Ho Chi Minh City Districts Explained: What Each Zone Is For and Where to Stay
Since 1 July 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has no districts on paper, yet everyone in the street still says District 1. This guide gives you both maps: the new wards printed on your hotel invoice, and the old districts your driver understands. Then it tells you which zone fits your trip.
- 22 districts until July 2025, none since. Wards report directly to the city.
- 168 units: 113 wards, 54 communes and the special zone of Con Dao.
- Old names still rule. Drivers and booking sites say District 1; hotels often print Sai Gon ward.
- Thao Dien is not a ward. It sits inside An Khanh ward.
- First visit: District 1. Families: District 7 or Thao Dien.
How Many Districts Does Ho Chi Minh City Have in 2026?
Until June 2025, the answer was 22, counting Thu Duc City. Since 1 July 2025, the official answer is none. Vietnam removed the district tier, and the city's wards now report directly to the city.
The city also grew. It absorbed Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and now covers about 6,700 km² with more than 14 million people, against 9.9 million before the merger.
The 168 units split into 113 wards, 54 communes and one special zone, Con Dao. The 102 that sit inside the old city boundary are the ones most visitors will ever see.
So why does every driver still talk about districts? A name used for decades does not vanish with a resolution. In daily life, District 1 is still District 1. This guide uses the old names for that reason, with the new ward names beside them.
The 2025 Reform in One Minute
Two resolutions, four days apart, redrew the national map.
- 112 June 2025
Resolution 202/2025/QH15
Vietnam goes from 63 provinces and cities to 34. Ho Chi Minh City merges with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
- 216 June 2025
Resolution 203/2025/QH15
The Constitution is amended to remove the district tier. Nationwide, 696 district units are abolished.
- 330 June 2025
The ceremony
A ceremony marks the launch of the merged city.
- 41 July 2025
The new map takes effect
The two-tier system goes live: wards and communes report directly to the city.
Old District, New Ward: The Table Visitors Need
No other guide prints this table. It covers the ten old districts where visitors stay, eat and ride.
| Old name, still used | New wards since 1 July 2025 | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Sai Gon, Ben Thanh, Tan Dinh, Cau Ong Lanh | Sai Gon ward is the Dong Khoi, Nguyen Hue and Opera House core |
| District 3 | Ban Co, Xuan Hoa, Nhieu Loc | Tree-lined streets, local cafes |
| District 4 | Vinh Hoi, Khanh Hoi, Xom Chieu | Vinh Khanh seafood street |
| District 5 | Cho Lon, An Dong, Cho Quan | Cholon, the Chinatown |
| District 7 | Tan Thuan, Phu Thuan, Tan Hung, Tan My | Phu My Hung spans Tan My and Tan Hung |
| District 10 | Vuon Lai, Dien Hong, Hoa Hung | Often called an extension of District 5 |
| Binh Thanh | Binh Thanh, Gia Dinh, Binh Loi Trung, Thanh My Tay, Binh Quoi | Landmark 81 |
| Phu Nhuan | Phu Nhuan, Duc Nhuan, Cau Kieu | Phan Xich Long food street |
| Tan Binh | Bay Hien, Tan Binh, Tan Hoa, Tan Son, Tan Son Hoa, Tan Son Nhat | The airport is in Tan Son Nhat ward |
| Thu Duc City, including old District 2 | An Khanh, Binh Trung, Cat Lai, Hiep Binh, Linh Xuan, Long Binh, Long Phuoc, Long Truong, Phuoc Long, Tam Binh, Thu Duc, Tang Nhon Phu | Thao Dien is inside An Khanh |
The sentence to remember: locals still say District 1, and hotels often show both. Your reservation can read District 1 while the front desk card says Sai Gon ward. It is the same street.
Old addresses carry older ward names too. Sai Gon ward took in all of Ben Nghe and parts of Da Kao and Nguyen Thai Binh. A pre-2025 card that says Ben Nghe now means Sai Gon ward.
Give the old district to your driver, and keep the ward for anything official.
The Zones, One by One
Ten zones cover almost everything a visitor does.
District 1: the walkable centre
Colonial buildings, the riverside, and the Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue axis. It is the most walkable part of the city, and it is safe. The one stretch to leave alone is the Bach Dang riverside after midnight.
