A day by a rooftop infinity pool sounds like something reserved for hotel guests, a perk you unlock only after checking in for the night. It is not. At ROOTY Bar, on the fifteenth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, you can buy a day pass and spend the whole afternoon by a 24 metre infinity edge high above central Saigon, no room key required. This guide covers the appeal of a rooftop pool day, then the practical part in full: what the ROOTY day pass costs, exactly what it includes, the hours, and how to plan the day so you make the most of it.

At a glance. ROOTY Bar sits on the fifteenth floor rooftop of The Myst Đồng Khởi at 4-6-8 Hồ Huấn Nghiệp, Phường Sài Gòn, TP.HCM. Non-staying guests are welcome. The pool is open 07:00 to 18:00 daily. A day pass is 375,000++ VND for an adult and 195,000++ VND for a child under 1.3 m, and it includes the pool, the gym, the sauna and the steam bath. The adult ticket also comes with one free drink. To book, call (+84) 888 641 122.

A rooftop pool day, no room key needed

There is a quiet assumption that a hotel pool belongs only to the people staying upstairs. At ROOTY that is not the case. The rooftop welcomes non-staying guests on a day pass, which means a pool afternoon in the centre is open to anyone: someone who lives in the city, a friend visiting for the weekend, a couple who fancy a swim without booking a room, a family looking for somewhere to cool off that is not a public pool.

The idea is simple. You pay for a ticket, you come up, and the fifteenth floor is yours for the day within the pool hours. No overnight stay, no minimum spend beyond the pass itself. It turns a rooftop that most people only picture at night, drink in hand, into a place you can enjoy in full daylight, when the water is the main event rather than the cocktails.

The pool and the view

The pool itself runs 24 metres, long enough to actually swim rather than just stand in, with an infinity edge that drops the water line into the skyline. From the fifteenth floor you look out over the rooftops of central Saigon toward the Saigon River, the kind of outlook that usually costs a night's stay to wake up to. Sun loungers line the deck. You can order from the bar without leaving your seat, and the drink that comes with your ticket is yours to enjoy whenever you like.

What makes it work as a day out, rather than a quick dip, is the height and the calm. Fifteen floors up, the traffic is a distant hum. You swim a few lengths, dry off on a lounger, order a coffee, read for an hour, slide back in when the sun gets warm. It is the rhythm of a resort pool, dropped into the middle of the city. If you want the fuller picture of the rooftop and what it becomes after dark, our ROOTY rooftop bar guide walks through the whole floor.

How the day pass works: price and what is included

The pricing is straightforward, and worth stating plainly. A day pass for an adult is 375,000++ VND per ticket. A day pass for a child under 1.3 m tall is 195,000++ VND per ticket. The "++" means service charge and VAT are added on top, so the final figure on your bill sits a little above the headline number.

Here is what the ticket actually gets you:

• The infinity pool. Full use of the 24 metre rooftop pool and the loungers on the deck, within the pool hours.
• One free drink (adult ticket). The adult day pass includes one drink of your choice: a beer, a coffee, a juice or a soft drink. You do not pay extra for it.
• The gym. Access to the fitness room, if you want to train before or after your swim.
• The sauna. Use of the sauna, part of the same ticket.
• The steam bath. Use of the steam bath as well.

So the pass is not only pool access. For one ticket you get the pool, a drink, the gym, the sauna and the steam bath, which makes a full afternoon of it rather than a single swim. For a family, the child rate under 1.3 m keeps it reasonable to bring the little ones along.

Hours and what to bring

The pool is open 07:00 to 18:00, daily. Note that this is earlier than the bar closes: the water is a daytime pleasure here, and by six in the evening the pool itself winds down while the rooftop shifts into its evening life. Plan around that and the day runs smoothly.

A few practical notes worth having before you come up:

• Come earlier for a lounger. The best spots on the deck go first, especially on a warm weekend afternoon. An earlier arrival gives you the pick of the loungers and the quieter water.
• Bring your swimwear. Pack a swimsuit, and a change of clothes if you plan to stay on into the evening. A towel is on hand at the pool.
• Use your free drink. The adult ticket includes one drink, so there is no need to buy your first coffee or beer. Order it when you settle in, or save it for later in the afternoon.
• Sunset is after pool hours. The pool closes at 18:00, which is before the best of the evening light. If you want the sunset, plan to move from the pool to the bar for that stretch rather than expecting to swim through it.

From the pool to the bar

Because the pool closes at 18:00 and the rooftop keeps going, the natural shape of the day is a swim in the afternoon and a drink as the light turns. You do not have to leave when the pool does. Dry off, change, and the same floor becomes an evening bar with Saigon-inspired cocktails and the city lighting up below you.

It is a genuinely good way to spend a day in the centre, and it lines up with the rest of the rooftop's calendar. On the big nights the view earns its keep: our guide to the National Day fireworks from the rooftop is worth a look if you are timing a visit. And once you are back down at street level, the Saigon riverfront is a short walk away for an evening stroll.

Frequently asked questions

Book a pool day pass at ROOTY

ROOTY Bar sits on the fifteenth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, with a 24 metre infinity pool high over central Saigon and the river beyond. Non-staying guests are welcome, and one ticket covers the pool, a drink, the gym, the sauna and the steam bath. Our team is glad to arrange your day pass.

→ Book a pool day pass at ROOTY, call (+84) 888 641 122

→ Explore ROOTY, the rooftop bar

→ Stay with us and wake above the city

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Every 2 September the city tilts toward the river. Families pack the promenades, motorbikes fill every side street near the water, and by early evening the best of the riverbank is already three deep with people waiting for the National Day fireworks. It is a wonderful, noisy, shared thing to be part of. It is also a lot of standing, jostling and craning your neck. This guide is for anyone who would rather watch the same sky from somewhere calmer: a rooftop above the centre, a drink in hand, a seat that is yours, and a clean line to the fireworks over the water.

At a glance. On 2 September Ho Chi Minh City launches its National Day fireworks over the river toward the Thủ Thiêm side, and the streets along the water grow very crowded. A rooftop bar in the centre offers a private alternative, above the crush, with a table you can reserve. At The Myst Đồng Khởi, ROOTY sits on the fifteenth floor facing the river, the fireworks are visible from the deck, and reservations are taken for the night. Book ahead, as these tables fill fast.

The fireworks, without the crowd

There is no doubt the National Day fireworks are a highlight of the year in Saigon. The problem is never the show. It is everything around it. To hold a decent spot on the riverbank you often need to arrive a couple of hours early, then stand your ground while the crowd thickens behind you. Phones go up. Someone taller drifts in front. When the first shells finally climb, you catch them between shoulders, and when it ends you are folded into a slow river of people all leaving at once.

