Thing to do
Ben Thanh Market
The covered market of central Saigon, in its clock-towered building since 1914, selling food, coffee, crafts and clothing, with a night market on the streets outside.
Nguyen Hue Walking Street
A broad pedestrian boulevard running from City Hall to the Saigon River, converted in 2015 and busiest in the evening when families and visitors stroll its length.
At a glance
- Type
- Pedestrian boulevard
- Area
- District 1 (Saigon), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Good to know
- Free
- Car-free central square
- Tet flower street
- Opera House metro station nearby
Why we recommend it
Nguyen Hue Walking Street is the city's grand promenade, a wide pedestrian square stretching from City Hall to the Saigon River waterfront. Its history explains its shape. The boulevard began as the Kinh Lon, or Grand Canal, which linked the old citadel of Saigon to the river. Residents complained about the smell, and after years of debate the canal was filled in during 1886 and 1887 to create the Boulevard Charner. The South Vietnamese government gave it its present name, Nguyen Hue, in 1955.
In 2014 the city decided to turn the central lanes into a pedestrian square, and the work was completed on 29 April 2015. Today traffic still runs along the sides, but on weekend evenings the entire boulevard is closed to vehicles. It is lined with high-rise buildings, restaurants, arcades and boutiques, and the old apartment block at 42 Nguyen Hue is one of several former residential and office buildings in District 1 that now house small shops.
The street comes alive at sundown, when the heat eases and families, couples and groups of friends come out to walk, take photographs and sit on the edges of the square. It is free, open at all hours and suits all ages, and it is one of the easiest places in the city to watch everyday life. During Tet, the lunar new year, the boulevard becomes the setting for the city's flower street, a tradition that began in 2004, when the whole area is decorated and closed to traffic.
There is no need to plan a long visit: an evening stroll of an hour, combined with dinner or a drink nearby, is enough for most people. Arrive in the late afternoon to see City Hall in daylight and stay to watch the buildings light up. Weekends are the liveliest and the most crowded. Keep a hand on your phone and bag in the crowds, and take care crossing the side roads, where motorbikes still run.
Metro Line 1 runs beneath the boulevard, and Opera House station is close by. City Hall stands at the northern end, the Saigon Opera House is a block away on Lam Son Square, and Bitexco Financial Tower, with its Saigon Skydeck, rises near the southern end towards the river.
Nguyen Hue Walking Street FAQs
Is Nguyen Hue Walking Street free?
Yes, it is a public square open to everyone at all hours.
When is it closed to traffic?
The central square is always pedestrian, and on weekend evenings the whole boulevard is closed to vehicles.
When is the best time to visit?
Late afternoon and evening, when the heat eases and the street is at its liveliest.
When did it become a walking street?
The pedestrian square was completed on 29 April 2015.
What was here before?
A canal called the Kinh Lon, filled in during 1886 and 1887 to create a boulevard.
What happens at Tet?
The boulevard hosts the city's flower street, a tradition that began in 2004.
How do I get there?
Opera House station on Metro Line 1 is nearby, and it is a short walk from most District 1 hotels.
What is at each end?
City Hall at the northern end and the Saigon River waterfront at the southern end.