District 1 also holds Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien, the backpacker quarter, and the market our Ben Thanh Market guide covers stall by stall.
District 3: the quieter neighbour
Tree-lined streets and local cafes, a 15-minute walk from District 1. You get the centre within reach, at prices 15 to 25% lower.
District 4: Vinh Khanh and a changed reputation
The smallest district, about 4 km². It was once notorious for its gangs. That picture is out of date: the area has changed and is safe today. People come for Vinh Khanh seafood street, about 2 km from Ben Thanh. It has few hotels. Our street food guide covers what to order.
District 5: Cholon
The Chinatown, with Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Temple. Almost no tourists stay here, and little English is spoken. Have your destination written in Vietnamese before you set off.
District 7: Phu My Hung
A planned district with parks, a Koreatown, Crescent Mall and Starlight Bridge. It suits families and stays of a month or more. The trade-off is distance: 7.5 to 10 km from the centre, 20 to 40 minutes by car.
Thao Dien, inside An Khanh ward
The expat quarter: leafy, English widely spoken, and noticeably safer at night. It sits about 7 km from the centre, and Metro Line 1 stops at Thao Dien station.
Binh Thanh: Landmark 81 and rough edges
Home to Landmark 81, which rises to 461.2 m. Its SkyView deck, on floors 79 to 81, costs 300,000 VND for an adult on weekdays and 500,000 VND at weekends. Binh Quoi village sits on the Thanh Da peninsula. The rest of the district is rougher around the edges, 6 km and 15 to 25 minutes from the centre.
Phu Nhuan: Phan Xich Long
A district 4.7 km north-west of the centre, known for the Phan Xich Long food street. About 15 minutes by bike.
Tan Binh: the airport district
Tan Son Nhat airport sits here, with Hoang Van Thu Park 2 km from the terminal. As a base for sightseeing, it is far: 7 km to the centre, 45 to 60 minutes in traffic.
District 10: cheap eating
Often described as an extension of District 5, with cheap eateries, Viet Nam Quoc Tu and Thong Nhat Stadium. It lies 3 to 4 km from the centre.
Seeing several zones in one evening is easiest on two wheels: our street food tour crosses five districts, with a local woman guide doing the driving.
Where to Stay, by Traveller
One criterion usually decides: walking for a first visit, quiet streets and a pool for a family, a short way home for a solo traveller.
District 1, Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue
The most walkable area, safe, every budget from about $10 to $210 a night.
See District 1
District 7 or Thao Dien
Quieter streets, parks, apartments with pools and playgrounds.
See District 7
District 1, District 3 or Thao Dien
The areas recommended to women travelling alone.
Read the tips
District 7, Phu My Hung
Serviced apartments from about $490 a month.
See District 7
Across the city, budget rooms run $5 to $25 a night, mid-range $55 to $70, and luxury $120 to $350. October is the cheapest month; December to March is peak season. Our guide to where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City goes zone by zone, and explains what our hotel pickup covers.
| Zone | Per night, 2026 | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| District 1, riverside core | $10 to $210; Caravelle $180, Park Hyatt $259, Sheraton $350 | Suits first-timers and couples |
| Ben Thanh area | 3-star $25 to $35; 4-star $55 to $70 | Fusion Original, Silverland |
| Pham Ngu Lao, Bui Vien | Hostels $9.50 to $10 | Suits solo travellers in their 20s and 30s, not families |
| District 3 | 3 to 4-star $18 to $40 | 15 to 25% cheaper than District 1 |
| District 5, Cholon | $11 to $77; about $29 near Cholon Mosque | Little English spoken |
| District 7, Phu My Hung | $13 to $71; Novotel Living $65 | Suits families and month-plus stays |
| Thao Dien | $19 to $108 | Metro station, English widely spoken |
| Binh Thanh | Average $67 to $96; Vinpearl Landmark 81 $180 | 6 km from the centre |
| Phu Nhuan | Average about $56 | Phan Xich Long food street |
| Tan Binh, airport | $12 to $109; capsules $15, Ibis Airport $40 | 45 to 60 min to the centre in traffic |
| District 10 | Average about $24 | Cheap eateries |
Bui Vien walking street closes to traffic Friday to Sunday, about 7 PM to 2 AM, peaking 9 to 11 PM. It is very loud.
