Meet the Storytellers Behind the Handlebars: The People Who Make Vespa Tours Unforgettable

Behind Every Great Vespa Tour, There’s a Guide with a Story to Tell

There’s something about hopping onto a vintage Vespa scooter that instantly shifts your mindset. You’re no longer a tourist. You’re a traveler, a witness, a participant in a city’s unfolding story. But while the hum of the engine and the rhythm of the road get your heart going, it’s your tour guide—the one navigating the backstreets, translating the culture, and narrating the unexpected—who turns the ride into something unforgettable.

Our Vespa Adventures guides across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand are more than drivers. They’re the soul of the journey—storytellers, entertainers, historians, comedians, and proud cultural ambassadors. And if you ask us, they’re the reason our Vespa tours don’t just show you the world—they help you feel it.

The Moment You Realize It’s More Than a Scooter Ride

You’re on a narrow street in Saigon, breeze on your face, eyes darting from sidewalk food stalls to colonial facades. Your guide leans back slightly, just enough for you to hear: “See that building? That’s where the underground resistance used to meet. And right over there, my grandmother sold bánh mì from a pushcart.”

That’s when it hits you. You didn’t just hire a tour guide. You hired someone who’s lived the city’s history. Someone who turns a street into a story, a temple into a tale, a cup of Vietnamese coffee into a cultural moment.

More Than a Job: The Passion Behind the Handlebars

Our guides come from all walks of life. Former chefs, engineers, artists, English teachers. Some inherited the love of scooters from their parents; others found freedom in the buzz of two wheels and never looked back. But what they all have in common is a deep pride in their hometowns—and a desire to share them honestly, with heart and humor.

You’ll find them greeting elders on side streets, haggling with market vendors mid-tour ("just for fun!" they’ll say), or pulling over at a tiny food stall you never would’ve found on Google Maps. They know the stories you won’t hear in guidebooks. And they know how to deliver them with a grin, a wink, and just enough flair to keep you laughing.

Want to meet the folks who keep these vintage machines rolling? Read our Meet the Vespa Mechanics blog.

Guides as Cultural Ambassadors

When you hire a guide, you’re choosing a translator of culture—someone who’s fluent in humor, heritage, and human connection. Our guides are trained with deep local knowledge, but what sets them apart is their ability to connect on a personal level.

In Siem Reap, your guide might pause mid-ride, pluck a flower from a tree, and place it in your hand—explaining it’s a good luck charm for travelers. In Hue, they might detour through a market to share bánh bèo and whisper, “This was the Emperor’s favorite.” In Chiang Mai, you’ll leave with a belly full of sticky rice and your heart full of temple stories and laughter.

The Vespa Guides Who Make It Happen

Tuyet “Snow” (Hanoi)

Take Tuyet, or “Snow,” for example. Based in Hanoi, she began with Vespa Adventures as a driver in 2018. At first, she was shy, new to the tourism world. But something clicked when she started sharing her city with guests. The streets she grew up on became stages. “I realized I could tell the story of Hanoi—not from a textbook, but from my own life,” she says with a smile. Now, she’s one of our most requested guides, leading everything from Hanoi Photo Tours to our sunrise Wake Up with Hanoi rides.

Snow has a knack for turning local flavors into full narratives—describing how a steaming bowl of bún chả connects to family dinners, or how a quiet courtyard café was once the site of wartime resistance. As she says, “I’m not just showing people Hanoi—I’m helping them feel like part of it.”

Saigon’s Soul in a Smile: Meet Vivian

In Saigon, Giang Tran—known to most guests as Vivian—is the kind of guide who lights up a room just by walking in. Her story began in law school, but a part-time job at a backpacker hostel changed everything. “I was helping with walking tours and realized I loved connecting with people,” Vivian recalls. “Law felt like paperwork. This felt like purpose.”

Vivian’s guests don’t just leave with great photos; they leave with belly laughs, stories about street food rituals, and a deeper understanding of what it means to grow up in post-war Vietnam. She’s fluent in English and local slang, quick with a joke, and proud of every alleyway she zips through on her Vespa scooter.

Poleak’s Kingdom of Storytelling in Siem Reap

Some guides speak quietly and let the experience lead. Others, like Poleak in Siem Reap, bring the whole room to life. Poleak’s name means “energy,” and he lives up to it. Whether he’s explaining the celestial carvings at Bayon Temple or cracking a joke about local snacks at the Old Market, guests are hooked. “My goal is to make Cambodia unforgettable—not just through facts, but through feeling,” he says.

Poleak is one of the many faces behind Our Angkor Tour, where ancient temples meet real modern stories. He doesn’t just show you Cambodia—he shows you his Cambodia.

A Storyteller in Every Seat

What we hear most from guests? “Our guide made the trip.” It’s the shared laughs, the unplanned stops, and the heartfelt conversations that stay with you. It’s the moment your guide steers you to a quiet street by the river and says, “This is where I bring my daughter on Sundays.” Suddenly, the city becomes more than a place—it becomes personal.

And behind every one of those moments is a Vespa. Learn how Steve, our founder, envisioned this unique combination of ride and storytelling.

The Ride of Your Life Is Also the Story of Theirs

What our guests remember most isn’t just the view or the food—it’s the connection. It’s the moment when your guide turns off the engine, points to a place that seems unremarkable, and says, “This is where my grandmother used to sit and sell fruit after the war.” It’s the way they laugh with market vendors, or how they’ll steer you off-route just to catch a sunset they know is going to be perfect.

So when you ride with us, know that you’re not just signing up for a tour. You’re being invited into a story—one written by our guides, chapter by chapter, ride by ride.

Ready to Ride With a Storyteller?

There’s a reason people book Vespa Adventures again and again. It’s not just the Vespas—it’s the people. Explore our full range of Vespa tours in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand, and learn more about the Vespa culture that powers our passion.

Whether you’re cruising through rice fields or racing a sunset, our guides are ready to make your journey unforgettable—one story, one laugh, and one Vespa ride at a time.