BITEXCO FINANCIAL TOWER
Standing taller than any other building in Ho Chi Minh City, and towering to the sky, is a skyscraper that’s made to look like a lotus bulb, known as Bitexco Financial Tower.
From a distance, or from the sky, it’s easily the most recognizable building in Ho Chi Minh City, for its tallness and for its modern design.
There are a number of things you can do when you’re at the Bitexco Financial Tower, but by far the most popular attraction is to take advantage of the height of the building to get a view of the city.
The bottom floor of the tower is a small shopping center, with a few cafe’s, but there’s not really much else. The majority of the building is occupied by offices.
There are two choices for visiting Bitexco Financial Tower for a chance to see the amazing view of the city.
Saigon Skydeck - Located on the 49th floor, this observation deck offers a panoramic view of the city. This is sort of an official Ho Chi Minh City attraction, and after you pay the entrance, you are free to browse around the floor and enjoy the views.
Eon Cafe - Located on the 50th floor, and not connected to the Saigon Skydeck, is Eon Cafe, a way overpriced cafe and bar where you can come at the expense of buying a drink. Since having a drink or food in hand will always sway my decisions, I decided to go to the cafe (instead of going to the Skydeck). The coffee was good, but extremely expensive, and the cafe looked kind of like a night-club. But nevertheless, I did enjoy the marvelous view of Saigon while sipping my coffee drip by drip.
So I personally can’t speak for the Saigon Skydeck, but whichever place you choose, for sure you’ll have an incredible view of the city. I went to the cafe and paid 130,000 VND for a tiny cup of ristretto - looked like about ¼ of a shot of coffee.
HOW TO GET THERE
36 Hồ Tùng Mậu, Phường Bến Nghé, Hồ Chí Minh, Quận 1
Vietnam Open hours: 9:30 am - 9:30 pm daily (for Skydeck) & 11:30 am - 11 pm daily for cafe
Entrance price: 200,000 VND for Skydeck entrance
By Walking:
- From the Ben Thanh Market area, you can walk to Bitexco Financial Tower, otherwise a quick taxi ride is a good option.
