• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • UFIT TennisOutdoor activities – group fitness classes, tennis, cycling etc.
        • feng shui focus lucy richardsonExpat Journey: Lucy Richardson
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • weddingTop 20 wedding venues in Singapore, for all sorts of couples
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Muswell Hill comedy Pangdemonium dinner partyPangdemonium brings Muswell Hill to Singapore
        • looking for clues treasure hunt time heistWin big in the Civic District treasure hunt
        • As You Were ArtworksWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • The National Stadium - Sports Hub Best venues for concertsTheatres in Singapore plus venues for events & concerts!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • pre & post baby items cleaning by pramwashWhen did you last clean the baby pram?
        • Nexus International School students reading in library learning experienceLearning for the Future at Nexus
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • fishing 3aHoliday fun and outdoor activities at this Adventure Camp
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • feng shui focus lucy richardsonExpat Journey: Lucy Richardson
        • European bedding best mattressBest mattresses for the best sleep!
        • antique furniture singaporeAntique furniture shops – plus vintage and reproduction furniture!
        • Where to buy lamps in SingaporeWhere to buy lamps in Singapore – lights galore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • ideas for a long weekend awayPlan ahead for that long weekend away!
        • international health insuranceProtecting your health overseas in 2022
        • Krabi Thailand beachfront villas for beach holiday in ThailandBeachfront villas in Krabi Thailand – perfect for your next beach holiday!
        • New ZealandYour mini guide to New Zealand
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Pizza12 great places to get the best pizza in Singapore
        • Farmers market - butcher - meat shopTop butchers for good-quality meat
        • Sugarhall DaquriLatest bars in Singapore: New drinking spots!
        • M&S Meat Free NuggetsPlant-based nuggets – here’s what we think!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • hydrating products skinTried and tested: Hydrating Products for Dry Skin
        • ARIANE ZAGURY 2A Curated Fashion House for All
        • Frizz TreatmentIn need of a quick fix for frizzy hair?
        • Spray tan singaporeGet a golden glow quickly with a spray tan!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • injuries to hip and hamstring injuriesInjuries to hip muscles & hamstring injuries – how to treat them!
        • UFIT TennisOutdoor activities – group fitness classes, tennis, cycling etc.
        • overweightWeight gain and your health – How a GP can help
        • PainWhat is pain and how do you treat it?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close

4 cool things to do in Saigon – on the cheap!

10th July 2017 by Leanda Rathmell 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/saigon-vietnam-things-to-do/

Want to dig a little deeper? Scrap your misconceptions of guided tours; they don’t always have to involve boring history lessons or trailing after a flag. Here are four fun and quirky tours to maximise your time and indulge your interests in HCMC.

Saigon Vietnam

#1 For the novice

Saigon Vietnam

Duration: 3 hours Cost: Tip basis

Those tackling this frenetic city for the first time will benefit greatly from Trails & Tales, a crash course on Ho Chi Minh City, still known as Saigon to the locals. Understanding the events that have shaped this metropolis gives critical context to appreciating its beauty, and this walking tour – led by gifted story-teller and history buff Adam Priestly – keeps kids and adults mesmerised. Adam’s vivid narrative explains the history, folklore and cultural idiosyncrasies of Saigon, with stops including historical and architectural landmarks, from the Reunification Palace to the French colonial Notre-Dame Cathedral, Saigon Opera House and the 68-storey Bitexco Financial tower. Along the way, Adam equips you with helpful tips to manoeuver through the streets of Saigon, from the motorbike mayhem to bargain-hunting and street food favourites. There’s no set charge for the tour, though do thank Adam with a tip for helping you establish your bearings in this mad city. trailstalessaigon.com

#2 For the artist

Saigon Vietnam
Saigon Vietnam

Duration: 4 hours Cost: US$55

Why not explore Saigon’s history through the eyes of artists? From colonialism to independence and communism to globalisation, Sophie’s Art Tour gives the stage to artists that studied, fought, witnessed and documented major changes in 20th- and 21st-century Vietnam. Devised by art historian Sophie Hughes, the morning outing visits museums, galleries, private collections and contemporary art spaces across HCMC to expose the tumultuous story and key epochs in the development of Vietnamese art. From spellbinding propaganda, battlefield sketches and combat art riddled with influence from the West through to China and Japan, through to the growing contemporary art scene, never has a history lesson been more colourful. sophiesarttour.com

#3 For the foodie

Saigon Vietnam
Saigon Vietnam
Jumping Chicken (Frog).
Saigon Vietnam

Duration: 4.5 hours Cost: US$75

Expand your palate beyond the usual pho and banh mi favourites and let a local show you the real flavour of Saigon. Traverse the city on the back of a motorbike, weave through wet markets and duck into alleyway haunts for the best local fare with XO Tours. While most visitors limit their time to District 1, these charismatic ladies cover some serious ground. The evening takes you to five distinctly unique districts rarely charted on tourist maps, with sightseeing pit stops along the way. Highlights include bun bo hue (a richer and spicier alternative to pho), nhu de nuong chao (char-grilled goat meat wrapped in betel leaf) and so diep nuong mo hanh (grilled scallops with spring onions and peanuts), all washed down with free-flowing Saigon Beer. The more daring tour-goers can sample unconventional eats such as hot vit lon (fertilised duck egg) in tamarind sauce or ech nurong (grilled frog), fondly referred to as “jumping chicken”. xotours.vn

#4 For the detective

Saigon Vietnam
Saigon Vietnam
Saigon Vietnam

Duration: Around 5 to 6 hours Cost: From US$44 (car transfer and lunch optional)

Solve a murder mystery in this unconventional tour of HCMC’s infamous Chinatown district. A real slice of Old Saigon, Cholon dates back to the 17th century and dominates the Western Bank. It’s distinctive character is preserved throughout the pagodas, markets, workshops and interlacing residential alleys.

Urban Tales is a self-guided tour that offers a unique way to immerse yourself in the thick of this neighbourhood; it’s tour spiked with adrenaline and adventure, as you race the clock to solve “The Strange Case of Dr Lam”. The investigation starts promptly at 8.30am, when you’re collected from your hotel by vintage car and dropped directly at the crime scene to collect clues. Armed with a notepad, compass, map and phone, you’re then sent on your way in search of the culprit. You have to spot clues, decode secret messages, interrogate witnesses and navigate your way through back alleys; then, once you’ve caught the crook and handed him over to the police, a rewarding dim sum lunch awaits! urban-tales.com

Like this? Read more at our Travel section

This article first appeared in the June 2017 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Leanda Rathmell

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our weekly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

Categories: Asia Travel Tags: Asia Travel Ho Chi Minh City Saigon Vietnam

You May Also Like

Krabi Thailand beachfront villas for beach holiday in Thailand

Beachfront villas in Krabi Thailand – perfect for your next beach holiday!

retire in cambodia

5 reasons Cambodia is one of the best places to retire in Asia

international health insurance

Protecting your health overseas in 2022

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2022 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.