HCMC Plans 22 New Walking Streets — Dong Khoi, Le Loi & Bach Dang Go Pedestrian

Saigon’s District 1 Is Quietly Becoming a Walking City

Ho Chi Minh City has confirmed an ambitious plan to expand pedestrian streets to 22 routes across the central district. Priority corridors include Dong Khoi, Le Loi, and Bach Dang Wharf — the exact heart of the tourist and dental-clinic zone — rolled out in phases. At the same time, the city is investing around 442 billion VND (~US$18 million) to renovate 91 streets covering 91.7 km of downtown sidewalks.

This is the biggest walkability upgrade HCMC has seen in a generation — and it happens to center on the neighborhoods where international dental patients spend most of their days.

What’s Changing, Street by Street

Dong Khoi Street (colonial heritage spine)

• Phase 1: Nguyen Du → Le Loi becomes pedestrian
• Phase 2: Le Loi → Ton Duc Thang (riverfront) extension
• Expect café terraces, upgraded lighting, and curated retail

Le Loi Street (luxury shopping corridor)

• Wider pavements
• New seating and shade
• Smoother connections to the Opera House and Saigon Square

Bach Dang Wharf (riverfront promenade)

• Car-lite access along the Saigon River
• Connects to the new Amiral Cruises pier
• Links to the 1 trillion VND pedestrian bridge

91.7 km of sidewalk renovations

Beyond the headline streets, HCMC is upgrading 91 streets’ worth of pavements — meaning smoother, safer walking across the broader downtown.

Why This Matters for Dental Tourists

Dental travelers are walkers by nature. Between appointments, most people visit cafés, pharmacies, co-working spots, and soft-food restaurants. The old downtown was dense but traffic-heavy. The new downtown is quieter, safer, and much easier to enjoy with a freshly-prepared tooth or a healing implant site.

Practical wins for patients

• Less motorbike stress — quieter return walks from clinic visits
• Better shade and seating — good for short rest breaks
• More café and pharmacy options at ground level
• Seamless clinic → hotel walks during recovery

Itinerary example

A Hotel, Clinic, Café Triangle That Actually Walks

Most SmileJet-recommended HCMC clinics are 5–15 minute walks from the main 4- and 5-star hotels. When the pedestrian plan is complete, almost that entire triangle will be walkable without crossing major vehicle lanes. That’s a meaningful daily quality-of-life improvement for anyone staying a week or more for treatment.

Good News Even Before Completion

Phased rollout means some blocks are already working like pedestrian streets on weekends, and construction crews stage work to minimize disruption. In the meantime, many hotels, clinics, and cafés along Dong Khoi and Le Loi are already visibly cleaner, quieter, and more tourist-friendly than a year ago.

The Big Picture: Saigon Is Getting More Pleasant to Heal In

HCMC’s walkability upgrade is easy to overlook next to metros and airport projects. But for international dental patients — who judge a city block by block — smoother pavements, pedestrian corridors, and quieter evenings matter more than any megaproject. Saigon is quietly becoming a far better place to spend a dental recovery week.