None of that is a reason to skip the night. It is a reason to change your vantage. Lift yourself a dozen storeys above the street and the whole equation flips. The crowd is a hum somewhere below. The heat eases into a breeze. You are sitting, not shuffling, and the sky is simply open in front of you, with the fireworks reading clean against the dark instead of glimpsed through a forest of raised arms. For a couple, or a small group who want the occasion without the ordeal, a rooftop is the quiet luxury of the evening.

Why a rooftop beats the riverbank on 2/9

Height does most of the work. The National Day fireworks are launched high over the water so that as much of the city as possible can see them, which means the higher and clearer your line of sight, the better the show reads. From street level a building, a tree or a truck can swallow half of it. From a rooftop that faces the river, there is nothing between you and the burst.

Then there is everything a table gives you that a patch of pavement cannot. Somewhere to sit for the whole evening, not just the ten minutes of the finale. A cold drink brought to you rather than queued for. Shade and a breeze while you wait, and no anxious guarding of your spot. You arrive when you like, settle in, and let the night come to you. If any of your group tires of standing, a child, a parent, anyone, a rooftop makes the difference between an endurance test and an easy evening out.

It is worth being honest about one thing. A rooftop trades a little of the ground-level roar for comfort and a clear view. If what you want is to be pressed shoulder to shoulder in the thick of the celebration, the riverbank is unbeatable. If you would rather watch the same fireworks with room to breathe and a seat that is yours, the calculation is easy.

The view from ROOTY

ROOTY is the rooftop bar on the fifteenth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, at 4-6-8 Hồ Huấn Nghiệp in central Saigon. On an ordinary evening it is a place for a slow drink at altitude: a 24-metre infinity pool that seems to spill toward the skyline, Saigon-inspired cocktails, and a long open view across the centre toward the Saigon River and Thủ Thiêm on the far bank. The bar keeps generous hours, from 07:00 through to 01:00, so the deck is already yours well before the first shell goes up.

That orientation is exactly why the night works here. Because ROOTY faces the river and the Thủ Thiêm side, where the National Day fireworks are set off, the show opens up in front of the deck rather than behind your back. You are fifteen floors up, above the tangle of streets and the crowds along the water, with the lit skyline as a foreground and the fireworks blooming over it. It is a private, elevated vantage on a night when most of the city is looking up from the pavement.

If you would like the fuller picture of the space, our guide to the ROOTY rooftop bar walks through the pool, the cocktails and the view, and you can read more about the water itself in our note on the Saigon riverfront.

What a fireworks night looks like

A festive evening at ROOTY tends to be built around more than the fireworks themselves, so the hours before and after have their own mood. On occasions like this the programme typically leans into live entertainment: a Jazz Night, a DJ, or live piano to carry the deck through the evening. We say typically on purpose. The exact line-up is set closer to the night, so the honest advice is to confirm what is on when you book, rather than take any single version as fixed.

Booking ahead also unlocks a couple of touches that make the night feel marked rather than merely attended. For couples, birthdays or anniversaries, reserving in advance usually lets the team lay on some complimentary basic decoration, a small thing that quietly turns a table into an occasion. For groups, a party of four or more is typically welcomed with a free cocktail shot to open the evening. Treat both as things to ask about and confirm when you call, since offers on a big night can shift. The point is simply that a little planning is rewarded here.

Good to confirm when you book. Whether the fireworks are going ahead and the expected timing, which sitting or arrival time holds your table for the show, the entertainment planned for the night, and any decoration for a couple or celebration, or the welcome shot for a group of four or more. A quick call settles all of it: (+84) 888 641 122.

Booking your table for 2/9

The one firm piece of advice for the National Day fireworks is to book early. A rooftop that faces the river has a limited number of seats with a clear line to the sky, and 2 September is one of the busiest nights of the year, so the good tables go well before the day itself. The moment you know you want to be there, reserve. It costs nothing to hold a plan and everything to leave it to the evening.

When you call, it helps to say how many you are and what the night is for, whether it is a quiet two, a birthday, or a group of friends, so the team can suggest the right table and arrival time and note any decoration or welcome touch. Ask them to walk you through the timing too, since arriving in good time means you are settled with a drink before the sky lights up rather than hurrying in as it starts.

If you are making an afternoon of it beforehand, the rooftop is a natural pairing with a lazy afternoon by the water, and our infinity pool day pass is one easy way to be up here with time to spare.

Frequently asked questions

Reserve your table for the 2/9 fireworks at ROOTY

ROOTY sits on the fifteenth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi in central Saigon, facing the river where the National Day fireworks light the sky. Reserve a table for the night and watch from above the crowds, with a drink in hand and the skyline laid out below. Call (+84) 888 641 122 to book, and ask about the night's line-up and any touches for your table.

→ Reserve a table for the 2/9 fireworks at ROOTY

→ Explore the ROOTY rooftop bar

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

December in Saigon does not bring snow, but it brings its own kind of Christmas. The evenings turn a shade cooler, the streets in the centre string themselves with lights, and there is a warmth in the way the year begins to wind down. It is a lovely season for afternoon tea.

A festive stand, a pot poured slowly, and an hour set aside for the people you have been meaning to see all year. This guide looks at why the ritual suits the season, what a Christmas afternoon tea in the heart of District 1 can be, and how to make an afternoon of it around the lights and the river.

At a glance. A Christmas afternoon tea is the familiar ritual dressed for the season, with festive flavours and a little sparkle on the stand, taken in the early afternoon. December in central Saigon suits it well, with lit-up streets and cooler evenings a short walk away. At The Myst Dong Khoi it is served at The Nest, the twelfth floor restaurant overlooking the city and the Saigon River. Weekend tables in December fill quickly, so it is best to reserve ahead. Festive details are announced closer to the season, so do ask when you book.

Why Christmas afternoon tea suits the festive season

December has a way of filling up. There are dinners to fit in, gifts to find, deadlines to clear before the office closes, and a long list of people you keep meaning to catch. It is easy for the whole month to rush past in a blur of evenings out. Afternoon tea offers a gentler alternative. It is light, it is early, and it asks for an hour rather than a whole evening, which makes it one of the easiest ways to actually sit down with someone amid the December rush.

There is something about the ritual of afternoon tea that fits Christmas naturally. The season is, at heart, about pausing and gathering, and afternoon tea is built for exactly that. It carries festive touches gracefully too. A hint of cinnamon or orange in the sweets, a warmer spiced brew alongside the classic pot, a little seasonal colour on the stand. Nothing heavy, nothing that leaves you too full for the evening ahead, just enough to mark the season. It suits every kind of gathering, from a family treat to a quiet catch up with an old friend to a small end-of-year thank you with colleagues.

