Ho Chi Minh City: Afternoon Street Food Scooter Tour & Hidden Bunker

Summary

Scooter through saigon’s street food alleys and old temples

You’ll ride pillion on a scooter through Ho Chi Minh City’s tangled streets with a local guide, sipping coffee above a secret war bunker, tasting banh xeo pancakes and spring rolls, wandering flower markets, visiting Chinatown’s oldest temple—and feeling Saigon’s pulse up close.

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I remember is the low hum of scooters outside my hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Our guide, Linh, showed up grinning, helmet in hand—she laughed when I hesitated at the curb (I’m not usually brave with traffic). We zipped off into the city’s maze. The smell of strong coffee hit me before we even parked at this tiny café, where Linh poured us thick black brew and pointed out a trapdoor under our feet. There was an actual bunker down there—still dusty from decades ago, she said. I tried to imagine hiding there during 1968. It made my heart thump a little.

We cruised down Nguyen Thien Thuat street next, past old apartments with laundry flapping like flags. At the flower market, the air changed—suddenly sweet and humid with lilies and marigolds stacked everywhere. A woman handed me a lotus bud for luck. I didn’t expect to feel so welcome; people smiled at us as if we were neighbors just passing through their day. The main keyword “Saigon street food tour” came up when Linh joked that we’d need stretchy pants by the end of it (she wasn’t wrong).

Banh xeo was next—crispy pancakes stuffed with shrimp and wild greens, eaten with hands and laughter. My fingers smelled like herbs for hours after. We ducked into District 5’s Chinatown, incense curling from Thien Hau Temple where someone pressed a red string into my palm for protection. It felt like time slowed there for a second, all quiet except for bells and murmurs.

By late afternoon we stopped at a floating market for coconut juice—the river smelled earthy and alive—and then zipped to District 4 for spring roll vermicelli in an alley that Linh called “the mafia zone.” She winked; I tried not to look nervous but honestly it just felt like another side of Saigon’s big messy heart. Sometimes I still think about that first sip of coffee in the bunker—it tasted bittersweet and electric at once.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Saigon street food and cultural tour

• Pick up at hotel
• Drink coffee at local shop
• Visit historical bunker
• Drive to Nguyen Thien Thuat street
• Explore oldest apartment complex
• Visit largest flower market
• Try Vietnamese pancakes with wild vegetables
• Visit Thien Hau temple in District 5
• Drink coconut juice at floating market
• Enjoy spring roll vermicelli in District 4

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included on this Saigon street food tour?

Yes, your guide will pick you up directly from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

What foods do you try on this afternoon scooter tour?

You’ll sample Vietnamese coffee, banh xeo pancakes with wild vegetables, coconut juice at the floating market, and spring roll vermicelli.

Does the tour include visits to historical sites?

Yes, you visit a hidden bunker used during the 1968 attack on Independence Palace and Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown.

Is vegetarian food available on this Ho Chi Minh City scooter tour?

Yes, vegetarian options are available upon request.

How long does the Saigon street food scooter tour last?

The tour starts at 1:00 PM and lasts several hours into late afternoon or early evening.

Are helmets provided during the tour?

Yes, high-quality open-faced helmets are included for all riders.

Can infants join this scooter street food tour?

Infants can join but must sit on an adult’s lap during the ride.

What districts are visited on this Saigon food tour?

You’ll pass through Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, District 5 (Chinatown), District 4 (mafia area), and visit flower markets along the way.

What’s included

Your afternoon includes hotel pickup by scooter with your local guide (female Ao Dai rider option if booked early), all street food tastings—like banh xeo pancakes and spring rolls—plus Vietnamese coffee above a secret bunker, coconut juice at the floating market, accident insurance, helmets and rain ponchos if needed before returning you safely back to your hotel.