Are you a foodie traveler? Saigon will be your perfect destination. Hopping on a scooter and trying the variety of foods around the city will be the highlight of your whole trip. If you still have doubts when booking a foodie scooter tour in Saigon, read our precautions and prepare for the delightful trip.
Precautions before Booking a Foodie Scooter Tour in Saigon
Check the food safety
Street food is a part of Vietnamese food culture but it is also a problem. Water contamination, contaminated ingredients like meat, and unprocessed food may cause traveler diarrhea. Raw vegetables and dirty utensil may also be the causes of an upset stomach. Another reason is that you haven’t adapted to the cooking of Vietnamese because some of the foods are heavenly seasoned.
Simple rules are:
- See if the stalls and utensils are clean, the foods are carefully covered and well processed with heat, no bare hands touching your foods
- Drink refrigerated drinks instead of iced
- Avoid raw ingredients
Read more in our guides for food safety and tap water in Vietnam.
Check if you are allergic to any ingredients in Vietnamese foods
Furthermore, you should note that there are many kinds of seafood, peanuts, and other ingredients that cause common food allergies that may be included in the dishes so make sure to tell the cook to exclude them in your dishes before they are served.
So before you book a scooter tour in Saigon:
- Know the ingredients and tell the sellers to leave out foods that cause your allergy
- Bring your own medicine
- Better go with a local guide and tell them in advance your concerns like diets and allergies as the local vendors cannot understand or forget your requests
Know about scooter and motorbike safety in Vietnam
The traffic in Vietnam, especially in a metropolitan like Saigon, is always crowded. Scratches between vehicles, and inevitably small injuries, happen daily, and it is an absolute nightmare for those who cannot get used to it.
It is always advisable not to drive yourself in Saigon if it is your first time in the city. If you want to enjoy the streets on a scooter, it is better to go with a professional local guide. A Tour agency would be better as they include insurance for the tour you booked and has trained guides to drive you around.
A little advice:
- Wear a helmet
- Go with guaranteed and trusted drivers (have a driving licensed)
- Grip the scooter’s frame at the back if you get scared
Learn more tips for first-time passengers.
Which Foodie Scooter Tour in Saigon is Recommended?
A foodie scooter tour in Saigon will give you a deeper insight to local Vietnamese cuisine, fun street foods, and how to enjoy foods like a local. But at the same time, safety precautions like driving safely and taking you to places that ensure food hygiene should not be ignored.
Before booking, you need throughou research and choose the tour that suits you best. Previous guests’ reviews about the guides and the foods on the tour is one of the best resources.
i Love Food Tour and i Really Love Food Tour from i Tour Vietnam are two scooter tours in Saigon for the foodies that are highly recommended. You can enjoy the delicious meals and drinks featuring all kinds of traditional Vietnamese dishes with friendly tour guides who will accommodate to your needs.
See the reviews of all the tours from i Tour Vietnam here.
Guests and local guides on a foodie scooter tour in Saigon with i Tour Vietnam
Why You Should Try a Foodie Scooter Tour in Saigon
Saigon, the hospitality land in Southern Vietnam, welcomes people from all walks of life across the country and the world. The people who choose to settle in Saigon have brought along their homeland’s palate and signature dishes, making Saigon the destination to try the delicious Vietnamese cuisine.
A fun adventure on the scooter in Saigon
But why on a scooter? You may ask. Some stalls with a long history and reputation with the locals are hidden in the deep alleys or small streets. Besides, the parking for bigger vehicles in Saigon is very limited. Exploring foods around Saigon on a scooter or motorbike will be better as you can make stops almost anywhere and as many as you want.
What is Included in a Foodie Scooter Tour in Saigon?
Different tours will offer different kinds of inclusions, but the usual standards of foodie scooter tour in Saigon are:
Vietnamese dishes. You can enjoy a number of meals that are specialties of Vietnam and what the locals in Saigon enjoy daily as well.
Drinks and desserts. The sweet taste is the signature of Saigonese and Southern Vietnamese palate. Sugar, condensed milk, or coconut milk are common sweeteners and often combined with different flavors like bitter or sour to balance out.
Street food. Savory snacks are available on almost any streets in Saigon. Enjoying the evening and a quick dinner in the open air is the experience that most Vietnamese have, from small children to the elderly, especially young people.
Helmets. For your safety and as the law requires, you will be provided with a helmet when traveling on the road on a scooter or a motorbike.
Raincoats. In case the weather gets bad, a well-prepared tour operator should have these at your disposal. The rain should not come between you and the scrumptious dishes.
Insurance. A ride on a scooter could worry some passengers. Having insurance to cover some of the fees is a safety precaution steps to ensure you can enjoy the tour with peace of mind. Read more to learn if you really need travel insurance in Vietnam.
Trained local guides. The guides should not only be able to bring you local insights into Vietnamese cuisine but also drive you safely.
Vietnamese Dishes you should try on a foodie scooter tour in Saigon
Banh mi and pho: the two most famous dishes in Saigon
Banh cuon and bun thit nuong: a simple but delicious breakfast and a refreshing savory lunch
Banh xeo and goi cuon: the rustic dishes of Southern Vietnamese
Banh trang nuong, the street snack wonder and che, the sweet and fruity desserts
The legendary Ca phe sua da and refreshing coconut juice are two drinks that will surely impress and cool down your thirst
Besides, when eating these dishes, you will get a chance to try the herbs and sauces which are the can-go-without accompanies enhancing the flavor. You will also understand the wrap and roll, sauce dipping style of Vietnamese eating.
Vietnamese greens to roll Banh xeo
Read more on Vietnamese street food options and Vietnamese drinks you must try.
When is the best time to go on a Foodie Scooter Tour in Saigon?
Saigon is the city in the monsoon climate zone. The weather is distinctive by two seasons: the dry season (little to no rain, from November to March) and the rainy season (a lot of showers and rainstorms, from early April to the end of October).
The sunny and warm weather in the dry season in Saigon is the perfect time for outdoor activities and the traditional festivals of Vietnamese like Tet Holidays and Hung Kings’ festival. For foodie travel, the dry season is a better time for exploring street foods and many local foods for feasts like Banh Chung and Banh Tet.
Trying Vietnamese street specialties on a food tour in Saigon in the dry season
On the other hand, the rainy season in Saigon is the off-peak of tourism season but traveling during this time has its own charm. Not only the costs for hotels and transportation is lower, but the indoor activities like visiting museums, watching performances, or dining in roofed eateries will also not be hindered by the frequent rains. In fact, enjoying foods like BBQ and hot noodle soups in this kind of weather is the best. A drink like a cool beer or a cup of Ca phe phin would complete your meal.
Dinner with BBQ on a foodie scooter tour in Saigon
Summary of Precautions before booking a Foodie Scooter Tour in Saigon
Exploring foods and streets in Saigon on the back of the bike is fun, but you need to take careful precautions to make the best out of the trip. Besides checking the quality of foods before you try to avoid an upset stomach, or worse, travel diarrhea, make sure you have booked with a trusted tour agency and your driver is well trained for the job when hopping on a motorbike to go on a food tour in Saigon.
Get the world-leading travel insurance for your adventures in Saigon:
If you have other questions, leave them in the comment section below or contact us for tour requests.