Saigon Food Tour: 10 Dishes, Local Stories & Pickup Included

Discover Saigon’s real food scene with locals guiding you

You’ll taste your way through Saigon’s backstreets with a local guide who feels more like a friend than a host. Expect ten real Vietnamese dishes (and maybe some surprises), stories from Cholon’s old neighborhoods, and moments you’ll remember long after: like laughing over sugarcane juice or getting lost in the flower market.

Step-by-step itinerary

Walking food tour exploring Saigon

• Start with 4 royal Hue cakes
• Enjoy Southern-style pho
• Drink refreshing sugarcane juice
• Taste bánh tráng nướng and bánh phồng
• Try bánh xèo with Mekong twist
• Savor smoky bò lá lốt
• Drink local beer
• End with coconut caramel flan
• Walk through oldest apartment complex
• Visit wholesale flower market
• Explore Cholon (Chinatown)

The experience

We started the walking food tour in Ho Chi Minh City just as the city was waking up from its afternoon lull: scooters buzzing, someone selling flowers by the curb, the air thick with that sweet-salty smell I still can’t quite describe. Our guide, Linh, waved us over with a grin and right away it felt more like meeting a friend than joining a tour. She handed me a tiny rice cake (bánh bèo?) before I’d even said hello. It was soft and warm in my hand: topped with dried shrimp and something crunchy. I tried to say thank you in Vietnamese but probably mangled it. Linh just laughed and showed me again.

We wandered through narrow alleys where old men played cards under tangled wires and kids darted between plastic stools. There was this smoky bò lá lốt grilled right on the sidewalk (beef wrapped in betel leaves) that left my fingers smelling peppery for hours. At one point we ducked into an apartment block where families were frying bánh xèo (that crispy pancake thing) and the steam fogged up my glasses. Someone’s grandma handed me sugarcane juice in a plastic cup. It tasted like grass and sunshine.

Linh told stories about her childhood in Cholon while we picked at coconut caramel flan from a chipped bowl: apparently her aunt’s recipe, though she wouldn’t give away the secret ingredient. We passed through a flower market that smelled like wet earth after rain, even though it hadn’t rained all day. There were no tourist crowds anywhere, just regular people doing their thing. I liked that nobody rushed us or tried to sell us anything extra. Everything was included already, even beer at one stop (which surprised me). By the end I’d lost track of how many dishes we’d tried but remembered every face.

What’s included

Your evening includes hotel pickup and drop-off within central districts, all ten local dishes plus drinks (even beer at one spot), guidance from an English-speaking local foodie, scooter accident insurance just in case, and plenty of stories along the way before you’re dropped off back at your place.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 09:00, the last at 18:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Chinese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vietnam Vibes Tour

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Chinese and Korean.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

How many dishes do you try on this Saigon food tour?

The tour includes tastings of 10 different local dishes.

Is hotel pickup included for this walking food tour?

Yes, pickup and drop-off are included for hotels in districts 1, 3, and 4.

Are drinks included during the Ho Chi Minh City food tour?

Yes, all foods and drinks (including non-alcoholic options) are included.

Can dietary needs be accommodated on this HCM food tour?

The experience can be customized according to your request.

What neighborhoods does the walking food tour visit?

The route includes Cholon (Chinatown), an old apartment complex, and a wholesale flower market.