All 7 Bars: Ranked
Rankings are based on four equally-weighted criteria: panoramic view quality (arc, height, skyline
coverage), minimum spend per person, sunset facing direction (west-facing bars score higher), and
transport access from the D1 backpacker/hotel district. Each criterion is scored 1–10; total scores
out of 40.
🥇 #1 Best Overall
Chill Skybar
76th Floor · AB Tower, Bitexco Financial Tower · 2 Hải Triều, District 1
The highest rooftop bar in HCMC and one of the highest in Southeast Asia. Chill Skybar occupies a rooftop terrace on the 76th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower — the helipad at the base of the pointed spire is visible from below and is iconic in the city skyline. The view is a complete 360° panorama: the Saigon River to the east, the colonial grid of District 1 directly below, and the low-rise sprawl extending to the horizon in every direction.
The minimum spend (₫200,000 per person) is applied on arrival — it goes toward anything you order, and a single cocktail typically covers it. Cocktails start at ₫180,000–280,000; a beer is ₫90,000–130,000. The bar is divided into an outdoor terrace (the best experience, but exposed and warm) and an air-conditioned interior with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Highest in HCMC
Best Sunset Views
Full Cocktail Bar
Dress code
Smart casual — no shorts, flip-flops or sleeveless
Reservation
Strongly recommended for sunset slots (17:30–19:00)
Access
Separate elevator from ground floor lobby; tell security you're going to Chill
Sunset tip: Arrive at 17:15 to secure an outdoor terrace table facing west for the golden hour. The bar fills completely by 17:45 on weekends — walk-ins after 18:00 often wait 20+ minutes for a table.
🥈 #2 Most Historic
Saigon Saigon Rooftop Bar
10th Floor · Caravelle Saigon Hotel · 19–23 Công Trường Lam Sơn, District 1
The Caravelle Hotel opened in 1959 and became the de facto base for international journalists covering the Vietnam War — CBS, ABC, NBC, Reuters and The New York Times all had offices here. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, correspondents famously watched the city burn from this very rooftop. The bar was opened in 1994 following the hotel's renovation, and the sense of history is tangible in a way that newer venues cannot replicate.
The view from the 10th floor is lower than Chill Skybar but the setting — looking directly across Lam Son Square toward the Municipal Theatre, down the tree-lined Dong Khoi Street, and west toward the former Presidential Palace — is arguably more beautiful. A single cocktail (₫180,000–250,000) is the typical spend with no formal minimum. One of the few venues on this list with no dress code.
Vietnam War History
D1 Colonial Views
No Minimum Spend
Dress code
Smart casual — more relaxed than Chill
Reservation
Walk-ins usually possible; call ahead for weekends
Location note
Directly on Lam Son Square — 10 min walk from Ben Thanh Market
Historical note: The bar's walls display vintage photographs and news clippings from the war era. Ask the bar staff about the specific rooms where CBS News filed their Vietnam War broadcasts — the details are fascinating.
🥉 #3 Best Atmosphere
level23
23rd Floor · Sheraton Saigon · 88 Đồng Khởi, District 1
level23 consistently receives the highest overall guest rating of any rooftop venue in HCMC — not for height, but for the combination of a beautifully designed pool terrace, attentive service, strong cocktail programme, and a genuinely pleasant atmosphere that doesn't feel pressured or tourist-trap. The outdoor pool area and bar terrace look north along Dong Khoi Street, with views of the Saigon River to the east.
Best Cocktails
No Minimum Spend
Pool Terrace
Dress code
Smart casual; pool access for hotel guests only
Signature drinks
level23 Saigon Sunset cocktail (₫220,000) — worth ordering once
Location
Corner of Dong Khoi and Mac Thi Buoi — most central on this list
Best combination: Come here first at 17:30 for a cocktail with city views, then move to Chill Skybar at 18:30 for the later city-lights panorama. Both are within a 5-minute walk of each other.
#4 · Best River Bar
The Deck Saigon
Rooftop + riverside · 38 Nguyễn U Dĩ, Thảo Điền, District 2
The Deck is the only venue on this list outside District 1 — it sits directly on the Saigon River bank in the Thao Dien neighbourhood of District 2 (Thu Duc City). The riverside setting is genuinely different from the city-skyline views of the D1 bars: you're at water level looking across at the opposite bank, watching river traffic and the old industrial waterfront. The relaxed, sophisticated atmosphere attracts a high proportion of HCMC expats rather than tourists.
Riverside Setting
No Minimum Spend
Expat Favourite
Getting there
Grab from D1: ₫60,000–90,000 (~20 min); or water taxi from Bach Dang Pier
Best for
Longer evenings with food — the kitchen serves quality Western and Vietnamese dishes
Tip
Water taxi option (Bach Dang Pier to Thao Dien, ₫30,000) makes this trip into an experience
Plan note: Allow the whole evening rather than a quick drink. The river is most atmospheric after dark (20:00+) when the boat traffic picks up.
#5 · Colonial Classic
Rex Rooftop Garden Bar
5th Floor · Rex Hotel · 141 Nguyễn Huệ, District 1
The Rex Hotel served as the US military's press briefing venue during the Vietnam War — the infamous "Five o'Clock Follies" (daily US military press conferences that journalists widely considered disinformation) were held here from 1964 to 1973. The 5th-floor rooftop garden is old-Saigon glamour: topiary animals, string lights, a live band most evenings, and a direct view down the Nguyen Hue pedestrian boulevard to the Saigon River. Lower than Chill Skybar but with more character than most newer venues.
