Saigon Vespa tour with female riders: Backstreets and markets

See the Saigon locals see, not the one in guidebooks

A 4.5-hour guided Vespa tour of Saigon where a female rider takes you through backstreets, alleys and markets alongside the famous sites (the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and Reunification Palace) ending with lunch at a local restaurant. English-speaking guides, all entrance fees, hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Children from age 1 are welcome, though infants must sit on an adult's lap.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Saigon by Female Vespa Riders

• Ride Vespa with female rider
• Visit Central Post Office
• See Notre Dame Cathedral
• View Reunification Palace outside
• Stop at Thich Quang Duc memorial
• Ride through backstreets and alleys
• Explore Ho Thi Ky flower market
• Visit Cholon (Chinatown)
• See Binh Tay market
• Visit Thien Hau pagoda
• Pass Thu Thien tunnel
• Stop for Saigon overview photo
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Return to hotel

The experience

The tour starts at your hotel and moves fast. You ride on the back of a Vespa piloted by a female guide who knows the city block by block: the backstreets and alleys where the real rhythm of Saigon happens, not just the colonial landmarks tourists photograph. The morning is the best time because the local markets are busiest then: Ho Thi Ky flower market, Binh Tay market in Cholon (Chinatown), and Thien Hau Pagoda fill with vendors and shoppers. You stop and walk through them, see the scale of daily life, watch the hustle without a script.

The famous sites slot in alongside: the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior), and the Reunification Palace (exterior), plus the Thich Quang Duc memorial. You ride through the Thu Thien tunnel and stop at a viewpoint where the city spreads out for photos. The guide explains the history of each place from the perspective of someone who lives here, not someone reading from a card. By midday you're at a local restaurant for lunch, not a tourist spot, a place where the guide eats.

The whole thing takes 4.5 hours. Your guide speaks English. Entrance fees to the sites are already paid. The Vespa is the transport, and the ride itself is part of the point: you move through the city at a pace that lets you see it, not sealed in an air-conditioned van. At the end, the guide takes you back to your hotel.

What’s included

• English-speaking female guide.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• all entrance fees to the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace and other sites.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• the Vespa ride itself for the full 4.5 hours.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 12:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years): free

GroupUp to 15

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Female Vespa Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see how Saigon actually works (the markets, the alleys, the neighborhoods where locals spend their day) rather than a circuit of landmarks from a bus window. The Vespa and the female guide who knows the backstreets are what make that access possible.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 5 years): free.

What's the difference between riding on a Vespa and taking a regular tour bus through Saigon?

A Vespa tour moves you through backstreets and alleys a bus cannot reach, and you stop at local markets during their busiest hours (Ho Thi Ky flower market and Binh Tay market in Cholon), where you walk and see the daily rhythm instead of viewing the city from a window. The pace is slower and the access is closer.

Does the tour include the famous landmarks, or just the backstreets?

Both. You visit the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral (exterior view), and the Reunification Palace (exterior view), plus the Thich Quang Duc memorial, but you also ride through alleys and backstreets to see how locals live. The landmarks are part of the day, not the whole day.

Is lunch included, and where do you eat?

Lunch is included at a local restaurant, not a tourist venue, a place where residents eat. It's part of the 4.5-hour tour and happens after you've ridden through the markets and seen the main sites.

Does the price include everything, or are there extra costs?

All entrance fees to the sites, lunch, the Vespa ride, the female guide, hotel pickup and drop-off are included in the price. No additional fees for the attractions you visit.