Last updated March 2025 | Words and photos by Martin Misiak

Martin Misiak is a veteran science teacher born in New York City but based in Saigon since 2019. He grew up moving frequently, shaping his appreciation of history, travel and diverse cultures. An active meddler in analog everything – from cars and motorcycles to cameras – his photos and writing have featured in a variety of online magazines. Having visited most of Vietnam’s iconic sites, he now looks forward to discovering lesser-known destinations, aspiring to do them justice in pictures and prose.

For most of the year, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is just too darn hot, humid, busy and polluted to enjoy during the daylight hours. At night, however, temperatures are cool, humidity is low, traffic is light and even the air quality seems to improve: it’s the perfect time to see the city. After dark, when the office workers, the revellers and the tourists have all gone home, Ho Chi Minh City is still there: all its famous buildings still standing, its waterways still flowing, and even some of its markets and street food vendors still doing business. Like all great cities, Ho Chi Minh never really sleeps. Night is also the only time that you can truly enjoy riding a motorbike in the city. In the small hours, it’s possible to leisurely roll down the city’s wide, tree-lined boulevards, meander along its waterside avenues and glide over its many shiny new bridges. At night, Ho Chi Minh is a beautiful and easily traversed city. The following guide is an urban route designed specifically for riding after dark, called the Midnight Motorbike Loop. 

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MIDNIGHT MOTORBIKE LOOP

An Urban Route Designed for Riding After Dark

The Midnight Motorbike Loop consists of two urban routes designed to be ridden at night. The South Loop (blue line) and the North Loop (red line) can be ridden separately or combined to create one full night out on two wheels. Each loop takes approximately 2.5-3 hours to ride. The South Loop is perhaps the calmer and easier to ride of the two and highlights many of the newly developed areas of the city, while the North Loop winds through frenetic, older parts of the city with their familiar landmarks and raucous din. In the descriptions, I’ve separated each loop into sections according to the city districts they pass through, and I’ve included information about places of interest along the way.

A good time to start is 9pm (or later), when the city’s traffic begins to dissipate. Rainy season nights (May-October) are damp and cool, and flickers of lightning dramatically illuminate the city skyline, but it can also be clammy. Dry season nights (November-April) are pleasant and mild. The Midnight Motorbike Loop should be treated as a night out: something to be enjoyed, in good company, at a leisurely pace. Ride with a pillion – friend, partner, family member – stop for food and drink every now and then, and just enjoy the ride and the city, because this is the only time you’ll get to see and appreciate Ho Chi Minh City on your own terms, at your own pace. (If you enjoy this guide, please support the site. And for similar posts, see Related Guides.) 

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CONTENTS:

Route Map

South Loop

Section 1: Thủ Thiêm Ward

Section 2: District 4

Section 3: District 7

Section 4: Districts 8, 1, Bình Chánh & Bình Thạnh

North Loop

Section 1: Districts 1, 3 & Phú Nhuận

Section 2: Districts 5 & 10

Section 3: District 1

Related Guides

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ROUTE MAP:

Midnight Motorbike Loop, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Blue Line: South Loop | Red Line: North Loop

*Road Safety & Disclaimer: Riding a motorbike in Vietnam – or anywhere in the world – has its dangers. I would hope & expect anyone who chooses to pursue a self-drive road trip based on the information on this website does so with care, respect & due diligence. I encourage careful riding & adherence to road rules, but I am not responsible for the legality or manner in which you ride, nor any negative consequences which may result from your decision to ride a motorbike in Vietnam: you do so at your own risk. Read more >

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South Loop: Section 1

Route: Thủ Thiêm Bridge→Saigon Riverside Park→Thủ Thiêm Tunnel

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The South Loop begins at the north end of Thủ Thiêm Bridge. Once known as ‘Lovers’ Bridge’ (because of the number of couples snuggling on the curbside in the evenings, until they were shooed away by authorities), this 2008 piece of infrastructure crosses the wide arm of the Saigon River, affording some of the best and most-photographed views of the city skyline. At night, with the galaxy of office lights flickering in the city’s high-rises, it’s an impressive vista.

