Top 5 Vietnam Package Tours in Southern Vietnam for Culture Enthusiasts

Tour 1: Mekong Delta Day Tour

07:30 – 09:30 | Pick-up & Scenic Transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho

Your Southern Vietnam Tours experience begins with a hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City. Lean back and relax as you pass through a 2-hour ride showcasing Vietnam’s ever-changing landscape from urban to rice paddies. Your guide will give you an introduction to life on the Mekong Delta and what you can expect from the day.

 Route: Ho Chi Minh City → National Highway 1A → My Tho (approx. 70 km)

09:30 – 10:00 | Vinh Trang Pagoda – A Peaceful Cultural Start

Your first stop is Vinh Trang Pagoda, a 19th-century Buddhist temple that is surrounded by bonsai gardens and decorated with a beautiful combination of Vietnamese, Khmer, and French architectural design. It’s a mild, quiet entry into the spiritual life and artistic heritage of the region.

10:00 – 10:45 | Boat Ride on Tien River – Welcome to Waterworld

Hop a traditional long-tail boat from My Tho pier and meander along the mythical Tien River, one of the nine “dragons” that define the Mekong Delta. You’ll drift past the floating fish farms, stilt houses, and small boats laden with fruit – this is Southern Vietnam Tours at its most picturesque.

10:45 – 11:30 | Sampan Ride on Small Canals – Ben Tre’s Hidden Waterways

In Ben Tre province, switch to a hand-rowed sampan and float down coconut-­fringed canals that are so narrow and tranquil you feel as if time has stopped. This boat trip winding through nipa palm canals is a feature of the Mekong Delta for travelers who want to get a taste of the local nature and village life.

11:30 – 12:15 | Fruit Garden Visit & Don Ca Tai Tu Show

Get off at a touristy fruit farm on Thoi Son Island (Cu Lao Thoi Son). Here you will indulge in freshly picked tropical fruits such as pineapples, longans, and star apples, accompanied by Don ca tai tu – southern Vietnamese folk music with live performance of local artists. It’s not a show – it is a cultural handshake.

12:15 – 13:15 | Riverside Lunch – Taste of the Mekong

Grab a seat by the canal at a local garden restaurant to savor a regional lunch that includes the city’s signature dish: the enormous elephant ear fish (ca tai tuong chien xu), presented with rice paper, fresh herbs, and tamarind sauce. Other signature dishes are caramelized pork clay pot, sour soup, and stir-fried water spinach.

It’s an experience you can’t pass up. In any of the carefully planned Southern Vietnam tour English offerings is authentic, local, and freshly cooked.

13:15 – 14:00 | Coconut Candy Workshop & Rice Paper Making

Stroll down tranquil village lanes to see how locals produce coconut candy by hand, from boiling down coconut milk to cutting the sticky, saccharine morsels. Then, gaze at the interesting process of rice paper production, women will pour liquid rice batter on the cloth steamers and dry in the sun for use in making spring rolls.

These real-life, firsthand experiences are precisely where the value of cultural Southern Vietnam Tours is found – and what so many won’t ever have the opportunity to enjoy.

14:00 – 14:45 | Return Boat Ride – Back to My Tho Pier

Ride the motorboat back to My Tho and take a final look at the snake-like river, water coconuts, and the way of life along the Mekong. A cold drink or a green coconut is a great way to cap off your visit to the island.

14:45 – 17:00 | Drive Back to Ho Chi Minh City

Head back to Ho Chi Minh City, stopping for a rest (approx 2hrs), you will arrive in Saigon between 16:30-17:00 time depending on the traffic. It’s the perfect one-day retreat, a place that fills your camera with images and your heart with memories.

Tour 2: Cu Chi Tunnels & Ho Chi Minh City Heritage Tour

07:30 – 08:00 | Hotel Pick-Up & Departure

Start your day with a convenient hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City from a private car or an open minibus. An English speaking local guide will meet you at your hotel and explain the day’s programYou will depart to Cu Chi district, 70 km to the Northwest of down town Ho Chi Minh city, a district that played a major role in denouncing the French in Vietnam and was the gateway to the Ho Chi Minh trail. On the way, look out the window at rice paddies, rubber plantations, and rural villages, as this is the tranquil countryside that moulded Vietnam’s resilience.

