Saigon Vegan Food Tour by GirlPower Motorbike Riders | KissTour

Ho Chi Minh City’s vegan food scene is far more varied than a bowl of tofu and rice. On this four-hour scooter tour, you ride beyond the usual District 1 circuit, stopping for at least six vegan dishes at five local food spots, with one stop set aside for views and photos. The one-on-one format pairs each person with an English-speaking driver, so the night feels personal rather than like a moving line of helmets.

I like two things right away: the women-led local team, which supports women working in tourism, and the all-inclusive food plan. You do not need to keep counting small dish costs as the evening unfolds. Kim, one host named in the tour feedback, is described as punctual, warm, communicative, and quick to point out useful things about Vietnam.

The main consideration is the scooter. You need to feel reasonably comfortable riding as a passenger through city traffic, and you should wear light clothes with no heavy backpack. Pickup outside Districts 1, 2, and 3 costs an extra $4, or 100,000 VND, so check the meeting details before booking.

Key details at a glance

• Six or more vegan tastings: Try vegan pho, cha gio spring rolls, hu tieu, pandan cake, grilled banana, and a Vietnamese dessert.
• One driver per person: Your English-speaking guide drives your scooter and gives you a more direct connection than a large group tour.
• Five food stops: The route mixes full dishes, snacks, a Buddhist-inspired eatery, and a sightseeing pause.
• Hotel pickup and drop-off offered: The usual start is around 5:30 PM, with pickup details depending on your district.
• Women-led operation: The company was founded by a local woman and supports women working in tourism.
• Flexible start times: You can request an 8 AM or noon departure if an evening food ride does not suit your schedule.

Why this vegan food ride feels different

The appeal is not simply that the menu is vegan. Vietnam has a strong Buddhist influence, and vegetarian food is familiar to many local diners. That gives the tour a useful setting: you are not asking a kitchen to make a last-minute substitute. You are tasting dishes that already belong to Vietnam’s everyday food culture.

The ride also takes you outside the small central zone most visitors see on foot. District 1 has plenty of restaurants, bars, and major sights, but a scooter lets you move through several districts and reach local eateries without spending the evening in one tourist area.

I also like the one-on-one design. If you book alone, you are paired with one driver. If you book with others, each person still has an individual rider relationship. That makes it easier to ask questions, stop for a quick photo, or request help with unfamiliar ingredients.

The trade-off is that this is not a seated restaurant tour with a quiet table and a fixed tasting menu. You will get on and off scooters, eat at several places, and move through Ho Chi Minh City traffic. If that sounds like the fun part, the format works well. If you prefer a calm, stationary dinner, choose another food outing.

Starting at 5:30 PM with a local rider

The standard departure is 5:30 PM, and the full outing lasts about four hours. Pickup and drop-off are offered, while the stated meeting point is the Saigon Opera House at 07 Công trường Lam Sơn in District 1. Because the tour information also says the activity ends back at the meeting point, confirm the exact pickup and return arrangement when you book.

Your driver provides the scooter, fuel, and an extra helmet. The tour is capped at 15 people, but the one-driver-per-person setup keeps the actual riding relationship more personal than that number suggests.

A guide named Kim is specifically associated with a recent booking. The useful detail here is not just her name, but the sort of hosting you can expect: clear communication, arriving on time, and pointing out practical things connected to Vietnam as you move through the city. That extra commentary can be as helpful as the food, especially early in your stay.

Wear comfortable clothes. Avoid expensive jewelry and heavy bags, and keep your phone or camera in a pocket that you can reach easily. You do not want to manage loose belongings while riding or eating.

Vegan pho starts the evening

The first major dish is vegan pho. Expect the familiar structure of Vietnam’s best-known noodle soup: broth, rice noodles, herbs, lime, and chili, with the animal ingredients replaced by plant-based elements.

This is a smart opening dish because pho gives you a clear way to notice the balance of Vietnamese cooking. The herbs add freshness, lime sharpens the bowl, and chili lets you adjust the heat. You can try it as served, then add small amounts of seasoning rather than drowning the broth at once.

For a vegan visitor, this stop has practical value. You are not limited to fruit, plain vegetables, or a special request made for tourists. The tour takes you to a place where vegan pho is part of the local food choice, and that can make the meal feel more natural.

