Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? Food tours in Ho Chi Minh City are worth doing because Saigon is one of the best food paradises in Vietnam and it is the chance to explore hidden parts of Ho Chi Minh City. You can choose to join a morning food tour, afternoon food tour, or night food tour depending on your itinerary in the city and preferences.
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Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better?
Pros of Day Saigon food tour
Some local eateries only open during the day
Many local eateries serve breakfasts and lunches so they do not open at night. So you can only enjoy the amazing local dishes on a day tour. For example, broken rice and Vietnamese sandwich are great dishes for locals to eat in the morning. Restaurants serving plates of rice usually open around the lunch time. At Ben Thanh Market, you can only enjoy great dishes at well-known food stalls in the day time.
Great sightseeing parts
Everything including the real local life, sites on the sides of the streets and in alleys can be seen more clearly during the day. You will be driven around the city, your car/jeep/taxi/motorbike/Vespa will go by beautiful buildings, pagodas, sky scrappers, local markets, residential areas,…
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? It is great to explore narrow alleys, learn more about local houses and the real local life.
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? The Van Phat Pagoda is located in a small alley and open in the day time.
Some travelers think that it is safer to go out in the daytime
Solo female travelers often look for safe trips in new and developing countries. It is the opinion of many that travelers should not travel at night in Ho Chi Minh City.
Visit local markets
Some local markets such as Ben Thanh (District 1), Binh Tay (District 5), Hoa Binh (District 5), Cambodian (District 10), Trang Tu vegetable market (District 5), motorbike accessory market (District 5) only open during the day so you can not visit it after the sun goes down.
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? Binh Tay Market is only open during the day.
Travelers are busy joining other tours or having meetings at night
In case you can not arrange to join a night food tour, you have other chances to enjoy the authentic cuisine in Vietnam as well as Saigon.
Cons of Day Saigon food tour
Strong sun and high ultraviolet index
The average temperature in Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 28°C (82°F) during the day. The temperature is usually a little lower at night. It is hotter in the dry season which lasts from April to November. Travelers are easy to get sunstroke and have other heat-related health problems. The ultraviolet index in Ho Chi Minh is 10 – 12 , rather high and not good for human health. How to avoid getting sick and protecting against skin and eye damage if it is too hot and the UV index is high?
- Drink a lot of water.
- Wear a head wear such as hat or cap when walking under the sun.
- Wear sun protective clothing such as tops with long sleeves and long bottoms.
- Apply sunscreen.
- Stay out in the sun for a long time.
Air pollution
During the day, the streets seem to be more dirty, dusty, and polluted. It is getting worse in the dry season. The air becomes fresher and cooler at night when there are less vehicles on the streets. You should wear a mask to protect yourself on a Saigon day food tour.
Pros of Morning Saigon food tour
Local markets are busy and worth visiting in the morning
Vietnamese housewives have a habit of going to wet markets and local markets in the morning because they would like to buy freshest ingredients for home meals and buy necessary items for the whole family. Wandering around the market in the morning, you will have time to see many strange things and learn more about market culture of Vietnam.
Enjoying breakfast
Some vendors and restaurants only open in the morning or the afternoon. Especially, food vendors in local markets are usually open from early morning to 12:00 PM. They are closed when local market close. As mentioned above, Vietnamese people have the habit of going to markets in the morning.
It is a great chance to learn how they have breakfast, which are the best foods for breakfast in Ho Chi Minh City, and try eating some amazing local dishes for breakfast like local people.
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? It is fun and memorable to have breakfast in a small alley like locals on a morning food tour.
Having both breakfast and lunch
A Ho Chi Minh food tour usually lasts from 3.5 hours so travelers usually are served different local dishes at many eateries. They do not need to have breakfasts or lunches on their own because the meals are included in the tour.
Heavy rain may fall in the evening
It is the safest to do a day tour in the wet season because it usually rain heavily in the evening.
Cons of Morning Saigon food tour
Skipping free breakfasts provided by hotels
Some hotels serve free breakfasts with lots of choices, from Vietnamese dishes to international food, from Asian to Western food. It is a pity to skip delicious free breakfasts to join morning Saigon food tour. In case your hotel serves a simple breakfast, there is no regret joining a morning food tour.
