Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Day trip from Saigon
The city behind the boulevards
Most of Saigon lives in alleys too narrow for a car. This afternoon rides into them, through the port district, along the canals and out to the edge of the city at dusk.
Overview
What a car cannot reach
Saigon’s real neighbourhoods are behind its boulevards. The alleys — hem in Vietnamese — are often less than two metres wide, lined with houses, shrines, barbers and kitchens, and they are how most of the city gets around. District 4, across the canal from District 1, was once the port and still feels like a village inside the city. District 8, further south, runs along canals with boats still moored at the back doors.
Each guest rides on the back of a motorbike with their own rider. We stop often, walk the narrowest sections, and let the city set the pace. This is less a list of sights than a way of seeing the city, and every ride is slightly different.
- Length
- About 4 hours
- Start
- 14:00
- Finish
- Around 18:00
- On the motorbike
- About 2 hours
- On foot
- About 1.5 km
- Group
- 12 at most
Day by day
How the afternoon runs
Day 1
Into the alleys and out along the canals
The canal wards of District 8 at dusk
14:00 — riders arrive at your hotel with helmets and a rain poncho for each guest. 14:15 — over the bridge into District 4. A walk through the alleys around a neighbourhood market, past a temple and the houses where port workers once lived. Your rider explains how the district changed from a no-go area to a food destination.
15:15 — along the Ben Nghe and Te canals, past the new riverfront and the old warehouses, then south into District 8. A stop at a canal-side ward where families still keep boats at the back door and a small pagoda sits on the water.
16:30 — a sugarcane juice or iced tea on a stool while the afternoon heat breaks, then a ride along the canal to watch the evening traffic start. 17:15 — back through District 5 and past the Cho Lon markets closing up.
18:00 — drop-off at your hotel, or at the street-food evening if you are doing both.
Price
Price
| Option | Per person (USD) |
|---|---|
| Shared, maximum 12 | from 45 |
| Private, 2 people | from 85 |
| Private, 4 people | from 60 |
Riders, fuel, helmets and a snack are in the price. The private version can start in the morning or be built around a particular district.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Motorbike and licensed rider for each guest
- Helmet and rain poncho
- A drink and snack
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in District 1, 3 or Binh Thanh
What it does not include
- Extra food and drinks
- Tips for riders
- Travel insurance (check it covers you as a motorbike passenger)
Practical
Riding pillion in Saigon
You sit behind your rider, hold on to the rack or their waist, and lean with the bike. Riders go slowly in the alleys and stay in the side lanes on the bigger roads. Long trousers and closed shoes protect against the exhaust pipe, which gets hot. Sunglasses help with dust. In the wet season a downpour can arrive mid-afternoon; we shelter and wait, and it rarely lasts more than an hour.
Taking photographs from a moving motorbike is possible but not ideal. Your rider will stop anywhere you ask.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
If riding pillion makes you anxious, you will not enjoy it; the walking architecture morning or the Cho Lon morning are better choices. It is not suitable for pregnant travellers or children under about eight. And if you want to tick off named sights, this is the wrong afternoon; it is about the city between them.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Do I drive the motorbike?
No. You ride pillion with a licensed rider. Self-drive is not something we offer in the city.
Can I do this in the morning?
On a private tour, yes. We run the shared version in the afternoon to catch the canals at dusk.
Can I combine it with the street-food evening?
Yes. Many guests go straight from one to the other; the riders are the same team.
Related
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The city we work in: districts, food, timing and honest advice.
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Seven stops in four districts, on the back of a scooter.
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