Prepare yourself to discover one of the Mekong Delta’s most stunning hidden gems! For that transcendent exploration beyond simple sightseeing, discover the spirit and history of Phong Dien, and Can Tho with our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua. Underneath a giant banyan canopy more than a century old, this tour uncovers the lore of sacred protectors, wartime defiance, and local piety. With flexible 2-day or 3-day options, our Mekong Tours are designed to bring you unforgettable moments imbued with heritage, culture, and the untouched beauty of Vietnam’s south.
Where Is Gian Gua? Discover the Giant Banyan of Southern Vietnam
Gian Gua’s Hidden Location in the Mekong Delta
Situated in Nhon Khanh Hamlet of Hoa Chung Commune, Phong Dien District, 14 kilometers away from Can Tho City, the legendary Gian Gua is hidden within a rugged road. This is a sacred ground that most tourists leave unvisited, which is why we say that this is one of those hidden gems that only true explorers find, and you can discover it on our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua.
Refer to the red lines to give you more information about how you will take in Gian Gua. The first passes through the picturesque Vong Cung Road with ferry crossings that add to the adventure. The other follows National Highway 61B, veering at Rach Sung Bridge with signs direct the last few kilometers. Each route plunges you into the rural beauty of the Mekong countryside, before dropping you at one of the country’s truly unique destinations.
A Living Marvel: The 100-Year-Old Banyan Canopy
The moment you cross the threshold into Gian Gua, what awaits is staggering. A banyan grove of 2,700 to 4,000 square meters, its centuries-old branches twisting and tangling into a natural cathedral overhead. With our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua, you will walk beneath dense canopies that stretch to filter sunlight into cascading shadows, where the air is cool, muted, and alive with history’s pulse.
Every branch, and root, feels alive. Others bear the scars of past bombings, shredded bark, and singed edges, but those same limbs are also sprouting new shoots, brimming with life. This is more than a tree. It’s a testament to Vietnamese strength and survival, and this kind of story you can only appreciate in all its depth with Mekong Tours with cultural insight.
Recognized as a National Treasure
In 2013, Gian Gua was officially designated as a Vietnamese Heritage Tree, the first such tree in the Mekong Delta region. It’s not just the biological grandeur that merits this name, it’s the profound emotional and historical layers embedded within every square inch of this grove.
To travel with our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua, you don’t simply mark another bucket list event but rather enter a sacred path of pilgrimage that marries nature, resistance, faith, and community. This is perspective-changing travel.” That is what Mekong Tours was designed for.
Gian Gua’s (Sours: thamhiemmekong)
Your Full Itinerary: 2 Days 1 Night
Day 1: Immersing in Sacred Nature and Local Life
07:30 AM – Pick-up from Can Tho City We start in the center of Can Tho, where our friendly guide from Impress Travel will be waiting with a smile and a brief introduction to our itinerary. As we move onto the countryside roofscape, the pace shifts down a notch with teenagers towards this slow-paced life accompanied by the gentle-swaying breeze.
08:30 AM – Arrival at Gian Gua: A Living Legend Greetings, the passion of our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua! You’ll enter into a sacred forest of banyan trees, twisting, ancient, and buzzing with stories. We’ll take a guided walk through this remarkable canopy, where the past speaks through every branch. Your guide will tell you stories of war, revolution, and divine guardianship to explain why this site is so venerated on any Mekong Tours itinerary.
10:00 AM – Spiritual Encounters Then we’ll head to Mieu Ba Thuong Dong Co Hy and the Ho Chi Minh shrine, both set in the banyan grove. Here, residents pray for good health, harmony, and prosperity. You’ll sense respect swirling in the air as incense wafts through the shade.
11:30 AM – Lunch at Sau Hoai Restaurant It’s time to feast on the Delta’s flavors! Iconic dishes such as lau mam (fermented fish hotpot) and grilled snakehead fish served along with fresh herbs and leafy greens right from the garden await you at Phong Dien’s famed Sau Hoai Restaurant.
13:30 PM – Orchard Experience at Nhon Ai This is hands-on Mekong! Wander through the verdant Nhon Ai orchard, where you can pick tropical fruits like chom chom,mit to nu, and vu sua off the trees. It’s a connection with local agriculture, refreshing and delicious.
15:00 PM – Check-in at Rice Farm Villa 4★ Time to relax in comfort. Cradled by rice paddies and lotus ponds, Rice Farm Villa Can Tho promises an eco-luxe escape unlike any other. Home to a peaceful swimming pool and spacious garden-facing rooms, it’s an ideal base for your Mekong tours explore Gian Gua.