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Ride across the bridge and through the new condo apartment blocks of Thủ Thiêm Ward, until the road hits the Mai Chí Thọ Expressway. Turn right onto this multi-lane thoroughfare and enjoy the space and freedom of having a freeway almost all to yourself (depending on how late at night it is). The lights and ever-growing skyline of downtown District 1 can be seen ahead of you across the river.

Bear right at the toll-booths before the entrance to the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel on a slip road leading to the so-new-it’s-not-totally-completed Saigon Riverfront Park. Another popular haunt for young lovers, the views across the waterway to District 1 are superb. There’s inexpensive (5,000vnđ) parking here, so if you’re so inclined you can hop off your bike and walk along the riverfront, following the road around to the right, across a little bridge, until it leads to three colossal, floodlit advertising billboards. These huge structures stand on a grassy bank, dwarfing the small groups of picnickers sitting below them, as they bathe in their nuclear-powered LEDs. They are strong enough to easily illuminate the downtown buildings across the river.

If you continue to walk along the riverfront, you’ll pass the new Saigon Waterbus Thủ Thiêm station, eventually see the glowing pillars of Ba Sơn Bridge before you, and enter something of a permanent, family-oriented carnival area with a smattering of cafes, bars, restaurants and snack carts. Take a peek and then head back to your bike to continue on the loop.

Backtrack to the Mai Chí Thọ Expressway and the tunnel entrance. Bear in mind that the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel closes to motorbike traffic from 11pm to 4am daily, so make sure you get back to the tunnel entrance before this time. Pass through the toll-booths (motorbikes go free) and glide beneath the Saigon River on this spooky, subterranean road – the longest river tunnel (according to some sources) in Southeast Asia – until it emerges out the other side, in District 1.

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South Loop: Section 2

Route: Bến Nghé Channel→Móng Bridge→District 4 food streets

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Emerging from the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel in District 1, the Võ Văn Kiệt Expressway follows the course of the Bến Nghé Channel. Acting as a kind of ring road, bypassing the smaller, clogged streets of downtown Ho Chi Minh City, this expressway was opened a decade ago. Although not especially scenic, it’s a multi-lane freeway that, even during the day, is fun to ride. At night, with the lights of the city reflected in the channel and the air cooled by the presence of the waterway, Võ Văn Kiệt is one of the most pleasurable riding roads in the city. Open the taps a little and watch the city slide by: the illuminated high-rise offices of District 1 to the right, and the generic apartment blocks, across the channel in District 4, to the left.

Turn off Võ Văn Kiệt just before the Nguyễn Văn Cừ Bridge and then double-back in order to cross this same bridge over the Bến Nghé Channel and down into District 4. This district is actually an island, formed by two creeks – one to the north and one to the south – and the Saigon River to the east. This is most apparent when crossing the multi-tentacled Nguyễn Văn Cừ Bridge, which straddles the watery junction at the confluence of the Bến Nghé Channel and the Kênh Tẻ Canal.

Follow the south bank of the Bến Nghé Channel on Bến Vân Đồn Street. This side of the channel is more scenic, with an attractive, tree-lined, bankside park and plenty of late night quán nhậu (food and beer restaurants) lining the road, if you’re feeling peckish. Not long before Bến Vân Đồn meets the Saigon River, look out for Móng Bridge on the left. Designed by famous French architect Gustave Eiffel in the 1880s, this pretty bridge is a favourite night-time hangout for young Saigonese.

Go all the way to the end of the Bến Nghé Channel and turn right at the Khánh Hội Bridge onto Nguyễn Tất Thành Street, from where you should be able to see the pink, illuminated walls of Nhà Rồng. Now the Hồ Chí Minh Museum, this French-era building was the old customs house. It was here that, as a young man, Uncle Ho set sail in 1911, as a ship’s cook, bound for Europe, Africa and the Americas. He was not to return to his native Vietnam for another 30 years, when here re-entered from the north at Pác Bó Cave. From here, ride west, through the heart of District 4, via the burgeoning street food street of Vĩnh Khánh, then heading due south and crossing the Kênh Tẻ Bridge into District 7.

