Ho Chi Minh is a land of absolute chaos but also beauty. The smells of street food flood the air, the motorbikes fill the streets, and somehow navigating your way through the streets feels like playing an extreme game of Tetris.
It’s a place where many backpackers earn their stripes. If you can survive Ho Chi Minh, you’ll handle the rest of Southeast Asia like a breeze. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll keep coming back for more!
Luckily, there are a plethora of hostels available for us backpackers to choose from. Whether you’re after the cheapest bed in the city, keen to lap up the nightlife, or even just there to get some work done, there’s a hostel for you.
I’ve visited this crazy city more times than I care to count at this point, which means I’ve been blessed enough to sample it’s widespan hostel scene. In this guide, I’ve shared my top picks based on what kinda traveller you are. So, let’s dive in!

Image: Nic Hilditch-Short
The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.
Need the short version? Start with these Ho Chi Minh hostels
Let’s take a closer look at each hostel
Ho Chi Minh is home to some of the best and most affordable hostels in the world. It’s a city backed with chaos, but it is also a haven for backpackers to unite over dorm beds, streetside noodles on tiny red chairs, and a few too many tiger beers. Let’s get into the best backpacker joints this city has to offer.
1. Mobylette Saigon Hotel – Best Overall Hostel

Price: $$
Best for: Solo travellers, party backpackers and anyone up for meeting new friends.
Highlights: Rooftop terrace, 1 free beer at happy hour, and included breakfast.
Dorms from: $15
Private rooms from: $35
Location: Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
Taking the cake for the BEST hostel for travellers in Ho Chi Minh is Mobylette Saigon. These guys do hostelling bloody well and have somehow created a hostel that’s ideal for nearly every traveller. These guys offer a ton of FREE shit… I’m talking beer, breakfast, water refills, luggage storage, shampoo, towels and more (they know the way into our Broke Backpacker hearts).
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Free beer & breakfast, ideal for us penny counters.
- Social vibes with plenty of daily activities to meet new people.
- Great location to explore the city highlights from.
The hostel has a really social vibe with everyone mixing and mingling around the free breakfast and beers! Happy hour is from 5-6 pm at the rooftop bar… yep, they have a rooftop bar, pretty damn cool. It’s the perfect place to make friends, enjoy a few bevvies, and if you’re up for it, hit the town! As it’s up on the roof, there is no pressure to join or too much noise. So, if you just wanna chill downstairs, that is absolutely cool too.
2. The Like Hostel & Cafe – Best for Solo Travelers

Price: $
Best for: Solo travellers and party backpackers.
Highlights: Free walking tours, 1 free evening beer, and daily events.
Dorms from: $9
Private rooms from: N/A
Location: Nguyen Trai, Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh
The Like Hostel has a SUPER social vibe to it, which is ideal for solo travellers on the Southeast Asia route looking to meet some travel buds to explore the city with. They offer everyone a free beer in the evening between 7 and 8 pm (legends). It’s the perfect form of encouragement to get us travellers mixing and mingling. However, it’s important to note that this is not a party hostel. It’s for those travellers who prefer a more low-key affair… if that sounds up your street, then this is the best hostel in Ho Chi Minh for you.
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Walking distance to tourist hot spots, with free walking tours to take you around.
- Social vibes for those who want to meet new friends without pressure to party.
- Kitchen available for us if you want to whip up your own meals.
The Like is a top hostel in Ho Chi Minh and is loved by all who visit. They have modern yet cosy dorms complete with air conditioning. The staff are super helpful and really welcoming, as is the owner, who you can tell puts her heart and soul into looking after the hostel and the guests. Plus, as the name suggests, they have a cafe on-site! So, you don’t have to venture far to caffeinate.
3. The Hideout – Best Party Hostel

Price: $$
Best for: Party travellers and those who enjoy nightlife.
Highlights: Epic pub crawls, free shots on the pub crawls and early check-ins available.
Dorms from: $13
Private rooms from: $45
Location: Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
If you wanna plan the ultimate itinerary to Ho Chi Minh and stay in the absolute best hostel, you’d better get yourself booked into The Hideout. It is a super popular Ho Chi Minh backpackers’ hostel, and it’s always pumping! If you’re looking for a buzzing and busy hostel in Saigon, I’d 10/10 recommend bunking up here.
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- Movie room on site for those lazy, hungover days or nights in.
- Pub Crawls 3x a week (choose your dates wisely!)
- On-site bar to meet fellow travellers.
The dorms are clean and comfy, and there is air conditioning too (no one likes a sweaty dorm room, especially after a night out). The Hideout crew run epic pub crawls on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Make sure you’re in town, these nights out can be WILD. If you’re after a quiet night’s sleep, you’re not going to get that here.
4. Meander Saigon – Best for Digital Nomads

