VC Hideout
This is short route in old District 3 that mixes together a few different places including markets, food, drink, and some history. Best done in the morning when the market is busy, it can also be done in the afternoon although without the Viet fry up breakfast at the end of the walk which closes at around 11am. It is a nice area to walk since many of the alley ways in the south end District 3 are interconnected and exist in a grid pattern. Feel free to move off the route and explore different alleys, many of which are residential.
Mieu Noi
The Mieu Noi route is a favorite since it is is short, easy, and quite relaxing. ‘Banh Cuon’ or rolled rice cakes are here but they offer a number of different toppings and fillings ordered separately. The rest if the walk takes you through a few small alleys with small local shops, makeshift markets, which leads to a unique pagoda on a quiet backstreet. Finally, arrive at the apartment complex that has a number of craft shops, coffee shops, and local eats on the ground floor.
Ba Chieu
This walk is highly underrated by well liked as it shows a unique cross section of the city’s changing landscape. It starts at a pagoda where people go pray for careers next to the busy Ba Chieu Market. The market spills over into neighboring streets and spans a few city blocks. It is very much a place to buy anything from foods, spices, ready made snacks, clothing, and anything you can imagine using at home.
Stop for a breakfast meal nearby at one the recommended places although the area offers a lot: soups, rice, BBQ, or other small steamed cakes and rolls. The rest takes you through some small local alleys. As of late 2025, the city has begun removing what are technically illegal slum housing next to the river in order to install a canal-side road and clean up the waterway. You can view small houses and the destruction of these houses in the middle of the route.
Crossing Dien Bien Phu Street leads to another set of alleys with quiet coffee shops, salons, and other local services, finally stopping at a crossroads with a leather shop, nearby juice shop, and convenience store if you need water.
Kite Park
Busiest on the weekend, the entire area next to Saigon River used to host neighborhoods of residential houses but since the 1990s, a master plan was created to turn the East side of the river into another mixed use, downtown business hub. In between, for about a decade, it was a quiet wasteland or roads that were not yet opened and overgrown grass which are slowly being turned into construction sites. Now, it offers something less local although still dynamic.
Once spanning 2 or 3 blocks, only one intersection is populated by groups flying kites and families coming to enjoy some fresh air. There is also a detour to a riverside play area that has a decent grill restaurant next to the bridge, coffee shops, a designated skateboarding area and pickleball courts. Stop at a craft brew pub that has a nice selection of bar food and Saigon inspired beers. It is best done in the late afternoon when there is wind and kites. There are views on the bridge both north and south so stop for a minute and have a look.