Tales of Cho Lon - Cutural Saigon Waking Tour

Tales of Cho Lon is a 4-hour walking tour to explore the history, food, and culture of Ho Chi Minh City’s largest Chinatown, the Cho Lon area. Once a separate city with its own identity, modern Cho Lon is rich in stories of the Chinese communities, the influx of migrants, the diversity of culture and religious practices, and a variety of foods & drinks. 

HIGHLIGHT

• Taste a local delicacy. 
• Discover the local traditional way of life, culture, and beliefs.
• Understanding the Chinese Vietnamese communities and social life in depth

Our guide welcomes you to the meeting point. 

Visit Nghia An assembly hall then Tue Thanh assembly hall with interesting stories of Chinese community groups in Cho Lon: migrant influxes, culture, religion, and daily life.  

Continue walking to a narrow alley to get an up-close view of local people's daily life. Have a brief stop at a street vendor selling a traditional snack before visiting to Quan Am pagoda and exploring another glance of traditional religion. We then relaxing the journey with a cup of coffee at a 70-year-old roastery at a local market. 

After visiting Chinatown in District 5, you can head to the busy commercial street to observe the trading activity and bustling atmosphere. Next, the Cha Tam Church, located in the Chinese community, is another interesting stop where you can learn about the religious practices of the local community. The tour ends at the "big market", which is a great opportunity to experience local shopping and see a wide variety of goods for sale. Here, can provide a great insight into the daily life of the Vietnamese people.

PRICES

• Rates are in VND per person.
• This is applied to a group of 2 adults or above
  - Children 5 years old or above count as one adult.
  - Children 4 years old or below are free of charge. 
  
• 30% surcharge applies for: Apr 30 & May 1;   Sep 2;   Dec 31, 2022 &  Jan 1, 2023

SMALL GROUP TOUR POLICIES:

• The group tour departs on every Sunday. 
• Please note that the price applies to the number of people per booking and NOT the number of people in the combined group (minimum group size is 2 and maximum is 8 people) on the date of the tour.
• Although we do accept solo travelers (WITH / WITHOUT children), we’ll need to match you up with other travelers who wish to take the tour on the same day as you. The tour is only guaranteed to depart with a minimum of 2 adult travelers. In this case, please contact us by either phone or email to confirm your availability.
  
  

FEATURES& INCLUSIONS:

Included:

• The program as above with English speaking guide,
• Street-food tasting,
• Drink at the coffee shop.

Excluded:

• Breakfast,
• Transportation before/after the program
• Insurance,
• Tips/gratuities.

CONFIRMATION OF BOOKING:

When you submit your booking, it does NOT mean your tour is booked. You will receive a confirmation email from our booking staff shortly. 

If you do not hear back from us within 24 hours of your booking request, please check your SPAM or JUNK mail folder or contact us again via [email protected] or call us at (+84) 34 448 9674. Thank you!

IMPORTANT TO KNOW
- Walking distance: 2km with hot and humid weather. Bring your hat and comfortable
shoes.
- Mask is compulsory throughout the trip. This is strictly enforced by all temple/ assembly
halls.
- Wear proper attire, and cover your shoulders and knees.
- Bring your own water bottle to avoid dehydration.

TOUR FAQS:

How far is the whole trip?

The walking distance is approximately 1 km. You will be walking mostly on streets through directions of includes with flat terrain. 

Children under 5?

Because our walking tour is just around 1 kilometers long, it is suited for adults and children of all ages.

Can you cater to my food allergies/ restrictions?

Since we are provided prior notice, we can adapt the dishes on tour to fit your food restriction which should not be a problem. So, we can cater to vegetarians OR vegan travelers. Please inform us once you book the tour.

What happens if it rains before/ during the tour?

During the rainy season, heavy and short downpours usually occur in mid-afternoon or evening. Rain showers usually are very short-lived and haven't affected our tours very much in the past few years. So, if the rain is light, we will provide you with a poncho to continue the tour :). In case, bad weather occurs near our scheduled departure, we have the authority to cancel our tours to guarantee the safety of tourists. Here is our cancellation policy:

• 30% cancellation fee for any cancellation made less than 24 hours prior to the tour date since we have to book many services in advance.
• Otherwise, there is a 5% transaction fee for bookings that are canceled 24 hours prior to the departure in order to cover transaction processing costs.