08:00 – 10:00 | Scenic Drive to Cu Chi Tunnels

During 2 hours drive, it is tagreat way for your to learn about the war history, local lives in Vietnam from guide chopstick. Your guide may tell you stories of family members or play documentaries onboard, adding context to what you’ll soon see. It is this that makes Southern Vietnam Tours an immersive experience – they make history real through human interaction.

10:00 – 11:30 | Explore Cu Chi Tunnels – A War Beneath the Earth

When you arrive, hop out to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels site, and start your stay with a brief film about the development and uses of this subterranean network during the Vietnam War. Then follow your guide through a labyrinth of hidden entrances, booby traps, air ducts, and underground bunkers.

You’ll even have the opportunity, should you wish to be adventurous, to crawl through a preserved section of a tunnel. And explore field kitchens, secret meeting rooms, and weapons-making locations. Don’t overlook the haunting view of tanks that remain and hand-dug wells – proof of Vietnamese ingenuity and endurance.

11:30 – 12:30 | Return to Ho Chi Minh City & Local Lunch Stop

Recline as you return to the city after the tour. Along the way, break up your journey with a delicious typical southern-style lunch – let your guide encourage you to try a local dish such as Com tam (broken rice with grilled pork), Hu tieu (Southern noodle soup), or Banh mi. It’s a tasty pause and a yummy segue into the second half of your cultural voyage.

13:00 – 14:00 | Reunification Palace – Witnessing Vietnam’s Turning Point

Then, back in the city centre, your guide will take you to the famous Reunification Palace, the former Presidential Palace of Southern Vietnam. You’ll peer into diplomatic reception areas, the war command room, and the rooftop where, in April 1975, a North Vietnamese tank broke through the gates – symbolizing the end of the war. This stop is a cross between political history and building preservation.

14:15 – 14:45 | Notre-Dame Cathedral & Central Post Office

From there, go for a stroll nearby to the quaint Notre-Dame Cathedral, made entirely from French-imported bricks in the 1880s. Then pop into the nearby Central Post Office, by Gustave Eiffel. Admire the lofty ceiling, floor tiled with maps, and vintage telephone booths, which are echoes of a colonial past that lives on amidst Vietnam’s dynamic present.

15:00 – 16:00 | Saigon Street Food Tasting (Optional Bonus)

And to end this Southern Vietnam tour English guide, under the suggestion of your local English-speaking guide, you may want to extend your food walking at Nguyen Hue or Ben Thanh street. Sample local bites like grilled rice paper, sugarcane juice, and sweet cheese desserts. It’s in these everyday meals that we find the subtle but profound ways in which food mirrors the creativity and comfort of the region.

Whether you’re combining this day excursion with a longer Southern Vietnam tour itinerary or perhaps taking a side trip to the Southern Vietnam tour Phu Quoc, this cultural city experience is the ideal introduction. 

Tour 3: 2 Days Mekong Delta Exploration – Can Tho Overnight

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – My Tho – Ben Tre – Can Tho

07:30 – 08:00 | Pick-up from Ho Chi Minh City

Your adventure starts as your Southern Vietnam tour English local guide meets you at your hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Following a friendly welcome, jump into the car and sit back for a relaxed drive to the Mekong Delta. 

09:30 – 10:00 | Arrive in My Tho – Board the Boat

Welcome to the heart of the Mekong! You’ll take a local boat to ply the waters of the mythical Tien River, going by Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise islets. And here we are at the start of one of the very best Southern Vietnam Tours.

10:00 – 11:30 | Ben Tre Coconut Workshop & Handicrafts

Cruise the narrower canals of Ben Tre flanked by verdant nipa palms. Pay a visit to a family-run coconut workshop to observe candy-making, and head to a small village to watch local artisans produce woven mats and rice paper by hand.

11:30 – 12:30 | Traditional Mekong Lunch at a Riverside Garden

Enjoy a tasty, local lunch of Elephant-ear fish, fresh herbs, and fruits in season. The tranquil riverside setting gives a nice taste of the Mekong atmosphere.

