A passion for showing travelers the “real Vietnam” from the back of a scooter has seen Saigon Adventure Travel boom. They now welcome 50,000 guests annually and are driving 415% revenue growth.
While many tour operators in Vietnam cut corners on training and licensing, Dương Quang Trung took a different approach with Saigon Adventure Travel. Since founding the company in 2015, he has scaled his motorbike tours of Ho Chi Minh City, investing heavily in guide training and customer care. That has put his company’s growth in the fast lane.
He makes it sound easy: “The moment they sit on the back of the motorbike, we are already 90% successful.” But he’s being modest — the hard work and key partnerships behind the scenes are all important cogs in Saigon Adventure Travel’s success.
Today, Saigon Adventure Travel welcomes over 50,000 guests on bike and car tours annually across Vietnam and Cambodia, with a team of 22 office staff, 62 tour leaders, and more than 1,000 driver-guides. Here, Dương shares standout moments from that journey and how the company’s relationship with GetYourGuide helped to drive a massive 777% increase in ticket sales.
How did Saigon Adventure Travel start?
I was born in a very poor family. During Vietnam’s subsidy period, we couldn’t study English properly because no foreigners were allowed to visit, and there were only books. When I reached university, I could read and write English well, but I couldn’t speak it. I needed to find a job, and I saw the “Easy Riders” — Vietnamese guides taking foreigners on motorbike tours, all of them in cool leather jackets. They charged up to $25 a day, which was a huge amount of money back then. I could buy 10 meals for $1!
I asked to join them, but they told me I needed the $2,000 jacket. How could anyone in my position afford that? So, I started approaching travelers in the city and asking if they wanted a tour the next day, for a lot less than an Easy Rider would charge. I did that for years. That’s how I learned English, made a living, and eventually founded Saigon Adventure Travel in 2015.
What was the business like when you first started out?
We were a very small team of six. In the beginning, we focused purely on motorbike street food tours. I already had seven years of experience with tourists, so I knew what they wanted: real, authentic adventure.
The moment a guest sits on the back of a motorbike, we are already 90% successful. Some of them have never done that in their lives. Within nine months, we became the number one tour of Ho Chi Minh City on Tripadvisor.
What inspired you to partner with GetYourGuide?
In 2018, a lovely lady from Singapore — GetYourGuide’s regional manager for Southeast Asia — contacted me directly after finding us on other platforms. She wanted to do a tour with me in Ho Chi Minh City. I joined GetYourGuide around then, and by 2024, I was booking many tours via GetYourGuide.
When did you realize the GetYourGuide partnership was having a real impact?
It’s all in the numbers. Before, we relied heavily on direct bookings and travel agents. Last month alone, we got more than 600 bookings for our street food tour from GetYourGuide, and almost 1,100 guests in total.
Between 2022 and 2025, our ticket sales increased more than 700%, and our revenue more than quadrupled. This year, we’re already up 68%. I think we’ve grown at least 12-fold since we started. That kind of volume gives you the confidence to try new experiences, knowing you have the support and reach to make them successful.
How do you use GetYourGuide’s data to improve your business?
GetYourGuide provides great insights, and we read them closely to understand traveler trends. For example, we saw that this year, people are loving ocean activities and boats more than just food, so we look into product development there.
We also look closely at booking patterns. Most of our tours are booked just one day in advance, and March is our peak season. Knowing this helps us manage our big team of guides so that they are available at the right times.
Are reviews important?
Of course, and the GetYourGuide review platform is excellent. Our marketing team reads them, and it motivates them to improve or come up with new ideas. If someone mentions they wish they had something specific on a tour, we can add it for the next time.
How do you ensure a 5-star experience with 1,000 guides?
Even though GetYourGuide offers instant confirmation, our dedicated team still reaches out to clients. We ask them what they like, if they have allergies, or what they don’t want to do. That allows us to run the tour without a single complaint. Customer service checks if they are happy right after the tour, too. If not, we fix it. You cannot do that with a team of five people; you need a proper structure.
Every guide spends at least one month in our training course to become a good driver or guide before doing a tour — not just the routes and the facts, but how to create real connections with guests. That’s very rare in Vietnam’s motorbike tour market.
How else do you differentiate yourself from the competition?
I believe that most scooter tours in Vietnam lack proper licenses, especially those that are not listed on reputable platforms. If someone has an accident, the rider isn’t insured, and the traveler’s insurance may not cover them because the operator is illegal. We state very clearly on our listings that we have full legal licensing and insurance. Our price is a bit higher than competitors’ because we prioritize our clients’ safety over more profit.
Beyond business growth, what motivates you?
When I started this company, I wanted to give young Vietnamese people the same opportunity to change their lives that I had. We teach English to those who want to become tour guides. They usually pay $100 for the whole course, if they can afford it. About a third of our students from the Mekong Delta study for free.
I commit to them: “After you finish one month, you can do our tours, and you’ll get at least $500 a month working with us.” Some guides even make $1,000; a lot of money in Vietnam. People are working for their future, too.
We all work from the heart, not just for money. That’s how I’ve reached this position and built this company in just 11 years.
What’s next for Saigon Adventure Travel?
We’ve already expanded from day trips to multi-day tours in the Mekong Delta. Right now, GetYourGuide doesn’t have many products that are 3–5 days long. I really want to work with them on that and deliver something that will be a hit with travelers.
Beyond that, success is continuing to give young Vietnamese people a chance to improve their lives while also showing visitors the best of Saigon and the rest of the country.
Key takeaways
• Invest in rigorous training. Saigon Adventure Travel requires every driver-guide to complete a mandatory one-month training course before leading tours. This is rare in Vietnam’s motorbike tour market and a key differentiator that drives five-star reviews.
• Rely on strong OTA relationships. Saigon Adventure Travel has confidence to try innovative experiences, and works with GetYourGuide to optimize new listings and turn them into bestsellers.
• Leverage GetYourGuide for explosive growth. By partnering with GetYourGuide, the company achieved 777% growth in ticket sales and 415% in revenue between 2022 and 2025, with a 68% year-over-year increase in 2026.
• Prioritize guest safety. In a market where 90% of operators lack proper licenses, Saigon Adventure Travel differentiates itself by committing to full legal licensing and insurance — clearly stated on their GetYourGuide product pages.
• Create opportunities, not just jobs. About 30–35% of guides from underprivileged backgrounds study English for free, turning the business into a social impact engine that opens opportunities in the Vietnamese tourism industry for hundreds.
• Build a team that delivers care at scale. Saigon Adventure Travel’s team is dedicated to customer satisfaction, engaging with guests before and after tours to leave a perfect impression. Their bestselling food tour has received more than 5,000 5-star reviews.
