Mekong Delta: Ben Tre Private Day Trip with Sampan & Lunch

Summary

Ben Tre’s quiet canals, coconut workshops and riverside lunch

You’ll taste fresh coconut candy in Ben Tre’s Mekong Delta villages, cycle shaded paths past rice fields with your guide, share tea with locals, float by sampan through peaceful canals—and linger over a riverside lunch with specialties like elephant-ear fish. It’s not rushed or crowded; just slow hours that stick with you long after you’re back in Saigon.

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed in Bến Tre wasn’t the river or the boats—it was the smell of wood smoke drifting from those brick kilns. Our guide, Hien, waved us over and explained how these beehive-shaped ovens still bake bricks the old way. There was this soft hum of voices and a heat that made my shirt stick to my back. I kind of liked it. It felt real, not staged for tourists (actually, we barely saw any other groups all day).

We hopped into a motor-boat next—loud engine, but you get used to it—and drifted past tangled palms and houses on stilts. Hien pointed out a woman paddling with her feet (she grinned when she caught me staring). At the coconut workshop, I tried to say “kẹo dừa” for coconut candy—Li laughed at my accent but handed me a warm piece straight off the line anyway. Sticky, sweet, and somehow tasted like the air itself. We sipped fresh coconut juice under a tin roof while rain started tapping overhead for maybe ten minutes—just enough to cool things down.

Visiting a local family making mats was quieter—just the rhythmic slap of reeds and someone’s radio playing old songs in Vietnamese. They poured us tea that tasted almost grassy and set out fruit I’d never seen before. We cycled after that, slow enough to hear frogs croaking in rice paddies and catch bits of conversation from people working in their gardens. It was shady most of the way; even so, I got sunburned on my nose (should’ve listened about the hat).

Lunch was five courses at this riverside spot—elephant-ear fish fried crisp, spring rolls you wrap yourself, all sorts of herbs I couldn’t name. If you’re vegetarian or need halal food, just tell them ahead—they seemed happy to adjust. The last bit was gliding in a hand-rowed sampan along a canal so narrow our guide joked about “Mekong traffic jams.” I still think about how quiet it got there except for birds and someone chopping wood far off.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Mekong Delta tour and local experiences

• Pick up at hotel at 8am
• Transfer 2 hours to Bến Tre town
• Board motor-boat on Mekong tributary
• See brick kilns and local industry
• Visit coconut-processing workshop
• Visit local family and traditional mats
• Cycle or motor cart on shady roads
• Enjoy 5-course riverside lunch
• Hand-rowing sampan along canal
• Drive back to Saigon
• Drop off at hotel around 5pm

Top questions

How long is the day trip from Saigon to Ben Tre?

The tour lasts about 9 hours including transfers—pickup around 8am and drop-off around 5pm.

Is lunch included on this Mekong Delta day trip?

Yes—a 5-course lunch is served at a riverside restaurant with local specialties.

Are there options for vegetarians or halal meals?

Yes—vegetarian or halal meals can be requested in advance when booking.

What activities are included on this Ben Tre Mekong Delta tour?

You’ll visit brick kilns, see coconut processing, meet local families making mats, cycle or ride by tuk tuk through villages, take boat rides and enjoy lunch.

Is pickup from my hotel in Ho Chi Minh City included?

Yes—hotel pickup and drop-off in Saigon are included in your private tour.

Can children or elderly travelers join this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels; infants can ride on laps or strollers and wheelchairs are welcome.

Do we have an English-speaking guide?

Yes—a Vietnamese English-speaking guide accompanies you throughout the day trip.

What’s included

Your day includes private hotel pickup and drop-off from Saigon by air-conditioned car, all boat trips plus either tuk tuk or bicycle rides through Ben Tre’s villages, snacks like fruit and coconut candy along the way, two bottles of drinking water per person, a five-course riverside lunch (with vegetarian or halal options if needed), and your friendly English-speaking local guide throughout.