KISSTOUR | Motorbike Vegan Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh City’s vegan food scene makes a fine excuse to get on a scooter. You’ll cross several districts, eat at local spots, and see the city after dark from the back seat of a motorbike. I especially like the 100% female driver team and the way the menu moves from savory noodles to sweet banana in sticky rice. The food is included, so you can focus on eating rather than counting every dish.

I also like that the tour gives you more than a restaurant crawl. You get hotel pickup, an extra helmet, fuel, and a driver who can point out local sights along the way. The main consideration is the scooter itself: if you dislike two-wheel traffic, have mobility limits, or want to sit down for one long meal, this four-hour ride may not be your best fit.

Key points at a glance

• Female scooter drivers: Ride with a team made up entirely of women, with English available.
• A full vegan menu: Try pho, cha gio, hu tieu, pandan cake, grilled banana, drinks, and dessert across several stops.
• City-by-city eating: The route passes through different Ho Chi Minh City districts instead of staying around one restaurant area.
• Small-group feel: One published experience describes a group of three, with each person paired with a private driver.
• Useful evening timing: The suggested start is 5:30 pm, finishing around 9:30 pm, though morning and midday departures can be arranged.
• Pickup details matter: Free pickup and return cover Districts 1, 3, and 4. Other districts cost 100,000 VND per driver.

Why a scooter is the right way to reach Saigon’s vegan food

This is not a standard sit-down dinner with a single address. Your ride is part of the meal. From the back of a scooter, you move through Ho Chi Minh City with the street close by, passing from one district to another as each course appears.

That matters because local food in Saigon is often spread across many small places. A single restaurant can serve a good bowl of noodles, but a scooter lets you try several dishes without spending your evening walking long blocks or arranging separate taxis.

Your driver handles the traffic while you watch the city shift around you. You’ll need to wear the supplied helmet and follow the usual rules for riding as a passenger. I would choose comfortable clothes and shoes, and keep your phone and other small items secure during the ride.

The tour is built around vegan and vegetarian versions of Vietnamese food. That makes it useful for strict vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who wants to see how familiar dishes change without meat or fish. Some Vietnamese dishes use sauces or garnishes that can vary, so if you have a serious allergy, tell the tour team clearly before the first stop.

Starting with vegan pho and cha gio

The first food stop is a plant-based version of pho, Vietnam’s famous noodle soup. Expect the usual combination of noodles, broth, mint, lime, and chili, with the meat replaced by vegan ingredients.

The condiments are part of the fun. Add lime for brightness, mint for freshness, and chili in small amounts until you know the heat level. You can control the bowl to suit your taste, which is helpful if you are not used to Vietnamese spice.

You’ll also try cha gio, or vegan spring rolls. They are served with local herbs, giving the plate a fresh contrast to the fried wrapper. This is a smart opening course because it introduces two familiar Vietnamese dishes in plant-based form without making the meal feel like a substitute menu.

Pho is best eaten hot, and the spring rolls add a crisp texture that the soup lacks. I would arrive hungry, but not so hungry that you rush the first stop. Several more foods are ahead, and the portion count adds up quickly.

A Buddhist-inspired restaurant and Southern hu tieu

The next stop takes you to a Buddhist-inspired vegan eatery. The setting connects the food to an important part of Vietnam’s vegetarian tradition, where temple and Buddhist communities have helped shape meat-free cooking.

Here, the featured dish is hu tieu, a Southern noodle dish served with stir-fried rice vermicelli and a flavorful sauce. It gives you a different experience from pho. Pho is broth-centered, while this course is more about noodles, seasoning, and the sauce clinging to every bite.

This change in texture keeps the meal from becoming a series of similar noodle soups. It also gives you a chance to see the range of Vietnamese cooking, even within one vegan menu. The dish may be especially useful for first-time visitors who assume Vietnamese food means only pho or banh mi.

The restaurant stop is also a chance to slow down. Motorbike rides are exciting, but several hours on the road can make you appreciate a seated meal. Keep some room for later courses, since the tour is designed as a progression rather than one large plate.