Vietnam War Press Base
Nguyen Hue Boulevard View
Live music
Most evenings from 19:30 — traditional Vietnamese ensemble
Historical note: The Rex and the Caravelle together form the most historically significant drinking route in HCMC — two bars, two perspectives on the same war, 200 metres apart.
#6 · Best Pure View (No Bar)
Bitexco Financial Tower — Saigon Skydeck
49th Floor · Bitexco Financial Tower · 2 Hải Triều, District 1
The Bitexco Skydeck is an observation deck rather than a bar — a ₫200,000 entry fee (no drinks included) buys access to the 360° glass-enclosed viewing platform on the 49th floor. The viewing experience is arguably better than Chill Skybar above it: the glass-enclosed design allows photography without wind or weather issues, and the entry fee is fixed rather than a minimum spend with overpriced cocktails. Less glamorous, more practical.
360° Photography
Fixed Cost ₫200,000
Book online
Same-day tickets usually available; online booking saves queuing
Photography note: The enclosed glass deck allows time-lapse and long-exposure photography at dusk without wind — bring a compact tripod for the best city-lights shots.
#7 · No-Frills Budget Option
Bui Vien Street Bars
Bùi Viện Walking Street · District 1 backpacker area
Bui Vien is HCMC's backpacker walking street — pedestrianised on weekend evenings, neon-lit, with beer at ₫20,000–40,000 a glass from ground-level bars and the occasional second-floor terrace overlooking the street chaos below. It is not a skyline view experience; it is the opposite experience — immersed in the ground-level energy of a city that genuinely does not sleep. Best for travellers prioritising atmosphere and budget over panoramic views.
From ₫20,000
Pedestrianised Evenings
Hours
Bars from 18:00; walking street from 19:00 (weekends)
Location
5 min walk from Ben Thanh Market
Sunset Timing — When to Arrive
Ho Chi Minh City sits at approximately 10.8°N — a low tropical latitude that produces very
consistent sunset times year-round. Unlike cities at higher latitudes where sunset swings
dramatically between seasons, HCMC sunset varies by only about 30 minutes across the full year.
Practical advice: arrive at your chosen rooftop bar 30 minutes before the sunset
time for your visit month. This allows you to order, be seated, and have your drink in hand before
the golden-hour light begins. The 15 minutes before sunset through to 15 minutes after are the most
dramatic. After that, the city-lights transition (20:00 onwards) is a completely different and equally
spectacular experience — many travellers stay for both.
⚠ Rainy Season Clouds
May through October is HCMC's wet season. Afternoon thunderstorms are frequent — typically arriving
15:00–17:00 and clearing by 18:00–19:00. This pattern means sunset views are often obscured during
the rain but frequently spectacular in the hour after it clears, when the washed air creates
exceptional visibility and dramatic cloud formations. Don't cancel rooftop plans due to afternoon rain
— check the sky from your hotel at 17:30 before deciding.
Quick Comparison — All 7 Bars
| Bar |
Floor |
Min. Spend |
Dress Code |
Best For |
| Chill Skybar |
76th |
₫200,000/person |
Smart casual |
Best views + sunset |
| Saigon Saigon |
10th |
None |
Relaxed smart |
History + atmosphere |
| level23 |
23rd |
None |
Smart casual |
Best cocktails + service |
| The Deck Saigon |
Riverside |
None |
Casual |
River views + evening |
| Rex Rooftop |
5th |
None |
Smart casual |
War history + live music |
| Bitexco Skydeck |
49th |
₫200,000 entry |
None |
Photography |
| Bui Vien bars |
Ground–2nd |
None |
None |
Budget + street energy |
Two-Bar Evening Routes
The most satisfying HCMC rooftop evening combines a sunset bar (17:30–19:00) with a later city-lights
bar (20:00–22:00). Here are three tested routes from different starting budgets:
🌅 Route A — Best of Both (Budget: ₫700,000–900,000/person)
17:30: level23 (Sheraton) — arrive for pre-sunset cocktail on the pool terrace with Dong Khoi views. One cocktail = ₫200,000–250,000.
18:45: Walk 5 minutes to Chill Skybar (Bitexco). Arrive just as the city lights come on — the post-sunset transition at 76 floors is breathtaking. Minimum spend applies: ₫200,000. One more cocktail = ₫200,000–280,000.
Total: ₫600,000–730,000 per person. Best combination on the list.
📜 Route B — History Route (Budget: ₫400,000–600,000/person)
17:30: Rex Rooftop Garden — the 1960s press bar, overlooking Nguyen Hue Boulevard. One drink = ₫120,000–160,000.
19:00: Walk 200m to Saigon Saigon Bar (Caravelle). The bar where war correspondents filed their dispatches. One or two drinks = ₫180,000–350,000.
Total: ₫300,000–510,000 per person. The historically richest evening on this list.
💚 Route C — Budget Route (₫80,000–150,000/person)
17:30: Bitexco Skydeck (₫200,000 entry, no drinks). Photography golden hour from 49 floors.
19:30: Walk to Bui Vien walking street. ₫20,000–40,000 beers until midnight.
Total: ₫220,000–360,000 per person. Best value if views matter but cocktail budgets don't.