2-Day Mekong Delta Tour: Cai Rang Floating Market & Homestay

Wake before dawn to watch the largest floating market come alive, then sleep in a villager's home and cook dinner together.

A 2-day small-group tour of the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City that combines motorboat and hand-rowed sampan rides with visits to Cai Rang floating market, traditional workshops, Vinh Trang Pagoda, and either a homestay or hotel overnight in Can Tho. The tour includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, all transport, breakfast, and a 5-course Vietnamese lunch on day one. On day two you visit the floating market at dawn, walk rural roads, and tour fruit gardens before returning to the city by afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Sai Gon to Can Tho via Mekong Delta

• Pick up from hotels at 8:30 a.m.
• Drive 1.5 hours to My Tho with rest stop
• Cruise Mekong River by motorboat
• Row sampan under water-coconut trees
• Visit coconut candy and rice workshops
• Enjoy folk music and fresh fruit
• Explore Vinh Trang Pagoda
• Have 5-course Vietnamese lunch
• Drive 2 hours to Can Tho
• Check in accommodation and dinner at homestay or leisure

Day 2: Can Tho Floating Market and Return

• Breakfast at homestay
• Motorboat to Cai Rang floating market
• Walk country road and visit flea market
• Visit noodle factory and fruit gardens
• Lunch at local family house in Cai Be
• Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City
• Drop off at pickup point and end tour

The experience

How early are you willing to start? The floating market runs best before the crowds arrive, so day two begins before sunrise with a motorboat ride to Cai Rang, the largest of its kind in the delta. Colorful boats laden with fruit and vegetables gather for the daily exchange, and you move through them on the water rather than watching from a dock. After the market, the pace slows: you walk quiet country roads to see how residents move through their day, stop at a flea market and noodle factory, and walk through tropical fruit gardens growing papaya, mango and pineapple.

Day one builds toward the overnight choice. You're picked up from your Ho Chi Minh City hotel at 8:30 a.m. and driven 1.5 hours to My Tho, where the Mekong reveals itself. Gentle rivers, peaceful pagodas, lush greenery. A motorboat takes you along the winding waterways. Then you drift beneath shady water-coconut trees in a hand-rowed sampan. You visit traditional workshops making coconut candy, rice paper or rice wine, listen to folk music, and eat fresh fruit at a local family home. Vinh Trang Pagoda, a 19th-century blend of Asian and European architecture, comes next, followed by a 5-course Vietnamese set menu at a riverside restaurant. Then a 2-hour drive to Can Tho, where you either check into a hotel or move into a villager's homestay for the night.

The homestay option changes the evening: your host serves dinner and you cook Vietnamese food together. An experience the description calls unforgettable, though the specifics depend on your host. Hotel guests have a free evening. Either way, you're back in Ho Chi Minh City by afternoon on day two after lunch at a local family house in Cai Be village. The group stays small, around 12 people, with a guide who speaks English. Transport is by air-conditioned minivan. Snacks, breakfast, bottled water and all boat fees are included.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from District 1, 3 or 4 in Ho Chi Minh City.
• all transport by air-conditioned minivan.
• motorboat and hand-rowed sampan rides.
• bicycle rental.
• English-speaking guide for a small group of about 12 people.
• breakfast on day two.
• a 5-course Vietnamese lunch on day one and lunch at a local family house on day two.
• snacks including tropical fruits, coconut candy and pop-rice.
• two 500ml bottles of water per person per day.
• overnight accommodation in either a 3-star Can Tho hotel or a villager's homestay (your choice at checkout).
• all taxes, fees and handling charges.

Options for this experience

5 options

Up to 12 people · Guide in English08:30

Up to 12 people · Guide in English08:30

Up to 12 people · Guide in English08:30

See 2 more options

Up to 12 people · Guide in English07:30, 08:00 and 09:00

Up to 9 people · Guide in English07:30, 08:00 and 09:00

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:30, 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00

AgesAdult (12 to 70 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Asiana Link Travel

Is this one for you?Choose the homestay option if you want to sleep in a villager's home and cook dinner together. It's the cultural anchor of the tour and not available on the hotel version. The small-group format keeps the pace manageable and the boat rides intimate.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What's the difference between the homestay and hotel options on this 2-day Mekong Delta tour?

The small-group homestay option includes an overnight stay at a villager's house in Can Tho where your host serves dinner and you cook Vietnamese food together. The small-group hotel option puts you in a 3-star Can Tho hotel with a free evening instead. Both include all transport, meals, and boat rides. The homestay adds the cultural exchange and cooking experience.

Do I need to book a private car or limousine, or can I join the small-group tour?

You can choose: the small-group tour runs with about 12 guests and includes hotel pickup from District 1, 3 or 4 in Ho Chi Minh City. Private car and VIP limousine options are also available if you prefer to travel alone or with your party only, though those cost more and don't include the guide or group experience.

What time does the floating market visit happen, and how long do we spend there?

Cai Rang floating market is visited on the morning of day two, starting before dawn so you arrive while the market is most active. The itinerary includes the motorboat ride through the market and a walk on nearby country roads, though the exact duration isn't specified. The focus is catching the market at its liveliest rather than a set time window.

Is breakfast included, and what about lunch on both days?

Breakfast is included on day two before the floating market visit. On day one, lunch is a 5-course Vietnamese set menu at a riverside restaurant near Vinh Trang Pagoda. On day two, lunch is served at a local family house in Cai Be village. Snacks like tropical fruits and coconut candy are included throughout. Beverages beyond the two bottles of water per day are not.

What's involved in the cooking demo, and is it only for homestay guests?

The cooking demo is part of the small-group homestay option: you cook Vietnamese dinner with your host family on the evening of day one. Hotel guests don't participate in this activity, though they have a free evening to explore Can Tho on their own.

Are there any age or fitness restrictions I should know about before booking?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Infants can sit on an adult's lap, and specialized infant seats are available. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Pregnant travelers are not recommended for this tour. A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required, and a valid passport is needed on the day of travel.