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Best Attractions on a Day Trip to Mekong Delta
Many travelers to Vietnam have a dream of discovering the beauty of Mekong River / Mekong Delta. Enjoy the picturesque landscapes, bustling floating markets, and rich culture of this lush, vibrant region. But can one day trip to the Mekong Delta give you all this? Absolutely yes to both. By planning, it would be an unforgettable experience if you travel from large cities like Ho Chi Minh City and explore deep into the unique Mekong Delta-and don’t forget to read this guide while you are at it. To help you prepare and navigate your way through the Mekong Delta, this guide outlines everything you need to know for an unforgettable and culturally rich day trip.
The Mekong Delta Explained
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta which is situated in the southern part of Vietnam, is a tremendous network of rivers, swamps and islands. This area – it’s often called the “Rice Bowl" of Vietnam – covers over 40,000 square kilometers and hosts over 17 million human souls. The delta encompasses large cities like My Tho, Ben Tre, and Can Tho, each with its own set of attractions and exemptions to bask in.
The Mekong Delta is a cultural crossroads of Vietnamese, Khmer and Chinese traditions. You can see that culture diversity in their architecture, festivals, and foods as well. In My Tho, visitors might wander through the beautiful, architecturally rich Vinh Trang Pagoda, a temple that blends Vietnamese, Chinese and Khmer design elements.
Best Time to Visit
Plan for a day trip to Mekong Delta with the right time to go Climate of Mekong Delta: Mekong Delta features a tropical climate that has 2 distinguishable times: dry season (Dec – Apr) as well as rainy season (May – Nov).
For anyone who thinks a little more fruitfully, the summer months (June-August) are when to arrive, which is also the fruit harvesting season. Juicy fruity acres everywhere planted with mangoes, durians, and rambutans that you may savour straight off the trees.
No matter the season, one must always depart early in the morning for Mekong Delta days trips not only to maximize time but to escape the scorching midday flares.
How to Get There
My Tho is just an hour or so from Ho Chi Minh City, so this day trip to the Mekong Delta is most easily done from Saigon. Information Different Transport Alternatives
By Bus: Several bus companies run daily services from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho, Ben Tre, and Can Tho. The duration of the journey approximately takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Cheap and cheerful: Buses costing between $5-10 USD. Futa Bus Lines and Mai Linh Express are two most popular bus companies, providing high-quality and safe services.
By Car: It is best experienced by renting a car or calling a private taxi service, for a more convenient and flexible tourist, especially for groups or families. It is one and a half hours drive from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho. The cost of a car depends on the region, but the average price is usually in the range of 60-100 USD per day (including the price of fuel and driver services)
No matter what, keep in mind the cost, the comfort and convenience element for an unparalleled day trip to Mekong Delta?
Popular Day Trip Itineraries
The Mekong Delta day trip offers a lot of things but at the same time, planning can be quite overwhelming due to all the different activities that can be chosen from. Here, we post itineraries so that certain ones may be better suited to your interests and you are able to maximize your short time there.
Itinerary 1: My Tho and Ben Tre
Vinh Trang Pagoda
Morning:
Leave early morning from Ho Chi Minh City: to start your day as soon as possible. It’s best to leave by 7 AM.
Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda: Your first visit is Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho. The beautiful pagoda is a blend of Asian and European style and offers tranquil settings within its lush gardens.
Boat Ride along the Tien River: Following the visit to the pagoda, embark on a boat for a short trip on the Tien River. The ride offers spectacular views and the chance to observe the local life along the riverbanks.
Midday:
Discover “Four Islands": Advance a little further with your boat tour and discover the mythical “Four Islands", which are Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, and Phoenix. The specificities of each of these lies in the character of traditional music performances, the quiet flow of fruit orchards or poignant seaside landscapes.
Lunch at a local restaurant with Mekong Delta specialty. Dishes will typically involve fresh fish, spring rolls, and tropical fruits.
Afternoon:
Visit Coconut Candy Workshops and Fruit Orchards: After lunch visit Ben Tre Province which is famous for its coconut candies industry. This is from my visit to the world renown ‘Rocky Point Ice-Cream’ Master Chef, with Master chef Jock. Watch how the candy is made, pretty awesome stuff, and tasting fresh cocnut… just wicked! If you have time, please visit a local fruit orchard, you will have the chance to taste some fruits there: rambutan, mango, and dragon fruit.
