What this walk is

This is a chill tour ^^

We will try hot dumplings, grandma noodles, exotic fruits, wet market (not so wet), good cafe, cat spotting, cool alleys, fried bananas, and a little but heavy history. I designed this tour because this is the best time to enjoy Saigon. It is a chill tour, but I will share some heavy history, so it's most suitable for adults.

Read some reviews if you want proof. Booking direct with me, not through a platform, also gets you the best price.

Early in the morning, Saigon has this soft side that most people never see. That's the part I love sharing. It's usually me, Spring, taking you around the neighborhoods I like a lot. On the rare day I can't, it's someone I trained myself, and I'll tell you upfront who that is. We'll wander through back alleys that don't make it to Google Maps, try the kind of breakfast only locals know and talk about what life here is like. By the time the city is fully awake, you'll have a belly full of good food and a little piece of Saigon that belongs only to you :)

Spring in a black bucket hat taking a selfie with two guests outside a shop, one guest in a straw hat and one with a camera round her neck

Two schoolgirls in white shirts and red Young Pioneer scarves walking down a lane in the morning, seen from a balcony above

A street cart selling bò kho, hủ tiếu and bánh mì for 30K, with a sign for hủ tiếu mì and bánh canh beside it

Hieu taking a selfie with three guests at a steel table in a sunny alley, iced drinks in front of them

Where we go

1. The Thich Quang Duc monument
This is where we meet and where the walk begins. In 1963, the monk Thich Quang Duc sat down at this exact intersection and set himself on fire to protest religious persecution. He sat still the whole time. I will share with you stories of him and how Buddhism affects Vietnamese culture.

2. Noodles in a secret alley
We kick off the morning the Vietnamese way: noodles. The kind of spot that has no sign, no English menu, and has never needed either. I like these spots a lot and the grandma's family is friends of mine, she makes really good noodles, dumplings and beef stew :)

A local noodle stall in a Saigon alley, early morning

A woman in a pyjama set at a breakfast table in a shop doorway, a toddler watching from the step, neighbours in the alley behind

A quiet hẻm in the morning: rusty tin roofs, potted plants and motorbikes parked along both sides

Hieu taking a selfie with three guests in a hẻm strung with bright bunting, morning sun at the far end

3. Exotic fruits
Fresh juicy fruits from the local market. Whatever is in season that day.

A rambutan held in an open palm at a Saigon street market

A woman in a motorbike helmet picking longan into a bag at a street fruit stall while the vendor looks on

A woman holding up two plums at a fruit stall piled with melons, sapodilla, dragon fruit and small green and red fruit

4. The chessboard market
The second-largest wet market in the city. Locals call it the chessboard market because of how the alleys cross in a grid. Fruits with wild names, curious vendors, a food maze that most visitors never find.

A market vendor in a conical hat at a dried goods stall in Saigon

A market street in the morning: scooters parked outside a beef shop, meat hanging at the stalls, people riding through under strings of small flags

Vendors and shoppers at a market stall heaped with limes, ginger, garlic and freshly chopped chilli and shallot, under a red awning

A vendor reaching across a stall of taro, cassava and bowls of prepared ingredients under the market umbrellas, a pink wall behind

Vendors on low stools beside bundles of water spinach and red amaranth on a wet market lane

One of our team crouched at a fruit stall with a phone in hand while the vendor sorts longan, flower sellers and the market street behind

5. Taste of the Mekong
Chuối chiên. Golden crispy banana fritters fresh from a bubbling street-side wok. Sweet and savoury Mekong-style snacks, like grandma used to make. Crunchy, messy, ridiculously satisfying. You'll want a second one, just let me know. I mean, I can eat like 7 of these and I'm not feeling guilty :D

Banana fritters bubbling in a street-side wok in Saigon

A vendor in a face mask at a street-side fritter stall: chuối chiên, sesame-glazed cakes and other fritters, scooters passing behind

Two of our team tearing open chuối chiên, banana fritters in paper wraps, on the street

6. The hidden communist complex
A short but powerful story about the American war, in the exact alley where generations of communist families still live. This is also heavy stories and images, and I will cover the American war from my perspective.