A Christmas tea in the heart of the city

Where you take a festive tea matters as much as the tea itself, and central District 1 makes a strong case. Come December the centre is at its best. Đồng Khởi and Nguyễn Huệ dress up in lights, shop windows fill with seasonal displays, and the walking street draws families out in the cool of the evening to take photographs under the decorations. It is the part of the city that most feels like Christmas.

That setting turns a simple pot of tea into an afternoon out. You can drift through the lit-up streets, browse for gifts, then step in out of the crowd and settle somewhere calm and high above it all. Being in the centre means everything is within walking distance, so the tea is not a destination in itself but a warm pause in the middle of a festive afternoon. If a livelier evening appeals once the pot is empty, the season also brings a festive mood to the rooftop Christmas bar in Saigon upstairs.

Festive afternoon tea at The Nest

At The Myst Dong Khoi the ritual lives on the twelfth floor, at The Nest. The name means the nest of a swallow, the bird that heralds spring, and the room wears that theme lightly, from the wrought iron flower frames at its windows to a nine metre wooden flower boat that serves as its buffet counter. In December that calm perch takes on a festive glow, and the timing is part of the charm. Afternoon tea is served through the early afternoon, which in December means you can watch the daylight soften and the city lights begin to come on below the windows as you sit.

The kitchen leans local through the year, weaving Saigon flavours into the classic finger sandwiches and pastries, the sort of Vietnamese and Western fusion that runs through the whole restaurant. For the festive season the stand takes on a few seasonal touches of its own. Rather than list a fixed menu here, we would simply say that the festive details change with the produce and the year, and are announced closer to December.

The surest way to know what is on the stand this season is to ask when you book. A window table is worth requesting; the view is at its most magical after dark. If you are new to the ritual and wondering how it differs from a heavier spread, our guide to afternoon tea and high tea untangles the two.

Pairing it with a District 1 Christmas afternoon

A festive tea sits happily inside a wider afternoon in the centre, and December gives you plenty to build one around. A little planning turns a single sitting into a whole outing.

• Shopping first. The centre is the natural place to find gifts, and Đồng Khởi is its most elegant stretch. Browse the boutiques before your table, then arrive with your shopping done and your feet ready for a rest. Our guide to luxury shopping on Đồng Khởi maps out the street.
• The lights after. Time your tea for the later afternoon and you step back out as the decorations come on. The walking street on Nguyễn Huệ is at its liveliest in the early evening, strung with lights and busy with families.
• The river to finish. The Saigon riverfront is a short stroll away, cool and open in the December evenings, a quiet place to end an afternoon before dinner.

All of it sits within a few minutes on foot of the hotel, which is part of why the centre works so well for a festive afternoon. If you would like the wider picture of the ritual first, our guide to afternoon tea in Saigon covers the tradition and where to enjoy it year round.

Booking your festive tea

December is the busiest month for a table, so a little forward planning goes a long way. Weekend afternoons through the season fill quickly, and the closer you get to Christmas the more that is true, so reserve ahead if you can and ask for a window table if the view matters to you. Arrive with time to spare, since the whole point of the ritual is to slow down rather than watch the clock.

And do ask about anything festive when you book, as the seasonal touches are announced closer to December and are often the most interesting part of the stand. However you gather, and whoever you gather with, a festive tea is a gentle and generous way to mark the end of the year in the heart of the city.

Frequently asked questions

Reserve a festive afternoon tea at The Nest

The Nest sits on the twelfth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, with the city and the Saigon River laid out beyond its windows. Come December our team is glad to hold a table for a festive afternoon tea and to talk you through what the season is bringing to the stand.

→ Reserve a festive afternoon tea at The Nest

→ Stay with us and wake above the city

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Ask your mother out to dinner and something happens: a big table, a full menu, the pressure to make an evening of it. Afternoon tea asks for none of that. It is a small, gentle thing, a pot of tea and a stand of little bites on a quiet Saturday, and somewhere in that hour you actually get to talk. This is a note on why a weekend afternoon tea is such a lovely way to spend unhurried time with your mother or grandmother, what makes a place right for it, and how to plan one in the heart of District 1.

At a glance. A weekend afternoon tea is a low-pressure, unhurried way to spend real time with your mother or grandmother. Look for somewhere calm and quiet, with comfortable seating, gentle service and a nice view. At The Myst Dong Khoi it is served each afternoon at The Nest, the twelfth floor restaurant overlooking the city and the Saigon River. For a weekend visit, reserve ahead and ask for a window table.

Why tea beats a big meal for time with mum

Think about the last big dinner you shared. The food arrives in courses, someone is always chewing, the room is loud, and by the time the plates clear it is late and everyone is tired. A meal like that fills the evening but rarely leaves much room to simply be together. Afternoon tea works the other way around. The food is light and it comes all at once, set down on a single stand, so nobody is waiting on the next course and nobody is racing to finish. The table stays open. What fills the hour is the conversation.

That difference matters most with a parent. There is a particular ease to sitting across from your mother in the middle of a Saturday, no occasion required, a pot of tea between you. You pour, she tells you something you had never heard about her own mother, you lose track of the time. Because the setting is calm and the pace is yours, the talk drifts to the small things that a busy dinner never reaches. It is a low-pressure kind of closeness, and it is exactly the sort of afternoon that tends to be remembered long after a grander meal is forgotten.

It works across generations, too. A grandmother who finds a noisy restaurant tiring can settle happily into a quiet tea. A child can be handed a scone and left content. Nobody has to perform. That gentleness is a large part of why so many families reach for tea when they want time together rather than a spectacle, and it is one of the occasions afternoon tea suits best.

What makes a good spot for a weekend tea

Not every pretty café will do for this. The whole point is unhurried time with someone you love, so the room has to allow it. A few things matter more than the rest.

• Calm and quiet. You want to hear each other without leaning in. A room where the tables are not crammed together, where the music is low or absent, is worth far more than a fashionable address.
• Comfortable seating. An hour or two is a long time on a hard chair, especially for an older guest. Somewhere you can settle back and stay a while changes the whole afternoon.
• Gentle, unobtrusive service. A team that pours the tea, answers a question kindly and then leaves you to talk. Not hovering, not rushing you toward the bill.
• A nice view. Something to rest the eyes on gives a natural rhythm to the conversation. A pause to watch the city is never an awkward silence.
• An unhurried pace. The best places understand that you are not there to eat and leave. Nobody clears your stand the moment it is empty or asks whether you would like anything else in a way that means it is time to go.

Get those right and almost any spread becomes lovely. Get them wrong and the finest pastries in the city will not save a rushed, noisy hour.