13:00 – 15:00 | Hand-rowed Sampan & Local Villages

Relax whilst gently cruising along on a sampan boat through narrow shady canals beneath the coconut palms. Pause for honey tea, a traditional Don ca tai tu musical performance, and tastings of tropical fruits in a garden orchard. This is the point at which Southern Vietnam Tours takes you on a sensual ride.

15:00 – 17:30 | Transfer to Can Tho – Check-in Homestay

Tackle the roads and drive further into the delta, where you will find Can Tho, the delta’s unofficial capital and its cultural centre. There is no hotel for the night, you stay in a cozy riverside homestay, allowing you to embrace real local hospitality.

18:00 – 20:00 | Cooking with Locals & Family Dinner

Help with cooking dinner with the host family. Rice flour, pork, shrimp, and sprouts are piled onto banh xeo (rice pancakes). This close encounter is a highlight of intimate Southern Vietnam tours onwards.

Day 2: Cai Rang Floating Market – Fruit Garden – Return To HCMC

05:30 – 06:30 | Boat Ride to Cai Rang Floating Market

Rise early and take a motorized boat to watch the energetic trading at Cai Rang, the Mekong region’s largest floating market. Toothpaste to pineapples are sold out of boats; and you may see locals eating breakfast, chatting it up, getting their groceries, and generally going about everything on the water. It is one of the most famous images of any Southern Vietnam Tour.

07:00 – 08:00 | Local Floating Breakfast

Drink hot coffee and slurp a bowl of hu tieu chay (vegetarian noodle soup) that is prepared straight from a boat! This floating breakfast is playful and yummy.

08:30 – 09:30 | Walk Through a Fruit Orchard

Visit a tropical orchard, and walk under mango, guava, and rambutan trees. Taste the corn or sample the fruit right from the source – it doesn’t get any fresher.

10:00 – 11:00 | Visit a Local Market or Brick Factory

Depending on the time, you will go to a typical market or to a riverside brick kiln to see how the ancient method for molding the bricks is still used.

11:30 – 12:30 | Lunch in Can Tho
Enjoy a final meal of Mekong-style dishes before saying farewell to this fertile land.

13:00 – 17:00 | Drive Back to Ho Chi Minh City

Relax on the return journey. Your Southern Vietnam tour English local guide will share stories, answer any remaining questions, and offer tips and suggestions for your next adventure – perhaps a Southern Vietnam tour Phu Quoc?

Tour 4: 4 Days Southern Vietnam Culture & Beach Tour (Ho Chi Minh – Vung Tau – Mekong)

Day 1: Discover the Charms of Ho Chi Minh City

Morning

• Sign up with your private personal guide in Ho Chi Minh City and begin with a visit to the historic Independence Palace.
• Continue to Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, fine examples of French neo-classical architecture.
• Stroll along the old boulevards and hear about the stories that formed Saigon’s past.

Afternoon

• Wander through Ben Thanh Market’s bustling bazaar of food, clothes, and life.
• Stop for a com tam (broken rice with grilled pork) or hu tieu (southern noodle soup) for a traditional lunch.
• Check out the War Remnants Museum or walk along Nguyen Hue Walking Street.

Evening

• Optional: Hop on a street food walking tour for banh mi, fresh spring rolls, and grilled skewers.
• Finish up at your hotel and head out on the town again, at rooftop bars or riverside lounges.

Day 2: Coastal Escape to Vung Tau

Morning

• Leave Ho Chi Minh City on a private car through beautiful landscapes to the beach town of Vung Tau.
• On arrival, when you check into your beachside room, take some time out and relax by the sea.
• Stroll Back Beach (Bai Sau) or climb the White Palace for views all around.

Afternoon

• Savour a tasty seafood lunch at a local eatery.
• See the Christ the King statue, one of the largest of its kind in Asia.
• Find out what life is like in the relaxed coastal town and take some great photos on the prom.

Evening

• Relax at a beachside cafe or night market.
• Optional: seafood BBQ /cocktail by the shore to close a quiet day.

Day 3: Venture into the Mekong Delta (Tien Giang & Ben Tre)

Morning

• Begin your small-group boat tour from My Tho as you sail along the powerful Mekong River.
• Explore the Thoi Son Islet, stroll through village paths under the green canopy, visit local homes and try various kinds of tropical fruits, then visit the coconut candy establishments.

