• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Catch the daily life of Saigons' people through the lenses of your camera! Learn how natives from Saigon, Khmer and the Chinese people live together in harmony and experience the local culture first-hand.

Destination

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Category

Photo Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Vietnamese

Included

• Entrance tickets
• Private guide
• Public transport

Excluded

• Foods and drinks

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Thien.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Đường Nguyễn Thiện Thuật, Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meeting point

   Oldest Coffee shop in Saigon

4. Stop 1

   Visit a place where an original group of Saigonese live their daily life

5. Stop 2

   Stroll around the biggest wholesale market for flowers in town

6. Stop 3

   Experience the longest painting street and gaze at artists drawing

7. Stop 4

   See the oldest church of Saigon and learn about the father of Vietnamese Latin alphabet writing system

8. Stop 5

   Let's take the bus to the Chinatown and see the well-organized chaos there

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Michael

9 March 2025

We had an amazing experience on the tour with Thien. We started out at the oldest coffee shop in Saigon for a delicious coffee to kick things off then, walked around many local streets and took in the culture. Thien was super friendly, knowledgable and took some super cool couple photos of us. Thien also answered all of our questions and helped us find a local tailor, places to eat and a place to buy artwork. We would highly recommend this tour!! Amazing tour in the heart of Saigon

Billie🇮🇪 Ireland

3 March 2025

We really enjoyed walking through areas of the city we would not have found alone. The old coffee cafe Cheo Leo, the maze of markets, the bustle of the flower market, Chinatown. Thien is full of stories and a great conversationalist explaining so many things about Vietnam. Interesting way to see hidden gems!

mail

3 March 2025

Thank you Thien, it was a wonderful and worthwhile walk through the local part of Saigon. I did it two more times after that. ;-)Amazing Streetwalk

Karen

15 February 2025

We had a wonderful tour with Thein. She is passionate about her city. She should us many things we never would have found on our own.Hidden gems of HCMC

Deborah 🇨🇦 Canada

24 January 2025

Thien was a fantastic tour guide. She was so knowledgeable about Vietnam, from history to politics to everyday life. We walked the local areas, and she explained all the different districts with colorful and factual stories. She made sure we were safe crossing in the chaotic traffic and kept the adventure fun and entertaining! If you really want to get the inside story of Vietnam, take a tour with Thien! You won’t be disappointed!Fabulous walking adventure with Thien

Peter

15 January 2025

Spent three hours with Thien exploring the markets, temples and streets of HCM. We started in an area where Thien was well known by all the locals which gave us great opportunity to chat and photography. I highly recommended this to any photographer. You are truly with a local, Thien is very friendly, has a lovely personality, speaks great English and you gain access to places few Westerners would enter. Not to be missed exceptional tour. Fantastic way to see a slice of Saigon

Chris🇫🇷 France

10 January 2025

We had a wonderful afternoon with Thien. Her enthusiasm for her home city was matched by her friendly personality. Throughout the tour we gained a real insight to the city and Vietnam in general. Having a 'private' tour meant that we could ask lots of questions and Thien also made sure that she covered places that we wouldn't be covering on our time in the city. Walking around the sights on your own is fine, but if you want to find out what a place is really like, book a tour with a local. Thien is 100% recommend 🙂Hidden gems from a local expert !

Tasha🇦🇹 Austria

17 December 2024

We had a wonderful walking tour with Thien through the various districts of Saigon. You can’t get more local than this. Thien is very known about her city and can give you great insights to life in Vietnam in general and Saigon specifically. You will have ample opportunities to take photos and stop whenever you like. If you want to get a true picture of this amazing city don’t hesitate to book your tour with Thien. We started out as strangers and parted as friends 😊.A must do tour when in Saigon!

Natalie🇸🇬 Singapore

15 December 2024

My boyfriend and I booked this photography tour because we wanted the local experience and it was exactly what we got. Thien was attentive and she had so many stories and experiences to share which really highlighted the culture and nuances of saigon. 3 hours flew by and it was so well spent!Wonderful experience 10/10

Wan🇺🇸 United States

9 December 2024

Favorite tour of our trip :) We got to walk around the local neighborhoods while Thien said hi to everyone, and told us about how the city has evolved.

