Bitexco Financial Tower, Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon Skydeck tickets and price

An adult ticket costs 240,000 VND; children aged 4–12, seniors over 65 and visitors with disabilities pay 160,000 VND, and under-4s go free with an adult. The tower's own website didn't load when we checked, so these figures come from recent guides and ticket resellers that agree with each other — treat them as unofficial.

You'll still see the old prices — 200,000 VND for adults, 130,000 for children — on older pages. Klook, Viator, Tiqets and Headout sell the same entry for about US$9–10, sometimes bundled with the ao dai exhibition. It rarely saves money, and you still swap the e-voucher for a paper ticket at the counter on floor 49, where staff may ask for photo ID.

Paying: the counter takes cash or card, unofficially. Foreign Visa and Mastercard work at bigger venues in Vietnam, but carry some VND cash anyway; Grab, the main ride-hailing app, takes cash or a linked foreign card.

Opening hours and the best time to go

Saigon Skydeck opens every day from 9:30 to 21:30, with last entry around 20:45 — guides and resellers agree, but there's no official confirmation, so we mark it unofficial. Hours can change over Tết and other holidays, and the deck occasionally closes for private events.

Come an hour before sunset. In Ho Chi Minh City the sun goes down at roughly 17:30–18:20 depending on the season, so one ticket gets you the city by day, the sun dropping behind the skyline and Nguyen Hue lighting up below. Mornings are the quietest; after 19:00 the whole of District 1 turns into a glowing map.

Is Saigon Skydeck worth it?

Yes, if it's your first time in the city and the sky is clear. In an hour you get the whole layout of downtown — the river bend, the old French quarter, the boulevards — and the ticket is cheap by world standards. It's also an easy walk from the main District 1 sights, which makes it a natural last stop of the day.

It's not worth it in heavy rain or thick haze. If you've already been up Landmark 81, a second deck adds little — better to photograph the Bitexco tower from the bottom of Nguyen Hue. And if all you want is an evening drink with a view, skip the ticket and head to the EON Heli bar.

EON Heli bar vs the Skydeck

Three floors above the deck, the EON venues take up levels 50–52: EON51, a Western-menu restaurant on floor 51 open daily 11:00–23:00, and the EON Heli bar on floor 52, which according to its official site opens every day from 10:30 till late, with acoustic sets and DJs at night. There's no entry fee — you just buy a drink.

Older guides put cocktails from about 200,000 VND and beer from 90,000 VND, with discounted hours on some drinks — unofficial, so check the menu. The dress code is relaxed smart casual; unofficially, flip-flops and tank tops are frowned on. The bars (2 Hải Triều) use separate lifts from the Skydeck, with a change at floor 50.

YesGo's take: if you'd be having a drink anyway, the Heli bar costs about the same as a ticket and comes with a seat and music. But you only see what your side of the room faces, window tables go first (book ahead), and it's no place for small kids. For the full 360°, binoculars and clean photos, pay for the Skydeck.

What you see from floor 49

• The Saigon River — its wide bend, ferries and barges, and the new Thu Thiem district on the far bank.
• Landmark 81 — to the north in Binh Thanh, Vietnam's tallest tower stands out on a clear day.
• Nguyen Hue walking street — a straight ribbon of light from the river to the City Hall, best after dark.
• The old centre — the rooftops around Ben Thanh Market and the square in front of the Opera House.
• Free binoculars and touchscreens by the windows that label the buildings below.
• The ao dai exhibition — a small display of Vietnam's traditional long dress on the deck floor, included in the ticket.

Bitexco or Landmark 81: which viewpoint?

Staying in District 1 and short on time? Bitexco — it's close, cheaper and looks straight down on the river and Nguyen Hue. Landmark 81 is taller but further from the old town. The Heli bar is for an evening cocktail.

How tall is Bitexco Financial Tower?

The tower is 262.5 metres tall, with 68 floors above ground and three basements. It opened on 31 October 2010 and briefly held the title of Vietnam's tallest building, until Keangnam Landmark Tower in Hanoi overtook it early the next year. It stayed Ho Chi Minh City's tallest until Landmark 81 was finished in 2019.

The design, by Carlos Zapata Studio, takes its shape from a lotus bud — Vietnam's national flower — rising from a low podium and narrowing towards the top. The round helipad cantilevered out of the side at about 191 metres is the tower's signature, and the reason you'll recognise it on every Saigon postcard.

Nearby and on your route

44

Saigon Opera House

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

30 min · Free outside; inside with a show ticket · 10 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Saigon Opera House

43

Ben Thanh Market

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

1 h · Free entry · 12 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Ben Thanh Market

45

Saigon Central Post Office

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

30 min · Free · 18 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Saigon Central Post Office

46

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

20 min · Free; inside only during Mass · 18 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

How to do it right

• Go an hour before sunset for day, dusk and night views on one ticket.
• Press your phone to the glass and cup your hand around it to cut reflections from the lights inside.
• The binoculars are free — use them on the river ferries and Landmark 81.
• Booked online? Keep the voucher and your passport handy for the exchange at the counter.
• Want a sunset window table at the Heli bar? Call ahead using the number on the EON51 website.
• Afterwards, walk down to Nguyen Hue: in the evening half the city strolls there, and the river is two minutes away.
• With kids, choose the Skydeck over the bar: reduced tickets, binoculars and room to walk along the windows.

Questions