An afternoon at The Nest

At The Myst Dong Khoi, afternoon tea lives on the twelfth floor, at The Nest. The name means the nest of a swallow, the bird that heralds spring, and the room wears that spring theme quietly, from the wrought iron flower frames at the windows to a nine metre wooden flower boat that serves as the buffet counter, a nod to the old Bình Đông flower wharf at Tết. It is built to feel like a calm perch above the streets, with the city and the river laid out below the glass. For an afternoon with your mother, that height does something kind: it lifts you out of the traffic and the heat, and hands you a quiet room and a long view instead.

Picture the shape of it. You step out of the lift into a cool, unhurried room and take a table by the window. The tea comes, then the stand, a run of finger sandwiches and small savouries with a Saigon accent, scones, and a line of little pastries, the sort of Vietnamese and Western fusion that runs through the whole restaurant. Rather than list a fixed menu here, we would say only that it changes with the season and the produce, so the loveliest thing to do is ask what is on the stand today when you book. Your mother watches the river while you pour. The afternoon is served in the early part of the day, which suits a weekend perfectly, with the whole of the evening still ahead once you have finished.

If a slow morning together appeals more than the afternoon, the same gentle spirit runs through a leisurely hotel breakfast buffet, the same calm room carried to the start of the day.

Little things that make it special

The difference between a nice afternoon and one your mother mentions for months is usually made of small touches. Ask for a window table when you book, and let her take the seat with the view. Arrive a little early so she is settled and comfortable before the tea arrives, rather than flustered from the lift and the search for the room. If the visit marks something, a birthday, Mother's Day, or simply a rare free Saturday, mention it quietly when you reserve; a kind team will often find a small way to acknowledge it without turning the afternoon into a performance.

Bring nothing to rush off to. The single most special thing you can offer is an afternoon with no clock running, where the answer to "shall we have another pot?" is always yes. Leave your phone in your bag. Ask her the questions you never quite get around to at a busy family gathering. The setting does a great deal of the work, but the unhurried attention is the real gift.

Planning your weekend tea

A little planning is all it takes. Weekends are the busiest time for afternoon tea, so reserve ahead rather than hoping for a table on the day, and say when you book that you would like one by the window. Come with time to spare on both sides of the visit, since the pleasure is in not watching the clock. Dress however feels comfortable; the room is refined but never stiff, and your mother should feel at ease, not on show. And do ask about anything seasonal, as the most interesting bites are often the ones that change with the month.

An afternoon tea also sits neatly inside a wider day in the centre. It pairs naturally with a gentle stroll along nearby Đồng Khởi or a slow turn toward the riverfront once the pot is empty. If you would like to understand the ritual itself in more depth, our guide to afternoon tea in Saigon covers what it is, how it differs from high tea, and where to enjoy it in District 1.

Frequently asked questions

Book a weekend afternoon tea for you and your mother

The Nest sits on the twelfth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, with the city and the Saigon River laid out beyond its windows. Our team is glad to hold a weekend table by the window and to talk you through what the season is bringing to the stand.

→ Reserve a weekend table at The Nest

→ Stay with us and wake above the city

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Dinner asks a lot of an evening. It runs long, it fills you up, and it tends to take over whatever you had planned around it. Afternoon tea asks almost nothing. It sits in the quiet middle of the day, it is light on its feet, and it leaves you free to talk for as long as the pot holds out. That lightness is exactly why it suits so many moments a big meal would overwhelm. Here are five occasions that afternoon tea in a hotel was practically made for, with a sixth that is worth a mention on its own.

At a glance. Afternoon tea is a light, unhurried spread of tea, savouries and sweets taken in the early afternoon. Its low-key format makes it ideal for a relaxed catch-up, a small celebration, time with family, a calm meeting or a festive gathering, and it works just as well as a solo treat. At The Myst Dong Khoi it is served each afternoon at The Nest, the twelfth floor restaurant overlooking the city and the river. A table is best reserved ahead.

1. An unhurried catch-up with old friends

Some friendships are easy to schedule and hard to actually keep. Dinner needs everyone free on the same evening, and drinks can turn into a late night nobody asked for. An afternoon tea sidesteps both. You meet at two or three, when the day is calm and nobody is watching the clock, and you talk with the whole afternoon still ahead of you.

The format does the work for you. A pot keeps being topped up, a tier of small bites means there is always something to reach for, and the gaps between them are where the real conversation happens. Nobody has to perform the way a formal dinner sometimes demands. It is the kind of setting where two hours pass and you only notice because the light has changed over the rooftops.

2. A quiet celebration without the heavy dinner

Not every good thing needs a banquet. A birthday you would rather mark gently, an anniversary that means more than it needs to show, a promotion or a piece of news you want to sit with rather than shout about. Afternoon tea gives these moments a proper occasion without the weight of a set menu and three courses you have to work through.

There is room for a small flourish, too. A candle on a plate of sweets, a glass of something sparkling, a window table held for the two of you. The celebration reads as considered rather than staged, which is often what the moment actually wants. You raise a cup, you take your time, and you leave the afternoon feeling marked rather than stuffed. For anyone weighing an afternoon tea celebration in Saigon against a full dinner, this is the version that lets the reason for it stay in the foreground.

3. Time with family, especially a mother or grandmother

Afternoon tea travels well across generations, which is rarer than it sounds. A loud bar leaves the eldest out; a long tasting menu tires the youngest. A calm room, a gentle pace and a spread everyone can pick at from a shared stand suits a grandmother and a grandchild at the same table equally well. Nobody feels rushed and nobody feels left behind.

It is a particular favourite for time with a mother or grandmother, an occasion that can feel awkward to build a whole dinner around but sits naturally over tea. There is no pressure to fill silence, just an hour set aside on purpose. We look more closely at that in our note on a weekend afternoon tea with your mother, including why the weekend timing tends to work best.

4. A relaxed, discreet meeting

A first meeting with a partner or a client is a balancing act. A restaurant at dinner can feel too committed; a coffee shop can feel too thin, too noisy, too quick. Afternoon tea sits comfortably in between. There is enough on the table to signal that you took the meeting seriously, and enough calm around it to actually hear each other think.

A hotel setting adds the discretion these conversations often need. Tables are spaced, the room stays quiet, and the service is attentive without hovering, so a sensitive discussion stays between the two of you. You can talk for an hour, close things off cleanly, and neither party has to commit to the long evening a dinner implies. If you are choosing a room for exactly this kind of meeting, our guide to choosing a restaurant for a business meeting in Saigon covers what to look for.

5. The festive season and the year-end

Come December the whole idea takes on a little sparkle. The stand picks up seasonal touches, the room warms up in the way central Saigon does at year-end, and afternoon tea becomes a lovely way to gather a family or a team without the logistics of a full festive dinner. It is easier to organise, easier on everyone's evening, and it still feels like an occasion.

