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Saigon Hidden Craft Alleys of Vanishing Trades
Visit hidden Saigon craft alleys and meet artisans keeping traditions alive
5.0
|2 Reviews
Group size
Up to 8 guests
DURATION
3 hours
Booking type
Join-in trip
MEET UP
Free pick-up
Group size
Up to 8 guests
- Experience highlights
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Availability
- More Info
- Host
- Reviews
Meet hidden Saigon artisans before their crafts disappear
Tucked inside the everyday bustle of Saigon are small craft alleys most travellers would never find on their own — places so hidden even many locals don’t know they exist. Here, Buddha statues, grass brooms, and traditional Mid-Autumn lanterns are still made by hand, quietly passed down through generations. This half-day scooter tour takes you beyond the usual city sights into Districts 6 and 11, local neighborhoods where heritage is not displayed behind glass, but lived through the hands, homes, and stories of working artisans.You’ll begin at a nearly 100-year-old Buddha statue-making village hidden near a pagoda, where family workshops still shape statues from cement and plaster. Watch artisans mold, smooth, paint, and bring expression to each figure — a craft where the smallest details, especially the eyes and face, give every statue its spirit.From there, slip into a broom-making alley tucked deep inside a bustling local market. This 50-year-old craft community, started by migrants from Central Vietnam, once supplied handmade grass brooms across Saigon and beyond. Today, with plastic brooms, vacuum cleaners, and low prices pushing the trade into decline, only a few makers continue the work. You’ll see the full process — selecting, tying, shaping, hammering, and trimming the grass — and hear directly from the makers about the hard physical labour behind such an ordinary household object.The final stop brings you into the home-workshop of a third-generation lantern artisan. With over 40 years in the craft, he is one of the few people still preserving and restoring Vietnam’s traditional Mid-Autumn lanterns. Learn how each lantern is built from frame to decoration, and hear how he helped revive antique lantern forms once thought to be forgotten. For those who want a more hands-on experience, an optional lantern-making workshop can be added — a chance to craft your own traditional lantern and bring home a lovely handmade souvenir from Saigon.What makes this tour special is not just the crafts, but the conversations around them. You’ll meet people who have spent their lives keeping fragile traditions alive despite shrinking demand, low pay, and the pressure of modern materials and mass production. Each visit includes a contribution to the artisan families, making this a meaningful way to support local heritage while learning directly from the people who carry it.What to Expect3-hour join-in experience through hidden craft neighbourhoods in SaigonHotel pick-up and drop-off by scooter, with a private driver for each guestVisit a nearly 100-year-old Buddha statue-making alley in District 6. See artisans molding, smoothing, and painting statues by handVisit a 50-year-old broom-making lane hidden inside a local market. Watch grass brooms being tied, shaped, hammered flat, and trimmed by handVisit a traditional lantern-maker’s home and hear about the craft’s history in SaigonEnglish-speaking guide who shares the background and translates conversations with artisansGood to KnowThis is mostly a walking, watching, and conversation-based experience. The optional lantern-making workshop lasts around 1.5 hours and is guided by the artisan. It can be booked as an add-on, and you’ll get to bring home your handmade lantern as a lovely souvenir from Saigon.You’ll ride on the back of a scooter, so it’s best for guests comfortable with city traffic. Car upgrade is available at extra cost.Expect short walks through narrow alleys and a busy market area.These are real working spaces, so conditions can be warm, dusty, noisy, and simple.Lunch is not included, but it can be added on. For a tasty local finish, we recommend ending the tour with a stop for delicious bánh xèo — Vietnam’s crispy sizzling pancake.Please wear modest clothing, as the tour may include a visit to a nearby pagoda where some of the completed statues are displayed. Shoulders and knees should ideally be covered.
Experience highlights
What You’ll be Doing
Saigon craft villages: Buddha statues, brooms, and lantern making
Show Details
What’s Included
English-speaking tour guide
Hotel pick-up and drop-off by scooter (helmet & fuel included)
Private driver for each guest
Umbrella and rain poncho
Water
Contribution to the artisan family
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Who you’re supporting
Community Champion
Women-led Wonder
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Next Available Dates
Prices shown in USD
Select Time for 12 Jul 2026
Additional Information
Where we'll meet
Start Point
Free pick-up from Hotels in District 1 & 3(Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
- Meet at selected timeslot
End Point
- End at Start Point(s)
Transport Add-ons
Add-on 1
- Upgrade to car transport(Price: 406.850đ for up to 5 guests)
Start & Ends
Daily
08:00AM - 11:00AM
Suitability / Accessibility
- Vegetarian food available
- Child Friendly (No Minimum Age)
Cancellation & other policies
Cancellation
Cancel 24 hours before activity for a full refund
What to Pack
- Cash for personal expenses
- Comfortable walking shoes or sandals
- Face mask if you are sensitive to dust, as some workshops are active working spaces
- Hat or sunglasses for sunny weather
- Light, breathable clothing
- Modest clothing that covers shoulders and knees, as you may visit a nearby pagoda
- Phone or camera for photos
- Small bag for personal items
From
1.091.800đ
/person5.0(2)
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Meet your host
Thao leads a local team of 15+ Vietnamese guides, all born and raised in Vietnam. She has spent over 10 years guiding, and still uses her free time to explore Saigon’s lesser-known corners — from the old “ghost tower” downtown to tea shops still brewing the Chinese way since 1950, and home workshops where ageing artisans keep traditional lantern-making alive by hand. She’s drawn to places with real stories: hidden alleys, craft houses, antique markets and family-run shops that many people walk past. Through her experiences, guests meet the people behind these traditions, while visits help support artisan families in Saigon’s disappearing craft villages.
Experience: 8 years
Speaks: Fluent English
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