stop links to the full bar page if you want to dig deeper. Treat timings as guidance — adjust to your pace.

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