Saigon Food Tour: 7-8 Local Dishes, Zero Tourist Areas

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (327 reviews) 100% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/22

Duration4h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · VI +1

PickupAt your hotel

The broken rice, the duck broth that takes 8 hours to make, the betel leaf wraps most Vietnamese never order.

A 4-hour food tour through Saigon's outer districts on mopeds, stopping at 7 to 8 unmarked local restaurants and markets that don't appear on Google Maps. The guide speaks English and drives; you taste bánh khọt, broken rice, betel leaf BBQ, duck noodle soup and seasonal fruit from the wholesale market, with bottled water, a rain poncho and edited photos included. The route deliberately avoids tourist zones—the operator promises you'll see almost no other visitors for miles.

The Experience

The tour starts by mopeds and heads to the outer reaches of Saigon, moving through the Fruit Wholesaler Market, the Chinese District, the East West Freeway and smaller streets most guidebooks don't name. Your guide is an English-speaking local with years of experience hosting groups; they answer questions about Vietnam as you ride and know which stalls and hole-in-the-wall restaurants are worth stopping at. The route is built to take you further into residential neighborhoods than organized tours typically go, which is the whole point—the deeper you go, the fewer tourists you'll pass.

You'll eat 7 to 8 dishes across the 4 hours. Bánh khọt arrives sizzling—rice flour crepes fried crispy with taro, turmeric and coconut cream. Betel leaf wraps (bò lá lốt) come next, the leaves naturally buttery and wrapped around ground beef. Broken rice (cơm tấm sườn) is the dish the operator says you have to taste to know Saigon; it takes 7 to 8 tons of rice harvest to yield 1 ton of broken rice. Duck noodle soup has a broth made from 8 hours of simmering duck bones. You'll also get a platter of rice paper salad with seven toppings, fresh seasonal fruit from the wholesale market, and a fluffiest flan to finish. Vegetarian, vegan, non-gluten and non-dairy options are available if you request them at booking.

The tour includes bottled water, a rain poncho, wet wipes and hand sanitizer. Your guide will take photos and video during the ride and edit them to send you afterward. A free automated city tour (without a guide) is also included. Pickup is available from central districts (1, 3, 4); pickups from other areas carry a small extra charge. Infants can sit on an adult's lap or use a specialized infant seat.

What’s included

Bottled water.
a rain poncho.
wet wipes and hand sanitizer.
all 7 to 8 local dishes at each stop.
fresh seasonal fruit from the wholesale market.
edited photos and video sent after the tour.
a free automated city tour.
English-speaking guide with expert driving skill.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomeInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Saigon Happy Tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to eat where locals eat, not where tour groups are herded—the mopeds and the unmarked spots are what get you there. If you're comfortable on a bike and want to taste dishes most visitors never find (broken rice that takes a ton of processing, duck broth that simmers for 8 hours), this route goes further than standard food tours in Saigon.