Waking up early in the morning
Some morning food tours start at 7:30 AM, others start later but not later than 9:00 AM. In order to join a morning Saigon food tour, you must wake up early in the morning. Visitors who spend the night chilling out at bars and pubs are not happy with this choice.
Pros of Afternoon Saigon food tour
Having time to relax or do something in the morning
Afternoon Saigon food tour usually starts from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and ends from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. You have the entire morning to relax or do something. You can visit some tourist attractions in the morning and join a food tour in the afternoon.
Having lunch and dinner
Depending on your schedule and preferences, you can choose the start time and end time so you can have lunch and/or dinner on the tour.
Cons of Afternoon Saigon food tour
Strong sun and high UV index
The sun’s rays are strongest, it is hotest and the UV index is highest from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM so some travelers and tour guides feel better on morning tours than afternoon tours.
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? Visiting Ho Thi Ky wholesale flower market by day and by night.
Pros of Night Saigon food tour
Night food markets
Some day markets give way to vibrant night markets when it’s dark. The day Ben Thanh Market closes at 6:00 PM and the night Ben Thanh Market opens at 7:00 PM. Cambodian day market becomes sparser and sparser, most shops close before the dawn. Street food vendors at night Cambodian market are open and welcome a large number of foodies. Going on a day tour, you miss a chance to learn more about night food market culture in the city.
Night street food vendors
Night street food vendors in night markets, on food streets, on the streets and in alleys are important part of Saigon night. The city is called a food paradise thanks to hundreds of street food stalls which only are open at night. “Ăn đêm”, night eating, late-night dining culture may be new concepts to you but they are very popular in Ho Chi Minh City and other big cities in Vietnam. In some countries, villagers and citizens go to bed early and there are few restaurants serving late night meals.
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better? Are you excited eating at night like locals?
Amazing Saigon street food
Going on day food tour, you can miss a large number of exotic street foods which are only served in the evening. Grilled meat, organs, and snails, and seafood are favorite foods of many locals at night. Broken rice, Vietnamese sandwich, various rice noodle soups, congees are also favorite foods in Ho Chi Minh City.
Cooler air, less vehicles, and more fun
If it is rather hot and polluted during the day, you can find it is cooler and fresher at night. People go out for eating, drinking, meeting friends, and having fun after sunset. Although some people go out for working and are in a hurry, others simply weave the streets and enjoy the vibrant and colorful city. Saigon is known as one of the most beautiful cities in Vietnam at night so you should not miss the chance to explore it and tastes flavorful local dishes.
Is a day Saigon food tour or night Saigon food tour better?
Cons of Night Saigon food tour
Traffic jam
Traffic jam occurs from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM in Ho Chi Minh City. Many night food tours start from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM. You should book with a reliable and experienced food tour operator so they know how to deal with traffic congestions. Good and professional drivers and tour guides know which streets are crowded and where to stop for eating and avoid the traffic during rush hours.
Safety issues
Should I go out at night on my trip to Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most frequently asked questions about safety in Vietnam and traveling to Saigon. If you would like to be 100% safe, you can stay in your hotel room or walk around the hotel and go shopping in luxurious shopping malls at night. Any city has potential risks but you should not travel without knowing about safety information and and helpful pieces of advice about safety. Tour operators are responsible for travelers’ safety and local tour guides know how to protect themselves and guests from crime. Night food tour in Saigon is rather safe because they have designed tour routes with multiple safe stops.
Some great Ho Chi Minh City food tours
- Saigon Night Food Tour: classic and popular choice, great street food after dark
- Saigon Sightseeing & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street food
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street food
- The AoDai Foodie: traveling with nice female riders in Ao Dai traditional dress
- Street Food Tour with local students: budget choice, going with talented local student, more simple but impressive menu
- Walking Ho Chi Minh City food tour: the most popular choice for travelers that wouldn’t like to sit on motorbikes
- Ho Chi Minh City food tour by vintage vespa: more expensive and unique experience
- Ho Chi Minh City food tour by jeep: more expensive and unique experience on open-air jeep
- Morning Saigon Street Food Tour: exploring the city and trying amazing food that locals eat for breakfast and lunch
- Saigon Food Tour with Chef: going around and eating with a professional Vietnamese chef
Scooter Saigon Tour is one of the oldest and best food tour company in Ho Chi Minh City. Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about food tours in Ho Chi Minh City and best prices for your group.
