Ho Chi Minh City Street Food: The Best Night Food Tours
Saigon comes alive after dark, and the best way to eat it is from the back of a Vespa or on foot through the alleys of District 1 and Chinatown. Here is how to plan a street food night — motorbike food tour, walking crawl or hands-on cooking class — with the top-rated experiences to book.
At a glance
- 1Hop on the back of a vintage Vespa
- 2Graze District 1 and Chinatown stalls
- 3Sip egg coffee and rice wine
- 4Learn to cook it yourself next day
Ride the city on a Vespa food tour
A guided Vespa or scooter food tour is the signature Saigon experience: you ride pillion with a local foodie who weaves through the traffic to hidden stalls tourists never find. Over 4 to 5 hours and 10 or more tastings you will try banh xeo, seafood, grilled meats and rice wine. Expect to pay from around $55 to $75, drinks and helmet included.
Or graze on foot through District 1 and Chinatown
Prefer to keep both feet on the ground? A walking food tour zigzags the alleys of District 1 or the markets of Cholon (Chinatown), pausing at family-run stalls for pho, banh mi, spring rolls and Vietnamese iced coffee. Walking tours are cheaper — often from $30 to $45 — and easier if you are travelling with kids or want a slower pace.
Take the flavours home with a cooking class
To go deeper, book a Vietnamese cooking class, many of which start with a guided market visit to shop for herbs and produce. You will learn to roll fresh spring rolls and cook classics like pho or banh xeo in a local's kitchen. It is the perfect daytime complement to an evening food crawl. Tours run most nights, but popular guides sell out, so book a few days ahead.
Book the experiences in this itinerary
Top-rated tours for exactly what this plan recommends in Ho Chi Minh City — prices per person.
