Van Don Swimming Pool in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Van Don Swimming Pool is a long-running public swimming and training facility at 122 Khanh Hoi in Ho Chi Minh City’s former District 4 area. It is primarily a sports pool rather than a tourist water park and is known for lap swimming, lessons and competitive training. Current 2026 local coverage still lists it as operating, with a 50-metre competition pool and inexpensive public entry. The main practical complication is source conflict: one current Wanderlog localization marks the pool permanently closed, while a March 2026 District 4 activity guide and current swimming listings continue to describe active hours and use. The fresher corroborated local evidence supports treating the facility as open, but visitors should confirm before a special journey.

CITIGYM published a District 4 recreation guide in March 2026 that lists Van Don Pool at 122 Khanh Hoi and says it opens 05:30–18:30 from Tuesday through Sunday. VinWonders’ current swimming-pool guide gives more specific public swim windows of 05:30–10:00 and 15:00–18:00 and says Monday is used for complete water changing. These schedules are compatible if the broader CITIGYM range represents facility hours while public swimming uses sessions. The sidebar therefore shows Tuesday–Sunday facility hours but warns that actual swim sessions are split and should be checked.

The main competition pool is widely described as 50 by 25 metres, making Van Don attractive to serious lap swimmers. Current visitor material also mentions adult and children’s pools and a larger multi-pool system. A separate “Van Don 2” listing references multiple facilities in the same local system. For this entity, the stable route remains 122 Khanh Hoi; visitors should not assume that a second Van Don pool uses the same entry point or timetable.

The pool is inexpensive relative to hotel day passes. Current 2026 CITIGYM coverage cites an entry fee around 30,000 VND, while other swimming guides publish slightly different figures. Because local public-pool pricing can change, confirm the current ticket at reception. The important planning point is that casual public entry exists; this is not a private members-only club.

Session structure matters more than the headline opening range. Reviews describe 1.5-hour blocks and periods when swimmers are asked to leave so staff can reset or change sessions. A traveler who arrives at 11:00 simply because a directory says “open until 18:30” may find no public swim. The safest approach is to target the morning 05:30–10:00 window or an afternoon session after 15:00 and call if your schedule is tight.

The facility also serves swimming lessons and athlete development. That can affect lane availability, particularly in the 50-metre pool. Serious swimmers should ask which lanes are open to the public. Families should use the shallower areas appropriate to children rather than treating the competition pool as the default.

The Khanh Hoi address is close to central Ho Chi Minh City across the river channels from District 1. Taxi, ride-hailing and local buses are practical. Visitors staying in District 4 may be able to walk. Morning commuter traffic can still make short rides slow, but the pool is much easier to reach than suburban leisure parks.

Current local coverage presents Van Don as one of District 4’s established sports facilities, which supports the active-status evidence even though one directory labels it closed. That continuity matters because it shows the pool still appears in current 2026 recreation guidance rather than only in old reviews. Even so, the source conflict is real and should not be hidden. A same-day call is sensible if a 50-metre lap session is the main reason for the trip.

Recent visitor commentary praises the size and affordability but also includes complaints about changing-room supervision and storage. These accounts are anecdotal and not a guaranteed description of current operations. They are a reminder to minimize valuables and ask where secure storage is available. The current source set does not establish a modern locker policy well enough to promise one.

The most important practical distinction is between facility hours and public-swim sessions. A pool can be staffed for lessons, athlete training or maintenance even when casual swimmers are between sessions. Current guides therefore should be read together rather than treated as mutually exclusive: the broader 05:30–18:30 range describes the operating day, while the narrower morning and afternoon blocks are more useful for a visitor deciding when to get into the water.

Accessibility is not documented comprehensively. A sports complex may have broad pool decks, but no current source confirms wheelchair routes, pool lifts or adapted changing rooms. Travelers with mobility needs should call the facility before visiting. Public pools also have local swimwear and hygiene rules; visitors should follow onsite instructions rather than assume international standards are identical.

Van Don Swimming Pool remains useful for travelers who genuinely want lap swimming or affordable training time. Treat Monday as closed for water maintenance, plan around public swim sessions rather than a continuous all-day window, and call before making a special trip because one current directory still carries a closure flag. The weight of 2026 local evidence supports active status at 122 Khanh Hoi.