It also fits the shape of the season. Between the shopping and the parties and the general December rush, a slow hour over tea is a genuine pause rather than one more thing to get through. We gather the seasonal details in our guide to Christmas afternoon tea in central Saigon, from the festive touches to the best time to book.

And a sixth: a treat for yourself

Not every occasion needs company. There is a quiet luxury in booking a window table for one, bringing a book or nothing at all, and letting an afternoon belong entirely to you. No conversation to keep going, no plan to honour, just tea, a view and time. If you have never done it, it is worth trying once. Many people find it becomes a habit.

Why the hotel setting works for all of them

What ties these occasions together is that each one wants the same things: a calm room, a bit of space, unhurried service and somewhere pleasant to look. A hotel restaurant is built to provide exactly that. You step out of the heat and the traffic into a cool, quiet floor above the city, the tea comes without you having to chase it, and the setting lifts an ordinary afternoon into something that feels a little marked. That is the same easy comfort behind our pillar guide to afternoon tea in Saigon, applied to whatever reason brings you.

At The Myst Dong Khoi the ritual lives on the twelfth floor, at The Nest. The name means the nest of a swallow, the bird that heralds spring, and the room wears that theme lightly, from the wrought iron flower frames at its windows to a nine metre wooden flower boat that serves as its buffet counter. The kitchen leans local, weaving Saigon flavours through the classic finger sandwiches and pastries in a Vietnamese and Western fusion that runs through the whole restaurant. Rather than fix a menu here, the honest answer is that it changes with the season, so the best way to know what is on the stand is to ask when you book. Afternoon tea is served through the early afternoon; a window table is worth requesting.

Frequently asked questions

Reserve afternoon tea at The Nest

Whatever the occasion, The Nest sits on the twelfth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, with the city and the Saigon River laid out beyond its windows. Our team is glad to hold a table for afternoon tea and to talk you through what the season is bringing to the stand.

→ Reserve a table at The Nest

→ Stay with us and wake above the city

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Two names, endless confusion. Most people assume high tea is the grander, fancier one, the champagne-and-chandeliers version of afternoon tea. It is almost exactly the opposite. Afternoon tea is the dainty, leisured spread; high tea was a working family's evening meal. This guide untangles the two properly, from where they came from and when they are served to what actually lands on the table, and clears up the one myth that trips everybody up.

The short version. Afternoon tea is a light mid afternoon spread of tea, finger sandwiches, scones and small sweets, taken around three or four o'clock for pleasure. High tea was historically a hearty early evening meal, eaten after a working day, with hot savoury dishes and bread. The word "high" refers to the tall dining table it was served at, not to any sense of luxury. In Vietnam and much of Asia the two terms are used loosely, so it always pays to check the menu.

The short answer

If you only remember one thing, make it this. Afternoon tea is the light, elegant one, taken in the middle of the afternoon as a treat between meals. High tea is the substantial one, a proper evening meal that happens to include tea. The grandeur most people attach to the words runs backwards: the delicate tiered stand is afternoon tea, and the plate of hot food is high tea. Everything else in this guide simply explains how that came to be.

A little history

Afternoon tea has a tidy origin story. In the 1840s Anna, Duchess of Bedford, found the long stretch between an early lunch and a fashionably late dinner hard to bear, and began asking for a pot of tea with bread, butter and cake in the afternoon. She started inviting friends to join her, the habit spread through polite society, and within a generation it had become a recognised social ritual among people who had the leisure to fill an afternoon this way.

High tea grew from an entirely different soil. In the industrial north of England and Scotland, workers came home from the mill or the field in the early evening, hungry for a real meal. What they sat down to was tea poured strong alongside hot dishes, cold meats, bread and cheese, taken at the ordinary dining table. It was supper by another name, the main meal of the day for households that had been working since dawn. Two rituals, then, born at opposite ends of the same society and named more by accident than by design.

Timing: when each is served

The clock is the cleanest way to tell them apart. Afternoon tea belongs to the mid afternoon, roughly three to five o'clock, in the calm gap between lunch and dinner. It was never meant to replace a meal, only to bridge one. High tea sat later, closer to five or six, and it was the evening meal, the thing you ate instead of a separate dinner. So if someone offers you "high tea" at half past three with a tower of pastries, they are, strictly speaking, serving you afternoon tea and calling it something grander.

The food on the table

Look at what is actually served and the difference becomes obvious. Afternoon tea is deliberately light and pretty. A pot of loose leaf tea, a tier of crustless finger sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and jam, and a run of small cakes and pastries, usually arranged on a stand so the table stays uncluttered. It is food designed for grazing and conversation rather than filling you up.

High tea was built to satisfy. Think hot savoury dishes, a meat pie or cold cuts, cheese, baked beans, thick bread and butter, all served flat on the table rather than stacked on a stand, with a strong pot of tea to wash it down. There might be a slice of cake at the end, but the heart of it was the hearty course. One is an interlude; the other is dinner.

Where the confusion comes from (the "high" myth)

Here is the knot at the centre of it all. The word "high" in high tea has nothing to do with high society, high tables of the aristocracy, or anything upmarket at all. It refers, quite literally, to the height of the furniture. High tea was eaten sitting up at a tall dining table, the everyday table where a family took its main meals. Afternoon tea, by contrast, was often taken lounging in low armchairs around a low tea table in a drawing room, which some accounts call "low tea" for exactly that reason.

So the naming is the reverse of what instinct suggests. "Low tea" was the refined, leisured affair of people with time to spare. "High tea" was the honest evening meal of people who had spent the day working. Hotels and restaurants, sensing that "high tea" simply sounds more luxurious, have spent the last century quietly borrowing the grander-sounding name for what is really an afternoon tea service. That marketing habit is the single biggest reason the two terms are now so thoroughly muddled.

Afternoon tea, high tea and trà chiều in Vietnam

In Vietnam the lines blur further, and mostly for happy reasons. Menus here reach for "high tea" and "afternoon tea" more or less interchangeably, both usually pointing to the same thing: a light, elegant tiered spread taken in the afternoon. The historical distinction that mattered in nineteenth century Britain rarely survives the trip. What you are almost always being offered, whichever term a café or hotel prints, is afternoon tea in the leisurely sense.

Vietnamese has its own warm name for it, trà chiều, which simply means afternoon tea. Among locals it has come to stand for a relaxed treat with friends or family, often with a Saigon accent woven through the spread rather than a strict British template. If you want the fuller picture of the ritual itself, our pillar guide to afternoon tea in Saigon is the place to start.