Fresh pandan cake made at the door

After the savory food comes banh tieu la dua, a small fried pandan cake. This snack is cooked right in front of you as you enter the restaurant, so you get to see it prepared rather than receiving something that has been sitting around.

Pandan gives the cake its distinctive aroma and color, while frying provides the crisp outside. It is smaller than the main dishes, but that is exactly why it works here. You get a sweet, warm bite without being asked to tackle another full meal.

This stop also adds a little theater to the route. Food tours are most interesting when you can see preparation, not only taste the result. If you enjoy snacks straight from the pan, this may be one of the more memorable moments of the night.

Grilled banana, sticky rice, and coconut milk

The most unusual course for many people is chuoi nep nuong, or grilled banana wrapped in sticky rice. It is served with coconut milk and fruit, and the leaf wrapping can look slightly charred on the outside.

Do not let the darkened leaf put you off. Inside, the sticky rice and banana create a soft, sweet center, while the coconut milk adds richness. It is a clever example of how a simple fruit can become a substantial dessert with a few local ingredients.

This dish also shows why a food tour is more useful than a list of restaurant names. You are not only trying banana. You are learning a combination of texture and technique: sticky rice holds the fruit, grilling adds warmth, and coconut milk turns the whole thing into a dessert.

At this point, the meal should feel like a full tasting session. If you tend to fill up quickly, take small portions and pace yourself. The tour ends with another Vietnamese dessert, so there is no need to treat every stop as a race.

Seeing several districts from the passenger seat

The route’s main advantage is movement. Instead of eating in one part of the city, you ride through several districts and get a broader sense of Ho Chi Minh City.

The experience is especially suited to a first evening in town, when you want food and orientation at the same time. Your driver can help you get familiar with the city’s layout while you travel between stops. The published experience also includes visits to historic parts of the city, adding some local context beyond the plate.

Do not expect a formal sightseeing tour with long lectures at every stop. The focus remains food, scooters, and conversation. Still, the combination helps you understand how much of Saigon life happens at street level.

A small group can make this easier. One account describes three people, each with a separate driver and motorbike. Group size can affect the feel of any tour, so ask about the expected arrangement when you book if that matters to you. The supplied information does not promise one fixed group size.

What the four-hour schedule feels like

The suggested evening start is 5:30 pm, with the ride ending around 9:30 pm. That timing works well for a food tour because you begin around dinner and finish with dessert.

Morning departures at 8:30 am and a noon start can also be requested. The wider booking information says the team can adjust the starting time, with suggested starts ranging from 5:30 am to 7:00 pm. If you want a daytime ride, confirm the exact time before booking rather than assuming every option is available automatically.

The evening schedule has one clear advantage: you experience Ho Chi Minh City as the light changes and the streets take on a different rhythm. The morning and midday options may suit you better if you are tired after a late arrival or prefer not to ride after dark.

Plan for four hours, not just the time spent eating. The schedule includes hotel pickup, rides between districts, several food stops, and return transport. You should not book a tight airport transfer or another fixed appointment immediately afterward.

What the $59 price includes

At $59 per person, the value depends on how much you would otherwise spend arranging the same evening. The fee covers a variety of vegan and vegetarian foods, an English-speaking scooter driver, gasoline, a helmet, and hotel pickup and return within Districts 1, 3, and 4.

That is a useful package. You are paying for transport between food stops as well as the food itself. You also avoid the effort of finding several suitable vegan restaurants and explaining directions to separate drivers.

The price is less attractive if you already know exactly where you want to eat and are comfortable arranging your own transport. It is also worth remembering that personal expenses are not included. Bring a small amount for anything outside the planned food and transport.

Pickup outside Districts 1, 3, and 4 costs an additional 100,000 VND per person, paid in cash to the driver after the tour. The tour team contacts you before the ride to confirm your pickup address. Check this detail before booking so the final cost is clear.

