You have come to the river bus in Saigon – Sai Gon water bus. It may sound a bit awkward, but it’s been two zodiac cycles and you’ve never heard of this water bus route in Saigon. How about you? Do you know everything about Saigon water bus yet? Let’s explore together.
What is Sai Gon water bus?
Sai Gon water bus is a river bus route starting from Bach Dang Wharf (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) passing through 4 stops and ending at Linh Dong Wharf (Thu Duc District). The entire journey takes about 30 minutes for a nearly 11km route. Below is the specific timetable for each segment that you can refer to choose the most “stylish” time frame for yourself!
The water bus has a total of 66 seats with 2 rows, each row has 11 rows, each row has 3 seats, and each seat has a life jacket. There is also a restroom outside the boat.
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Route of the river bus route – Sai Gon water bus
- Main stop: Bach Dang Wharf (District 1)
- Middle stops: Binh An Wharf (District 2), Thanh Da Wharf (Binh Thanh), Hiep Binh Chanh Wharf
- End stop: Linh Dong Wharf (Thu Duc).
Saigon River Bus Schedule
- Departure routes: C1, C2, C4, C5, C7, C8, C10, C11, C13, C15
- Return routes: L1, L2, L4, L5, L8, L10, L11, L13, L15.=> Fewer trips on weekends but more diverse passengers for great photo opportunities.
- On weekends (Sat, Sun) Saigon Waterbus adds some additional routes:
- Departure routes: C3, C6, C9, C12, C14* Return routes: L3, L6, L9, L12, L14.=> More trips than weekdays so no need to wait long, but can be crowded at peak times.
If you want to check out this river bus route, you can stop at any point. You can just get off at Thanh Da or Binh An pier and you’re good to go, because if you go all the way to the end, your companion might fall asleep out of boredom.
Guide to taking the Saigon Water Bus
We boarded from Binh An pier in District 2:
7:10 AM: We rode our motorbike to Binh An pier to park, at first feeling a bit lost as we didn’t see anyone around except the security guard and the ticket seller… Oh well, let’s just find the check-in spot first and figure it out later! The security guard watched our bike for us, so no need to worry about it getting lost.
7:35 AM: The bus was running, so we had plenty of time, we took some photos of the Landmark view and then got on the bus, choosing Ben Nghe pier as our stop.
The feeling of riding a bus on the river
From a macro to micro perspective, first you’ll have the chance to admire the complete view of the Saigon River with towering buildings, such as the magnificent Landmark 81. You’ll also feel the peaceful atmosphere, with cool breeze gently blowing over the water. But occasionally, you’ll be startled by the loud laughter of first-time boat riders (no worries, they’re just excited and having fun). In short, the Waterbus will paint a very different, peaceful picture of Saigon for you!
When I returned, I got on at Bach Dang Wharf
I returned in the afternoon, the trip started at 5:10 pm. I think going at this time is quite beautiful, with mild sunshine, you can admire the sunset on the river, as well as take some dreamy photos with the sun setting and the sky turning pink. If you just want to experience it, I think you should choose a short route unless you are afraid of getting bored sitting for too long. I chose the Thanh Da station. At this time, it was already evening, sitting on the boat admiring the Saigon sunset was quite interesting, especially when passing by the Landmark, everyone took out their phones to take pictures. For those who want to relax and enjoy the peaceful feeling on the river, you can sit until the last trip to Linh Dong. Because when you reach the middle stations, you still have to wait for the boat to complete the round trip to the last station before returning.
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Total cost: the ticket price for a one-way trip is 15k, so it’s better to buy a round-trip ticket (both ways) for 30k. Parking fee 10k, buying a bottle of water 10k, total 50k. Very cheap
Review Saigon water bus
- Bus experience: in general, it’s like taking a ferry… but “fancier” because there are bus seats and a clean, beautiful background.
- Limitations: In general, it was our first time, so we didn’t know, buying a round-trip ticket is easy… As a result, we didn’t have much time to relax, feeling anxious about missing the return trip, so taking pictures or enjoying the scenery was in a hurry! I advise you to go there first and then buy the return ticket later.
Notes when taking the Bus on the river in Saigon
- It is advisable to line up early to get a good seat. For example, outside the boat’s breezy deck, or sitting in the middle row by the window. The window can be opened, cool breeze, sunshine, easy to take photos. Don’t sit at the back row, the window is closed, very hot.
- If you want to take photos without getting people in the way, it’s best to go in the early morning or afternoon.
These are some tips for taking the bus on the river – Saigon Waterbus. Wishing you a fun trip, hihi
