Cai Rang Floating Market & Cacao Farm Day Tour from Can Tho

Summary

Morning boats, river breakfast, hidden Mekong canals & chocolate farm

You’ll float through Cai Rang’s bustling market at sunrise, eat breakfast on your boat as locals trade fruit around you, try your hand at making noodles with a welcoming family, glide through hidden canals under palms, and finish with fresh chocolate and cacao milk at Vietnam’s only traditional cacao farm. This day leaves you full—in every sense.

What’s the experience like?

We were already gliding down the Mekong when I realized how quiet everything felt—just the soft engine hum and the river’s cool air on my face. Our guide, Minh, handed me a tiny cup of coffee right as we passed the first cluster of boats at Cai Rang floating market. It’s funny, I’d seen photos before but nothing really prepares you for the way vendors call out across the water or how pineapples get tossed from one boat to another. Minh waved at an older woman who sliced us fresh pineapple with hands that looked like they’d done it a thousand times. She grinned when I tried to say “cam on”—I probably got it wrong but she laughed anyway.

Breakfast came straight from a noodle boat—a bowl of something hot and fragrant that Minh said Gordon Ramsay once raved about here (I can see why). Eating while the market buzzed all around us was honestly my favorite part of this day trip to Cai Rang floating market from Can Tho. Afterward, we stopped at a family’s noodle house where I totally failed at making rice paper. The woman guiding me just smiled and showed me again; her hands moved so fast it was almost hypnotic. There was flour everywhere—on my shirt, in my hair—I didn’t care.

The small canal after that was almost silent except for birds and the occasional splash. Palms arched overhead and sunlight flickered through; Minh pointed out fruit trees but I kept getting distracted by little flashes of blue kingfishers darting past. We hopped off for a short walk through a village—kids waved at us and one man offered us something that tasted like coconut candy (I still don’t know what it was exactly).

The last stop was Muoi Cuong cacao farm. The owner greeted us with this proud smile and started cracking open cacao pods right there under his porch roof. He poured us chilled cacao milk—sort of earthy, not too sweet—and let us taste chocolate he’d made himself using some old family technique. I tried to ask him how long he’d been doing it but got lost somewhere in translation; he just shrugged and handed me another piece of chocolate instead. On the boat ride back to Can Tho city I found myself thinking about all those little moments—the laughter, the sticky fingers from pineapple juice, the way morning light hits the river—and wishing I could bottle up that feeling somehow.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Mekong Delta floating market and cacao farm

• 5:30 am pick up and boat trip start
• 6:15 am visit Cai Rang floating market
• Breakfast on the boat at market
• Visit family-owned rice noodle house
• Boat trip through small peaceful canals
• Short stroll through local village
• Walk to cacao plantation and farm
• Return to Can Tho city by boat

Top questions

What time does the Cai Rang floating market tour start?

The tour starts with pickup at 5:30am from Can Tho city center hotels.

Is breakfast included during the Cai Rang floating market day trip?

Yes, breakfast is served on the boat while visiting Cai Rang floating market.

Do I get to make noodles during this Mekong Delta tour?

Yes, you’ll visit a local noodle house and can try making your own rice noodles guided by locals.

Is hotel pickup included in this Can Tho day trip?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Can Tho are included.

Are there any tourist shops or animal attractions on this tour?

No tourist shop stops or animal attractions are included—just local experiences.

How long is the Cai Rang floating market & cacao farm tour?

The tour lasts about 7 hours including all activities and transfers.

Can vegetarians join this Mekong Delta day trip?

A vegetarian option is available if requested when booking.

Is an English-speaking guide provided for this tour?

An English-speaking guide is included; French is available for an extra fee.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in central Can Tho, all boat rides along the Mekong River and small canals, fresh fruit tastings straight from local vendors at Cai Rang floating market, breakfast served right on your boat, hands-on noodle making with a local family, coffee or tea onboard, entrance to Muoi Cuong cacao farm with chocolate tasting and chilled cacao milk before heading back to town together.