Who will enjoy this ride most

I would recommend this tour to you if you want a lively introduction to Ho Chi Minh City and prefer tasting several foods over spending one evening in one restaurant. It is particularly useful for solo visitors and couples who want local orientation without arranging every detail themselves.

It also suits people who already eat vegan or vegetarian food and want Vietnamese dishes designed around those choices. The menu is not limited to one type of noodle. You’ll get soup, spring rolls, stir-fried noodles, a fried snack, grilled banana, and dessert.

Families can join, but age and seating need some thought. Children aged 4 to 6 can share a scooter with a parent. From age 6 upward, the tour team says children are generally confident enough to have their own private driver.

The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. You also need to be comfortable riding as a scooter passenger for several hours. If you are nervous about traffic, contact the operator before reserving so you understand the setup and can decide with confidence.

Female drivers and the personal touch

The all-female driver team is one of the tour’s defining features. You get a driver assigned to your scooter, rather than simply being dropped at restaurants by a vehicle service.

The English-speaking team can explain dishes and help you understand what you are eating. One guide named Hani received a special mention for making the experience memorable, while the group as a whole was described as funny, kind, and well informed about the city. Guide assignments can change, so you should not book expecting a particular driver unless the company confirms it.

That personal connection is valuable on a motorbike tour. You are close enough to ask questions during stops, and the ride itself gives you short stretches for conversation before the next dish.

Rain, comfort, and practical preparation

Ho Chi Minh City weather can change quickly. A rain poncho is provided if needed, which removes one small worry, but you should still dress for a warm, humid ride and bring only what you need.

The helmet and gasoline are included. You do not need to arrange a separate scooter rental or learn to navigate the streets yourself. Your driver provides the transport, while you sit back and concentrate on the food and city views.

Hotel pickup and return are included in Districts 1, 3, and 4. For another area, expect the extra 100,000 VND charge per person. Confirm the address before the tour, especially if your hotel has a similar name to another property.

Cancellation is flexible up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms help if your Ho Chi Minh City plans are still shifting, but you should still verify the final booking details and pickup time.

Should you book the KISSTOUR vegan food ride?

Book it if you want to combine a full Vietnamese tasting menu with a real scooter ride through Ho Chi Minh City. The strongest reasons are the range of food, the all-female driver team, the included transport, and the chance to see more than one district in one evening.

Skip it if you want a quiet restaurant dinner, need wheelchair access, or feel uneasy on a motorbike. Also think twice if you are staying outside the free pickup zone and do not want the added charge.

For most vegan and vegetarian visitors, the $59 fee is reasonable because it covers multiple dishes, a driver, fuel, equipment, and hotel transport. Arrive hungry, wear comfortable clothes, and request the start time that best fits your day.

FAQ

How much does the KISSTOUR vegan food tour cost?

The tour costs $59 per person. Personal expenses are not included.

How long does the motorbike food tour last?

The experience lasts four hours. The suggested evening schedule runs from about 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

What time can the tour start?

The suggested evening start is 5:30 pm. Morning and midday departures, including around 8:30 am or 12 pm, can be requested. The team can adjust the time to suit your schedule.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Free hotel pickup and drop-off are included for accommodations in Districts 1, 3, and 4.

Is there an extra pickup fee outside Districts 1, 3, and 4?

Yes. Pickup outside the serviced districts costs 100,000 VND per person, paid in cash to the driver after the tour.

What food is included?

The tour includes vegan and vegetarian food at several stops, including vegan pho, cha gio spring rolls, hu tieu, fried pandan cake, grilled banana with sticky rice and coconut milk, and Vietnamese dessert.

Are the scooter drivers English-speaking?

Yes. English-speaking scooter drivers are provided. Vietnamese is also available.

Are helmets and fuel included?

Yes. The tour includes a helmet and gasoline. Rain ponchos are provided if it rains.

Can children join the tour?

Children aged 4 to 6 can share a scooter with a parent. From age 6 and above, children can have their own private driver according to the tour information.

Can I cancel the tour for a refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.