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South Loop: Section 3

Route: District 7→The Crescent→Panorama Riverside Park→Ông Lớn Bridge

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At the Lotte mart intersection, the half dozen tower blocks of Sunrise City stand tall in the night sky, illuminated in changing garish colours. These towers herald your arrival into District 7’s forest of new apartment blocks. But before plunging into the ‘woods’, take Nguyễn Thị Thập Street east of Lotte Mart. This road offers a little bit of ‘old’ District 7; before the luxury condos and ‘Singaporification’ of the area. You’ll find lots of street buzz here, even at this late hour. Hungry? There’s always something good to eat on Nguyễn Thị Thập Street.

Head south on Nguyễn Lương Bằng, past international hospitals and luxury car showrooms. Then turn right after crossing the Nguyễn Văn Linh Expressway and head towards the The Crescent, a new shopping, dining and luxury residential complex. A popular place to hang out, shop and dine during the daytime, it’s usually totally deserted at night. If you’re a little bit sneaky, it should be possible to ride along the attractive Crescent waterfront promenade, although you may be told (politely) by security guards to leave.

After the Crescent, it’s worth heading back to Nguyễn Lương Bằng and across the Cả Cấm 2 Bridge for a quick detour riding around some of the wealthy new residential areas. These streets are lined with brand new, million-dollar homes. It’s a kind of American Dream compound, where all houses have white picket fences, neat front yards, lawns, expensive cars and neighbourhood security guards on every corner. Many of the homes are so new that they’re still being ‘unwrapped’, and some of them are yet to be occupied. It’s a surreal sight and perhaps one that most travellers would not associate with Ho Chi Minh City.

Head back to the Crescent and move west along the Rạch Đỉa Channel, where some of the modern architecture becomes more striking and less generic. Follow Trần Văn Trà Street along the waterfront. Before its redevelopment, District 7 was mostly swampland, and it is still riddled with creeks, channels and ponds. These bodies of water, combined with the new leafy suburban streets, make riding through District 7 at night a very pleasant, and sometimes quite chilly, experience. There are hardly any street vendors and not much local food of any variety here. Instead, dozens of international food franchises and coffee chains occupy the ground floors of apartment buildings and office complexes. Some of these stay open late and there are also lots of 24 hour convenience stores. It’s a good idea to pick up a snack and a drink and take it away to the attractive Panorama Park on the banks of the Rạch Đỉa Channel.

Rejoin the Nguyễn Văn Linh Expressway – past several gigantic condominium complexes – before taking a quick detour south over the bridge on Nguyễn Hữu Thọ Street. This leads to Nhà Bè District where several mammoth apartment projects have stalled for years, leaving only the empty, 30-storey concrete shells: a haunting and compelling sight at this time of night. Back on Nguyễn Văn Linh heading west, the road passes under the red arches of Ông Lớn Bridge.

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South Loop: Section 4

Route: Bình Chánh District→District 8→Bạch Đằng Riverside Park→Phạm Viết Chánh Street

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Bear right after the Ông Lớn Bridge and ride due north along the lush boulevards of Bình Chánh District. At the Trung Sơn traffic circle there are some great late night eating spots, not least several large, open-air goat restaurants (quán dê).

Continue north on Bá Trạc Street passing through District 8 until it crosses, once again, the Nguyễn Văn Cừ Bridge. After the superior infrastructure of District 7, the roads here can seem narrow, slow and busy. Turn off the bridge back onto the Võ Văn Kiệt Expressway, heading due northeast towards downtown District 1, letting the unmistakable Bitexco financial tower be your beacon.