Afternoon tea vs high tea at a glance

Where to enjoy afternoon tea in Saigon

Once the difference is clear, most people find that what they were after all along is afternoon tea: the light, unhurried, pretty one. In central Saigon you can settle into exactly that at The Nest, the twelfth floor restaurant at The Myst Dong Khoi in District 1. The room takes its cue from the swallow that heralds spring, with wrought iron flower frames at the windows and a nine metre wooden flower boat serving as the buffet counter, and it looks out over the city and the Saigon River below.

The kitchen leans local, weaving Vietnamese flavours through the classic tiered spread in the same Vietnamese and Western fusion that runs through the whole restaurant. The offering changes with the season and the produce, so the surest way to know what is on the stand today is to ask when you book. Afternoon tea is served through the early afternoon, and a window table is worth requesting. For ideas on when it suits best, see our note on the occasions for afternoon tea, and come December, our guide to Christmas afternoon tea in Saigon.

Frequently asked questions

Enjoy afternoon tea at The Nest

The Nest sits on the twelfth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, with the city and the Saigon River laid out beyond its windows. Our team is glad to hold a table for afternoon tea and to talk you through what the season is bringing to the stand.

→ Discover dining at The Myst Dong Khoi

→ Stay with us and wake above the city

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Ask travellers what they remember fondly about a stay, and the breakfast buffet comes up more often than you might expect. There is something quietly generous about it: a long counter of warm and cold dishes, a pot of coffee that keeps coming, and a whole morning that begins without a single decision that matters. This guide looks at why the hotel breakfast buffet is so widely loved, what makes a good one worth lingering over, and where to settle into the ritual on the twelfth floor in the heart of District 1.

At a glance. A hotel breakfast buffet gathers a wide spread of dishes in one place: local favourites, Western classics, fresh fruit and pastries, with some items cooked to order at live stations. People love it for the variety, the freshness and the ease of it, and because it suits families and mixed tastes at one table. At The Myst Dong Khoi it is served each morning at The Nest, the twelfth floor restaurant, with the city and the Saigon River in view.

What makes a hotel breakfast buffet Saigon special

The appeal starts with abundance, but it does not end there. A buffet lays the whole morning out in front of you, so that a bowl of hot noodles, a plate of fruit, a warm croissant and a strong coffee can all belong to the same breakfast. You are not choosing one thing at the expense of another. You take a little, you go back for more, and you build a meal that fits your appetite that day rather than a fixed order decided in advance.

Then there is freshness. A good buffet is not a tray of food left to sit. Pastries come out of the oven in batches, fruit is cut through the service, and the best dishes are finished in front of you at a live station, a bowl of noodles assembled to order, an egg cooked the way you asked. That sense of something made fresh, rather than plated and forgotten, is a large part of why the ritual feels like a treat rather than a routine.

Variety without the effort

On any other morning, breakfast is a small chore. Someone has to think of it, shop for it, cook it and clear it away. A hotel buffet quietly removes all of that. You arrive, the spread is already there, and the only task left is the pleasant one of choosing. For a traveller that is worth a great deal, because the morning is often when a trip either starts well or starts frayed, and a calm, generous breakfast sets the better of those two tones.

The range matters too, especially away from home. A buffet lets a first time visitor try phở or a fresh bánh mì alongside the eggs and toast they already know, easing into local flavours without gambling a whole meal on an unfamiliar dish. It is the same unhurried comfort that carries an afternoon into a leisurely afternoon tea, only met at the other end of the day, when the light is still soft and the plans are still open.

A buffet built for families and mixed tastes

Few meals please a mixed table as easily as a breakfast buffet. Children who want nothing but fruit and pastries are happy, a grandparent who prefers a warm bowl of noodles is happy, and the one person at the table who cannot start the day without a proper cooked breakfast is happy too. Nobody has to compromise on a single shared order, and nobody waits on a kitchen while the rest of the table eats.

That ease is a real gift when you are travelling as a group. Everyone moves at their own pace, goes back for what they liked, and lingers or leaves as they please. It suits early risers and slow starters at the same table, and it turns what could be a fussy negotiation into the most relaxed meal of the day. For families in particular, it is often the part of a stay that runs the most smoothly, and the part children remember.

Breakfast at The Nest

At The Myst Dong Khoi the morning belongs to The Nest, on the twelfth floor. The name means the nest of a swallow, the bird that heralds spring, and the room carries that spring theme in its details, from the wrought iron flower frames at the windows to a nine metre wooden flower boat that serves as the buffet counter, a nod to the old Bình Đông flower wharf at Tết. The spread is laid along that boat, so filling a plate feels a little like drifting past a market of good things.

The kitchen leans local without leaving anyone out. Vietnamese dishes sit at the heart of it, phở, a fresh bánh mì and a rotation of regional specialities, set beside a full Western breakfast of eggs, pastries, fruit and the rest. Where it makes sense, favourites are finished to order, a bowl of noodles or eggs prepared the way you like them, so we would simply say ask what is on the station when you sit down. Rather than fix a menu here, we would rather you saw the morning for yourself.

What lifts it, though, is the outlook. The Nest sits high enough that breakfast comes with the city and the Saigon River laid out below, and in the early light that view is at its gentlest, the river catching the sun before the day turns bright. If the water draws you, our note on the nearby Saigon riverfront is a good next step once the coffee is done.

How to make the most of a hotel breakfast

A buffet rewards a little unhurriedness. Come with time to spare rather than dashing in near the end of service, so you can go back for a second round without watching the clock. Arriving earlier in the morning tends to catch the freshest pastries and the softest light through the windows, which is no small thing this high above the city.

Do try the local dishes while you are here, even if the Western spread is the safe and familiar choice. A morning bowl of phở or a warm bánh mì is one of the easiest ways to taste Saigon, and a buffet is the gentlest place to start, because you can take a little and go back for more if you like it. Ask the team what is being cooked to order, and let the leisurely start carry you into a slow morning, the way a well chosen table sets the tone for any occasion, from a family gathering to one of the many occasions that suit a relaxed hotel table.

Frequently asked questions

Experience breakfast at The Nest

The Nest sits on the twelfth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1 and a 2025 World Luxury Hotel Awards Country Winner for Vietnam, with the city and the Saigon River laid out beyond its windows. Stay with us and the morning begins on the flower boat, above the waking city.

→ Discover dining at The Myst Dong Khoi

→ Stay with us, breakfast included

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

There is a gentle hour in Saigon, somewhere between lunch and dusk, when the heat begins to ease and the city seems to slow. It is the natural hour for afternoon tea, a pot poured without hurry, a tier of savouries and sweets, and a little time set aside for good company. This guide looks at what afternoon tea really is, how it differs from high tea, the occasions it suits best, and where to settle into the ritual in the heart of District 1.

