Where to Eat in Vietnam: the 6 Best Private Food Tours

1.Hanoi Dawn Private Food Tour with 10+ Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 95 reviews · from $75Our pick

Start at 4:00 a.m. with chef Duyen, who leads you through four local Hanoi markets and more than 10 food tastings. You will see how ingredients move through the city, learn about Vietnamese cooking, and ride by private taxi from your hotel or Airbnb. Food, drinks, pickup, and drop-off are included.

“Spending the morning at the market with chef Duyen was an extraordinary experience! To get a glimpse into the everyday life of the locals of Hanoi, and with the stops at all the vendors selling such tasty street food was a great way to start the day! :)”

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2.Hanoi Private Walking Tour: Street Food (HOT HOUR PROMOTING)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 89 reviews · from $27

Spend about three hours with a private English-speaking guide in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, sampling Vietnamese bread, bun cha or pho, egg coffee, and other local foods at stalls and family-run eateries. Guides such as Jackson, Larissa, Huyen, Sarah, and Mia have led this experience. The tour ends with an optional water puppet show.

“If you are a foodie, this is a must. There were variety of scrumptous dishes to try, and the street food was wonderful along with the walking tour. Thank you Huyen.”

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3.Hanoi Street Food Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 65 reviews · from $35

Spend about three hours walking Hanoi’s Old Quarter with a private guide, stopping at family-run eateries and street stalls for 10 rotating dishes. Expect noodles, banh mi, steamed pancakes, snails, egg coffee, and local beer. Hotel pickup is offered within the Old Quarter, and the tour ends at the meeting point.

“Minh was great! We would highly recommend this tour. From the moment he greeted us with a smile he catered to our every need. We got to sample 8 to 10 different dishes. All off the beaten track and totally delish. Don't miss the Bun Cha or the fresh pomegranate juice! This was a hight of our time in Hanoi.”

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4.Private Food Tour: Standard, Gluten-Free or Vegetarian Options

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $50

Walk Hanoi’s Old Quarter with a private guide such as Alex or Alexis, stopping for local street food and dessert over three to four hours. Your dinner is adjusted for vegetarian, gluten-free, and allergy needs when requested in advance. Expect cultural context, hidden alleyways, several eateries, and a flexible finish near Nguyễn Văn Tố.

“One of the highlights of our two week holiday in Vietnam. We were initially nervous about doing a street food tour given our daughters have a gluten allergy, but Alex did a fantastic job of catering to our needs and made us feel very welcome in his city. The food was simply incredible.”

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5.Saigon: Private Food Tour Discovery & City Tour by Jeep

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 38 reviews · from $98

Spend four hours seeing Saigon at night from an open-air Jeep. Your English-speaking guide and driver take you from hotel pickup to banh xeo, local dinner stops, French colonial landmarks, neighborhood streets, and a sky bar. The private format suits couples and families, though the older Jeep may be difficult to enter.

“Our guide Mr Hoa was very chatty, informative, and most important, extremely friendly. He has the ability to establish a real bond with the group he is guiding. Food was good and plentiful. The driver was pleasant too.”

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6.Da Nang City Street Food Private Tour With Local Students

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 31 reviews · from $25Best value

Ride by motorbike through Da Nang with local university students such as Cindy, Trinh, Mia, Mei, and Hana. Share local dishes at restaurants, markets, and street stalls, from seafood and sandwiches to sweets and durian. Hotel pickup, transport, and an English-speaking guide are included.

“Cindy & Tang were our main guides. They were awesome n really looked after us! They listened to what we wanted n were flexible about where we stopped n what we did. We were full after just two food stops so went to a market (they escorted us through the mayhem) n also took photos by the Dragon bridge. we felt safe even in the chaotic traffic. Highly recommend as a foodie tour and also to see a bit of Da Nang & meet some lovely locals . All four guides were lovely. We learnt lots n ate well. Only weird bit was the dessert with durian but glad we…”

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