Should I cancel Ho Chi Minh food tour if it rains? Local dishes and street foods are a part of Saigon culture and it is a big miss if you only eat some Vietnamese dishes at touristy restaurants around your hotel in the city center or on some popular day tours. There is a unique way to explore the hidden city in different districts and enjoy various dishes of Saigon. You should not miss a Ho Chi Minh food tour on your trip to this vibrant city. Ho Chi Minh welcome rain from May to November (sometimes the beginning of December) and travelers find it difficult to weave the streets and alley ways, eat at street food stalls and outdoor night food markets. If it rains at the start time, should you skip the Ho Chi Minh food tour? Let discuss about this and find your answer.
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Should I book a Saigon food tour in the rainy season?
It rains slightly
It is okay to start the Saigon food tour. If it is a jeep, car or walking (with taxi transfers) Ho Chi Minh food tour, you will be totally safe and not be wet. If it is a motorbike or Vespa food tour, you will need to wear a raincoat.
You can rest assured that light rain will not affect the tour and getting wet from small rain will not make you sick. You will reach the first stop less than 10 minutes and enjoy your meals soon. The rain will become lighter and lighter, an finally stop.
It rains heavily
You should go down and meet the tour guides, discuss about the rain, and decide if you should cancel or wait for tens of minutes. In case it still rains heavily after 30 minutes, you can choose to go to eating places by car or taxi. In fact, it will stop raining or the rains can become smaller after 1 – 2 hours. If you wouldn’t like to do the tour, you will discuss with the tour guide and move the tour to one of the next days. If it is a walking tour (transferred by taxi) or a car tour, it is easy for you. If it is a motorbike tour, you must contact with the customer support team of the tour agent and ask them to change the motorbike tour to a car tour.
In case the raining is getting small, it is a good signal and you can decide to start the tour. After a small ride to the first eating place, you will enjoy some delicious dishes. The situation will get better after that. For your information, it does not rain for a few hours but rains and stops continuously in Saigon.
You are safe on a car or walking Ho Chi Minh City food tour during the rain
You do not worry if you book a walking food tour on which you will be transferred to local restaurants and visiting places by taxi. There are some outdoor activities but you can tell the tour guide to change into other indoor activities such as visiting a secret weapon bunker and cafe. Saigon food tour by car is not popular due to the higher price but I can say that you will be safe during the rain. As mentioned above, you can ask them to change from a Saigon food tour to a car/walking Saigon food tour in case it rains.
Storm warning
You should cancel the tour if the weather forecast says the storm will be in the day. The weather can not be better in stormy days, you will find it difficult and dangerous to enjoy the city and the foods during and after high wind events, rains, wet streets and local markets.
There is no rain but only dark clouds and/or high wind
Dark clouds don’t always mean rain. The sky is usually covered with black clouds but it does not rain. Travelers still enjoy their tours around the city. You do not need to worry about that and let enjoy the tour.
Experience of being in rain in Ho Chi Minh City
Let’s talk about the positive aspects of rain in Vietnam as well as Ho Chi Minh City. What is the beauty of rain? Rain has been something special in the city for hundreds of years. Parents drive their children from home to schools, adults go to work, vendors run away from the rain in the wet season. There are many poems and songs about rain and its beauty.
Let me go make it rain
Sister wind, oh sister wind
I want the tree to be green
The flowers and leaves are lush
Let me go make it rain
Sister wind, oh sister wind
Be a raindrop to help life
Don’t waste time wandering around
Traveling is experiencing, traveling is trying being locals. It is not a big problem if you travel the city in the rain, wearing a rain coat, shelter from the rain,… Most tour guides know how to protect their guests from the rain. For example, they will stay in a restaurant longer or find a place to shelter from the rain. You can ask them to take a taxi to return you to the hotel if it rains heavily.
Top tips for travelers doing Ho Chi Minh food tours in the rainy season
- Travelers should choose appropriate clothes and accessories, waterproofs tops and bottoms, bags, phone cases, shoes.
- Some people think that umbrellas are useful but they are not. It is not convenient to bring umbrellas on food tours on which travelers stop at small restaurants and street food stalls, in narrow back alleys, in areas packed with locals.
- An extra of lightweight and portable clothes is necessary.
- You do not need to carry foods and drinks such as snacks, light foods, beers, water, soft drinks.
- Items from papers including your passport, travel insurance documents, souvenirs, notebooks, receipts should not be carried on the tour because they can be wet.
- It is not a good choice to cancel the tour before the start time, you should wait until the start time or about 30 minutes after.
- You can tell the tour guide to stop the tour at any time you want if the raining becomes heavy or you feel uncomfortable.
- They usually prepare raincoats for travelers on their food tours, but you can bring your raincoat which fits you better. However, I see that most tourists do not have their own raincoats.
Some popular food tours in Saigon
There is a number of choices for travelers who would like to do a Ho Chi Minh City food tour. Morning, afternoon, and evening food tours are differences because some street food vendors serve breakfasts and only open in the morning, or serve dinner and supper after dark. There are some means of transportation: jeep, motorbike, Vespa, private car, taxi and walking. Some tour agents offer tours with both male and female tour guides or only female riders. Nice Ao Dai riders are favorite choices of many travelers. Some people prefer joining Saigon food tours with professional chefs. So there are different in price.
- Saigon Night Food Tour: classic and popular choice, great street foods
- Saigon Sightseeing & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street foods
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour: a great mix of tourist attractions and street foods
- 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 foods 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.