Afternoon

• Savor a local lunch featuring elephant ear fish and delta-style spring rolls.
• Paddle along thin coconut-lined canals in a sampan boat.
• Discover cottage industries: a coconut candy workshop, rice paper making, and more in Ben Tre.

Evening

• Stay at a family-run homestay or a riverside lodge.
• Take part in a cooking class at your host family and share a Mekong dinner with family.

This day is a reflection of what Southern Vietnamese are known for – leisure, generosity, heart, and soul.

Day 4: Morning in the Delta, Return to Ho Chi Minh City

Morning

• Wake up to the sound of life along the river and enjoy a quiet breakfast by the water.
• Go to the local village market or fruit orchard.
• Sit with locals and drink tea while hearing stories about rural traditions that have been passed down through the generations.

Afternoon

• Start the journey back towards Ho Chi Minh City with a brief stop for a light lunch.
• When you arrive at this city, you will end the edifying journey.

Tour 5: 7-Day Southern Vietnam Tour Including Phu Quoc Island

Day 1 – Ho Chi Minh City Arrival & Heritage Tour

Morning

•  On arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you’ll be welcomed by our team and transferred to your hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
• Your Southern Vietnam Tours start with a tour of the magnificent French colonial architectural heritage in central Saigon. See Notre-Dame Cathedral using imported French materials and visit the attractive Central Post Office designed by Gustave Eiffel. The two structures are proud symbols of the city’s colonial past.

Afternoon

• Keep up your cultural immersion with a trip to the Reunification Palace (previously the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam). Stroll through the historic chambers and underground bunkers where significant events took place during modern Vietnamese history.
• Then visit the War Remnants Museum, with its brutal displays and photographs giving an unfiltered insight into the experiences during the Vietnam War.

Evening

• Fill up on a delicious welcome dinner at a local restaurant with some traditional Southern Vietnamese dishes – banh xeo (a type of crispy pancake) or com tam (steamed rice), or pho (you can never go wrong with this).
• On your first day, wind down with a pleasant walk along Nguyen Hue Walking Street, where people from near and far come together to enjoy music, fountains, and the sparkling Saigon skyline.

Day 2 – Cu Chi Tunnels & Local Saigon Life

Morning – Underground World of Cu Chi

• Leave the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City with an 8 AM departure for the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, located some 1.5 hours northwest of the city.
• On arrival, discover a vast underground network used by the Vietnamese resistance fighters. Wriggle down the cramped tunnels, check out booby traps and hidden kitchens, and have a go at using a shooting range (optional).
• This visit is a powerful and direct way to gain immersive cultural and historical insights into the Vietnam War and enhance your Southern Vietnam Tour.

Afternoon – Return & Local Markets

• Return to Ho Chi Minh City, where you’ll stop for lunch at a restaurant with a countryside setting along the way.
• Wander through a lively market or street vendor area to experience everyday life in terms of local trade. Watch colourful fruit and vegetable vendors, herbalist stalls, and delightful alleys, which beat to the rhythm of street food.

Evening – Saigon Street Food Adventure

• Meet your English local guide from Southern Vietnam tour English local, and explore some of the street food on a short walking food tour to taste favourites such as grilled rice paper (banh trang nuong), sugarcane juice, and sticky rice with grilled pork (xoi thit nuong).
• End the day at a rooftop cafe overlooking the twinkling city lights of Saigon.

Day 3 – Journey to Can Tho via the Mekong Delta

Morning – Ben Tre Coconut Land

• Leave Ho Chi Minh City and enter the verdant Mekong Delta. First up is Ben Tre, famed for coconut plantations and tranquil rural landscapes.
• Climb aboard a classic boat and ride into the coconut-lined canals before pausing at local workshops where coconut candy, rice paper, and woven mats are made.
• Choose between a ride on a xe-loi (Vietnamese rickshaw) or a bicycle to travel short distances along village paths.