James🇬🇬 Guernsey

5 December 2024

Thien is a big pile of energy, laughs, charisma and knowledge. We got on brilliantly and right from the word ‘go’ we felt at ease in her company. As a photographer I can sometimes feel a bit rushed on tours, but not with Thien as she also has a passion for photography. Not only was she very patient, she also has a good eye for spotting opportunities for shots. We really did have an amazing time with Thien, plus she was extremely responsive and helpful before and after the tour. Would recommend her to anyone. The Perfect Host

Maria🇩🇪 Germany

5 December 2024

Wir hatten eine tolle Tour mit Thien mit vielen interessanten Eindrücken. Thien hat die Tour so organisiert, dass auch unsere dreijährige Tochter gut mitziehen konnte. Wir haben viel erfahren über das Leben in Saigon und Südvietnam. Außerdem sind wir in Straßen unterwegs gewesen, die wir sonst nie entdeckt hätten. Vielen Dank dafür und liebe Grüße!Interessanter Tag mit tollen Einblicken

Kelly🇬🇬 Guernsey

25 November 2024

Thien was welcoming, friendly and knowledgable. The tour was at the so good. The pace was perfect. We had a great day and would 100% recommend Thien xGreat tour guide

Sally

13 November 2024

Thien was an amazing guide. We immediately felt at ease with her - it was like greeting an old friend. It was clear to us that Thien was a real local. She informed us about the locals and their way of life and how the areas and culture are changing. The pace of the walk was great and provided us with ample opportunities to get photos. Thien also accommodated our very grumpy child and kept him entertained!. Thien's english was perfect and we really appreciated the anecdotes - I walked away from the tour feeling like I had been exposed to local life. I highly recommend Thien. Friendly and knowledgeable guide

Amanda🇦🇺 Australia

13 November 2024

Our group of 10 women had a wonderful 3 hour walking and photography tour of the original HCMC. Thien knows her history and community, and as a local, knew the sights and places - and their history. She is an excellent story teller and sharer of the Vietnamese history, culture and today's HCMC. Her passion and love for her community is 💜 Thien was really flexible with our tour - finding bathrooms and drink spots, when needed. She answered numerous questions and was so geneous and fun! I would highly recommend Thien as your guide. A fabulous tour of HCMC with awesome Thien

Corinna🇩🇪 Germany

13 October 2024

Really interesting and authentic tour. It was great to get an insight into the different districts and to learn more about the history of the Saigonese, Cambodian and Chinese neighborhoods. Lots of opportunities to take great photos of local life in Saigon. It was really interesting to hear about recent Vietnamese history from the perspective of someone whose family has lived through it all. Thien is a very friendly and energetic person, it's fun to spend the day with her. Bring enough water and good shoes as you'll cover a lot of ground. Great tour through local neighborhoods

Saief🇬🇧 United Kingdom

7 August 2024

Such good fun meeting Thien and our whole family really enjoyed her company. It was great to see her love of the city, and to see a completely different side to the modern trappings of district 1. She helped us learn a lot and tailored things for us even omdirinf the tour as it was a very hot day. Don't hesitate and book if you want to have a great experience.Great way to get to know the city!

Hendrik 🇩🇪 Germany

20 July 2024

From a German perspective, Saigon is absolute chaos. The opposite of Germany. That's exactly why it was incredibly helpful to have such a local and informative guide like Thien at our side. Where else can you look behind the scenes of the oldest cafe in Saigon - unless you're from the New York Times?! After this successful start, we explored several parts of the city. Learned so many exciting things from a local's perspective and took so many incredible photos. The hours with Thien were the best decision we could have made for our city tours in Saigon. We would never have taken those paths and if we had, we wouldn't have found our way back 😉Say „cheese“ Saigon!