An older woman and man sitting on plastic chairs on a balcony of the old apartment block, its concrete walls stained grey and strung with wires

A family at a low table outside their ground-floor home in the apartment block, kids on a tablet and laptop, a woman sorting vegetables, seen from above

A hẻm hung with Vietnamese flags, motorbikes parked along both sides and plants spilling out of the houses

Hieu taking a selfie with four guests making finger hearts in an alley hung with a Vietnamese flag and strings of small red flags

Spring and a guest in a straw hat standing on a covered balcony with tiled floor and plants growing along the railing

Spring and a guest in an old café, seen from the wooden mezzanine above: patterned tile floor, leather sofas and framed photos on the wall

7. Coffee making with the aunties
See how aunties do it. Bold Vietnamese coffee, made the old way. We will do some chit chat too.

Coffee poured from a glazed clay pot through a cloth sock filter, the old way, beside a big steel pot

Hands working a cloth coffee filter over glazed clay pots on a soot-blackened charcoal stove

Hieu taking a selfie with five guests over iced coffees at Café Chéo Leo, blue and white tiles on the wall behind

Iced Vietnamese coffee and green tea on a blue cafe table

Banh duc nong, a warm Vietnamese rice cake, served as morning street food

What's included

Full Vietnamese breakfast across all stops
Light bites throughout the walk
Vietnamese coffee or tea
Small group, max 6 guests
Free cancellation up to 1 day before

Not included: transport to the meeting point, anything you choose to buy at the market. You don't need to bring money, though small bills are handy. Private guests get hotel pickup included.

One of our team with a bowl of tàu hũ, silken tofu in syrup, holding a red folding fan

Hieu taking a selfie with four guests over bowls of tàu hũ at a long steel table on the street, motorbikes parked behind

Where we meet

In front of the Thich Quang Duc monument, District 3. It's the monk on the plinth at the intersection. Hard to miss. I'll send a photo of the exact spot after you message me on WhatsApp.

Private tour? I can pick you up at your hotel in downtown Saigon. Honestly though, it's easier to meet me here. Type Thich Quang Duc monument into Grab and it drops you right there, cheap and quick.

Pricing

Small group

900,000 VND / $36

Per person. Max 6 guests total. You join others who booked the same slot.

Book this →

or pay by card instead →

Private

1,100,000 VND / $44

Per person. Max 6 guests. Just you and your people, no strangers.

Book private →

or pay by card instead →

Easiest for both of us: pay cash after the tour. Any currency you're carrying works, dong, dollars, whatever's in your pocket. Rather sort it before we meet? Use the card option above instead.

Questions people ask

Is 7:30am too early?

It sounds early. In practice most guests find it easy once they're out. The morning air is cooler, the streets are quieter, and the food is genuinely better at that hour. The stalls we visit start selling at 5am and are often sold out by 9. If you can get yourself out the door, the rest takes care of itself.

How much walking is involved?

Around 2 kilometres over three hours. Mostly flat, very light activity. We stop often and we don't rush, I am getting old and I also get tired of walking fast. If you have mobility concerns or need a slower pace, tell me when you book and I'll adjust the route.

Can you handle dietary restrictions?

Yes. Tell me before we go out. The morning walk has a lot of naturally gluten-free and dairy-free options because that's just what Vietnamese breakfast is. If you have a specific allergy, message me and we'll go through it. Vegetarians and vegans are fine.

Is this good for kids?

The small group walk is adults only, 18 and up. Private tours can work for families with older teenagers. Message me and we'll talk through it.

Morning is the best time to see this city. Come out with me and you'll understand why within the first twenty minutes.

Book on WhatsApp →

Early Riser Walk