Afternoon – My Tho & Floating Lunch

• Relax in a garden restaurant with lunch of Elephant ear fish and fresh seasonal fruit.
• Take a boat to My Tho and see the changing life by the river and small family-run boat stations.
• Drive up to Can Tho, the Delta’s biggest city, and check into your riverside home for the night.

Evening – Riverside Relaxation

• Free time after the day’s activities to visit Can Tho night market or sample local snacks, or simply to have a peaceful dinner by the water.

Day 4 – Floating Market & Travel to Chau Doc

Morning – Cai Rang Floating Market

• Rise early and take a boat trip to Cai Rang Floating Market, one of the most famous markets in the Mekong.
• Watch vendors in boats that groan under heaps of fruits and vegetables, and savor cold juice in a hot boat or coffee in a cool one.
• Also, visit a noodle workshop to witness how the traditional rice noodles are made.

Afternoon – Scenic Drive to Chau Doc

• Head to Chau Doc, close to the Cambodian border, famous for its diverse Cham and Khmer cultures.
• Enjoy a visit to Tra Su Cajuput Forest (seasonal), where you can cruise down winding waterways surrounded by waterfowl and lush with mangroves.

Evening – Homestay Experience or Hotel Stay

• Check into a home stay or hotel in a local village, where you’ll enjoy a family-style dinner and conversation with your hosts about life along the river.

Day 5 – Cham Village & Ferry to Phu Quoc

Morning – Spiritual & Cultural Encounters

• Discover a Cham village and discover the Islamic heritage of this ethnic group.
• Head to Sam Mountain, which offers panoramic vistas of the green rice fields and hidden pagodas speckled along the hillside.

Afternoon – Transfer to Ha Tien & Phu Quoc

• Independent transfer: Drive to Ha Tien Port and take a fast ferry to Phu Quoc Island – the “pearl of the South of Vietnam”.
• You will fly to your beach resort and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Evening – Free Time by the Sea

• Take a stroll on the beach, have a sunset drink, or have some fresh seafood at the night market!

Day 6 – Full Day in Phu Quoc: Culture & Fun

Morning – Grand World & VinWonders Theme Park

• Grand World Phu Quoc, known as “the sleepless city,” is home to Venice-inspired canals, art zones, and cultural shows.
• Proceed to VinWonders Phu Quoc, an extraordinary amusement park with exciting rides, water slides, and cultural shows.

Afternoon – Wildlife & Conservation

• Visit what is reported to be Vietnam’s largest wildlife conservation park, Vinpearl Safari, for a semi-open zoo experience with giraffes, tigers, and flamingos, among others.
• Discover the endangered species and eco-protection in the area.

Evening – Night Show or Beachfront Dinner

• Optional: see Tata Show, a huge outdoor performance of light, sound, and local legends.
• Or unwind over a resort-organized beachfront BBQ dinner

Day 7 – Relaxation & Departure

Morning – Free Leisure Time

• Relax on your last morning in Phu Quoc with a spa treatment, a soak in the clear sea, or a trip to one of the fish sauce factories or a pearl farm.

Afternoon – Transfer to Airport

• Return by boat to Phu Quoc International Airport for your return or connecting flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

Why Book with Impress Travel?

Impress Travel is a consolidated company that reaffirms its stay in business for two thousand international travelers on Southern Vietnam Tours. Our trips, which range from cultural day trips to a full Southern Vietnam tour 7 days, provide real local experiences and knowledge rather than sightseeing.

Our team has some Southern Vietnam travel guide​ who have a story for each stop – the Cu Chi Tunnels, floating markets, and the beautiful beaches of Phu Quoc! They’re all flexible, authentic, and great for culture, history, and food lovers.

We’ve got your back start to finish – with transparent pricing, secure transit, and expert care. Don’t miss exciting information about rural life or island trips, with Impress Travel give you will have a meaningful trip.

Contact us to book your tour today!

• Website: www.impresstravel.com
• Email: sales@impresstravel.com
• Hotline: +84 912 079 189

Conclusion

With floating markets to island sunsets, Southern Vietnam Tours is a mix of profound culture at every level. Whether you’re there with a Southern Vietnam tour English local guide, or are doing nothing more than relaxing on a Southern Vietnam tour Phu Quoc, this place has more than just beauty – it has soul.