Rommie🇦🇺 Australia

15 June 2024

Thien, again, took us on an amazing adventure into Saigon culture. We were not wanting to join big local tours for our stay in Vietnam and we were so glad we found our awesome local guide Thien. This was a photography tour she took us on and we certainly got that, but it was also an educational experience into the local culture as we walked through the more original Saigon, Cambodian area and China town. Like our tunnel tour with Thien, her enthusiasm for life is infectious. Being in her presence just makes you happy and energised. She has an incredible way of sharing stories. Two tours with Thien, both fantastic. We will be doing more with her when we return. Loved the experiences very much.The best way to experience local culture

Julien 🇫🇷 France

9 June 2024

J'ai récemment eu l'immense plaisir de faire un tour avec Thien, et je ne saurais trop la recommander. Thien est tout simplement parfaite. Son adaptabilité et sa capacité à ajuster l'itinéraire en fonction de nos envies font d'elle une guide exceptionnelle. Grâce à elle, j'ai passé un moment incroyable. Nous avons échangé des histoires, rigolé ensemble, et rencontré des locaux fascinants. Elle connaît les moindres recoins de la ville. Thien est naturellement avenante, toujours souriante et extrêmement respectueuse. Bien que j'aie vécu quatre ans à Ho Chi Minh City, elle a réussi à me surprendre en me révélant des facettes cachées de la ville que je n'avais jamais imaginées. Pour ceux qui cherchent un moment hors du temps à Ho Chi Minh, je ne peux que vous recommander Thien. Elle transformera votre expérience en un souvenir inoubliable. Thien est devenue plus qu’une guide, une véritable amie.Un tour inoubliable avec Thien

Tammy🇺🇸 United States

8 June 2024

We loved our time with Thien. She was very patient with my 3 little girls (ages 11, 8, and 8), and my husband who is a serious amateur photographer! We walked the streets of the real Vietnam, visited markets, and temples. Most tours we have been on rush you from place to place, but Thien kept telling us to take our time; which is exactly what we needed for our jet-lagged brains! Great day to see the real city!

Monty🇨🇭 Switzerland

29 May 2024

What a great morning! I met Thien in the oldest coffee shop (86 years old) in District 3. Not only was the coffee great but also the entire environment. Most probably a tourist would not go there. It was also the starting point for an incredible 3+ hours photo walking tour in 5 different districts in Saigon. Thien is a fantastic tour guide who knows everything and is known by many locals. She brought me to great places for lovely pictures. The short bus ride is not to be missed. Yet, the best of all is that she is a very nice and genuine person. I am happy that I had the chance to meet her. This tour is highly recommended!Fantastic Tour with Thien

Tannia🇺🇸 United States

20 May 2024

Thien was a phenomenal host! I had a wonderful time learning new things about the local life in Saigon. Cannot recommend enough if you visit Vietnam.Amazing Experience!

Wouter🇳🇱 Netherlands

4 May 2024

Wat een fantastische gids is Tien. Een op maat gesneden programma om in de diverse authentieke delen van Saigon foto’s te maken. Zo dicht kan je niet op de mensen komen. Zij leid je er met de losse pols doorheen. Tegelijkertijd een interessante gesprekspartner. Dit moet eigenlijk geheim blijven. Thien the best

Louise🇬🇧 United Kingdom

25 April 2024

Thien was a wonderful, enthusiastic and knowledgable guide, who loves her home city. I had asked for ‘something different’ because I had visited HCmC several times and seen the ‘major ‘sites. I explained that my interests are history, art, architecture and food, and Thien gave me all of those and more. Incredibly generous with (excellent Vietnamese) coffee, bottles of water and delicious street food from her many vendor friends, I barely noticed the extreme heat. My final treat at the end of the tour was a fascinating ride on a public bus back to my hotel - which cost a grand total of $0.20. I thoroughly recommend Thien if you want to explore the real Saigon and learn about how rapidly the city is changing. Fascinating tour of Old Saigon

Aramis🇩🇪 Germany

12 April 2024

What a pleasure to meet Thien and how she arranged the tour for me. From the beginning to the end just fabulous. Not only the places also her knowledge about all the things brought me Saigon much closer. And really really great locations and people on our way and absolutely funny as well. Be open and will enjoy every second of this tour. Just do it Unforgettable An amazing experience