Solo female travellers
Violent crime is rare. The main risk is a phone or bag snatched from a passing motorbike, most often around Ben Thanh, Bui Vien, Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi.
- Carry your bag on the side away from traffic, and never put it in a bike-taxi basket.
- Stay in District 1, District 3 or Thao Dien. Common Room Project has a female dorm; Vintage Emporium is in Thao Dien.
- Bui Vien gets uncomfortable after midnight, and some of its budget guesthouses have had break-ins. After 10 PM, take a Grab home, address written in Vietnamese.
Our honest safety guide, written by a local woman, goes further. For money, etiquette and packing, see our 40 travel tips for Ho Chi Minh City.
Getting Around Between Districts
From the airport, a GrabCar costs 150,000 to 250,000 VND. A GrabBike costs 90,000 to 140,000 VND, one passenger only.
Two buses cost far less. The 109 costs 15,000 VND, runs until about 11:45 PM and goes via Ben Thanh to 23/9 Park by Pham Ngu Lao. The 152 costs 7,000 VND, or 14,000 VND with a large case, and runs to Ben Thanh every 15 to 20 minutes, from 5:15 AM to about 7 PM.
Metro Line 1 opened on 22 December 2024. It runs 19.7 km, from Ben Thanh via the Opera House, Ba Son, Van Thanh Park, Tan Cang, Thao Dien and An Phu out to Suoi Tien. A ride costs 7,000 to 20,000 VND. A 1-day pass is 40,000 VND.
Between zones, Grab is the default. These bike fares from the centre are mostly our estimates, computed from September 2026 Grab rates.
| To | Distance, time | GrabBike, estimate |
|---|---|---|
| District 4, Vinh Khanh | About 2 km, 10 min | 20,000 to 25,000 VND |
| District 3 | About 3 km | 18,000 to 25,000 VND |
| District 10 | 3 to 4 km | 20,000 to 35,000 VND |
| Phu Nhuan | 4.7 km, about 15 min | 25,000 to 40,000 VND |
| Binh Thanh | 6 km, 15 to 25 min | 25,000 to 40,000 VND |
| Thao Dien | About 7 km | 35,000 to 60,000 VND; car 90,000 to 140,000 |
| District 5, Binh Tay Market | About 8 km, 15 to 20 min | About 50,000 VND |
| District 7 | 7.5 to 10 km, 20 to 40 min | 45,000 to 60,000 VND |
To cover several zones in one go, ride with us. The 4-hour motorbike city tour links eight landmarks, and the Saigon night tour covers eight stops in three hours. For sights grouped by area, see our local guide to things to do, and for the evenings, Ho Chi Minh City after dark.
Questions we get on the bike
It had 22, including Thu Duc City, until June 2025. Since 1 July 2025 it has none: the city is divided into 113 wards, 54 communes and the special zone of Con Dao. People still use the old district names.
Official addresses switched to ward names on 1 July 2025, while booking sites often still say District 1. Sai Gon ward is the Dong Khoi, Nguyen Hue and Opera House core of District 1.
District 1. It is the most walkable and safe, with rooms from about $10 to $210 a night. District 3 is 15 minutes on foot and 15 to 25% cheaper.
For women travelling alone, the recommended areas are District 1, District 3 and Thao Dien, which is noticeably safer at night. Violent crime is rare; the main risk is phone and bag snatching from motorbikes.
Yes. It was once notorious for gangs, but it has changed and is safe today. Its best-known address is Vinh Khanh seafood street.
As a neighbourhood name, yes. As an administrative unit, no: it was merged into An Khanh ward. Metro Line 1 has a Thao Dien station.
Clara grew up just outside Saigon and moved to the city five years ago to study. She has been riding its streets ever since. Most evenings you’ll find her leading our night rides, usually with a bowl of snails waiting at the end. Everything in this guide is what she tells her own guests before the first stop.
See the districts from the back of a motorbike
Four hours, 8:30 AM or 1:30 PM, hotel pickup in former Districts 1, 2 and 3. Free cancellation up to 24 hours, no deposit, pay on the day.
