Ho Chi Minh Citys karaoke scene is fantastic. One of our favorite ways to enjoy a drunken evening out with friends is by singing the night away at one of the many karaoke bars spread all over the city.
Before visiting Ho Chi Minh City this year, we did a ton of research to find the best karaoke bars around Saigon. We soon came to realize that there is a huge difference between local Vietnamese karaoke bars and those that cater to westerners.
This is not because of discrimination. But simply because Vietnamese people like to sing Vietnamese lyrics. And the English songs are few and far between.
In this article, we will share our favorite places to go to sing English songs, as well as a few other English-friendly karaoke bars that are recommended in the city.
We will also talk a bit about safety in karaoke bars. There are a few scams and straight out scary situations that you can end up in if you are not vigilant.
But let’s start with the best karaoke bars in Ho Chi Minh City.
1. Nnice Karaoke
60,000-260,000 VND/Hour
340 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Hồ Chí Minh, 700000, Vietnam
Nnice is one of the biggest chains in Ho Chi Minh City, with more than 7 locations throughout the city.
Nice is a family-friendly karaoke place. The prices here are very reasonable, and if you want to sing one of your favorite songs that are not available directly at the karaoke, you are free to look it up on YouTube!
The place also serves snacks and dishes with prices ranging from 80,000-350,000 VND, with most costing 200,000-300,000 VND. The food here was surprisingly good.
They also have a wide selection of drinks, including beers for around 31,000-35,000 for most types.
For travelers staying in District 1: the karaoke bar in District 3 is said to be a lot (N)nicer than the one in District 1.
2. Fyou 2 Karaoke / Fyou 3 Karaoke
80,000-600,000 VND/Hour
519 Sư Vạn Hạnh (nối dài) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Fyou 2 and Fyou 3 Karaoke great options for friend groups looking for a good night out. They play a variety of western songs and the sound system is of high quality, considering that this is a rather budget-friendly place. But you should still expect the typical “synthesizer” sound we have all grown so fond of..
Fyou 3 is said to be nicer than Fyou 2. Both locations serve food and beverages, and you can book a room online before arriving. The rooms are clean and airconditioned.
Fyou 3 Karaoke is open 24/7, so you can sing all the way into the morning if you want to (and can pay for it!).
The disadvantage of these places is that we read lots of stories of people that were very unhappy with the staff. Things like begging for tips and the like is not unheard of here, so be careful.
3. Avatar Karaoke
200,000-680,000 VND/Hour
61-63-65 Phạm Viết Chánh, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Avatar Karaoke is a rather expensive karaoke bar in District 1. It is very popular with the younger generation because of the futuristic design, as well as the electronic music they play here.
There is a wide range of music to chose from here. They play both English and Vietnamese music, and if that is not enough for you, feel free to look up some of your personal favorites on YouTube!
The rooms are rather modern, and the sound system is great.
The bar also serves food, and drink. If you are looking for a karaoke bar near District 1, and you have the money to spend, then Avatar Karaoke could be a good option for you.
4. Karaoke ICOOL
300,000 VND/Hour
129A Cách Mạng Tháng Tám, Phường 5, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
ICOOL is one of the most popular karaoke chains in Ho Chi Minh City. The prices are in the middle of the range. An hour on a Sunday evening will, for example, set you back 300,000 VND.
The karaoke bars have friendly staff, that is not at all pushy. They serve both food and beverages. The biggest drawback of this karaoke place is that the only alcoholic beverage they serve is beer.
The rooms are clean and spacious, there is a glassdoor to the world outside, so if you are shy this could be a bit of drawback as well.
The decoration of the place reminded us of a nicer nightclub, just for karaoke.
ICOOL has a good selection of English songs, as well as the option to play songs directly from YouTube which is always a huge advantage. The internet is also reasonably fast, and there are very few problems with buffering.
This could be a great option for you if you have the money to spend.
5. King Karaoke
100,000-1,000,000 VND/Hour
31-33, Hai Ba Trung Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Vietnam
King Karaoke is one of the most expensive karaoke bars in Ho Chi Minh.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to visit this beautifully laid out Karaoke bar personally, but we heard many different stories about this place..
The staff at King Karaoke is very attentive, to the point where people said it could be annoying.
Since the prices are quite steep, you need to be careful to accept things you didn’t order. We heard stories of people being served plates of fruit they didn’t order that cost 350,000 VND.
The bar plays a wide range of English songs. Some visitors complained that there are a few western hits missing though. The sound system and rooms are of high quality.
Check out our next recommendation if you want to be treated like royalty..
6. Kingdom Karaoke
100,000-950,000 VND/Hour
67 Phạm Viết Chánh, Phường Nguyễn Cư Trinh, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Welcome to the old Kingdom Karaoke. Here you will really be treated like royalty! But you will also have to cough up the money and pay for it.