When Võ Văn Kiệt hits the Saigon River, the road veers north along the river and becomes Tôn Đức Thắng Street. Follow the signs for Cầu Ba Sơn, the city’s newest darling of a bridge (which you saw from the Riverside Park in Section 1 and will be crossing later when following the North Loop). The riverside road passes the iconic Majestic Hotel on one side and the newly renovated Bạch Đằng Park on the other. This is a good place to stop for a break, give your bottom a rest, have a coffee, people watch, and generally take in the buzz of a city block that never stops. 

Back on the road again, continue north on Tôn Đức Thắng which goes under the aforementioned Ba Sơn Bridge, bends to the left and then turns right onto Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh Street. This large thoroughfare takes you to the last stop on the South loop: a short, hip strip of bars and restaurants along Phạm Viết Chánh Street. Here you’ll find a healthy mix of expats and locals socializing and dining on everything from excellent tacos to Italian and New York-style pizza, to sushi, katsu and curry. There are several excellent bars as well, but be prudent, because Vietnam has recently adopted a zero-tolerance blood alcohol level policy for drivers of all vehicles. If you have a thirst for an expertly made cocktail, it might be better to get a taxi back here once you’ve finished the loop instead. 

To get back to Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh Street, you can ride west on Phạm Viết Chánh and then loop down through an underpass filled with graffiti which eventually connects back to the main road, from where it’s a short distance due east to the base of the Thủ Thiêm Bridge, thus completing the South Loop.

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North Loop: Section 1

Route: Ba Sơn Bridge→Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Channel→Lê Văn Tám Park→Turtle Lake

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The North Loop begins at the intersection of Lê Duẩn and Công Xã Paris, at the edge of the handsome and airy Hàn Thuyên Park. In the distance behind you, you’ll see the illuminated gates of Reunification Palace and, to your right, the scaffolded facade of the famous red-brick Notre Dame Cathedral. But resist those sights for now, because you’ll end up there later on the loop. Pass the cathedral heading due north on Lê Duẩn before taking a right onto Tôn Đức Thắng Street. The road widens and ascends a ramp before transforming into Ho Chi Minh City’s newest bridge, Cầu Ba Sơn. 

To get yourself (and your bike) warmed up for the night’s big ride, take a non-committal fling over the Ba Sơn Bridge and back again for no other reason than to enjoy the excellent city views on both sides. The locals will be doing this too, taking endless selfies and being reprimanded by the police for blocking traffic as their haphazardly parked motorbikes clutter the lanes. Look due south and west to see District 1, the Bitexco financial tower and the city’s central business district; look north and east to see the newest residential skyscrapers and what is (at the time of writing, at least) Southeast Asia’s second tallest building, Landmark 81, illuminated in whatever the festive colors du jour might be. 

Having circled back and crossed over the Ba Sơn Bridge again, head northwest on Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street up to the intersection with Điện Biên Phủ and turn right until you see a big roundabout topped with a large (and still functioning) clock. Head straight across the roundabout and onto a bridge over the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè Channel, which winds like a snake through the heart of the city. A hard right after the bridge bends back beneath the bridge and onto Trường Sa Street, which follows the waterway. This channel used to be flanked on both sides with shacks overhanging it; the water filled with all manner of domestic refuse. In the last decade it has undergone intensive clearing, dredging, reconstruction and revitalization, and now positively throbs on both sides with countless cafes, little parks, restaurants, bars and more.

Riding west on Trường Sa it’s time to relax, go with the flow, enjoy the cool night breeze by the waterway and watch the nightlife unfold before you. The twists and turns are enjoyable, as are the dips under suspiciously low bridges – don’t worry, you won’t bump your head, but you may find yourself instinctively ducking just to make sure! After 10-15 minutes of riding you’ll see the Pháp Hoa Pagoda on the bankside, illuminated by red lanterns. This is the point at which you cross over the Lê Văn Sỹ Bridge and double back along the south bank of the channel on Hoàng Sa Street, taking you all the way back to the big clock at the Điện Biên Phủ roundabout.

