Ben Tre Mekong Delta Tour from Ho Chi Minh City: Coconut Groves & Sampan Ride
Brick kilns and coconut canals: the Mekong Delta most tourists miss
A private full-day tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre takes you by sampan through narrow canals lined with coconut groves, past working brick kilns and mat-weaving villages, with lunch included and a guide who lets you linger or move on as you choose. You'll watch local families make traditional candy and coconut fiber by hand, then row a smaller boat through shaded creeks before visiting Ben Tre's local market on the return to the city.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Ben Tre Mekong Delta
- Depart from Saigon to Ben Tre
- Board private boat on Mekong River
- Visit local brick kiln
- Learn coconut charcoal and fiber processing
- Visit coconut candy workshop and orchard
- Cruise down river and creek with palms
- Visit mat-weaving village
- Ride xe-lôi or bicycle to riverside restaurant
- Enjoy lunch with local delicacies
- Rowing boat trip along canals
- Visit Ben Tre Local Market
- Return to Saigon
What’s included
- Your private air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking guide are included.
- lunch at a riverside restaurant with local dishes.
- two bottled waters and wet tissues per person.
- boat and bike tours.
- local travel insurance.
Times
- Every day 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00
Before you book
Operated by Ginkgo Voyage
Prices and times updated 4 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The sampan ride is what sets this apart from the crowded delta tours that stop at My Tho and Cai Be. You leave Ho Chi Minh City heading south toward Ben Tre, about an hour and a half away, and board a private boat to glide through the river's narrowest channels. The first real stop is a brick kiln still in operation (one of the few left in the region), where you watch clay being shaped and fired the way it has been for decades. From there the route opens up: you'll see coconut charcoal being made, watch fiber processing, and step into a workshop where families hand-roll coconut candy using techniques that haven't changed much.
The pace is entirely yours because you have a private guide and driver. You can spend an hour at the mat-weaving village learning about traditional sleeping mats and local customs, or move through quickly. After lunch at a riverside restaurant with local dishes, you get a second boat experience. This time rowing through picturesque canals under coconut and nipa palms. The day ends at Ben Tre's local market before the drive back to the city. Bottled water and wet tissues come with you throughout, and the guide speaks English.
What makes Ben Tre different is the absence of the tour-bus circuit. The villages here haven't been reshaped around visitor schedules, and the brick kiln, the candy workshop, and the mat weavers are working for their own communities, not performing. You're watching rural delta life that still runs on its own rhythm.
Is this one for you?Nine hours is a full day, which means you'll need to plan around it and won't have time for major Ho Chi Minh City sights on the same day, but it's exactly what lets you move slowly through Ben Tre's villages and canals instead of rushing through a checklist. If you want to see the delta without the tour-bus crowds, the private pace and the quieter route make the time commitment worth it.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What is the brick kiln stop actually like?
The brick kiln is a working production site, not a museum or demonstration. You watch the clay-shaping and firing process as it happens for the local market, so the scale and pace are real, not staged for groups.
How much time do I spend on boats versus walking around villages?
You'll board the sampan for the main canal cruise with multiple stops along the way, then take a second rowing boat trip through smaller creeks after lunch. Between boat rides, you walk through the mat-weaving village and visit the candy workshop and orchard. The day balances water time with time on foot in the villages.
Is this tour crowded, or am I alone with the guide?
This is a private tour, so it's just you, your guide, and your driver. You won't be grouped with other travelers, which is why the pace can shift based on what interests you.
What's included for lunch?
Lunch at a riverside restaurant with local delicacies is included. The meal features regional dishes from Ben Tre. Beverages beyond the two bottled waters provided are not included.
How far is Ben Tre from Ho Chi Minh City, and how much time is spent driving?
Ben Tre is about 1.5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City by car. The full day is nine hours, so roughly three hours is spent in the vehicle (outbound, return, and short transfers between stops), leaving six hours for the boat rides, village visits, and lunch.
Can I bike instead of taking the motorized rickshaw through the villages?
Yes. After lunch, you have the choice to either ride a xe-lôi (motorized rickshaw) or cycle by bicycle to reach the restaurant and explore the area. Your guide can arrange whichever suits you.
Ben Tre Mekong Delta Tour from Ho Chi Minh City: Coconut Groves & Sampan Ride
9h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 169 per person
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