At a glance. Afternoon tea is a light, unhurried spread of tea with savouries and sweets, taken in the mid afternoon. In Saigon it often carries a local accent and is known as trà chiều. It suits a relaxed catch up, a family treat or a quiet celebration. At The Myst Dong Khoi it is served each afternoon at The Nest, the twelfth floor restaurant overlooking the city. A table is best reserved ahead.

What afternoon tea really is

Afternoon tea began as a private remedy for a long English afternoon. In the 1840s Anna, Duchess of Bedford, is said to have grown hungry in the stretch between an early lunch and a late dinner, and took to asking for tea, bread and cake in the afternoon. What started as a quiet habit soon became a social ritual, and the shape it took then is still recognisable today.

At its heart the ritual is simple. A pot of loose leaf tea, a tier of finger sandwiches and savoury bites, then scones and a run of small pastries and sweets, usually arranged on a stand so the table stays uncluttered. Nothing about it is rushed. The point is less the food than the pause, an hour to talk, to watch the light change, to let the day settle. That unhurried spirit is exactly why the ritual travels so well, and why it has found an easy home in a city that has always known how to linger over a drink.

Afternoon tea, high tea or trà chiều?

The three names cause more confusion than almost anything else about the ritual. Afternoon tea is the elegant, mid afternoon spread described above, light and leisurely. High tea, despite how grand it sounds, was historically a heavier meal taken later in the evening, closer to a hearty supper than to delicate pastries. The word high referred to the tall dining table it was eaten at, not to any sense of luxury. Menus in Vietnam and across Asia often use the two terms interchangeably, so it is always worth checking what a venue actually serves.

In Vietnamese the ritual is warmly known as trà chiều, which simply means afternoon tea. The name has taken on a life of its own among locals, standing for a relaxed treat with friends or family rather than a strictly British affair. If you would like the full picture, we untangle the two traditions in our guide to the difference between afternoon tea and high tea.

Why the ritual belongs in a hotel

Saigon is a wonderful city to walk, but it is a loud and warm one, and part of the pleasure of afternoon tea is stepping out of that rhythm for a while. A hotel restaurant offers what a busy street cannot: a cool, quiet room, attentive service, and a view that lifts you above the traffic. You sit, the tea comes, the stand is set down, and for an hour the city is something you watch rather than something you navigate.

There is also the matter of range. A hotel kitchen tends to bake its own pastries and rotate them with the seasons, and to keep a proper tea list rather than a single default brew. That care rewards a slow visit. It is the same quiet comfort that makes a leisurely hotel breakfast buffet such a gentle way to start the day, carried into the afternoon instead.

Afternoon tea at The Nest

At The Myst Dong Khoi the ritual lives on the twelfth floor, at The Nest. The name means the nest of a swallow, the bird that heralds spring, and the restaurant wears that spring theme lightly, from the wrought iron flower frames at its windows to a nine metre wooden flower boat that serves as its buffet counter, a nod to the old Bình Đông flower wharf at Tết. It is a room designed to feel like a calm perch above the streets, with the city and the river spread out below.

The kitchen leans local. Alongside the classic finger sandwiches and pastries you find Saigon flavours woven through the spread, the sort of Vietnamese and Western fusion that runs through the whole restaurant, and there is a considered wine list should the afternoon call for a glass. Rather than list a fixed menu here, we would simply say that the offering changes with the season and the produce, so the best way to know what is on the stand today is to ask when you book. Afternoon tea is served through the early afternoon; a table by the window is worth requesting.

The best occasions for afternoon tea

Part of the charm of the ritual is how many moments it fits. A few suit it especially well.

• A weekend treat with family. Unhurried and easy across generations, afternoon tea makes a warm way to gather. It is a favourite for time with a mother or grandmother, an idea we explore in our note on a weekend afternoon tea with your mother.
• A quiet celebration. A birthday, an anniversary or simply good news, marked over tea rather than a heavy meal.
• An unhurried catch up. The calm and the space make it a graceful setting for a conversation that matters, including a first meeting with a partner or client. We gather what to look for in our guide to choosing a restaurant for a meeting.
• The festive season. Come December the ritual takes on a little sparkle, with seasonal touches on the stand. See our guide to Christmas afternoon tea in central Saigon.

If you are weighing up whether the moment is right, our longer list of occasions that suit afternoon tea in a hotel may help.

Making the most of your afternoon tea

A little planning turns a good afternoon tea into a memorable one. Reserve ahead, especially at the weekend, and ask for a window table if the view matters to you. Arrive with time to spare so you are not watching the clock, since the whole idea is to slow down. Dress however you feel comfortable; the setting is refined but never stiff. And do ask about anything seasonal, as the most interesting bites are often the ones that change with the month.

Afternoon tea sits neatly inside a wider afternoon in the centre. It pairs naturally with a stroll along nearby Đồng Khởi, whether you are browsing the shopping street beforehand or drifting down toward the Saigon riverfront once the pot is empty and the light turns gold.

Frequently asked questions

Take afternoon tea at The Nest

The Nest sits on the twelfth floor of The Myst Đồng Khởi, a boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, with the city and the Saigon River laid out beyond its windows. Our team is glad to hold a table for afternoon tea and to talk you through what the season is bringing to the stand.

→ Discover dining at The Myst Dong Khoi

→ Stay with us and wake above the city

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Ho Chi Minh City is not just about international luxury. Over the last decade a home-grown fashion scene has exploded here, and for younger travellers it is far more interesting than another Gucci flagship: independent Vietnamese designers, a serious streetwear culture, and whole streets and basements devoted to local labels at prices that leave room to actually buy. This guide is about that scene: where to find it, which names to know, and how to shop it as a visitor, so you go home in something you cannot get anywhere else.

At a glance. Three places to focus on Saigon Local Fashion Brands: The New Playground, an underground local-brand mall at 26 Lý Tự Trọng in District 1 (with a second branch in the basement of Vincom Center Đồng Khởi); Nguyễn Trãi Street, District 1's fashion strip; and Trần Quang Diệu in District 3, a street of around a hundred local shops. Bring cash. Many stores open around 10am to 9:30pm.

What "local brand" means in Vietnam

In Vietnam, "local brand" is its own category: independent, home-grown labels, most of them born in the last ten years, that design and sell their own clothing rather than reselling imports. The scene leans heavily on streetwear, graphic tees, oversized fits, caps and sneakers, alongside a wave of indie womenswear labels. The clothes are affordable, the designs are original, and buying them is a way to take home something genuinely Vietnamese and current.

For young international shoppers, this is the fun end of Saigon retail: less about logos, more about discovery, and priced so you can leave with a bagful rather than a single splurge.

The New Playground

The single best introduction is The New Playground, an underground concept mall packed with local designers selling directly to a Gen-Z crowd. The original sits at 26 Lý Tự Trọng in District 1, with a second location in the basement of Vincom Center Đồng Khởi, and it gathers dozens of Vietnamese streetwear and accessory brands under one roof.