17:00 PM – Village Cycling and Sunset Views Riding a bicycle: riding paths of the village, past grazing buffaloes and waving children. Breathe in the purest air of the Delta as the sun sets behind the rice fields, that’s what real Mekong Tours are like.
18:30 PM – Dinner and Optional Folk Music Show Plan a homestyle dinner with ca linh nau ban (river fish in sour fruit soup) and lau cua dong (field crab hotpot). If you have a large enough group, enjoy a private performance of don ca tai tu, soul-stirring traditional southern Vietnamese folk music.
Mieu Ba Thuong Dong Co Hy (Sours: wikipedia)
Day 2: Floating Markets and Rural Craftsmanship
05:30 AM – Cai Rang Floating Market Adventure Wake up early for a must-see highlight of all Mekong Tours, the colorful Cai Rang Floating Market. Sail past throngs of boats as vendors call out sales of pineapples, noodles, and morning coffee. You’ll feast on a floating breakfast of hu tieu, just like the locals, atop the river.
07:30 AM – Local Craft Villages Return to stop at a traditional noodle workshop and learn how rice paper is made by hand. These family-operated establishments are cornerstones of the Delta’s culinary heritage.
09:00 AM – Return to Hotel, Breakfast & Check-out Back at Rice Farm Villa, have a light breakfast, freshen up, and enjoy your last view of the tranquil paddies. After check-out, we’ll return you to Can Tho City, hearts full and cameras bursting.
10:30 AM – End of Tour Our 2-day Mekong tours explore Gian Gua ends here, but the reminiscences, insights, and connections will last forever.
Cai Rang Floating Market (Sours: nld)
What’s Included & Not Included
Included:
01-night stay at Rice Farm Villa Can Tho 4★ (twin/double basis)
Private transfer in Can Tho for the itinerary
The English-speaking local tour guide is friendly and very knowledgeable
Meals as specified: 01 breakfast, 02 lunches, 01 dinner
All entrance fees: Gian Gua heritage site, Cai Rang Troji Market, Nhon Ai fruit orchard, local handicraft villages
The floating market by boat trip
We have bicycles for the countryside Cycling experience
Live don ca tai tu show (only applied for groups of 15+)
Tips for guide and driver (recommended: 3–5 USD/person/day)
VAT (if invoice required)
3 Days 2 Nights
Day 3: Spirit, Architecture, and Artisan Taste
08:00 AM – Visit Thien Vien Truc Lam Phuong Nam Or start your day with some peaceful contemplation at Thien Vien Truc Lam, one of the biggest Buddhist monasteries in the Mekong region. Its wooden architecture and lotus-filled ponds are the ideal counterpoint to the wild roots of Gian Gua.
10:00 AM – Discover Chua Ong For a taste of the cultural heart of Can Tho, visit Chua Ong, a Chinese temple whose intricate woodwork, colorful incense coils, and multicultural harmony are enthralling.
12:00 PM – Lunch at Nam Bo Garden Restaurant Enter a traditional Mekong garden house and have a well-deserved last meal of regional delicacies served in a space that pays tribute to the architecture and hospitality of old southern Vietnam.
14:00 PM – Shop at Tan An Market Then we’ll return for an overnight stay, stopping at Tan An Market, where you can pick up souvenirs, handmade crafts, and local snacks, so you can carry a piece of the Mekong back with you.
Thien Vien Truc Lam Phuong Nam (Sours: nhiepanhdoisong)
What’s Included & Not Included
Included:
02 nights at Rice Farm Villa Can Tho 4★ (twin/double sharing)
Guided excursions to attractions in the Can Tho area
An English-speaking tour guide who is friendly and professional
Meals as indicated: 02 x Breakfasts, 03 x Lunches, 02 x Dinners
Entrance tickets to: Gian Gua Heritage Site, Cai Rang Floating Market, fruit orchard, Thien Vien Truc Lam Phuong Nam, Chua Ong, Tan An Market
Boat ride at the floating market
Travelling through island villages by bike
Bottled water and cold towels on board
Travel Insurance
Not Included:
Miscellaneous personal expenses and optional activities
Laundry, and spa services at the resort
Air Tickets or transportation to/from Can Tho
Tips for guide and driver
VAT (if invoice required)
Travel Tips & Practical Info for Mekong Tours Explore Gian Gua
I would like you to have the best experience with our Gian Gua options, so listen to me, your dear host from Impress Travel. Be it the cultural richness, natural serenity, historical intrigue, or transitory ventures, if you are coming here for the joy ride, here are some travel tips to come back rejuvenated after a trip of a lifetime!
Best Time to Join Our Mekong Tours
The Mekong Delta’s beauty shifts with the seasons, but we know where the sweet spots are!
For fans of fruit, February to July is the sweet spot. With orchards bursting with rambutan, mango, longan, and mangosteen to be picked and eaten fresh from the trees when Mekong tours explore Gian Gua.