Price: $$$
Best for: Digital nomads, couples and bougier backpackers.
Highlights: Free coworking space for paying guests, rooftop bar and an on-site cafe.
Dorms from: $27
Private rooms from: $65
Location: Ben Nghe, District 1
Digital nomads don’t ask for much in life… just some decent Wi-Fi, a nice space to work and a shit load of coffee. If that sounds like you, then you’ll be happy to know I’ve found her perfect match in Ho Chi Minh! Meander Saigon has blended co-working, accommodation and a cafe to produce a perfect nomad place to stay. This place comes at a higher cost than some of the other hostels in town… but do those hostels have a slide next to the staircase?
Why you’ll love this hostel:
- You can take the stairs OR A SLIDE! Yes, there is a slide from the second floor.
- Co-working space available for use for every paying guest.
- Speedy Wi-Fi, so you don’t need to pull your hair out with a slow connection.
But seriously, this hotel is VERY nice… It’s like the Ritz of hostels. If you’re up for a wild time in Ho Chi Minh with some loose backpackers, this is not the place for you. This hostel attracts a more “professional” crowd, if you will, the guests are usually booking in for a chill stay with a nice place to shit done (with a splash of fun on the side).
5. Base Backpackers – Best for Socialising

Price: $$
Best for: Social travellers and nightlife.
Highlights: Free beer, social vibe, modern rooms.
Dorms from: $12
Private rooms from: $60
Location: Quaon 1, Ho Chi Minh
There is something about Ho Chi Minh hostels and FREE beer… and I’m bloody into it! Base Backpackers is another hostel in Ho Chi Minh that doesn’t just offer every guest ONE free glass of liquid confidence, but two, every evening. It’s a bloody great way to get people to mix and mingle.
Why you’ll love it:
- Not one, but two free beers for the drinkers in the house.
- Free pub crawls with The HideOut every Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.
- Foosball table and nightly social vibes to get to know new friends.
This one is a banger. It’s not a mega party hostel but still has a social vibe to it… and if you want to party, you’re only a few streets away. The hostel has everything you need for a comfy stay: cosy beds, clean spaces, power points and privacy curtains on each bed. Its only downfall is that the A/C can get a bit chilly… I know, right, we travellers are turning weak. So pack an extra layer, just in case.
6. Saigon Rooftops Hostel – Best for Nightlife

Price: $$
Best for: Party travellers and nightlife.
Highlights: Free beer, free breakfast buffet and epic rooftop bar.
Dorms from: $14
Private rooms from: $50
Location: Cô Giang, District 1
This hostel is hard to fault, especially if you enjoy dabbling in the local nightlife. They offer the BEST free breakfast buffet I’ve ever had in a hostel, a free beer each night (in true Ho Chi Minh hostel style), and the staff are some of the best humans to grace this earth.
Why you’ll love it:
- Banging breakfast buffet, every morning!
- Free walking tour to explore the city, right from the hostel.
- Rooftop bar to enjoy your free beer and get to know fellow travellers.
If you are a solo traveller and want to meet some mates, head to the rooftop bar! It is a super social space. The rooms are very spacious, and you get a decent amount of storage. The showers are pretty average, but everyone has their flaws, right?
PS. Do the Cu Chi Tunnel tour that they organise. It was a trip highlight!
7. Ace Home – Best Value Hostel

Price: $
Best for: Chilled but social travellers, budget travellers.
Highlights: Close to cafes and restaurants, free beer, included breakfast, and a rooftop bar.
Dorms from: $9.50
Private rooms from: N/A
Location: Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1.
Ace Home is another hostel that I could rave about til’ the cows come home, the value for money they offer is unreal. The vibe of this place is 10/10, especially up at the rooftop bar, which is where the magic happens. These guys also offer FREEEEE breakfast and beer. How will I ever lower my standards after the hostels in Ho Chi Minh?
Why you’ll love it:
- Free beer on the rooftop (this is really sounding like a theme, huh!)
- Female-only dorms are available for those who prefer.
- Daily included breakfast provided to fill your backpacker tum.
Located in a central area of Ho Chi Minh, just around the corner from the walking street, you’ll be able to explore the city from your doorstep. I can’t finish talking about Ace Home without mentioning their service. This is where these guys absolutely shine. I’ve never felt as looked after as I did here.
8. City Backpackers Hostel – Best for Quiet Stays

