About Us

About Us

Why Walking?
Unlike the common scooter food tours, Saigon District Tours takes the foot path. We believe that by walking, you’ll gain a better sense of the city and allows opportunity for spontaneous experiences that you otherwise might miss if you were zooming past on a scooter. Walking is also a more sustainable way of travel where we are contributing in a positive way to the local communities we visit.
 
Why Neighborhoods?
We focus on individual neighborhoods because Ho Chi Minh City is such a big metropolis and so diverse that makes it challenging to really get to know. The districts have their own defining characteristic shaped by history, the people who live there, and of course the food specialties. For example, District 4 is known for its evening seafood street food, District 10 is where you can surprisingly find Cambodian foods, and District 5 or Cholon is home to a large Chinese community.
banh quay
giai khat
banh khot
How it all began…
Before Saigon District Tours was established, Thuy (Founder) frequently hosted friends when they came into town. She would take them to her favorite local hang-outs, introduced them to some of her favorite foods and shared her insights from the perspective of a Vietnamese-American living in Saigon. She was surprised by how interested they were in the local life and that they felt they got the ‘insider’ experience during their visit.
 
Realizing that she could share her insights and the local experience to a wider audience, she created Saigon District Tours. All the experiences have been personally curated, the foods and places are handpicked, with many being Thuy’s personal favorites.

Your Hosts

Xin Chao – I’m Thuy, Founder of Saigon District Tours. I’m a Vietnamese-American from Colorado and have been living in Saigon for over 15 years. I love exploring the city and despite living here as long as I have, I still see things with fresh eyes and excitement.

I am a travel industry professional and entrepreneur with a deep passion for promoting my native country. I have shared my expertise and recommendations to well-known publications like the Lonely Planet and Travel & Leisure on topics from food to wellness.

Having had a best cook growing up, I refer to my mom’s cooking as the bench mark for authentic, tasty Vietnamese food. So you can be sure that I’m highly selective when it comes to introducing Vietnamese foods to my guests. I’m a foodie at heart and there’s no greater pleasure than to be your host and share my insights to the Saigonese local life, food, and culture.

Hello – I’m Chau and you’ll likely be seeing me on the evening tours. I’m originally from Tra Vinh in the Mekong Delta but Saigon has been my home for over 15 years. I love living here because it’s international and being a local host, I have the chance to meet people from all over the world and share my passion about this city and of course Vietnamese food.

Since I’m from the Mekong Delta, I know a lot of about the local fruits, and some of the insights I share with you when we’re at markets and shopping come directly from the farmers. As someone who enjoys cooking, I always love to share my own knowledge about Vietnamese dishes and explain to guests the ingredients and the story behind them. I look forward to hosting you on one of our walking and food experiences.

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