Ho Chi Minh City Street Food Tour: 9 Dishes, Private Guide

Taste nine dishes across Ho Chi Minh City's back alleys instead of the tourist strip

A private 4-hour street food walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City led by an English-speaking guide who picks you up at your hotel and takes you through non-tourist districts to taste nine dishes: rice pancakes, barbecue seafood, beef in betel leaves, banh mi, and dessert at the night flower market, with all food, drinks and transport included. Children from age 2 are welcome; the tour suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Evening street food walking tour

• Meet local guide at hotel
• Taxi to non-tourist food district
• Taste Banh Xeo and Banh Khot rice pancakes
• Stroll street with barbecue seafood vendors
• Taste bo la lot or banh canh Trang Bang
• Sample bot chien rice cakes with spring onions
• Drink sugar cane juice with orange
• Eat Banh Mi Saigon baguette
• Explore Nguyen Thien Thuat street food area
• Enjoy BBQ seafood or BBQ meat with local drinks
• Dessert at night flower market
• Taxi back to accommodation

The Experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel in the evening and you travel by taxi into the back alleys where locals eat. The route skips the tourist areas and moves through a street known for barbecue seafood vendors, then into the heart of the food district where a chef with over 25 years' experience cooks pan-fried rice cakes. You'll taste banh xeo and banh khot — the Central and South's rice pancakes loaded with fresh vegetables — then move to a local restaurant for bo la lot (beef wrapped in wild betel leaves) or banh canh Trang Bang, a thick pork noodle soup. A sugar cane juice mixed with orange comes next, followed by banh mi, the Saigon baguette that fuses four flavors in one bite.

The tour takes you into the old apartments of district 3 on Nguyen Thien Thuat street, where you sit like the locals at a seafood alley and order grilled seafood (or grilled meat if you're allergic to shellfish). You drink Saigon beer, soft drinks or homemade Vietnamese rice wine brewed in a clay pot by Street Food Man Vinny. The evening ends at the night flower market with dessert — coconut ice cream, longan ice cream, or flan cake with caramel and coffee — before your guide takes a taxi back with you to your accommodation.

All nine dishes and every drink are included, along with accident insurance, hand sanitizer, face masks and rain ponchos if needed. The guide provides photos from the tour. Pickup and drop-off cover hotels in districts 1, 3, 4, 5 and 10, or the Opera House. Wear cool, comfortable clothing and leave valuables at your hotel; a camera is encouraged but keep it close.

What’s included

• All nine dishes and every drink (sugar cane juice, Saigon beer, soft drinks, mineral water and homemade rice wine).
• English-speaking street food guide.
• hotel pickup and drop-off by taxi in districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 or the Opera House.
• accident insurance.
• hand sanitizer, face masks and rain ponchos.
• photos from your tour.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Street Food Man

Is this one for you?Your guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the commentary and the stories behind each dish without a translation app or guesswork — the tour works for anyone comfortable walking 4 hours through alleys and sitting to eat at local spots.

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Top questions

What dishes do I actually taste on this Ho Chi Minh City street food tour?

You taste nine dishes: banh xeo and banh khot (rice pancakes), bo la lot (beef in betel leaves), banh canh Trang Bang (thick pork noodle soup), pan-fried rice cakes with egg and spring onions, banh mi (Saigon baguette), barbecue seafood, and dessert at the night flower market — either coconut ice cream, longan ice cream, or flan cake with caramel and coffee.

Is the guide English-speaking and will I understand what I'm eating?

Your guide speaks English and has a passion for Vietnamese street food, so they explain each dish and its origins as you move through the non-tourist districts. You'll learn the names and flavors of what you're tasting.

Does the tour include hotel pickup and how does transport work?

Yes, your guide picks you up by taxi at your hotel in districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 or at the Opera House, and takes you by taxi to each stop before returning you to your accommodation. All transport is included in the price.

What drinks come with the tour?

The tour includes sugar cane juice mixed with orange, Saigon special beer or soft drinks, mineral water, and homemade Vietnamese rice wine brewed in a clay pot. All beverages are included.

Can children join this tour?

Yes, children are welcome from age 2. The tour suits all fitness levels, though you'll be walking through alleys and streets for 4 hours, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.

What should I bring or wear?

Wear cool, comfortable clothing, shorts, t-shirts or light pants. Leave handbags, passports and jewelry at your hotel for safety. A camera is encouraged, but keep it close to avoid theft. The tour provides hand sanitizer, face masks and rain ponchos if needed.