Best Running Routes in Ho Chi Minh City 2026

Ho Chi Minh City rewards a run planned around its parks and one standout riverside path, given the traffic and heat that dominate most of the city's streets. Here are the best running routes in Ho Chi Minh City for 2026.

Tao Dan Park

Tao Dan Park, in District 1, offers shaded, paved looped paths under century-old trees, with free outdoor gym equipment and sculptures scattered through the grounds. It is fully enclosed parkland, popular with local early-morning and evening exercisers, and multiple loops are needed to build any real distance since each lap is short.

The Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal Path

The standout dedicated running route in the city is the paved path along the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal, flanked by Hoang Sa and Truong Sa roads and running roughly 7 kilometres one way, or about 14 kilometres out and back, from near the Saigon Zoo northwest along the canal through Districts 1, 3, Tan Binh and Phu Nhuan. It is popular with serious and marathon-training runners for its length and largely unbroken pavement, though it still crosses several bridges with road traffic.

The Saigon Riverside

A recently upgraded paved riverside path runs roughly 3 to 4 kilometres one way from Me Linh Square to the Ho Chi Minh Museum, passing the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden area and Harbor Garden. It offers good river views for a sunrise run, though shade is limited and the heat builds quickly.

Crescent Lake, Phu My Hung

In District 7's planned Phu My Hung township, a flat paved loop of about 2 kilometres circles Crescent Lake near the Starlight Bridge, with far quieter traffic than District 1 and a modern, purpose-built running environment popular with the area's expat residents.

Running the Marathon Route

The Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label race with 5, 10, 21 and 42 kilometre distances, runs through central Saigon past Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Independence Palace and Ben Thanh Market, tying the city's most recognisable landmarks into a single course that locals train for on the exact streets above.

Practical Guide to Running in Ho Chi Minh City

Heat and humidity mean an early start, ideally before 7am, is the norm for anything beyond a short loop. The canal path and Crescent Lake are the two most reliable options for genuine distance without constant road crossings.