Know what you are walking into: it is a basement space, often without air-conditioning, busy and a little chaotic, and many stalls take cash only. That is part of the appeal. Come with cash, be ready to dig, and you will find pieces you will not see anywhere else. It usually runs from about 10am to 9:30pm.

Nguyễn Trãi: the fashion street

For a street-level version of the same scene, Nguyễn Trãi in District 1 has long been Saigon's fashion strip, with local shops standing shoulder to shoulder. It leans slightly more polished than the basements, carrying home-grown chains and womenswear labels like Hnoss and Dottie alongside streetwear, and it is an easy walk from the centre. Come for a browse-and-buy afternoon rather than a single destination.

Trần Quang Diệu: District 3's specialist strip

If you want to go deeper, Trần Quang Diệu in District 3 is a street given over almost entirely to fashion, with around a hundred shops selling clothing, shoes and accessories, most of them local brands. It is where young Saigonese actually shop, with names like LEO's, Happy Zoo and KIDO Studiowear among the regulars. A short ride from the centre, it rewards anyone who likes to browse.

Local brands worth knowing

A few names recur across the scene and are worth looking out for:

• Hades, a pioneer of Vietnamese streetwear since 2014, known for a dark, graphic-heavy aesthetic.
• Dirty Coins and Saigon Swagger, staples of the local streetwear world.
• Ssstutter, a favourite for clean, minimal everyday pieces.
• Hnoss, Dottie and Magonn, popular home-grown womenswear labels.

You will find these and many more across The New Playground and the two fashion streets, so treat the list as a starting point rather than a shopping list.

Tips for international shoppers

• Bring cash. Many local-brand stalls, especially in The New Playground, do not take cards.
• Mind the sizing. Local sizing runs to an Asian fit, so try things on and size up if in doubt.
• Prices are mostly fixed. Unlike the tourist markets, local-brand shops generally sell at set prices, so there is little bargaining.
• Go in the afternoon or evening, when the shops and the crowd are at their liveliest, and pair it with the wider Đồng Khởi shopping quarter next door.

Frequently asked questions

The local-fashion hub is on our doorstep

The Myst Đồng Khởi is a 108-room boutique heritage hotel on the Đồng Khởi quarter, with a branch of The New Playground in the Vincom Center basement just steps away. Inducted into the Michelin Guide Hotels and Stays selection and named 2025 World Luxury Hotel Awards Country Winner for Vietnam, it is the ideal base for a day of local-label hunting across District 1 and District 3.

→ See our rooms and suites

→ Book direct for our best rate

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.

Past the luxury malls and the streetwear basements lies an older, warmer kind of shopping. Crowded markets. Artisan workshops. Little shops piled high with things made by hand. This is where you go for an áo dài cut to fit, a piece of lacquerware, a bag of freshly roasted coffee, or a souvenir that actually means something. Below: the markets worth knowing beyond Bến Thành, the crafts to hunt for, where to have an áo dài made, and how to shop it all without getting stung.

At a glance. For clothes and everyday goods, Saigon Square is the bargain hub. For handicrafts and textiles, head to An Đông Market and the artisan shops of District 1. What to buy: a tailored áo dài, lacquerware, silk, ceramics, conical hats, embroidery and Vietnamese coffee. Haggle politely in markets; boutiques are fixed-price.

Markets beyond Bến Thành

Bến Thành gets all the attention, and we give it its own guide. But locals shop well past it. A short walk away, Saigon Square is a dense indoor warren of clothing, bags and accessories at bargain prices, far better for a cheap wardrobe top-up than for gifts. For handicrafts, fabric and a more lived-in feel, the long-standing choice is An Đông Market over in District 5, strong on cloth, áo dài materials and presents, and refreshingly light on tourists.

Each market has its own temperament, so match it to the mission: Saigon Square for a quick, cheap haul, An Đông for crafts and cloth. If it is the classic covered-market experience you are after, read our Bến Thành Market guide.

Handicrafts and souvenirs to hunt for

Vietnam's craft traditions run deep, and Saigon is the easiest place to buy across all of them. The things worth carrying home? Lacquerware, from bowls and trays to painted panels. Hand embroidery and silk. Ceramics and blue-and-white pottery. Conical hats. And single-origin Vietnamese coffee, which packs light and makes an easy gift. Buy handicrafts at An Đông or Bến Thành for the range and the price, and judge them on the quality of the finish rather than the lowest number on offer.

One souvenir worth singling out is coffee. Vietnam is one of the world's great coffee producers, and a bag of dark-roast robusta or a small metal phin filter packs down easily and makes a genuinely useful gift. You will find both at markets and specialty shops around District 1, usually alongside dried fruit, cashews, pepper and other edible souvenirs that travel well. For something with real provenance, ask about single-origin beans from the Central Highlands rather than the generic tourist blends.

Where to have an áo dài made

The most personal souvenir of all is a tailored áo dài, the graceful Vietnamese long tunic worn over trousers. Plenty of Saigon tailors can turn one around in a day or two, so it pays to order early in your trip. The usual route: buy the fabric at a market such as An Đông or Tân Định, then take it to a recommended tailor, or pick a tailor who supplies the cloth themselves. Leave time for a fitting, and be clear about the pick-up date so it is ready before you fly out.

Boutiques and artisan shops

Not a market person? District 1 has a growing crop of design boutiques and artisan shops selling curated Vietnamese craft, homeware and modern takes on old forms, most of them clustered around Lê Thánh Tôn and Lý Tự Trọng. Prices are fixed, the mood is calmer than the markets, and the pieces are the sort of well-made gift you do not have to bargain for. Keep an eye out, too, for artisan markets and pop-ups showcasing handmade local goods.

A few tips for the markets

• Bargain, but keep it friendly. At Saigon Square, An Đông and Bến Thành, prices flex. Start warm, offer around half, and meet somewhere in the middle.
• Boutiques are fixed-price. Don't haggle in design shops and artisan stores; the marked price is the price.
• Carry cash for the markets, in small notes, and save the cards for boutiques and malls.
• Think about shipping for anything large or fragile, like lacquer panels or ceramics. Many shops can arrange it.

Frequently asked questions

A central base for a day of local shopping

The Myst Đồng Khởi is a 108-room boutique heritage hotel in the heart of District 1, a short walk or ride from Saigon Square, the artisan boutiques and the city's great markets. Inducted into the Michelin Guide Hotels and Stays selection and named 2025 World Luxury Hotel Awards Country Winner for Vietnam, its concierge can point you to trusted tailors and craft shops for the souvenirs worth carrying home.

→ See our rooms and suites

→ Book direct for our best rate

Crafted by Silverland Hotels.