Moving southwest on Điện Biên Phủ and Võ Thị Sáu streets, past the invitingly tall trees of Lê Văn Tám Park, the route bears southeast on Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street leading to the curious Turtle Lake (Hồ Con Rùa). Featuring a tall, concrete tower that resembles a lotus flower in a brutalist sort of way, it is neither a real lake, nor will you see any turtles, but it is a notorious hub of late-night socializing. Street vendors sell all manner of student-priced fried fare and other snacks, which teen lovers clamor to snap up. Take a quick break before continuing on a long, straight stretch due southwest via Võ Văn Tần Street connecting to the next section: Chinatown.

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North Loop: Section 2

Route: Chinatown→Hải Thượng Lãn Ông herbal street→Thiên Hậu Temple→Hồ Thị Kỷ Flower Market

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On its way southwest towards Chinatown, Võ Văn Tấn Street passes Victory Hotel, built in the late 1960s to house the families of high-ranking US officials during the war, and today probably the only 3-star hotel in the city with a helipad on the roof. Upon reaching Cộng Hòa traffic circle, turn south on Nguễn Văn Cừ until it hits Võ Văn Kiệt Street. Make a right and continue to weave westward along the waterfront. The further up this road you ride, the more often you’ll see the crumbling remains of old warehouses. These were (and, in some cases, still are) used to store produce shipped up the channel from the fertile lands of the Mekong Delta, to be sold in the markets of Ho Chi Minh City.

Turn right onto Nguyễn Tri Phương Street and then left onto Trần Hưng Đạo. This is now Chinatown proper, and even at this late hour it’s still abuzz with activity. However, the later you get here the better, because there are a lot of hidden architectural gems and fascinating minutiae on roads like Trần Hưng Đạo: the less traffic there is, the more freedom and time you’ll have to take it all in, without hundreds of vehicles rushing around you.

Turn left onto Châu Văn Liêm Street, which leads down to a busy traffic circle presided over by a statue of Phan Đình Phùng, a Vietnamese hero who led a resistance against French colonialism in Central Vietnam in the 1880s. If you drive slowly here and look around, you’ll see that you’re surrounded by the impressive facades of French colonial buildings in various states of disrepair – some crumbling, iron bars in the windows, ancient shutters hanging from hinges, and all manner of greenery impossibly growing from the very bricks and shingles. You could be forgiven for thinking you might be in Old Havana. Some of the shophouses, however, are wonderfully renovated and still house functioning businesses. Veer east of the statue onto the wide Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Street. Named after a famous 18^th century medical scholar, this street is lined with herbal chemists and, even at night, it’s filled with the strange and seductive aromas of herbal remedies.

Loop back around to the statue of Phan Đình Phùng, and start west along the other end of Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Street. This bustling dual carriageway is divided by a median of grass and trees, where a statue of Confucius stands watch over the street’s activities. You won’t go hungry here: there are many street food vendors open late into the night, including ones serving súp óc heo – pig brain soup, a much-loved delicacy of Chinatown’s student population.

Take Phú Hữu Street north until it hits Hồng Bàng, a wide boulevard lined with old trees and landscaped, in the middle, with tropical flowers, including fragrant, porcelain-white frangipani bushes, which scent the night air. Going east on Hồng Bàng, you can’t help but notice the three, 33-storey, green tower blocks of Thuận Kiều Plaza, which lay deserted for decades after completion, partly due to financial mismanagement, and partly due to….ghosts. According to popular local legend, the towers are haunted by the spirits of a murdered girlfriend and labourers who perished during its construction.

Zigzag south and parallel to Hồng Bàng on Lão Tử and Nguyễn Trãi streets, passing on the way Ôn Lăng Pagoda and Thiên Hậu Temple, respectively. Both of these 19^th century Buddhist sanctuaries are closed at night but are well illuminated. Stop for a drink at the night vendor right outside Thiên Hậu Temple, with its intricately carved and splendidly detailed facade just a few metres away.