This is a high-end karaoke bar, which is reflected in the interior full of fake marble and golden sofas.
While this is one of the most expensive options of our recommendations, we will still put it on here, as the karaoke machines are very good, and so is the service.
They have a good selection of western songs for you to sing, and I also believe they have to option of searching up your favorites on YouTube.
A few hours for a group of friends with food and drinks will probably set you back a 2,000,000 VND or so.
Ho Chi Minh Karaoke Price
The price you end up paying for your night out at one of the karaoke bars in Ho Chi Minh City highly varies from one karaoke bar to the next. But you also need to factor in your needs.
As you can see the hourly price for a private room in a karaoke bar ranges from 60,000-1,000,000 VND. On top of this, you will also have to add on the drinks and food you have, as well as a tip for the waitresses.
So as an example, let’s say you decide to spend 2 hours as a group of 4 at a nice karaoke bar. You can expect to pay:
2×300,000 VND = 600,000 VND for the room
12×40,000 VND = 480,000 VND for 12 beers split among you
2×100,000 VND = 200,000 VND for some snacks
1,280,000 VND / 4 = 320,000 VND per person in the group.
So for a few hours eating, drinking, and singing your heart out at a rather nice karaoke bar will cost you some Dong. You also need to factor in a tip for the server, as well as parking if you happen to be driving.
This is just a random example, and you can spend way more, or way less depending on where you go, what time you go, and what you decide to eat.
Safety and Price
Mostly you should be alright at these reputable karaoke bars. However, you still need to watch out for getting extra drinks and food added to your room.
We have heard stories of even the most exclusive karaoke bars trying to scam (especially foreign) customers.
Be sure to agree on the price before entering the room. And if at all possible, try to pay for your food and drinks as you order them. Just make sure you have the same server the whole night (or inform the other servers of this), so you don’t get a huge surprise at the end of your night.
Cheap Karaoke Bars
We were recommended to stay away from cheap karaoke bars, especially in more shady areas. We did not go to any, because we heard the risk of a shakedown, or getting scammed is way higher.
Also, there is the concern of the bars not having enough English songs available.
Shakedown
The way these shakedowns work is that the karaoke bars will add a lot of unexpected costs to your tab. And if you try to leave without paying, they won’t let you.
The shakedowns will often cost you 2,000,000-3,000,000 VND since that is the maximum amount of money that you can withdraw from an ATM at a time.
I am sure there are good, and cheap local karaoke bars out there that will not scam you. But we decided to just pay a bit extra and go to more reputable and nicer karaokes in Ho Chi Minh to greatly reduce the risk of this happening.
Hostess Karaoke in Ho Chi Minh City
Hostess Karaoke is a whole different topic that comes with a much higher cost than regular karaoke booths. In essence, it is a karaoke bar that comes with a hostess in the room.
These places/rooms are often quite pricey, as you will need to pay extra high prices for drinks for your hostess. Many of these places also require quite a high tip at the end of your session.
There are lots of karaoke bars dedicated to hostess karaoke throughout the city. But you may also find that some of the regular karaoke bars offer special rooms with hostesses.
This could be an option if you are alone and you’re looking for some company to sing with.
BUT, just like the cheap karaoke bars, we heard lots of stories of people getting scammed and such at this kind of karaoke bar.
Needless to say, we didn’t use this option.
Personally, I would recommend just making some friends elsewhere and going to a nice karaoke bar with them instead.
Karaoke in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 1
Since most travelers will be staying in District 1, your best options are either going to Fyou 2, or Nnice Karaoke. Both are reputable karaoke chains, and have bars near the main tourist areas of Ho Chi Minh City.
They are also the cheapest of the recommendations in this article. Nnice Karaoke is more family-friendly than the Fyou 2 Karaoke bar, but a great option nonetheless.
If you don’t mind spending a little more, Avatar Karaoke is also a great option. It is trendy and feels younger. You also get a more high-end experience here than at the previous two spots mentioned.
And if you are really looking for a really luxurious experience, then Kingdom Karaoke is the best option for you.
After you are done at the karaoke bar you probably want to go out and continue your evening at one of the two Ho Chi Minh walking streets.
We did a comparison of them so you can decide which one is the best option for you. Both of them are located pretty near the Karaoke Bars in District 1, so getting to them should be quick and easy.
If you found this article helpful, consider sharing it so it can help other travelers as well.
And of course, make sure to check out the walking street article next.
I have spent the past 10+ years traveling around the world. On this website, I am dedicated to making high-quality travel guides focusing on South East Asia. My content focuses on how to get the most out of your travels. That includes getting good value, staying in the best locations, what things to do, and what to avoid.
