Getting Around Saigon
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There are several ways to navigate the maze of Saigon. You can only truly know Vietnam, and Saigon in particular, once you zigzag across the crowded city streets on a motorbike. It is not by chance that there are millions of scooters and a tangled chorus of beeping within the city that never seems to sleep. The city is not terribly large, you can get from one point to another easily with a bike, traffic is definitely the enemy of cars, and trust me you will only like the bus if you have a daily route (such as traveling to work). Therefore, in this article, I will briefly introduce to you several highly recommended means of transport.
I am going to focus more on traveling around via motorbike taxi, as well as places you can explore by yourself on a bike. I divided the article by referencing the different districts of Saigon, so make sure you take your time and map out a good route for yourself to explore. Here we go!
Get behind a motorbike taxi
The motorbike taxi (usually known as “Xe Om”) appeared in Saigon no earlier than 1965. Back then, it was even a high-end mode of transportation, mostly to serve the Westerners living in town!
During the Vietnam War, a new Vietnamese working class appeared and they mostly worked for the Americans. Their salary was pretty good compared to the average Vietnamese salary, allowing them to afford private motorbikes. A man, whose name is unknown – Mr. X, worked for a US company located in the heart of Saigon. He bought himself a Lambretta to travel to work. All of a sudden, his company cut the workforce and he lost his job. After a long period of feeling distressed as a result of the incident, Mr. X calmed himself and started seeking ways to earn a living and support his family. During which, he would drop in on his old office once in a while, maintaining certain friendships.
One evening, an American officer asked for his help to take him to a snack-bar quite far away. Mr. X was pleased to help. During the trip, the American man commented that it was really more comfortable for such Westerners like him to sit on the back of the Lambretta than on that of other bikes made by the French or Germans in Saigon then. Upon reaching the destination, the American man offered to tip Mr. X a bit, and wished to have similar city trips next time on the same bike. Since then, Mr. X realized that his Lambretta could earn even more than he could at the office! Other men started to pick up on this lucrative job. They founded the very first Lambretta Xe Om team in Saigon, providing the service mostly to the American officers at the time.
Today, Xe Om is one of the cheapest means of transport in the city. You can still see traditional Xe Om men parked along the street, mostly on the street corners or beside a bus stop. They are generally kind men and many of them work hard to earn an honest living. However, for the best experience traveling around this metropolis, especially if you are not familiar with the town, give it a second thought before you choose their service due to the language barrier. I recommend other better alternatives:
Grab Bike
I highly recommend Grab Bike which is more transparent in terms of price and route. It’s also a highly popular mode of transportation among locals. If you want to taste Saigon on the back of a scooter, now you don’t have to worry about the language barrier. Book your destination on the app, and the riders will take you to your destination in the blink of an eye. Your Grab rider will easily recognize the green coat and helmet and the white “Grab” logo.
Pro-guided City Tours by Bike
There are many professional services in town providing travelers with exciting tours to experience the local life. You are generally picked up by a local, well-trained, and knowledgeable tour guide (make sure he/she has the appropriate license), who will take you around the city to the must-see spots as you ride on the back of their bike. Your experience will be further enriched by your guide’s of humor and knowledge. You can also book food tours for full insight into the culinary culture of the city. Some highly recommended services include: Back Of The Bike, our Onetrip Evening food tour, or Saigon Food tour.
Student City Tours by Bike
College students in the city are super dynamic, hospitable, and love practicing English. Therefore, there are donation-based city tours guided by students. You can customize your itinerary by letting the student know where you would like to go.
Other reputable modes of transport
Vinasun and Mai Linh Taxi
Notable taxi brands
The two most trusted taxi brands in the city are Vinasun and Mai Linh (see their photos above to recognize them). For relatively similar prices, such cabs are all around the city and it’s more than easy to grab one on the street. However, during peak hours (6:30 AM – 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM), I recommend giving them a call beforehand:
Vinasun: 08 38 27 27 27
Mai Linh: 08 38 38 38 38
Grab Car
For Grab car, you have two options: Grab Taxi (which is a contracted cab between Grab Platform and a taxi brand, so your cab will have a taxi label on it), and Grab Car (which is a contract between Grab and freelance drivers). If you want to book a high-end car, choose Grab Car Plus.
Taking a bus
Navigating Ho Chi Minh City just got way easier. Check out busmap.vn and download the app on your phone. It provides you an English version of the route of each bus line in town, with bus stop details, and earliest and latest departures.
It’s easy to take a bus in Saigon, you only need to stand at a bus stop and wave at the bus as it approaches. However, there are some things you should keep in mind to ensure a safe and sound trip:
Make it quick when you get on or off a bus. Since the roads are always busy with vehicles, it’s hard for the driver to pause at the stop for long.
Some buses require you to pay and place your payment in the box next to the driver without any cashier, so make sure you have some small notes in your pocket. The average bus fare is 5,000 VND.
You should have a piece of paper to show the driver where you’re getting off, since there are not many buses with English directions.
The easiest bus route is no. 109, which takes you from SGN airport to Ben Thanh market. It costs 20,000 VND and has guides in English.