Mekong Delta 2-Day Tour: Cai Rang Floating Market
Glide past mangrove palms to honey farms and lively riverside markets at dawn
A 2-day private tour from Ho Chi Minh City into the Mekong Delta, with overnight stay in a 4-star hotel, a guide, and all transport by boat, car and bike. Day one takes you by cruise to four islets on the Tien River (Dragon, Kirin, Tortoise and Phoenix), where you visit a honey bee farm, taste handmade coconut candy and seasonal fruits, then row through mangrove palms before dinner in Can Tho. Day two starts at 5 a.m. at Cai Rang floating market, then moves through Ben Tre's coconut kingdom by bike and small boat before returning to Saigon by afternoon.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Saigon to Can Tho via Mekong Delta
- Pick up from hotel at 8:00 AM
- Cruise on Tien river visiting four islets
- Try handmade coconut candy at Kirin islet
- Visit honey bee farm and orchard gardens
- Listen to folk music and taste tropical fruits
- Rowing boat through mangrove palm canal
- Ride tuk tuk to riverside restaurant
- Lunch with Mekong Delta specialties
- Cruise back to mainland
- Travel to Can Tho city
- Dinner and free time in Can Tho
Day 2: Cai Rang Market and Return to Saigon
- Early morning cruise to Cai Rang floating market
- Try tropical fruits and hu tieu soup
- Visit chewy noodle workshop
- Travel to Ben Tre province
- Bike through countryside and fruit gardens
- Cross bridge with mangrove palm scenery
- Lunch at local restaurant
- Return to Saigon
What’s included
- Transportation by motor boat, rowing boat, tuk tuk and air-conditioned car.
- overnight stay in a 4-star hotel.
- bottled water, snacks, fresh fruits and honey tea.
- lunch on day one and day two.
- breakfast on day two.
- private hotel pickup and drop-off.
- English-speaking guide.
Times
- Every day 08:00 09:00
Before you book
Operated by VN Bike Tour
Prices and times updated 8 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The tour picks you up at 8 a.m. on day one and takes you by motor boat down the Tien River to four islets, each named for a mythical animal. At Kirin islet you taste freshly made coconut candy straight from the workshop, walk through orchard gardens to pick seasonal tropical fruits, and listen to folk music. A honey bee farm visit comes next, then you board a rowing boat to drift through a mangrove palm canal: the trees rise on both sides and the water narrows until the landscape feels enclosed and still. A tuk tuk ride follows, and you eat lunch at a riverside restaurant with Mekong Delta specialties before heading to Can Tho city for the night. You stay in a 4-star hotel with free time to explore after dinner.
Day two starts early: pickup at 5 a.m. to catch Cai Rang floating market at its liveliest. The boat ride from Ninh Kieu wharf takes about 30 minutes, and vendors sell tropical fruits, drinks and hot rice noodle soup (hu tieu) from their boats. You can buy and eat breakfast right there on the water. After the market you visit a chewy noodle workshop to see how Vietnamese noodles are made, then head back toward Saigon with a stop in Ben Tre province, known as Vietnam's coconut kingdom. Here you bike about 7 to 10 kilometers through countryside where cars cannot easily pass: the terrain is too complex, the paths too narrow. You cross bridges with mangrove palms on both sides, pass through tropical fruit gardens, and see how coconut affects daily life for locals. Lunch is at a local restaurant, then the car returns you to Ho Chi Minh City.
The tour includes all transport by motor boat, rowing boat, tuk tuk and air-conditioned car; the overnight hotel stay; bottled water, snacks, fresh fruits and honey tea; lunch on both days and breakfast on day two; and a private English-speaking guide. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. If you need a guide in another language, there is a surcharge. Other meals beyond what is listed, tips and personal expenses are not included.
Is this one for you?Choose the private tour option if you want the flexibility to move at your own pace and stop longer at sites that interest you. The group tour option keeps costs lower and pairs you with other travelers if you prefer shared experience and company.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): free.
What is Cai Rang floating market and why does the tour start there so early on day two?
Cai Rang floating market is the main wholesale market on the Hau River in Can Tho, where vendors sell produce, fish and goods from their boats. The 5 a.m. start catches the market at its busiest and most authentic: vendors are actively trading, boats are crowded, and the energy is highest. By mid-morning the activity slows down, so the early departure lets you see the real working market instead of a quieter version later in the day.
What happens on the four islets we visit on day one?
Each islet is named for a mythical animal (Dragon, Kirin, Tortoise and Phoenix), and represents Southeast Asian mythology. At Kirin islet you taste handmade coconut candy and visit a honey bee farm to try specialty products, then walk through orchard gardens to taste seasonal tropical fruits and listen to folk music. The other islets are part of the cruise route, and you spend the most time at Kirin.
How much biking is involved on day two?
You bike about 7 to 10 kilometers through Ben Tre province's countryside, passing tropical fruit gardens and crossing bridges with mangrove palms on both sides. The terrain is rural and complex (cars cannot easily pass through), so the paths are narrow and the riding is at a leisurely pace. The biking happens after the floating market visit and the noodle workshop, so you have already been moving for a few hours by that point.
What kind of food will I eat, and can I request changes if I have allergies?
Meals include lunch at a riverside restaurant on day one with Mekong Delta specialties, breakfast on day two (hot rice noodle soup and other options at the floating market), and lunch on day two at a local restaurant in Ben Tre. Snacks, fresh fruits and honey tea are provided throughout. If you have food allergies or special requests, let the operator know when you book and they will do their best to accommodate you.
Mekong Delta 2-Day Tour: Cai Rang Floating Market
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from US$ 120 per person
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