Saigon Chinatown Adventure (Private Car & All-Inclusive)

Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam

Saigon Chinatown Adventure (Private Car & All-Inclusive)

Active

(1 reviews)

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Instant confirmation

Mobile or paper ticket accepted

About this experience

Our Saigon Chinatown Adventure will educate you on Chinese culture, taste some amazing local Chinese food and visit a beautiful flower market. You will have a full day to learn about the unique Chinese traditions and how it mixes with the local culture here in Ho Chi Minh City.

Full Tour Schedule

9:00 AM – Pick up at your hotel (exact time may vary depending on your location)
9:30 AM – Stroll through the famous Binh Tay Market
11:00 AM – Visit the beautiful Quan Am Pagoda
12:00 PM – Lunch time!
1:00 PM – Enjoy a dessert at a famous local dessert restaurant
1:30 PM – Take some beautiful photos at Lantern Street
2:30 PM - Visit the Ho Thi Ky Flower Market
3:30 PM – Return back to your hotel
4:00 PM – Arrive back at your hotel (exact time may vary depending on your location)

Available options

Saigon Chinatown Adventure (Private Car & All-Inclusive)

Pickup included

What's included

Private car with A/C

Bottled water

Wet napkins

All entrance fees

English speaking driver and tour guide

Lunch

Private round-trip transportation from your hotel

Dessert (Local)

Detailed itinerary

Stop 1

Binh Tay Market, constructed by the French in the 1880s, is located in the centre of Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam.

Also known as Cholon Chinatown Market, Binh Tay Market occupies a two-storey building along Thap Moui Street. Travellers can also find an assortment of handicrafts, lacquerware, and textiles that are sold in bulk, though goods are not varied compared to other (more touristy) markets in downtown Hanoi. Along with the interesting historical and cultural aspect of Cholon, Binh Tay Market is great for experiencing the local lifestyle and sampling unique Vietnamese-Chinese delicacies.

Quan Âm Pagoda is a Chinese-style Buddhist pagoda located on Lao Tu Street in Cho Lon, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Founded in the 19th century, it is dedicated to Guanyin (Vietnamese: Quan Âm), the Chinese goddess of mercy and the Chinese form of the Indian bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The pagoda is popular among both Vietnamese and Chinese Buddhists; most of its inscriptions are in Chinese characters, but some have had Vietnamese labels added. In addition to veneration of Guanyin and the teachings of the Buddha, the pagoda also includes Pure Land worship of the Amitabha Buddha (A Di Da Phat), elements of Taoism, and the folk worship of the Fujianese sea goddess Mazu in her role as the "Queen of Heaven" (Thien Hau).

The area encompassing the Tran Hung Dao - Luong Nhu Hoc intersection is a “heaven” of lanterns, especially on mid-autumn festivals. The beautiful lanterns characterize the Chinese influences on Vietnamese culture. Not only do they provide jobs for a group of people, the lanterns also symbolize the love at heart of Vietnamese people for their culture. Walking along the street, you will definitely be overwhelmed by its beauty. Do not forget to take photos of those precious moments!

About 4km from the Saigon center, Ho Thi Ky flower market is a new destination for travelers, especially those who want to find an old Saigon. Along with Saigon Floating Flower Market (Ben Binh Dong), Ho Thi Ky flower market is one of the two most famous flower markets in Saigon; however, Saigon Floating Flower Market is only open for Lunar New Year so more and more visitors choose this place to visit.

The market is open all day, but the most crowded is early morning and evening (Ho Thi Ky night market). The flowers here are mainly from Dalat, Mekong Delta, and other countries such as Hungary and the Netherlands.

From midnight to early morning, flowers from everywhere are brought here, they are cut, trimmed and packaged accordingly, and finally, they are shown on the shelves.

In the morning, traders come here to buy flowers, most of them buy large quantities to sell to the flower shop and in other markets. The scene is very bustling, bringing a characteristic of Saigon.

Stop 5 Pass by

Ba Thien Hau Temple in Saigon is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It’s believed that she protects and rescues ships and people on the sea by flying around on a mat or cloud. Mazuism is connected with traditions and beliefs from both Taoism and Buddhism. Mazuism is therefore an incorporation of different aspects and traditions which have merged to form a new belief. You will find this temple in ‘Cholon’ (Chinatown) in District 5, which is roughly a twenty minute drive from the city centre.

Stop 6 Pass by

A unique blend of traditional and modern architecture, the museum includes one ground floor and five upper floors that are home to 18 exhibition rooms.

You may see a delicately carved wooden pictures with different captions that illustrate different types of traditional medicine. This was a place where over a 50 skillful engravers have worked hard to complete these carved pictures for nearly 3 years.

The architecture of this museum shows the typical features of traditional architecture in different regions of Vietnam. It reflects many features of the Northern house in the basin of Red River, of the Hue style and some of the Cham ethnic minority group styles. In the Cham tower are exhibited some Linga - a ritual sculptures which represent a power, a diligence and a vital force in the Cham religion.

This museum is equipped with modern audio-visual technology, which regularly shows "A Century of Health Care Experiences" - a documentary film about the history of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine.

Stop 7

Ho Chi Minh City’s Cholon is Vietnam’s largest Chinatown with roots dating back to 1778; it’s also a place of great historical and cultural importance. Chinese minorities hid here from the Tay Son and subsequently had to rebuild the area twice following attack with as many as 70% estimated to have died trying to escape on boats. Those who survived settled and began selling a variety of Chinese products. During the Vietnam War Cholon was a thriving black market for US soldiers trading in American Army issue supplies.

The area today is a popular site for those on the tourist trail and also attracts many Taiwanese and Chinese visitors. Cholon is an interesting place to see classical Chinese architecture reminiscent of years gone by with plenty of Chinese restaurants.

Located in a secluded place, finding this tourist attraction can present quite a challenge for first-time visitors, but the temple’s peaceful ambiance and seemingly endless collection of little statues are great rewards to those who took the challenge. This multi-tiered temple features a living area, a Buddhist “cemetery,” and a floor which holds almost 10,000 relics. Together, the relics and the overall architecture make a stunning sight so don’t forget to take lots of photos.

Stop 9 Pass by