Saigon Chinatown scooter tour: Markets, temples, local tasting

The oldest apartments in Chinatown still hold the lives people built there fifty years ago.

A guided scooter tour through Saigon's largest Chinatown explores the markets, temples and daily rhythms of the Chinese-Vietnamese community. You ride past flower markets, walk through classic 1968 apartments, and taste local coffee and tea with a professional English-speaking guide. Hotel pickup in districts 1 and 3, helmet and water are included. The itinerary can shift if a restaurant closes or a site needs maintenance.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Saigon Chinatown and local culture

• Walk in Saigon flower market
• Tour largest Chinatown in Vietnam
• Learn about Chinese-Vietnamese markets and beliefs
• Visit one of the oldest apartments from 1968
• Walk around local Saigonese culture
• Convenient drop-off at hotel or city center

The experience

The ride starts at one of Saigon's biggest flower markets, where you watch locals buy and arrange flowers for homes and altars: the kind of errand that shapes a neighborhood's rhythm. From there the scooter moves through the streets of Chinatown itself, the largest in Vietnam, and a guide walks you through the markets and the beliefs that hold the community together. You stop at temples and shrines woven into the blocks, and the guide explains what the incense, the offerings and the altars mean to the people who live here.

A walk through one of the oldest apartment buildings in the district, built in 1968, shows you how families have stacked their lives into these spaces for decades. The structure itself is the story: narrow hallways, shared courtyards, the wear of fifty years. Then you taste local coffee or tea, the kind neighbors drink on their stoops. The guide speaks English and knows the neighborhood. The driver handles the scooter and the route. Hotel drop-off lands you at your place or at a central spot like City Hall, Ben Thanh Market or the Opera House, depending on where suits you.

Two options shape the day: book the full service with guide, food and drink included, or choose the driver-only version to save money. The driver speaks basic English and handles the scooter, but there is no guided explanation of what you pass. The tour runs two to four hours depending on which stops you pick and how long you linger. Raincoat is provided if weather turns.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide on the full-service option.
• free hotel pickup and drop-off in districts 1 and 3.
• helmet, bottled water and raincoat if needed.
• coffee and/or tea tasting at a local stop.
• fuel surcharge covered.

Options for this experience

4 options

2-hour scooter experienceGuide in English · 5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 18:00Duration: 2 hours. No food or drink included. Scooter/motorbike note: the focus is on the scooter experience, exploring the city within 2 hours. Pickup is included.

Discover Chinatown over a 2-hour periodGuide in English · 5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 18:00Duration: 2 hours. No food or drink included. A glimpse of Chinatown: you will explore the local Chinatown in HCMC riding on the back of a scooter. Scooter/motorbike note: this option lasts only 2 hours. Pickup is included.

Scooter tour of Saigon ChinatownGuide in English · 08:00 and 13:00Duration: 4 hours. Food and drink: a Vietnamese baguette and a coffee break. Itinerary: local markets, including the motorbike spare parts market, the herbal market, the biggest wholesale market, the fabric markets and the decoration market. Scooter/motorbike note: you will travel by scooter or motorbike. Pickup is included.

Walking tour of Saigon ChinatownGuide in English · 08:00 and 13:00Duration: 4 hours. Food and drink: a Vietnamese baguette and a coffee break. Itinerary: local markets, including the motorbike spare parts market, the herbal market, the largest wholesale market, the fabric markets and the decoration market. Walking: you are taken to Chinatown by scooter, then the tour continues on foot. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 18:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Youth (5 to 11 years) · Child (3 to 4 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

GroupUp to 30

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Toward Local

Is this one for you?Choose the full-service tour if you want a guide to explain the temples, markets and beliefs as you move through Chinatown. The commentary is what turns a ride into an understanding of how the neighborhood works. The driver-only option cuts the price if you are comfortable exploring on your own and speaking basic English with the driver.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (5 to 11 years); Child (3 to 4 years); Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the largest flower market in Saigon like, and why do locals go there?

The flower market is one of the biggest in Saigon, and locals use it to buy flowers for their homes and for the altars in temples and shrines. It is a working market where you see how the neighborhood sources what matters to it daily.

Can I ride a scooter in Saigon Chinatown if I have never ridden one before?

You are a passenger on the scooter, not the rider. The driver handles the vehicle and the route, so no riding experience is needed. Infants sit on an adult's lap. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or poor cardiovascular health.

What do the 1968 apartments in Chinatown look like now, and can I go inside them?

The apartments are among the oldest in the district and still house families. You walk around the building and through the shared spaces to see how people have lived there for fifty years, though access to private units depends on what is open on the day you visit.

Does the full-service tour include meals, or just coffee and tea?

The full-service option includes coffee and/or tea as a tasting stop. It is not a full meal. If you choose the driver-only option to save money, food and drink are not included.

Where does the scooter tour pick me up, and where does it drop me off?

Free pickup happens at your hotel in district 1 or district 3. Drop-off is at your hotel or at a central spot like City Hall, Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Square, the Pink Church, the Opera House, or Coffee Apartment, depending on where you prefer to end.

How long does the Chinatown scooter tour take?

The tour runs between two and four hours depending on which version you book and how long you spend at each stop. The itinerary can shift if a restaurant closes or an attraction needs maintenance.