Day return to Ho Chi Minh City: Enjoy a sampan cruise back to My Tho, where your vehicle awaits to take you back to Ho Chi Minh City in time for an early evening arrival.
Itinerary 2: Cai Be Floating Market and Vinh Sang
Cai Be Floating Market
Early Morning:
Start from Ho Chi Minh City: From Ho Chi Minh City Leave at around 5:30 AM to catch the hustle and bustle of the Cai Be Floating Market early in the morning.
Experience the Cai Be Floating Market: Arrive at Cai Be around 7:30 -Get started to take a boat to the floating market. Vendors here sell fruit and veg along with local good directly from their boats. Definitely a busy area to do some street photography in this area.
Mid-Morning:
Visit An Binh Island: After the market, take a bamboo boat to An Binh island. It is also a delightful place to explore on two wheels, or on foot walking through the fruit-laden orchards or well preserved traditional villages.
Visit Vinh Sang Tourist Area: Following on to Vinh Sang where you can engage in various activities such as fishing, rowing a boat or even riding a water buffalo.
Vinh Sang Tourist Area
Afternoon:
We will then have a lunch with Mekong Delta special delicacies and experience some cultural activities. After lunch, you can get involved in those cultural activities like music and or traditional games.
Back to Ho Chi Minh City: Drive to Cai Be and on the way back to Ho Chi Minh City, reaching there around mid-afternoon.
Itinerary 3: Can Tho and Cai Rang Floating Market
Can Tho Museum
Early Departure:
Depart for Can Tho: Begin your journey at 4 AM because the earliest market of Can Tho starts early in the morning. This early start is important if you want to see the market with the most activity happening.
Day Trip to Cai Rang Floating Market: 6:30 AM Check-in at Can Tho and go directly to Cai Rang Floating Market. These are the larger and more famous floating markets in the Mekong Delta featuring boats as mobile shops selling products.
Mid-Morning:
Traditional Noodle Factory: From the market go to visit the traditional noodle factory where you can learn how rice noodles are made. A great experience as it is a learning curve on local food production.
Can Tho sightseeing: Get around to other destinationsto visit in Can Tho like the Binh Thuy ancient house or the Can Tho Museum.
Afternoon:
Lunch at a Riverside Restaurant: Lunch features a local conmixture of Hue cuisine by the riverside so you can rest in the fresh air of the Hau river.
Ho Chi Minh City: Post lunch, it will be patsy lips to Ho chi minh City and we will try to wrap up your day trip to Mekong Delta by evening.
Must-See Attractions
Some must-visit places you should add in you day trip to Mekong Delta to make it better
Vinh Trang Pagoda: Situated in My Tho, this pagoda is a blend between architecture of Khmer, Vietnamese, and Chinese and is set among a cluster of beautiful garden.
Cai Be Floating Market: A lively market bazaar where local folks trade aboard boats A snapshot of the traditional commerce in the Mekong delta.
An Binh Island: Ideal for bicycling, fruit plantations and local villages. It is a total peaceful retreat from all the busy markets.
Coconut Candy Workshops: Proceed to Ben Tre to visit a coconut candy workshop. It is a fun cultural experience and a yummy treat.
From the traditional orchards: around Mekong Delta, you can visit many islands located between the orchards to eat the taste delicious tropical fruits in their season from there.
Local Cultural Shows: Catch a glimpse of some traditional Mekong Delta music and dance performances- this is often times included with the overall tours.
Tips for a Memorable Day Trip
If you are planing for a day trip to Mekong Delta would be the best choice for you, here are some useful tips while traveling to Mekong Delta that will make your experience fantastic.
What to Pack:
Sunscreen: The sun can be surprisingly harsh in the Mekong Delta so it is important to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
Hat and Sunglasses: Will help protect you from the sun & keep you feeling good all day.
Water: Always, always keep a bottle of water with you, particularly if you’re out walking in the heat of the day.
Mosquito repellent: there can be mosquitoes in the water and at dusk in the Delta area
Starting Early: It is always better to start your journey as early as possible to add value to your day. This is not just to enable you to see more, but also to skip the hot midday. Leaving around 7 AM is ideal.
