Saigon Food Tour by Scooter – Vespa – Motorbike

5:30 PM | Hotel pickup and your first ride

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel at 5:30 PM (can be adjusted on request). This is a private Ho Chi Minh City food tour, so each guest has their own personal driver.

The vehicle may be a scooter, Vespa, or motorbike, depending on the guide and availability. You will ride as a passenger while your licensed driver takes you through the local streets of Saigon.

Start with bún thịt nướng (grilled pork vermicelli) or bún bò Huế (Hue-style beef noodle soup)

We skip the usual first stop for pho and begin with two dishes locals genuinely enjoy.

You can try bún thịt nướng (grilled pork vermicelli), served with grilled pork, fresh herbs, vegetables, and a light fish sauce dressing. Or choose bún bò Huế (Hue-style beef noodle soup), a fragrant and slightly spicy noodle soup from Central Vietnam.

Both dishes are full of fresh herbs and layered flavours. They are a proper introduction to Vietnamese food before the rest of the evening begins.

Bánh xèo (Vietnamese sizzling pancake) and bánh khọt (crispy mini pancakes) in a local alley

Next, your guide takes you through the smaller streets of Ho Chi Minh City to try two Vietnamese favourites: bánh xèo (Vietnamese sizzling pancake) and bánh khọt (crispy mini pancakes).

Bánh xèo is a crispy pancake filled with savoury ingredients. Bánh khọt is its smaller, bite-sized cousin. You will wrap them in fresh herbs and vegetables before dipping them into a local sauce.

This is the kind of food that is best eaten with your hands. It is simple, fresh, and much more fun than watching someone else do it for you.

See Saigon from the back of a motorbike

The food is only part of this Saigon food tour. Between stops, you will ride through several local areas and see how Ho Chi Minh City changes after dark.

You will pass through everyday neighbourhoods, busy streets, small alleys, and places where local residents eat, shop, and spend their evenings. There is no fixed sightseeing bus route here. You experience the city from the back of a scooter, one street at a time.

Ho Thi Ky Flower Market and local street food

We then head to Ho Thi Ky Flower Market, one of the biggest flower markets in Ho Chi Minh City.

After exploring the market, your guide will take you into the surrounding street food area. This is where you can try two to four Vietnamese street food dishes, depending on the evening’s route.

The food here changes from place to place, but that is part of the experience. Your guide will help you choose what looks best that night.

Bò kho (Vietnamese braised beef stew) at a neighbourhood shop

Later in the evening, we stop at a local shop that has been open since 1975.

The speciality is bò kho (Vietnamese braised beef stew). The beef is slow-cooked with herbs and spices until tender, with a rich broth that is perfect for dipping bread or enjoying on its own.

The restaurant received a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024, but locals have been coming here for much longer than that.

Kem dừa (coconut ice cream) to finish

We finish the food portion of the tour with kem dừa (coconut ice cream).

It is cold, creamy, and light enough to end the evening without leaving you completely stuffed. Even guests who do not usually order dessert tend to enjoy this one.

A final ride back to your hotel

Before saying goodbye, your guide will take you through a few more local streets so you can enjoy the evening atmosphere of Ho Chi Minh City.

After that, your driver will take you safely back to your hotel.