Sarah

2 April 2024

Thien was a fantastic guide with so much knowledge of the city and its residents. We had a walk around several areas seeing the streets and markets where locals live. I especially loved the Cambodian flower market and the oldest coffee shop with the hardworking ladies ruling everyone! Thien was happy to accommodate our wishes and tailor the tour. It was extremely hot and she made sure we kept hydrated while playing us with interesting facts that you won't find in the guidebooks. Definitely worth booking.Fascinating tour

Lacinda🇦🇺 Australia

28 March 2024

We loved this walking tour, although it was really hot on the day we would 100% do it again. Thien was friendly, funny and had a wealth of local knowledge. It was great seeing areas that we would never have gone to.Awesome Experience

nay

27 February 2024

Thien was sooo much fun and had so many interesting stories to tell about the city , her life and the life of others. She keeps the tour super interesting, fun and light. Nothing was too hard. So good to see the non touristy towns through a well known local. I would highly recommend Thien over and over again. Getting to know the locals

Mark🇺🇸 United States

24 February 2024

We can't thank you enough Thien. We had a real special day and thank you for setting up so many great moments. It was perfect for my wife's birthday and our first trip to Vietnam. Seeing the sites was great but hearing the stories from you was amazing. We really enjoyed your access to local places as well. If you're looking for a guy that was born and raised, here Thien is your guide!An awesome day with Thien

Orli

17 February 2024

Mit grossem Interesse bin ich den Erzählungen von Thien gefolgt. Sie bewältigt den Alltag mit sehr viel Klugheit und Witz. Sie liess mich daran teilhaben, und ich durfte vielen Geschichten über ihre Familie und vom Strassenleben erfahren. Ich konnte ein paar schöne Fotos machen. Auch gefiel es mir, mit dem Bus zu fahren. Abwechslungsreich und interssant

Hanh🇺🇸 United States

5 February 2024

Thien took me on such a unique photo tour today. I learnt a lot about the neighborhoods from Thien. Her contagious laughter brightened up any place we passed by. The locals welcomed us wholeheartedly. Also the food that we enjoyed on the way basically constituted a wonderful street food tour in itself (grilled banana, banh mi, dumpling noodles, sugarcane juice, , dried candy fruit…). A very high quality (and healthy) food tour combined with photo tour. I got many photos, more than expected. I’m very grateful for Thien’s guide, the valuable info and an amazing journey to see a different side of Saigon.A very unique photo tour

Céline🇫🇷 France

28 January 2024

This was an amazing experience that I had with Thien. I recommend this tour 100%. She is kind and gives the authentic Vietnam for the photo tour. Thanks again A wonderful experience!

David🇺🇸 United States

17 January 2024

What a fun afternoon we had walking the streets of HCMC and learning about how people live and also the impact of the war and times since. As a frequent traveler, I have passed through many neighborhoods often curious as to what goes on for the people who live there, especially places so different from my own. This walk answered that plus much more. Street level view of local life

Jens🇩🇪 Germany

12 January 2024

Warm welcome at starting point Cheo Leo Cafe. Thien is a fantastic guide and took us through all the exciting and hidden photo spots you usually don’t find on your own. While walking, we realized that Thien is very well known in their hood, so contacts to locals are well guaranteed. Best guide so far for us. Fascinating deep dive into old Saigon

Kamila🇵🇱 Poland

8 January 2024

Highly recommended 😁 Thien is super friendly and took us to the very interesting places 🥰 Great tour for photography 📸The best Saigon tour!

Joanne

2 January 2024

We loved our experience with this walking tour. The starting point was at Leo Cheo coffee shop - their first customers for 2024! Thien was a great knowledgeable guide, with a bright, enthusiastic nature. The markets and people we met were great, and had plenty of photographic opportunities. Thanks Thien!A great insight into local life

Cosma🇬🇧 United Kingdom

3 December 2023

We had a great time and experienced areas o HCMC that we probably would not have gone to. Thein was a great and lively guide, thanksGreat photos

Lesley🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 December 2023

Thien is a star! It was my friend’s big birthday on the day of the tour and Thien liaised with me in advance and organised a fantastic cake, party hats a music in the oldest coffee shop in Saigon! She then took us on an authentic tour of the area where we met people who live and work there. Altogether a very special day with a very special guide 😁Surprise party and authentic tour

Dirk

12 November 2023

So sollte man Saigon erleben. Keine öden Besichtigungen von langweiligen Monumenten, sonder einfach mal 3 h mittendrin im Leben der Locals von Saigon. Vielen Dank Thien, das war großartig mit Dir !!Phantastisch !

