The Best Hostels to Book in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Close to the central bus station and the backpacker district Pham Ngu Lao, Hangout Hostel HCM is popular with the party crowd. If you can tolerate loud nights, the clean and comfortable dorm beds have private lockers. However, with one complimentary welcome drink at its sociable ground-floor bar and Walking Street pub crawls with free sample shots scheduled every night, resting your head may be the last thing you’ll want to do here.

Part social spot, part flashpacker hostel, Aquarizon brings a smattering of the North African desert to this boisterous Vietnamese megacity. While the atmospheric private rooms have pastel-hued walls, matching floor tiles and Arabesque decor reminiscent of a Moroccan riad, the dorm beds have privacy curtains, wooden partitions and individual power outlets. It’s in the centre of Bui Vien Street, but with the annexed City Bar and an intimate rooftop, you won’t have to stray far to get conversations – and parties – started.

Offering separate female-only and mixed dorms, plus homely private rooms, Prei Nokor Hostel welcomes you with a ground-floor cafe – a great spot to sit, pull out your laptop and sample Vietnamese coffee. The decor, a mix of bare brick and whitewashed walls and strewn with potted plants and old-world wooden furniture, hints at early-19th-century Saigon when the original building was completed. All dorms have hangers, personal drawers and privacy curtains – the large balconies, with great views of the Ben Thanh Market, are uncommon for such budget-friendly hostels in Vietnam.

Developed inside a narrow and tall Vietnamese house, this arty hostel unfolds vertically, meshing murals, industrial-chic furniture and plenty of wood and wrought iron. Quiet yet close to all the best that District 1 has to offer, the Like Hostel has dorms with ensuite bathrooms and thoughtful touches, such as hammocks, free-flowing coffee and tea, and free luggage storage. The rooftop bar, where you can get a free beer, has incredible views and provides a fun environment to meet and mingle with like-minded travellers.

A cosy rooftop restaurant and bar overlooking Walking Street is just one of the many reasons to choose Kiki’s House Saigon. Besides smart and homely private rooms with balconies, the dorms are bright and large, with free storage space under the bed frames, reading lights and small scaffoldings where you can store your things. The shared kitchen is a nice touch if you’re on a budget, as is the free parking space, ideal for keeping your rental motorbike safe while you are in the city.

As the name suggests, expect a flashpacker treatment at this prime Bui Vien Street property, where the bells and whistles compete with much higher categories. There’s one female-only, one male-only and one mixed dorm room, hosting 60 people total. They’re all equipped with individual cube-style pods with lockers and furnished with grace and simplicity. City Poshtel is also the only Bui Vien hostel with a swimming pool (be prepared to pay extra to access it) and on-site spa treatments.

Vy Da Backpackers Hostel is a clean and curated option, known for the courtesy of its staff and service – a trait that may convince you to stay longer. Within a tall, narrow Vietnamese house, there’s a welcoming lounge with wooden furnishings and plenty of seating on the ground floor, along with a charming seventh-floor rooftop. Dorms have balconies and rows of neat bunk beds, while the private rooms are a notch above the standard budget digs of Pham Ngu Lao.

With a chilled-out bar tucked on the ground floor and a cute resident cat, Coco Hostel Bar is a solid choice if you love animals and meeting people in a homely hostel atmosphere. Owner Coco will take care of you as if she were your sister and infuses the same attention and care to customer satisfaction whether you stay in a private room or dorm. The latter has suffused lights, pastel tones and charming curtains – something special at this budget price. A simple breakfast is included.

Dorms here are bright and cosy, separated by wooden panels that complement the vintage black-and-white photos on the whitewashed walls. Each pod has large storage lockers and privacy curtains, while the common areas attract with their quirky mix of driftwood and coloured window shutters. There’s also a self-catering kitchen if you don’t feel like stepping out the front door to try all the food that Bui Vien Street has to offer.

This spacious hostel has one large and bright dorm, along with private rooms that blend modern touches and a splash of vintage Vietnam. Each dorm bed lies within a wooden partition and comes with privacy curtains and a wooden storage locker. While it’s close to the chaos of Bui Vien Street, it’s also removed enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep. The staff are friendly and willing to help with tours and securing onward transportation.

The Common Room Project is a sleek, upscale hostel in a peaceful alley on Nguyen Trai Street. There’s a community feel here, with a homey communal room where you’re encouraged to share creative ideas over dinners featuring local produce. Dorms are spacious, ranging from a 10-bed female-only room to a mixed 12-bed room, while recommendations from the front desk focus on slow travel.

This well-rated hostel is just a short stroll away from Bui Vien, the epicentre of nightlife action in Ho Chi Minh City. Here, female-only and mixed dorms are available, along with private rooms. The staff are helpful and friendly, doing an excellent job of creating a lively, fun atmosphere. Additionally, breakfast is included, and the tours sold through this hostel are all reasonably priced.

If you’re looking to have a lot of fun, book a room at the colourful Hideout. It sits right on Pham Ngu Lao Street, close to where the buses drop off tourists in District 1. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, it runs one of the biggest pub crawls in the city – that’s after the two free beers served daily at the rooftop bar. Choose from a 10- or 12-bed dorm, with female-only options available.

If you want to escape backpackers, hipsters and tourists, you should head to this hostel in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 4. Skygon feels more like an apartment within a residential area, complete with a shared kitchen, a library and free laundry. The hostel, however, scores top marks for the views, overlooking the city and the Saigon River. The dorms here are slightly smaller, with just four or six beds per room, making a good night’s sleep much more likely.