All reviews
Review Author: Pammy
Review Date: 04 mei 2026
Review Body: We had an absolutely wonderful guided journey through Saigon’s hidden craft alleys, visiting places most tourists would never normally see. We loved watching artisans in their element, learning about their disappearing crafts, and ending the experience with a delicious local lunch.
The conversations with the artisans were especially meaningful, and it was special to see traditions that have been passed down through generations. Our guides were friendly and knowledgeable. We highly recommend this tour.
Review rating: 5
Review Author: Chris
Review Date: 04 mei 2026
Review Body: An epic experience, off the beaten track of typical tourists’ hotspots, we hardly saw a tourist anywhere we went. English was spoken clearly, local knowledge and history was fascinating. Warning, .....so good....you won’t ever forget Vietawesome.
Review rating: 5
Itinerary
Itinerary Day 1
Itinerary Summary: Saigon craft villages: Buddha statues, brooms, and lantern making
Itinerary Description: 8:00 AM – Hotel Pick-Up. Meet your guide at your hotel and travel to District 6, a local neighborhood about 20–30 minutes from Saigon’s city center.
8:30 AM – Visit the 100-Year-Old Buddha Statue Making Village. Step into a hidden craft alley where families have been making Buddha statues for generations. Watch the artisans mold, shape, smooth, and paint statues by hand, and hear the stories behind this nearly century-old craft.
9:15 AM – Explore the 50-Year-Old Broom Village. Continue to a broom-making alley tucked deep inside a bustling local market. See how traditional grass brooms are still made by hand, from tying and shaping the bundles to trimming the bristles. Chat with the makers about a once-thriving craft that is slowly fading from Saigon’s daily life.
10:00 AM – Visit a Traditional Lantern-Making House. Meet a third-generation lantern artisan inside his family home-workshop. Learn about his 40-year craft journey and discover the process behind Vietnamese Mid-Autumn lanterns, from frame-building to decoration. An optional hands-on lantern-making workshop can be arranged for guests who want to participate.
10:30 AM – Return to the City Center. Drive back towards central Saigon.
11:00 AM – Hotel Drop-Off. Arrive back at your hotel. Tour ends.
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Hidden Alleys & Artisans of Saigon
Meet Buddha sculptors, broom makers & one of Saigon’s last lantern artisans
5.0
|2 reviews
Groepsgrootte
Tot 8 gasten
DUUR
3 uur
Type boeking
Groepsreis
AFSPRAAKPUNT
Gratis ophalen
Groepsgrootte
Tot 8 gasten
- Hoogtepunten van de belevenis
- Reisschema
- Inbegrepen
- Beschikbaarheid
- Meer info
- Host
- Reviews
Meet hidden Saigon artisans before their crafts disappear
Hidden down tiny alleys are family workshops where Buddha statues are painted by hand, grass brooms are made from scratch, and elaborate Mid-Autumn lanterns take shape inside an artisan’s home - places so tucked away that even many Saigon locals don’t know they exist. 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.
Hoogtepunten van de belevenis
Wat je gaat doen
Saigon craft villages: Buddha statues, brooms, and lantern making
Details tonen
Wat is inbegrepen
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
Niet inbegrepen
Hands-on lantern making workshop (add-on available)
Lunch (add-on available)
Upgrade to car transport
Personal expenses
Beschikbare extra's:
Local lunch (Price per pax) (207.000đ)
Lantern making workshop (Price per pax) (403.650đ)
Upgrade to car transport (408.825đ)
Toon details
Wie je steunt
Kampioen van de gemeenschap
Geleid door vrouwen
Details tonen
Eerstvolgende beschikbare data
Prijzen weergegeven in USD
Kies een tijd voor 20 okt 2026
Aanvullende informatie
Waar we afspreken
Startpunt
Gratis ophalen bij Hotels in District 1 & 3(Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
- Verzamelen om het gekozen tijdslot
Eindpunt
- Eindigt bij startpunt(en)
Extra vervoersopties
Extra 1
- Upgrade to car transport(Prijs: 408.825đ voor maximaal 5 gasten)
Begin en einde
Dagelijks
08:00AM - 11:00AM
Geschiktheid / toegankelijkheid
- Vegetarian food available
- Kindvriendelijk (geen minimumleeftijd)
Annulering en overig beleid
Annulering
Annuleer tot 24 uur vóór de activiteit voor een volledige terugbetaling
Wat neem je mee
- 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
Vanaf
1.097.100đ
/persoon5.0(2)
Prijzen tonen
Maak kennis met je host
Thao leidt een lokaal team van meer dan 15 Vietnamese gidsen, allemaal geboren en getogen in Vietnam. Ze werkt al meer dan 10 jaar als gids en gebruikt haar vrije tijd nog steeds om de minder bekende kanten van Saigon te ontdekken — van de oude ‘spooktoren’ in het centrum tot theehuizen die sinds 1950 nog altijd op Chinese wijze thee zetten, en werkplaatsen aan huis waar oudere ambachtslieden het traditionele maken van lantaarns met de hand in leven houden. Ze voelt zich aangetrokken tot plekken met echte verhalen: verborgen steegjes, ambachtshuizen, antiekmarkten en familiebedrijven waar veel mensen zo aan voorbijlopen. Tijdens haar ervaringen ontmoeten gasten de mensen achter deze tradities, terwijl de bezoeken ook ambachtsfamilies ondersteunen in de verdwijnende ambachtsdorpen van Saigon.
Ervaring: 8 jaar
Spreekt: Vloeiend Engels
Acceptatiegraad: 100%
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