Attire: Lightweight clothing in a breathable fabric. The comfortable shoes for walking – you plan to walk around a lot If you are planning to do any activities which may make you wet or muddy etc its worth packing a clean set of clothes.
Drink water all day to avoid dehydration and eat out local food: Also get to taste the Mekong Delta local food Eating, fresh fruits, gourmet seafood; It is a trip taken by food experiences.
Tour Booking Tips: Always look for companies with good reviews before booking a tour. Find out what the transportation also in the tours so you no need to worry about it, and the meals, and the Activities. In general, you get what you pay for and a more expensive, carefully planned tour can be totally worthwhile.
Conclusion
Finally, day trip to the Mekong Delta is a very convenient option and that certainly has its charms. This beautiful patch of Vietnam, with its unique culture, landscape and local life is something very typical of the entire country, but the Mekong Delta offers a more exotic and historically-rich experience that other regions can not immerse you in the same way. A perfect day trip for solos, families and groups to have a relaxing detour outside of the city. So grab your essentials, get a good travel tour, and set out to discover the enigmatic Mekong Delta. Your adventure awaits! Don’t forget to regularly follow our Fanpage for more interesting information about traveling Mekong to and to book Mekong Toursat the best prices.
The Mekong River, the ‘Mother of Waters’, is the heart and soul of mainland South-East Asia. Millions of people depend on its waters. It’s a way of life, a home for the spirits, the defining element in the everlasting battle for survival, and the foundation and boundaries of cultures and kingdoms across eons. The river speaks of the past and the future, of the eternally recurring cycles of nature, of the people living upstream and downstream, of survival, beauty and danger.
Foreigners can’t appreciate the role of the river in the lives of those who live in the Mekong basin. It influences every aspect of their daily existence, shaping not only the land, but also the people themselves.
The Mekong Basin extends over 795,000km2. More than 70 million people, 55 million of which inhabit the watershed area lying within Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam, depend on the river and its tributaries for food, water and transport. At 4,350km, the Mekong is the longest river in Southeast Asia and the 12th longest in the world.
The river runs from its source deep in China’s Tsinghai Province through the eastern part of Tibet. From Yunnan province, it becomes the border between Myanmar and Laos, and between Laos and Thailand. From there it surges across Cambodia to Phnom Penh, where the Bassac River branches off. The two rivers continue to divide into nine outlets, the Cuu Long (Nine Dragons) of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, and finally discharge into the East Sea. The river is navigable from the delta to Southern Laos, where massive waterfalls near the Cambodian border prevent boats from travelling further.
About nine-tenths of the people in the Lower Mekong Basin are engaged in agriculture, mostly rice production on a massive scale, for which irrigation from the Mekong River is essential. A substantial proportion is exported, thus providing the staple diet of a far greater number than just those living in the area.
The Mekong River is also very rich in fish, the single most important source of animal protein in the diet of people living in the Lower Mekong Basin.
Tours Itinerary
Day 01
HO CHI MINH CITY TO CAN THO HOTEL (L)
Impress Travel’s Mekong Tours Team will pick you up at the hotel, then leaving Ho Chi Minh City at 8.00 AM
We need 2 hour driving to Cai Be, We emerge the beautiful scenery of the countryside in the Mekong river delta of Vietnam. Visit Cai Be floating market by Sampan that is the well-known floating market in Mekong delta ( Note: the market today is not as busy as in past times)
To enjoy the traditional music & performance show – Dai Ca Tai Tu that was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of the world, we enjoy the Mekong’s fresh fruits while watching the show.
Ride a rowing boat via the water coconut canals.
Do a biking tour through the rural villages to Mr. Sau Ca Family’s orchard
Enjoy local lunch with Mr. Sau Ca family Relax before getting on a Sampan to Vinh Long the car/ van will pick you up to drive to Can Tho city ( One hour driving to Can Tho)
Arrival in Can Tho then checks in the hotel, free time to explore Can Tho city at night.
The tour guide will recommend you the best place for dinner in Can Tho city.
What is included: Transfer, tour guide, hotel in Can Tho, lunch, entrance fee(s), boat trip in Cai Be
Day 02
Cai Rang floating market – Khmer Pagoda – Lunch – Ho Chi Minh City (B,L)
Good morning Mekong Delta with quiet and fresh air,
Enjoy buffet breakfast at hotel and morning tea break before leaving by Sampan to visit Cai Rang Floating market.