Price: $
Best for: Budget backpackers, less social travellers.
Highlights: Great location, kind and helpful service, comfortable rooms.
Dorms from: $8
Private rooms from: $27
Location: Ben Thanh ward, District 1
If you’re looking for a home away from home in Ho Chi Minh, you’ll find it at the City Backpacker Hostel. These guys welcome you in with open arms and look after all of us tired, excitable backpackers. It’s not a party hostel, but it has a social, warm vibe to it. Plus, it’s close to the party spots, so if you are up for getting a bit loose, you don’t have to go far to find it. But it’s far from a party hostel.
Why you’ll love it:
- The local recommendations for the workers are top-tier.
- A prime location with plenty of main attractions within walking distance.
- Spacious rooms. You have space for when you need it.
It’s in a banger of a location, close to all things in District 1. The team at the hostel are around 24/7 to help you book tours and give the BEST recommendations for what to do & where to eat in Ho Chi Minh.
9. The Common Room Project – Best for Long Stays

Price: $$$
Best for: Digital nomads, flashpackers and long stayers.
Highlights: Coworking space, fully stocked kitchen, fast Wi-Fi.
Dorms from: $20
Private rooms from: $75
Location: Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1
If there were ever a hostel designed exclusively for longer stayers and digital nomads, it would look a lot like The Common Room Project. TCRP is a modern hostel with plenty of common areas to work in. The WiFi is fast and reliable, and you can get great coffee from their cafe on the ground floor.
Why you’ll love it:
- The modern design makes it comfortable for longer stays and those who want a fancier stay.
- Coworking spaces make it super easy to get work done.
- Social, community vibe without being too much.
The hostel has a boutique feel and is a highly recommended hostel in Ho Chi Minh. It’s the little touches that make this hostel super hipster, even the towels are personalised! If you want a modern place to stay for longer than the average backpacker, this one is fab.
10. Alleyway Hostel – Best Cheap Hostel

Price: $
Best for: Quiet nights in, social but chill vibes.
Highlights: Great location, social but relaxed energy, rooftop.
Dorms from: $8
Private rooms from: N/A
Location: Pham Ngu Lao ward, District 1.
Alleyway Hostel is a great budget hostel in Ho Chi Minh if you like to mingle and have a drink or two, but equally love a good night’s sleep too! Alleyway Hostel is super modern, clean-cut and spacious. The beds are super comfy, and you even get free air conditioning through the night, such a treat!
Why you’ll love it:
- Spacious storage under the beds, with privacy curtains.
- Calm energy to have a breather while staying in the chaos of HCMC.
- Modern rooms that feel spacious and clean.
They’re located just a few minutes’ walk away from Notre-Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office and other must-visit spots in Ho Chi Minh. Alleyway Hostel is also a great place for digital nomads looking for a relaxing stay and to get some work done.
Getting Insured BEFORE Backpacking in Ho Chi Minh
ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.
They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.
SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!
Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.
If you’re still worried about staying safe in Vietnam, then check out our comprehensive guide packed with travel tips, safety advice, and more.
Which Ho Chi Minh hostel is right for you?
Ho Chi Minh will test you, thrill you, and occasionally terrify you… But apparently that’s half the fun for us backpackers! Once you’ve found your base and taken that first deep breath of steamy noodle broth mixed with fumes, the city starts to all somehow make sense. Mix that with some hella hostels, and you’d have a dream combo.
Whether you’re here to party, to work, to meet the world, or just to survive the traffic, staying at the right hostel genuinely changes everything. Hopefully, this guide helps you land somewhere that feels like your version of home in the midst of HCMC’s madness.
If you’re still feeling unsure, I’d suggest securing a bed at Mobylette Saigon Hotel. It’s incredible value for money, it’s social without being wild, and it (of course) offers free beer and breakfast!
- Check out our extensive guide to backpacking in Vietnam for a wealth of info!
- Not sure what to do once you arrive? We’ve got all the best places to visit in Ho Chi Minh covered.
- Check out the best places to stay in Ho Chi Minh before you arrive.
- Prepare for your trip with our backpacking packing list.
- Get ready for your next destination with our ultimate Southeast Asia backpacking guide.


