Landmark 81, and whether the view is worth the ticket

Landmark 81 is the tallest building in Vietnam and the one tower on the Saigon skyline that is visible from nearly everywhere in the city. It stands on the river in Binh Thanh district, a few kilometres from the colonial centre. There are two ways to see the view from the top.

How tall is Landmark 81?

Landmark 81 stands about 461 metres tall with 81 floors, which makes it the tallest building in Vietnam by a wide margin. It opened in 2018 as the centrepiece of the Vinhomes Central Park development. It held the title of tallest building in Southeast Asia until a taller tower in Kuala Lumpur was completed.

The design is a stack of glass tubes of different heights, said to take its shape from a bundle of bamboo. At night LED strips run up the whole facade and change patterns, which is how most people in the city see it.

Can you go to the top of Landmark 81?

Visitors reach the top of Landmark 81 through SkyView, the observation deck spread across the highest floors. Windows on every side look over the river to District 1 and the flat delta beyond. It is ticketed and opens from morning until late evening.

Sunset is the time to go. The city lights come on in the half hour after the sun drops, and the river turns from brown to silver before it goes dark.

What does the SkyView ticket cost?

The SkyView ticket runs to several hundred thousand dong for an adult, and the price moves with the day, the time and the package. Options with a drink or a glass floor experience cost more, and weekends and evenings are dearer than weekday mornings.

The price has changed several times since opening, so check it on the official site before going rather than trusting a figure from a blog. For comparison, the bar a few floors down charges about the same for a single cocktail, which buys the view and a seat.

Is the bar a better deal than the observation deck?

The bar is the better deal for anyone who wants the view with a drink in the evening, and the deck is better for the full panorama. The bar sits in the mid-70s floors, keeps a dress code, and fills up at sunset, so arrive before six or book a table.

The deck gives more height and windows on all sides, and it is the choice for anyone travelling with children or not drinking. Either way the view is best on a clear day, and in the wet-season afternoons the storm clouds can hide the city completely.

What else is at the base of Landmark 81?

The base of Landmark 81 holds a large Vincom mall with an indoor ice rink, and a riverside park that runs along the Vinhomes Central Park development. The park is free, open to anyone, and full of Saigon families in the cooler evening hours.

Vinhomes Central Park is the newer city: gated apartment towers, imported supermarkets, and wide lawns that the dense old districts do not have. The Ho Chi Minh City guide and its where to stay page explain how that side of the river differs from District 1.

How do you get to Landmark 81?

Getting to Landmark 81 from District 1 takes fifteen to twenty-five minutes in a Grab car, depending on the bridges. At rush hour Metro Line 1 is faster: it opened in December 2024, runs from Ben Thanh, and stops at Tan Cang, a walk from the tower.

The Saigon Waterbus from the Bach Dang pier passes the tower on its way up the river. It gives the best view of the building from the water, although none of its stops is beside it. The transport guide covers the metro and the apps.

Is Landmark 81 worth visiting?

Landmark 81 is worth an evening for the view at sunset and for seeing how the new city lives. It is not a historic sight. Anyone short of time in Ho Chi Minh City should put the Reunification Palace and the Central Post Office first.

Landmark 81 works best as the end of a day that started in the old centre. Seeing the colonial buildings in the morning and the tower after dark shows more of the city than either does alone. The Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City guide makes that part of its case for the south.