Sai Gon Hostel & Bar

Rooms and decor

This is a party hostel first, so the rooms are kept simple and built for crashing after a long night. There are mixed dorms, a female dorm and a handful of private doubles — the privates are limited, so book about a week ahead if you want one. Each bunk has a privacy curtain, a power socket, a USB point and an under-bed locker; the sheets are clean white and the air-con is set cold. The curtains are the weak spot — they are worn, so they do not seal much between beds.

Food and amenities

The bar sits on the ground floor and opens 17:00 to 02:00, with a pool table, a sound system and pop playing loud. A Saigon beer is VND 20,000 (about $0.80), a cocktail VND 80,000 (about $3.30), a vodka shot VND 50,000 (about $2); happy hour 18:00 to 20:00 drops the beer to VND 15,000 (about $0.60). Breakfast is free, there is laundry, and luggage storage covers a late check-out. On Wednesdays the kitchen runs a free Vietnamese cooking class, 16:00 to 18:00, teaching Banh Xeo, Pho Bo and Goi Cuon — it starts with a short walk to the market for fresh ingredients and ends with the group eating together over free Bia Hoi.

Location and getting there

You are in District 1, dead-centre in Pham Ngu Lao, a 2-minute walk from Bui Vien Walking Street. The free pub crawl leans on that: at 21:00 a staffer gathers the group and walks them to 3 Bui Vien bars — Crazy Buffalo for the DJ and dance floor, Lush for hookah and cocktails, then Apocalypse Now for rock and a 70s vibe. Drinks at each stop are on you, averaging VND 50,000 to 80,000 (about $2 to $3.30) a glass, but the walk and the company cost nothing.

Things to know before booking

This is a party hostel first, so be honest with yourself about the noise — it runs until 02:00 from the bar, the common area and the crawl coming home. It is not for early sleepers, families or older travelers. The privacy curtains on the dorm bunks are worn and do not seal well. Check-in is foreigner-only and strictly enforced: bring a passport copy and be 18 or older. If you want the party but a quieter bed, ask for the 3rd floor — it sits farthest from the bar.

Our take

Sai Gon Hostel & Bar is the #1 party hostel in Pham Ngu Lao: an in-house bar, a free nightly pub crawl, a free Wednesday cooking class and a foreigner-only crowd, all at 8.6/10. From about $11 a night it is genuine value for solo travelers aged 18 to 30 who came to party and meet people — and a poor fit for anyone who wants quiet, which it makes no pretence of offering.