Saigon is best explored on foot and this half-day walking tour takes you deep into off-the-tourist-trail local neighbourhoods. You are collected from your hotel and taken on a short drive to the starting point. The rest of the tour is on foot. It begins at a charming local market – buzzing throughout the day – and then the route weaves through tiny back alleys into some of the friendliest localities in the city. Families have set up businesses on the street and it’s a true culinary adventure walking down these rarely-visited side streets. Its worth skipping a meal before the tour!
Eventually you arrive at a small temple honouring 5 mother goddesses and next you visit a monastery where the monks are very genuinely welcoming, happy to show you their home and explain their beliefs. From here it’s a short stroll to one of the oldest parts of the city, where French era villas punctuate a teak tree lined street. Hidden away from the main districts of the city, the culture thriving in these hidden streets is fascinating and absorbing. The tour will take about 3 hours and a vehicle is made available at all times, should you need it.
