From Dec 10th, 2021, Saigon Waterbus service operator added Binh An trips departing from Bach Dang station to Binh An station (round trip), operating in the evenings and even at the weekend, which attract many youths as well as families coming to experience and discover differently splendid night beauty of Ho Chi Minh city along Saigon River.
Located in Bach Dang Wharf Park, Bach Dang station is large and clean with many picturesque river view coffee shops, so there are many young people coming there to check in “virtual living” to own splendid photos which are not as different as being taken in Hong Kong.
A corner of river view café at Bach Dang station
Seeing the River Saigon from Bach Dang station
Being different from crowded, bustling street images, Binh An waterbus trip brings the locals and tourists new experiences. It gives you an opportunity to see Saigon from a unique perspective as the dark settles over the city. A peaceful, relaxed feeling and how strangely beautiful Saigon is! Skyscrapers illuminated by colorful neon lights gradually appear in front of your eyes and along the riverside Saigon. You can feel very fresh thanks to cool wind blowing from the river.
The Ho Chi Minh city’s highest building Landmark 81 gradually appears from a distance.
You can see a panorama of Vinhomes Center Park with sparkling lights at night in Binh Thanh district.
You not only sightsee Saigon by night with your family and friends on the River Saigon, but you can also take many cool “virtual living” photos with modern style or vintage or retro style. From a corner of window, the side of the bus boat, the stern of a boat, you can take full advantage of them to take beautiful photos with the river view or colorfully illuminated skyscrapers as a background.
Some young people are looking at with concentration photos which have just been taken
Bach Dang – Binh An new river bus route (round trip)
Binh An station is a new water bus station opening as of Dec 10, 2021, which follows after Thanh Da station, Binh Chanh district station, Linh Dong station and Bach Dang station.
The night departure timetable of Bach Dang – Binh An trip is as follows:
- Daily from17:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00,
- At the Weekend (Saturday, Sunday) and holidays: additional departure time: 16:00.
Departure timetable of Saigon Waterbus as of Dec 10, 2021
Departure timetable is applicable in a new normal stage and can be changed depending on current circumstances to adapt to a gradual opening of the door, pandemic prevention according to the directives.
Route 01 Saigon Water Bus Map
Map and departure timetable Saigon Waterbus at Bach Dang waterbus station.
Departure timetable Saigon Waterbus
Bach Dang – Binh An river bus trip costs 15.000 VND. The return trip cost 30.000 VND because you can not be allowed to stay there too long.
It takes 15 minutes from Bach Dang station to Binh An station. If you take a trip departing at 18:00, you will have 10 break minutes to take photos and enjoy landscapes at Binh An station and can see a panorama view of the Ho Chi Minh city’s highest building Landmark 81 (462,1 meter high with 81 floors and 3 underground floors) at Vinhomes Center Park, Binh Thanh district. After that, the water bus will bring you back to the departure station.
Everybody is angling for posing with Landmark 81 at Binh An station during 10 break minutes of water bus.
A water bus has 75 seats, divided in 2 parts, one row including 3 seats and the other having 2 seats. The seats are large and clean.
Inside a water bus of Saigon Waterbus
The best time to sightsee Saigon riversides is morning and evening trips. Therefore, tickets of these trips are often sold out very soon. To get an expected trip, you should book online tickets on Saigon Waterbus’s website or on its application 1 or 2 days before departure.
Some notices when buying tickets of Bach Dang-Binh An trip
- If you drive a motorbike, you must present a booking code of tickets bought or successful booking notification email before parking the motorbike at the motorbike parking. The parking is located at 10B Ton Duc Thang street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city.
The position of Bach Dang station on Google Maps at 10B Ton Duc Thang street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city
- According to the instructions of booking tickets on Saigon Waterbus website, you must go to the Ticket Office to receive a paper ticket in case you book online tickets at Bach Dang station. However, when I arrived there, a ticket officer said no need to do that, just show a booking code on your phone before entering the ticket checking gate.
Passengers standing in a queue in front of the ticket checking gate at Bach Dang station.
- Theoretically, passengers must choose their seats in advance when buying online tickets. But when arriving late, their seats are occupied by other passengers. In such a case, you just show your booking email mentioning your seat number. Besides, you should take a photo of seat map that you have already chosen to prove because seats on the water bus are not numbered.
- When booking water bus tickets on the website, you just need to choose Departure station, Destination, Departure time, then the system will show all available trips.
Booking waterbus tickets on Saigon Waterbus’s website, Departure from field can be blank
- If you choose “Departure from”, the system will show all available trips departing after that time. For example, I chose a water bus departing at 17:00, but only a water bus at 21:00 was displayed, the other water bus trips departing after 17:00 were sold out.
The system shows all available water bus.
- Tickets are sold online or directly at Bach Dang station. Most of trips departing from 4pm to 8pm are often sold out very soon 1 or 2 days before departure. There is always available Binh An trip departing at 21:00. You should book water bus tickets in advance to avoid sold-out tickets and have your desired trips.
Tickets of Bach Dang – Binh An trip on 16 Dec are sold out, only trips at 21:00 are available.
- When booking online water bus tickets, you can pay via the following payment methods:
- Momo wallets
- Via VNpay QR code by opening a banking application and scan directly QR code on the website by smartphone, or
- Via VNpay payment gate (choosing a bank and fill in payment information)
- According to ticket booking instruction, you should arrive 15 minutes earlier to receive paper tickets. However, you don’t need to get paper tickets. You can use booking QR code of payment confirmation on your smartphone to enter the gate.
Other river bus routes of Saigon Waterbus
Besides Bach Dang – Binh An new trips, Saigon Waterbus has been providing trips from district 1 to Binh Thanh district or to Thu Duc city running by day from November 25, 2017.
Bach Dang – Thanh Da trip (Binh Thanh district): 32 minutes
Bach Dang – Binh Chanh district trip (Thu Duc city): 42 minutes
Bach Dang – Linh Trung (Thu Duc city): 52 minutes
Ticket price: 15.000 VND/ 1 person/ one way
Available waterbus stations and connecting buses
Bach Dang station (1)
Address: 10 B Ton Duc Thang, dist 1, HCM city
It is in front of Tran Hung Dao statue with Saigon River view at Bach Dang wharf park
- Binh An station(4)
- Thanh Da station(8)
Connecting bus no. 44
- Binh Chanh district station(10)
- Linh Dong station(11)
Connecting to Binh Quoi wharf and bus no. 44
Notice:
- Timetable of bus no 44 is 5:15- 19:30from Bình Quới Wharf to Bến Thành market
- At Bach Dang Wharf Park, there are two different stations. These are Bach Dang
Speed Ferry terminal for high-speed boat departing from Ho Chi Minh to Can Gio and Vung Tau (located in front of Riverside Hotel) at 27 Ton Duc Thang street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city. Bach Dang station of Saigon Waterbus is located at 10B Ton Duc Thang street, district 1, Ho Chi Minh city (opposite Tran Hung Dao statue, at Me Linh square)
Some stations of Saigon Waterbus are under construction:
- Thủ Thiêm station
- Sài Gòn Pearl station
- Tân Cảng station
- Thảo Điền station
- Tầm Vu station
- Bình Triệu station
- Trường Thọ station
In summary, although Binh An night water bus trip has just been opening, it attracted many young people and families to have an opportunity to discover Saigon by night after a hard working day. Why not to try to go sightseeing in a unique way with your relatives and friends, as well as to keep great moments together.