Back on Hồng Bàng Street, the road name changes to An Dương Vương just as it passes by the 1920s Jeanne D’Arc Church on the left. From here, it’s a straight shot via Trần Phú Street all the way to the Night Flower Market on Hồ Thị Kỷ Street. This narrow road is a bustling street food area, but late at night it’s transformed into a colourful hive of activity, as flowers arrive by the truckload from the highland city of Dalat. The later you get here the better – the flowers don’t really start to flood the street until well after midnight. But, even if you arrive early, there are still plenty of flower stalls and street food to keep you occupied.

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North Loop: Section 3

Route: Bùi Viện ‘backpacker quarter’→Bến Thành Market→Tao Đàn Park→Notre Dame→Opera House

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From Hồ Thị Kỷ Street flower market start heading east towards District 1 via Lý Thái Tổ, Nguyễn Văn Cừ and Nguyễn Trãi streets. The latter offers some late night snacks in the form of roadside noodle soups. Enter Ho Chi Minh City’s famous backpacker area via Phạm Ngũ Lão Street, passing alongside 23 Tháng 9 Park. You’ll know you’ve arrived by the number of ‘girlie bars’ lining the streets. The area has long had a seedy side, but in recent years it’s gentrified, especially along Bùi Viện Street, which is where most of the late night action takes place. The bars are smarter, food and drink is better, and the crowd – a youthful mix of Western backpackers, Northeast Asian independent travellers, and trendy Vietnamese – is the most diverse in the city. Bùi Viện gets going late and stays up all night: the street is thronged with revellers into the small hours. It’s a good place to stop and soak up the atmosphere. However, Bùi Viện is closed to traffic on most evenings, so you’ll need to dismount your bike and enter from Đề Thám Street.

Back on the road, ride northeast to the famous traffic circle in front of Bến Thành Market before ploughing northwards on Trương Định Street, which runs straight through Tao Đàn Park. Lined with enormous tropical trees, there’s also a spooky sculpture garden here that’s worth a quick look. Turn right onto Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street, one of the city’s major thoroughfares, choked during the daytime but gloriously empty at night. As it passes behind the back of the Reunification Palace gardens, the air is damp and scented with night-blooming flowers. At night, the palace itself is in darkness; only its iconic gates are illuminated.

The grand Lê Duẩn boulevard leads from the Reunification Palace gates to Notre Dame Cathedral. Sitting in the middle of Paris Commune Plaza (Công Xã Paris), the cathedral has been under renovation for at least 5 years but, even at this time of night and under these conditions, there are still people taking photos of themselves in front of the grand facade. Across the plaza, ,the yellow ochre walls of the famous Saigon Post Office glow in the dark (albeit next to a McDonald’s outlet).

You are now essentially back to where you started the North Loop, but you haven’t finished just yet! Take Công Xã Paris to Đồng Khởi Street heading due southeast towards the river. This is one of the city’s most affluent avenues, boasting chic boutiques, five-star hotels, and stamped with a double monument to modern Vietnamese consumerism: two Vincom shopping centres, one on either side. Halfway down Đồng Khởi, the splendidly handsome (and beautifully lit) combination of the Continental Hotel and the Opera House can’t fail to catch your eye. The street ends near the riverfront with the elaborate facade of the Majestic Hotel..

Double back on yourself, heading northwest on Nguyễn Huệ, the city centre’s designated Walking Street. Opened in April 2015, the pedestrian walkway has proved a hit with foreign visitors and locals alike. Presided over by two of the city’s new and old architectural icons – the soaring Bitexco Financial Tower to the south, and the wedding cake edifice of the Hôtel de Ville City Hall to the north – the Walking Street attracts a young crowd (yes, even in the small hours) brandishing rollerblades, hoverboards, acoustic guitars and snacks. Turn left past the Hôtel de Ville and north up Pasteur Street, weaving back to Notre Dame Cathedral, thus completing the North Loop.

*Disclosure: Vietnam Coracle content is always free and independent. Martin has written this guide because he wants to: he likes this route and he wants readers to know about it. For more details, see the Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page

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