February is also when the Via Ba festival is held at Gian Gua, attracting locals in traditional dress, colorful rituals and folk performances. It’s a very magical moment to see Vietnam’s spiritual heart come to life!
Mekong Delta’s (Sours: klook)
What to Pack for Your Journey
Getting some essentials means a smooth Mekong Tours. Here’s what we recommend:
A large, wide-brimmed hat or cap — to protect you from the Delta sun while on boat rides and visiting orchards.
Insect repellent – particularly for the crescent of the day and shaded specks in Gian Gua.
Clothes that are comfortable and breathable — it can get hot and humid, so light fabrics are important.
A camera or smartphone, with storage space — trust us, you’re going to want to photograph banyan forests, floating markets and the smiles of local villagers.
Comfortable shoes or sandals – No equipment is especially needed when visiting Phong Dien villages and orchard trails.
Is This Tour Right for You?
Certainly, if you’re any of the following:
Cultural seekers who want to engage with the stories, beliefs, and living traditions of a place.
Nature lovers are attracted to greenery, waterways, and the gentle rhythms of rural Vietnam.
Families and multigenerational groups seeking a gentle-paced, enriching experience.
Photographers and storytellers, for every turn in Gian Gua, have another story to tell.
With Mekong tours explore Gian Gua, we don’t show you just sights, we let you feel and understand it.
Local Insights: Language, Weather & More
Language: While most locals speak only Vietnamese, fear not our English-speaking guides are longtime experts at bridging cultural gaps with warmth and humor.
Weather: Tropical warmth year-round. Expect daytime temperatures of between 28°C and 34°C and the occasional afternoon shower between May and September. We always plan ahead in order to keep you comfortable!
Connectivity: Almost everywhere, you’ll have mobile coverage, but in Gian Gua’s sacred shade, the digital world recedes, and that’s the point.
Booking Your Trip with Impress Travel
Easy Booking – Fast Support
Booking your spot on our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua is easy and fast. You can:
Contact Form: Fill in the contact form on our official site.
Contact us info@impresstravel.com
Or shoot us a message via WhatsApp (+84 912 379 189), we’re happy to chat!
Within 24 hours, you will receive expert advice from our travel experts to plan every detail of your Mekong Tours!
Customize Your Private Mekong Tours
Want something more personal? Impress Travel: We are experts in creating luxury travel that is designed around your style, pace, and desires.
Our Mekong tours explore Gian Gua can be 100% tailored: Whether we travel as a couple, a kids family, or just a closed businessman group of friends. Prefer vegetarian meals? Need a slower pace? Want to add a music show or stay longer in Can Tho? Just tell us what you need to get it done, and we will make it happen.
Why Book with Impress Travel?
All you want to see are the highlights and the highlights, when you get on one of our Mekong Tours, you’re not simply ticking off destinations. You’re embarking on a journey full of meaning, stories, and connection.
We don’t just take you to see sights, we take you into sacred spaces, set you up to meet open-hearted people, and uncover off-the-beaten-path corners of the Mekong Delta that many other tour operators overlook, with expert guidance, careful planning and deep respect for tradition, a pre-planned Gian Gua itinerary with every Mekong tours delivers knowledge, emotion, and authenticity.
Conclusion
Follow the whispers of ancient banyan trees on a journey through the spiritual, cultural, and historical soul of Vietnam. With the Mekong tours explore Gian Gua, you don’t just see the Mekong, you feel it, you live it, and you take it home in your hearts. This is your chance to touch the eternal.
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
CHECK PRICE & AVAILABILITY - BEST QUALITY GUARANTEE
Leaving behind the dizzying city of Saigon being onward the tranquil and ultimate beauty of Cai Be Wetland of Mekong Lush-Mighty River Delta, this chance will bring you to explore the most amazing daily...
Mekong Tours will bring you going away from Ho Chi Minh hustle City to the tranquil Cai Be wetland of Mekong Delta for the lovely experience time on the boat trip to visit the world water of a mighty river in Asia...
Mekong Tours will bring you going away from Ho Chi Minh hustle City to the tranquil Cai Be wetland of Mekong Delta for the lovely experience time on the boat trip to visit the world water of a mighty river in Asia...
Glance of Saigon to Mekong & Phnom Penh Tour: 3 days
Visiting the Mekong river delta: Cai Be Floating Market, Can Tho and Chau Doc. Chau Coc to Phnom Penh distance: 130 km The speedboat’s travel time: 4 hours 30 minutes; departing at 7:00 a.m.
View tour
Impress Travel
Typically replies within minutes
Any questions related to Mekong Tours Explore Gian Gua: 2,3 Days?