Portion sizes are worth keeping in mind. The tour promises a full dinner and unlimited vegan food and beverages, but the exact size of each serving is not specified. Pace yourself, since several more dishes follow.

Cha gio and herbs bring crunch

Next comes cha gio, or vegan spring rolls, served with local herbs. This stop changes the texture of the meal. After the soft noodles and broth, the crisp roll and fresh greens give you something more savory and crunchy.

Vietnamese herbs are not decoration. They change the taste of each bite and help balance fried foods. Try a spring roll with the herbs first, then add sauce if it is provided. You will get a better sense of how the dish is meant to work when the fried wrapper, herbs, and seasoning arrive together.

This is also a good point to ask your driver about the ingredients. The tour is built around vegan food, but vegan preparation can vary from place to place. An English-speaking driver can help explain what you are eating and answer questions about sauces or cooking methods.

If you are gluten-free as well as vegan, tell the team before the tour. The description welcomes gluten-free diners, but it does not give a complete gluten-free menu. Spring rolls, noodles, sauces, and cakes may use different ingredients, so advance notice matters.

Buddhist-inspired food and Southern hu tieu

The route then continues to a Buddhist-inspired vegan eatery. This is one of the most useful cultural stops because it connects the food with a larger local tradition. Buddhism is influential in Vietnam, and vegetarian meals are often linked with religious practice, personal choice, or particular days on the calendar.

Here you try stir-fried rice vermicelli, called hu tieu in the tour description. Hu tieu is associated with southern Vietnam, and this version comes with a sauce that brings the noodles together. Compared with pho, it is less about a clear broth and more about stir-fried texture and seasoning.

You might find this dish more filling than the earlier tastings. Rice vermicelli is gentle in flavor, so the sauce does much of the work. Take a moment to notice the difference between the slippery noodles, the cooked vegetables, and the sweet or savory notes in the dressing.

The exact order of the stops can change, and the route may vary by day. That is normal for a food ride using local eateries rather than a fixed restaurant menu. The important point is the range: soup, fried food, stir-fried noodles, and sweets rather than six versions of the same dish.

Fresh pandan cake cooked before you

The next bite is smaller but distinctive: fried pandan cake, or banh tieu la dua. The cake is cooked right in front of you, giving this stop a bit of theater without turning it into a staged show.

Pandan brings a fragrant, lightly sweet note, while frying creates a crisp outside and a soft center. It is a snack, not a full course, so it fits well after the noodles and before the final dessert dishes.

Fresh cooking makes a difference here. You can see that this is not simply a packaged sweet pulled from a shelf. The tour gives you a chance to watch a local food being prepared at the point of service, then eat it while it is still warm.

Save room for this one. With pho, spring rolls, hu tieu, and more still ahead, it is easy to assume the small cake will not matter. In practice, the contrast between savory dishes and a warm sweet snack helps keep the meal interesting.

Grilled banana with sticky rice and coconut

The most unusual dessert stop is grilled banana, or chuoi nep nuong. A banana is wrapped in sticky rice, finished with coconut milk and fruit, then grilled until the outside looks slightly charred.

This dish shows how Vietnamese cooks turn a few basic ingredients into something far more complex. The sticky rice gives the banana a chewy coating, coconut milk adds richness, and grilling brings a smoky edge. The banana itself becomes soft and juicy inside.

I would treat this as one of the tour’s key dishes, especially if you have only tried bananas as a simple snack. The combination is hearty enough to feel like a dessert course rather than a garnish.

It may also be the heaviest sweet on the route. If you are sensitive to rich foods, you can ask your guide about portion size. The tour promises unlimited vegan food and beverages, but you do not need to force yourself through every serving. The point is to taste and compare.

A sightseeing pause among local hangouts

Food is only half the evening. The route includes a break at lesser-known spots where locals spend time, giving you a chance to pause after several tastings. You can chat with your driver, take photos, and see the city at night from a different angle.

The exact location is not specified, so do not book this expecting a named landmark or a formal viewpoint. Think of it as a breathing space between food stops. You get off the scooter, stretch your legs, and take in the night atmosphere without rushing straight to the next plate.

This pause also gives the one-on-one format more value. With a private driver beside you, the stop can feel like time with a local contact rather than a group photo break. The tour description places emphasis on friendly conversation, and Kim’s hosting style suggests that simple local tips may come naturally during the ride.