Ride a bicycle through the countryside to Khmer Pagoda & local farms.
Have a lunch and tea break
Mekong Tours – Impress Travel Team will bring you back to Ho Chi Minh City (3.5-hour driving)
What is included: Transfer, tour guide, hotel breakfast, lunch, entrance fee(s), boat trip in Can Tho
What’s included in this trip:
Accommodation based on Twin/Double sharing room, ( notice: a single room is surcharged following single supplement policy/ all room night including daily hotel breakfast.
All the meals as mentioned in the detailed itinerary
Entrance Fee to visit attractive places are mentioned as itinerary
Private Car/Van/Bus with air-conditioned and good experienced driver.
Boat trip in My Tho, Cai Be
Experienced English speaking tour guides as specified ( French-speaking guide/ Chinese speaking guide are available on request )
Complimentary drink water and Tissue on Van/Bus/Van as mentioned on itinerary
What’s excluded in this trip:
International Ticket Fare with insurance surcharge and Fuel surcharge
Arport tax.
Visa Fees & Travels insurance
Porter Charges & Camera Fees.
Meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) do not mentioned as in this itinerary
Tipping for Tour guides, Bus driver, Crew
Other personal expenses such as beverages, telephone calls, laundry services, Minibar, etc….
Other services are not specifically mentioned in the tour Itinerary and the above Inclusion
Hotels in Can Tho
Star
Hotel
Room Type
3-Star hotel in Can Tho
Hau Giang Hotel
Superior
4-Star hotel in Can Tho
Muong Thanh Hotel
Superior
5-Star hotel in Can Tho
Victoria Hotel
Superior
Ranana
You feel like organized tour, but you are in a privet tour. Impress Travel make the different.
We went on a private trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, the whole trip plan was organized for us by the Impress Travel Company from Vietnam, the company did an amazing job, the whole trip was organized in a wonderful way with an amazing match between the various parties, their choices were correct and the quality of the hotels chosen were very high quality and it is important to note that the price was low in comparison To other agencies, thanks to Impress Travel and especially to Daniel who was tolerant and open to changes and organized the route for us.
Ebrahim
Tour of Vietnam
Impress travel were amazing. Did my bookings with Daniel for our tour of Vietnam and I must say Daniel was very professional and prompt with his services. All the arrangement, plans, pick-up & drop-off services, hotels, vehicles, sightseeing tours and guides were spot on and excellent. Did 4 nights Hanoi, 1 night Hà Long Bay cruise, 3 nights Hoian, 4 nights Saigon and 1 night in Can Tho. It was totally awesome. Every part of the journey was superbly arranged and planned. I will highly recommend Impress Travel for anyone interested in visiting Vietnam. Very organized and reliable!
Solly Pochee
The tour was fantastic
I booked with Impress Travel in July. My contact person was Tommy Thang. He is an amazing person. He was very helpful. He changed my program twice for me. Very accommodating! We started our holiday in the north (Sapa)of Vietnam and travelled down to HCMC. The tour was fantastic, Tommy's arrangements were to the"T". I will always use them if I have to visit the area again and recommend them to one and all. Thank you once again Mr.Tommy and the Impress Team. Sulaiman Pochee
Bernard Lim
Great value for money with 4 stars hotel
Great value for money with 4 stars hotel accommodation for 4 couples. The tour guide has been very helpful and brought us to amazing places in Sapa. We want to thanks Thuy the tour guide and especially Mark from Impress Travel for his great service and assurance throughout our trip. We’ll definitely use his service for other tour packages in other parts of Vietnam.
Derek.Schooling
We enjoyed our holiday with Impress travel
This is the second time we travel to Vietnam with IMPRESS Travel. First time, we booked our holiday to Hanoi, Halong Bay & Sapa during Dec 2018 with Impress. Second time, we travel to Hoi An, Hue & Danang (Central Vietnam) during Jan 2019.
My friends & I are very glad & happy with all the hotels stay in Central Vietnam, the meals provided are delicious. We are greatly appreciated with all the tour arrangement by Tommy & his team (tour guide). Especially, Mr. NHAT C.V. He is helpful, cheerful, knowledgeable and very professional. He always volunteer to take a nice pictures for six of us (group) .
We enjoyed our holiday with Impress travel. We will definitely come back to Vietnam again with Impress
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