Things to do on the Saigon River

The Saigon River is the working waterway that curls around District 1, carrying container barges, dinner boats and the daily commute rather than the raft traffic of the Mekong Delta, which lies a separate car journey to the south-west and belongs to another kind of trip entirely.

Along the central bank, promenades near Ton Duc Thang Street and the Ba Son area give walk-up views of the skyline and of Landmark 81 rising across the water in Binh Thanh. Evening cruises leave from piers close to Bach Dang wharf, and the same stretch is used for the fireworks and light displays tied to national holidays.

For the boats themselves, their routes and what a night out on the water actually involves, see our river cruises and shows and nightlife pages rather than this overview.