Nightlife and bars in Vietnam: where to go, how to book and what to know
A night out in Vietnam can be a plastic stool and a glass of fresh draught beer on a Hanoi pavement, or a rooftop cocktail above the Saigon River. Both are part of the country, and both are easy to find. This guide covers where to go, what people drink, and the rules that matter.
Where the bars are
- Ho Chi Minh City
District 1 has the rooftop bars and cocktail bars, many of them around Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi streets. Bui Vien is the loud backpacker street, closed to traffic on weekend evenings. Thao Dien, across the river, is where many expats go for craft beer and quieter bars. The Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar at the Caravelle hotel, overlooking the Opera House, is the long-running classic.
- Hanoi
The Old Quarter is the centre: Ta Hien street and its corner of low stools are the classic place for bia hơi, fresh draught beer. Cocktail bars hide in the lanes around it, and the West Lake area has bars popular with foreign residents. For live music, Binh Minh Jazz Club near the Opera House plays jazz every night.
- Da Nang and Hoi An
In Da Nang, bars line the river and the An Thuong beach area. Hoi An’s old town is quieter and winds down early; the beach bars at An Bang stay livelier.
- Beach towns and islands
Nha Trang and Phu Quoc have beach clubs and sunset bars, busiest in the dry season.
What people drink
- Bia hơi
Light draught beer brewed daily and sold by the glass on street corners, mostly in the North. It is cheap, weak and meant to be drunk the same day.
- Local lagers
Every region has its own: Bia Saigon and 333 in the South, Bia Ha Noi in the North, Huda around Hue, Larue on the central coast. Beer is often served over ice.
- Craft beer
Saigon and Hanoi have a lively craft scene, with taprooms brewing with local ingredients such as passion fruit, coffee and pepper.
- Rice wine and cocktails
Rượu, rice spirit, is poured in small cups at family meals and in the countryside. In the cities, bartenders build cocktails around Vietnamese flavours: kumquat, lemongrass, coffee.
How people drink
- The toast
The table counts together, “Một, hai, ba, dô!” (one, two, three, cheers), and everyone clinks glasses. It will happen more than once.
- Drinking goes with food
Going out to drink usually means sharing dishes too; the word for it is nhậu. Ordering only drinks at a local beer place is unusual.
- Paying
The person who invites usually pays for the table. Tipping is not expected at local places; in cocktail bars and hotel bars a small tip is appreciated.
How to book a table
- Rooftop and cocktail bars
Reserve for Friday and Saturday nights and for sunset. Most venues take bookings on their website or by message on their Facebook or Instagram page; your hotel can also call for you.
- Bars that do not take bookings
Some small, popular bars seat people as they arrive and turn guests away when full. Come early.
- Dress code and cover charge
Sky bars and clubs may apply a dress code, usually no flip-flops or sleeveless shirts for men, and a cover charge on some nights. Local beer places need no booking at all: you just sit down.
The rules to know
- The drinking age is 18
Vietnam’s alcohol law, in force since 2020, bans drinking under 18 and selling alcohol to minors.
- Zero alcohol when driving
Since 2025 the law forbids driving any vehicle, motorbikes included, with any alcohol at all in your breath or blood. Police run roadside checks at night and penalties are heavy. Take a taxi or a ride-hailing car.
- E-cigarettes and balloons
E-cigarettes and laughing-gas balloons have been banned since 2025, even where you see them sold. Drug laws are among the strictest in the world.
Closing times vary by city and by street, and Hanoi generally closes earlier than Saigon; ask the venue.
Staying safe
- Phones and bags
Snatch theft from passing motorbikes happens in busy nightlife areas. Keep your phone away from the kerb and your bag on the side away from the road.
- Your drink and your bill
Keep an eye on your glass, and check prices before ordering in tourist streets.
- Getting home
Book rides through an app so the price and route are fixed, especially late at night.
Celebrating something?
For a birthday or an anniversary on your trip, we deliver flowers to restaurants, bars and hotels across Vietnam; see our birthday flowers. Opening a bar or a restaurant here? Vietnamese partners send grand opening flower stands, and we make those too.
Sources
Venues and areas: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Best nightlife in HCMC, An inside guide to Hanoi’s bar scene. Rules: Law 44/2019/QH14 on alcohol harm prevention, Tuoi Tre News on the zero-alcohol driving law. Checked in October 2026; venues change, so confirm before you go.
More Vietnam guides
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- When to visit Vietnam: weather by region and month
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- Vietnamese fruits: what to try, and when
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- What to buy in Vietnam: souvenirs worth bringing home
Coffee, tea, an áo dài made to measure, lacquerware and silk: what to buy, where, and what to leave behind.
- The ao dai and other symbols of Vietnam
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- Golf in Vietnam: the best courses, when to play and how to book
About a hundred courses from Ha Long Bay to Ho Tram: the regions, the best months, caddies and tee times.
- Vietnam travel guide
- Arriving in Vietnam: visa and airports
- Living in Vietnam
From a florist in Ho Chi Minh City
These guides are written by Flosa, a flower shop in Ho Chi Minh City. Celebrating something while you travel, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a proposal? We deliver flowers to hotels across Vietnam. Want to thank someone in Vietnam after you get home? You can send flowers to Vietnam from abroad.