Bring a phone or small camera that fits in a pocket. A heavy camera bag or loose backpack will make the scooter portions less comfortable.

What the $65.65 price includes

At $65.65 per person, this is not the cheapest way to eat in Ho Chi Minh City. Street food itself can cost very little. You are paying for the transport, a private English-speaking driver, fuel, helmets, accident insurance, food, drinks, and the time needed to connect several districts in one evening.

The value improves if you want a guided introduction rather than a list of restaurants. You do not need to find vegan places, work out transport, explain dietary needs repeatedly, or guess what to order. The price also covers unlimited vegan food and beverages, with alcoholic drinks available as an optional extra.

For a solo visitor, the one-driver arrangement is especially useful. A taxi between several stops, plus separate restaurant bills, can become awkward even before you factor in the planning. Here, the food route and scooter transport are handled together.

The price is less attractive if you already know Ho Chi Minh City well, speak Vietnamese, and are happy locating vegan food on your own. It is also worth checking the pickup surcharge. Pickup outside Districts 1, 2, and 3 adds $4, or 100,000 VND.

Who should book this tour

I would recommend it to vegan and vegetarian visitors who want a full evening meal with movement and local contact. It also suits first-time visitors who want to see more of Ho Chi Minh City than the central streets around the Opera House.

The tour can work for gluten-free diners, but you must make that request in advance. The menu details do not confirm that every dish is gluten-free, so treat this as a dietary discussion to have before departure, not as a guarantee built into every stop.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Most people can participate, but scooter travel remains the deciding factor. Anyone above 120 kilograms, or 260 pounds, should notify the team so a larger scooter and the strongest available driver can be arranged.

You can request a morning start at 8 AM or a midday start at noon instead of the usual evening departure. That flexibility helps if you have a late flight, an early night, or another evening plan.

Booking, timing, and cancellation

Confirmation is provided when you book, and the tour is commonly reserved about 12 days ahead. That is a useful planning window if you want a particular date or need to explain vegan, gluten-free, or pickup requirements.

Free cancellation applies when you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Within 24 hours, the payment is not refunded, and changes made inside that period are not accepted. The cutoff follows Ho Chi Minh City local time.

The stated meeting point is near public transportation at the Saigon Opera House. Since pickup and return details vary by district, read the meeting instructions carefully and contact KissTour if your hotel is outside Districts 1, 2, or 3.

Should you book the Saigon vegan scooter tour?

Book it if you want Vietnamese vegan food in several forms, a scooter ride through different districts, and a direct connection with a local woman guide. The strongest parts are the broad menu, one-driver format, inclusion of food and fuel, and the chance to try dishes such as pandan cake and grilled banana that you might not order alone.

Think twice if you dislike scooters, need a quiet sit-down dinner, or want a fully confirmed gluten-free menu. For the right eater, though, $65.65 buys more than dinner. It buys a practical introduction to vegan food in Ho Chi Minh City, with someone like Kim helping you understand what is on the plate and what you are seeing beyond the central streets.

FAQ

How long is the Saigon Vegan Food Tour?

The tour lasts about four hours.

What time does the tour usually begin?

The usual start time is 5:30 PM.

Are morning and midday departures available?

Yes. You can request an 8 AM or noon departure if an evening start does not suit you.

What food is included?

The tour includes vegan pho, cha gio spring rolls, stir-fried rice vermicelli hu tieu, fried pandan cake banh tieu la dua, grilled banana chuoi nep nuong, and a Vietnamese dessert. It promises at least six vegan dishes at five stops.

Are drinks included?

Yes. Vegan beverages are included without an additional charge. Alcoholic beverages are optional.

Is hotel pickup available?

Yes, pickup and drop-off are offered. The stated meeting point is the Saigon Opera House, so confirm the exact arrangement for your hotel.

Is there a pickup surcharge?

Pickup from outside Districts 1, 2, and 3 has a surcharge of $4, or 100,000 VND.

What is the meeting point?

The stated meeting point is the Saigon Opera House at 07 Công trường Lam Sơn, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Can children join the tour?

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Most people can participate.

What should I wear or bring?

Wear comfortable clothes, avoid expensive jewelry and heavy backpacks, and carry a phone or camera that fits in a pocket.

What if I weigh more than 120 kilograms?

Notify the tour team in advance. They can arrange a larger scooter and the strongest drivers on the team.

What is the cancellation policy?

You receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund.