Ho Chi Minh City Tour on Scooters

Ho Chi Minh City Tour on scooters or motorbikes is one of the best choices you can make. Most of the streets in the city are quite small and packed with a lot of private transportation, so using the scooter you can easily weaving through the traffic, and get to your destinations, whether they are on the opened streets or deep in zig-zag alleyways in a blink.

Where to Go on the Ho Chi Minh City Tour on Scooters

Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown (District 1 and District 3)

The area is the most visited are in Ho Chi Minh City by both locals and visitors, especially at night time. Featuring all kinds of attractions, eateries, and entertainment, District 1 and District 3 are the destinations that most people go for sightseeing, enjoying delicious foods, shopping, and other cool hangouts.

Ho Chi Minh City’s iconic attractions

Another applause is while there are several luxury things at expensive prices in the downtown, affordable services like local boutiques and street foods are also at your disposal. Top-notch services of five-star hotels and restaurants to the small vendors with a stove, boxes of ingredients, and some stools in their carts, quickly selling to the passerby.

Read more:  Interesting Activities in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown (District 5, District 6, District 10, and District 11)

This vivid area used to be a city just as busy as Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown), often called Cho Lon by the locals. Many local and family-owned shops are still in business for decades.

Old apartments and houses in Chinatown

However, in contrast with the glamour and modern look of District 1 and District 3, Chinatown houses many old markets, pagodas, temples, apartments, and houses, creating a mystery vibe for your adventure. The food stalls can also be found on every street across town at a much lower price than that in the downtown.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Floating Market (District 7)

Besides local markets like Ben Thanh Market and Binh Tay Market, the floating market in District 8 should definitely be on your list when hopping on a Ho Chi Minh City tour on scooters. Fresh tropical fruits from the Mekong Delta are transported by small boats to the city and sold right at the dock. Coconuts and bananas are common items, but seasonal fruits like rambutan are also available during harvest time.

The floating market on a canal in Ho Chi Minh City

Along the street next to the dock, the locals on their scooters often slow down around the area and stop at whichever vendors they like. A cool breeze from the canal nearby, the vivid colors of fruits, and the scene of the locals’ daily life create the charm of this place.

Ho Chi Minh City’s Street Food Wonders

Street foods are every in Ho Chi Minh City so it would be hard to pick one location for you to enjoy all the wonderful tastes of Vietnamese cuisine. There are famous or long-established eateries from one district to another for different kinds of foods like Banh xeo, Pho, Bun Thit Nuong, and Banh Cuon.

Enjoy the street foods like a local in Ho Chi Minh City

When getting on a scooter, you can get from one place to another faster, easily make a stop at restaurants or stalls of your choice. You can even drive through small ways in the local markets and try the foods in the markets as well.

Suggested Half-day and One-day Itineraries for a Ho Chi Minh City Tour on Scooters

For a half-day Ho Chi Minh City tour on scooters, you can choose any of the above places. It should take you about 3 hours at each location to finish visiting all the highlights.

Read more: Detailed itineraries and suggestions of Ho Chi Minh City tour on scooters.

Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown (Saigon)

French architectures (15 minutes each)

• City Hall: 86 Le Thanh Ton, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
• Saigon Opera House: 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
• Notre Dame Cathedral: Cong Xa Pari, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
• Central Post Office: Cong Xa Pari, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 (next to Notre Dame Cathedral)
• Independence Palace (30 minutes to 1 hour): 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1

Museums (30 minutes to 1 hour each)

• War Remnant Museum: 28 Vo Van Tan, Ward 6, District 3
• Ho Chi Minh City Museum: 65 Ly Tu Trong, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Local markets (1 hour each)

• Ben Thanh Market Quach Thi Trang Roundabout, Le Loi, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
• Dan Sinh Market: 104 Yersin, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1

Saigon’s other side

Local market (30 minutes to 1 hour each)

• Binh Tay Market: 57A Thap Muoi, Ward 2, District 6
• An Dong Market: 34 An Duong Vuong, Ward 9, District 5
• Soai Kinh Lam Market: 465 Tran Hung Dao B, Ward 14, District 5
• Dai Quang Minh Market: 35 Chau Van Liem, Ward 14, District 5
• Floating market: Tran Xuan Soan, Tan Hung Ward, District 7

Temples and pagodas (30 minutes each)

• Thien Hau Temple: 710 Nguyen Trai, Ward 11, District 5
• Nghia An Assembly Hall: 676 – 678 Nguyen Trai, Ward 11, District 5
• Nhi Phu Temple: 264 Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Ward 14, District 5

Is It Safe to Go with a Ho Chi Minh City Tour on Scooters?

It is a fun and convenient choice, but you should take some precautions for your own safety when riding on the back of a scooter around Ho Chi Minh City’s busy streets, with frequent scams and annoyances.

• Always wear a helmet. This is not only required by law but also a good way to protect yourself should accidents happen.

• Make sure you know how Vietnamese drive their bikes and have a proper license if you are going to drive the scooter. The way the Vietnamese ride their bikes may surprise you and make you lose your focus on the roads.
• Check the driver profile and review carefully (name, photo, star rating, and comments) if you are going to use a hired transportation like Grab as there have been cases of copycats. Learn more in precautions for hired transportation in Ho Chi Minh City.
• As for motorbike taxi drivers, the danger comes from the fact that they tend to drive fast, carelessly, and cheat you for more money as there are no meters or measurements for the fee.
• Don’t flash money, jewelry or valuable items like cameras and phones. The snatchers are faster than you think. Not only will you lose your belongings, but it can also be dangerous as you may be dragged and fall down.
• You should secure your backpack in front of you or between you and the driver. It is also a tip to avoid the thief and snatchers from getting everything from you.
  
• Get your travel insurance. It’s easier to protect yourself when traveling than ever.

What to Prepare before Joining a Ho Chi Minh City Tour on Scooters?

• Wear a long-sleeved coat, shirt or sunscreen. The heat in Ho Chi Minh City can be quite intense from around 8 AM to 4 PM
• Bring your medicine in case you get motion sickness or stomaches
• Prepare small change to pay for foods and fees. It would be time-consuming and dangerous to take out big notes and count the change
• Get a license and other documents prepared in advance and look for a motorbike rental if you want to drive on your own