Rob🇬🇧 United Kingdom

22 October 2023

We did the photography walking tour with Thien in HCM. You don’t need to want to do photography to do this tour . We covered a lot of HCM away from the touristy area of District 1. Thien was a great host with a fabulous sense of humour. We learnt so much about Vietnamese history and modern day culture from her engaging explanations. We loved it all especially the cafe Cheo. If you only have one day in HCM city do this tour. Great walking tour with Thien

Torsten

8 October 2023

Wir waren mit Thien zu einer privaten Walking Tour durch das alte Saigon verabredet. Bei tollem Wetter tauchten wir zusammen in den Alltag der dort lebenden Einwohner ein. Das war ein erstklassiges Erlebnis, Thien ist ein sehr sympathischer und humorvoller Guide! Sie hat uns einen sehr guten Einblick gegeben und in einem erstklassigen Englisch all unsere Fragen beantwortet. Wir würden jederzeit wieder eine Tour mit Thien buchen! Das war erstklassig!

Steve🇦🇺 Australia

21 September 2023

We were looked after from start to finish and introduced to some fabulous sights, colours, people, places and experiences. Thien was extremely informative and knowledgeable, with great communication and friendly recommendations. We've come away with an amazing experience, heaps of amazing photos and some long lasting memories. We genuinely can't recommend this highly enough and would happily go again without hesitation. Thank you for the delicious coffee and memories!The best way to spend our day

Jackie 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

18 September 2023

Had a morning walking around usually unseen parts of HCM with Thien. She was incredibly knowledgeable and it was interesting hearing her own family's history including her famous photographer father. Highly recommended. So interesting

Nathan🇺🇸 United States

12 September 2023

Lovely time with Thien on photography tour in HCMC! Very knowledgeable about the history and knows all the secret spots for great photographs! Patient with me and really enjoyed my experience meeting all the locals along the way. Once in lifetime experience there should be more tours like this in other cities. Highly recommend don’t miss this tour to understand the complex layers of Saigon! Thanks so much! Must do this photo tour!

Tatiama

7 September 2023

We're really impressed by Ho Chi Minh City and mostly because of interesting and useful introduction by Thien. She showed us 3 different zones with lots of stories, we tried fantastic street food from her old friends, we visited the oldest cafe in Vietnam. Thien helped us a lot with finding our lost in taxy phone! Thank you very much for the tour, experience, history and wonderful vibe of Saigon!Hidden real Saigon

Winnie🇸🇬 Singapore

30 August 2023

This is my first time in HCMC, and I didn’t know what to expect. Thien made a great impression on me, as one who is honest, knowledgeable, and speaks good English. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning walk with her, capturing many photos and fond memories of our interactions with the locals. (She is well liked by them.)More than just a photo walk

melaniyeoh🇲🇾 Malaysia

22 August 2023

Thien is a good storyteller and guide. In the short time we had with her, we learnt about the people, the place and the culture. Thien gave us insight on the rich history of the places we visited. Her enthusiasm and love for her city made it a rich experience for us. Thien is also super helpful and provided us with information even before we landed in Vietnam. We highly recommend her and will definitely look her up again!Saigon Stories

Allie

15 August 2023

We had a great time taking photos on this tour. Thien was helpful and patient. When we wanted to stay in a place and take photos longer, she facilitated it. She is so knowledgeable and clearly well liked by the locals in the areas we visited. This is a great tour, even if you’re not a as photographer. We learned so much and got to see areas that we wouldn’t normally go into. It was amazing!A fabulous learning experience

john🇦🇺 Australia

15 August 2023

We had a very enjoyable morning touring the less touristy side of Saigon with Thien. She was fun and knowledgeable. And that’s what made for a very enjoyable start to our trip. Thien communicates extremely well and we always felt completely at ease.Enjoyable morning in Saigon