Staying in District 4: riverside apartments and street food next to District 1

Who should stay in District 4?

District 4 suits travellers who want an apartment close to the centre: families, groups, digital nomads and longer stays. Many of its towers are less than a kilometre from District 1 as the crow flies, so Ben Thanh Market and the riverside of District 1 are a 15 to 30-minute walk or a short ride across the bridges, and the apartments usually come with a kitchen, a washing machine and access to a rooftop or podium pool. It also suits food lovers, who can eat in the evening on Vinh Khanh street, one of the most popular food streets in the city.

The trade-offs are that District 4 has few sights of its own, the walk to District 1 crosses busy bridges, and the crowded streets around the markets have a reputation for pickpocketing: keep phones and bags close. Most stays here are in apartments rather than hotels, so check how check-in works.

Apartments, aparthotels and hotels in District 4

The 92 properties listed in this zone are mostly apartments, about seven in ten, in the riverside residential towers of the district, followed by a smaller number of hotels, aparthotels and homestays. Many apartment buildings have outdoor swimming pools, gyms and views over the river and the skyline of District 1, and around a quarter of the properties in this zone have a pool. Guest ratings are high, with a median of about 8.6 out of 10 on this site.

As a guide for 2026, rooms in District 4 cost about 400,000 to 900,000 VND a night, and food costs 30 to 40 percent less than in District 1. Apartments with one to three bedrooms vary widely with size and view. Many flats are handed over by the owner or a small management company, sometimes with a code or a lock box, so read the check-in instructions in each listing.

What is there to do in District 4?

Vinh Khanh street is the main reason visitors come: in the evening its pavements fill with plastic stools and grills, and the stalls serve snails, clams, scallops, crab and grilled seafood, alongside broken rice and banh xeo, the crispy Vietnamese pancake, on the surrounding streets. A bowl of street food costs about 35,000 to 55,000 VND here. Doan Nhu Hai street and the Xom Chieu market area are other good places to eat like a local.

The riverside promenades below the apartment towers have views across to the skyline of District 1 and the river traffic, and the centre's sights, from Ben Thanh Market to Nguyen Hue walking street and the Opera House, are a short ride or a long walk away.

How do you get to District 4?

From Tan Son Nhat International Airport, about 6 to 7 km away, the ride takes 25 to 35 minutes outside the rush hours and longer at peak times; a ride-hailing car costs slightly more than to District 1. Within the city, District 4 is linked to District 1 by several bridges over the Ben Nghe canal, and a motorbike taxi to Ben Thanh Market takes only a few minutes.

Metro Line 1 does not run through District 4; the nearest stations are Ben Thanh and Opera House in District 1, a 15 to 30-minute walk or a short ride from most buildings. District 7 and the Phu My Hung area are a few kilometres south.

When is District 4 at its best?

The dry season, from about December to April, is the best time for the open-air food stalls of Vinh Khanh and for walking to District 1. During the rainy season, from about May to November, evening showers can briefly empty the food streets, and the apartments' pools and indoor space come into their own. Around Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, many local eateries close for a few days.

Where are the apartments in District 4?

Most of District 4's apartments are in the residential towers along the riverbank and the Ben Nghe canal, facing District 1. From the upper floors, many have views over the river, the canal and the skyline of the centre, including the Bitexco Financial Tower and the towers of the Thu Thiem peninsula across the water. The buildings usually have security staff, lifts, gyms and swimming pools on the roof or on a podium level, and convenience stores and cafés at the base.

Inland, District 4 is older and more local, with narrow streets, markets and the food streets that made its reputation. Many visitors stay in the towers and walk or ride a few minutes inland for dinner, combining a modern apartment with the street life of an old Saigon neighbourhood.

When choosing an apartment, check the floor and the view, whether the building's pool and gym are included, how the keys are handed over, and the distance to the bridges into District 1, which varies from a few hundred metres to a couple of kilometres. Each listing gives these details, and guest reviews often mention the views and the pools.