Secret Half Day Saigon Markets and Traditional Medicine Tour
Description
Discover a different side of Saigon on this half-day walking tour through lesser-known neighborhoods full of local character. Explore thematic streets where antiques, handicrafts, exotic birds, bonsai trees, and miniature landscapes reveal everyday local life. A highlight of the journey is a visit to Vietnam’s first traditional medicine museum, where ornate wooden interiors and healing traditions reflect centuries of cultural heritage. Continue into local markets that remain largely untouched by tourism yet are central to daily life. From decorative flower stalls to shops filled with wartime objects, these hidden corners reflect the rhythms, beliefs, and trading traditions that still shape the city. You will also experience the energy of a bustling flower market that supplies buyers from across Saigon. Throughout the walk, your guide shares stories that bring these places to life. The experience ends with lunch in a nostalgic Saigon café hidden inside an old apartment building.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will pick you up from your hotel and head down to lesser-known parts of this southern Vietnamese city. Our tour starts with a leisurely walk through some thematic streets selling birds, bonsai trees, miniature landscapes, local antiques and handicraft.
Visit a traditional medicine museum and explore the art of healing, passed on from generation to generation. The very first museum of traditional medicine in Vietnam is known for its stunning interiors, entirely made from wood. Frames of wooden houses were transported from some northern provinces to Ho Chi Minh City to give the museum an antique look. Included during this 5-hour tour are some unique local markets, located off the tourism radar yet well worth your attention. From street side stalls selling decorative flowers to wartime objects, evoking strong scents of local life, these places of commerce are some of Saigon's secrets. Our port of call is a hectic local market, where around 100 households receive between 1,000-3000 flower boxes daily, which then will exchange hands to buyers from all areas of the city.
During this highly interactive exploration, you will learn how crucial various objects and practices remain for the Vietnamese population, both physically and spiritually. Our little surprise is waiting at an authentic home meal dining or a nostalgic Saigon café, hidden in an old flat. It goes without saying; a peek into the authentic side of the city includes local snacks and delicacies, unique to this part of the world. After 5 hours of wandering through little-known Saigon exploring this vibrant, electric city, away from the more common sights, we head back to your booked accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This tour is operated on full private basis with English-speaking guide. Other languages are on request / subject to availability and supplementary charges may apply
- Return transfers for this excursion apply only / are inclusive for customers staying in and inside Ho Chi Minh City centre. Transfers outside these areas, including any accommodation outside the city, harbour and the Ho Chi Minh’s International Airport are excluded. Supplements apply for customers who want to join this excursion outside one of these regions.
- Customers are advised that during the TET celebrations (celebration of Vietnamese New Year), excursions and tours may be subject to supplementary charges and/or may see longer waiting times than normal
- We will do all possible to comply with any dietary requirements during this excursion; it may not always be possible to confirm your wishes in advance based on the choice of snacks during the excursion
- We regret to inform you that this excursion is not suitable for wheelchair users. Guests are advised that some walking is required during this excursion
- We always ensure that we take the most comfortable ways from the entrance of the sight to the sight itself. For any operational issues in which are not able to confirm the exact pick-up time in advance, we reserve the right to inform you the day before the departure of the tour
- Please note pickup and drop-off services may not be confirmed for customers staying at private residences, apartment complexes, or other non-registered tourism accommodations. Customers may be asked to meet at a nearby hotel for pick-up and drop
- Natural elements of any kind have a destructive effect on electronic equipment. It is the customer’s own responsibility to ensure that any camera, mobile telephone or other device is properly wrapped and protected against these elements. We cannot be held responsible in any way for negligence and/or not following suggestions for any damage related to this
- Please ensure that you bring sunglasses, a hat /cap and sunblock with a high SPF factor when traveling with us on this tour – even when it is cloudy, the sunrays still have an immense power
- We reserve the right to make necessary changes to the excursion in case of unfavourable weather conditions or situations where we are forced to make alterations to guarantee the safety of our guests
- It is the responsibility of the customer to provide us with the correct hotel information, should pick-up and drop-off services be included in the package. Any changes in accommodation outside 24 hours will be handled accordingly: changes within 24 hours may be on request
- In the event of no-show or change of accommodation without prior consent and confirmation from us within 24 hours may result in the applicable cancellation charges as outlined in the terms and conditions
Reviews(5)
We have visited Saigon many times and wanted to see some things that we had not experienced before. This trip provided us with some interesting new experiences including a visit to a traditional medicine museum, a walk through the flower selling streets and the area where pets are sold (one cage contained a large old cat playing mother to some very young puppies) as well as a really enjoyable coffee in a chic coffee shop that you could never find without a guide - it was hidden up some dodgy looking stairs in what looked like a derelict building which turned out to be full of interesting shops, cafes, etc. Our guide was Raymond who provided a great service, he was knowledgeable, spoke great English and was an interesting guy to talk to. The tour was really worthwhile, if you have seen all the normal sights of Saigon or if you like getting a bit off the normal tourist route then this is a tour that you will enjoy.
It was okay booked at last minuet for something to do on Sunday morning. The guide was very pleasant and a nice person.
Dear Boazxx Many thanks for this wonderful review of your experiences through the unknown sides of Ho Chi Minh City. We always appreciate such feedback and will transfer your comments about our local ambassador of the Asian Trails brand in Vietnam accordingly. Looking forward welcoming you again to this part of the world in not too long a future! Kind regards Asian Trails Vietnam
<p>Great tour seeing parts of the city we wouldnt normally see or venture into. Tour guide was friendly and informative.</p>
<p>This was a great tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and our driver was excellent. We got to visit a lot of areas including a Chinese Doctors museum where I became Dr. Phil, dressed in a traditional Chinese Drs. attire. A great tour was had by us all. Phil and Janine Griffin, Australia</p>
<p>We highly recommend this tour. The visit to the herbal remedies museum was a highlight of our trip to Saigon. I'm sorry I can't remember our guide's name but he was excellent. He even added a visit to a street with many antiques stores where we had a lot of fun looking through old coins. He provided a very interesting perspective and made the trip worthwhile.</p>
