Cai Be Cooking Class & Mekong Delta Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
Make lunch with your hands, then ride through the countryside that grew it
A full-day tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta combines a hands-on cooking class, visits to traditional craft villages and ancient homes, countryside cycling, and a boat trip on the Tien River, with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and lunch included. The cooking class happens in a tropical garden after you've seen how local artisans make coconut candy and rice popcorn using techniques passed down through generations. Return to Ho Chi Minh City by late afternoon.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Cai Be and Mekong Delta
- Depart Ho Chi Minh City at 7:30 AM
- Visit remnants of Cai Be floating market
- Explore craft villages and taste tropical fruits
- Tour antique Vietnamese homes
- Participate in Vietnamese cooking class
- Enjoy countryside bicycle tour
- Take boat trip back to Cai Be
- Return to Ho Chi Minh City by bus
What’s included
- Boat trip and entrance fees in the Mekong Delta.
- English-speaking guide.
- air-conditioned van for the day's sightseeing.
- hotel pickup and drop-off from District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City.
- lunch at a local restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine.
Times
- Every day 07:00
Before you book
Operated by TNK Travel
Prices and times updated 4 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The day starts with a 7:30 AM pickup from your hotel in District 1, then a drive via the Trung Luong Expressway to Cai Be. You'll begin on the Tien River, visiting what remains of the floating market, once the region's commercial heart, now a window into how the Mekong Delta's river culture has adapted. From there, the tour moves into the craft villages where families still make coconut candies and rice popcorn by hand, using methods that have stayed the same for generations. Your guide explains how these small enterprises keep both the traditions and the local economy alive.
You'll walk through antique wooden homes that show how traditional Vietnamese architecture works with the Delta's climate: intricate carved details, balanced proportions, structures that have lasted centuries. Then comes the cooking class: in a tropical garden setting, you prepare authentic Vietnamese dishes with friendly instruction, then eat what you made. After lunch, a bicycle tour takes you through countryside lanes lined with rice paddies and fruit groves at an easy pace, passing through villages where locals go about their day. The ride is the kind where you notice details: the way the water sits in the fields, the trees heavy with fruit, the faces of people who live there.
A boat trip brings you back to Cai Be, and an air-conditioned van collects you for the return to Ho Chi Minh City. The drive back gives you time to sit with the day: the tastes, the villages, the rhythm of a place that moves differently than the city you came from. Timing depends on traffic, which the operator notes is beyond their control, but you'll be back by late afternoon.
Is this one for you?If you're staying in central Ho Chi Minh City without a car, the included pickup from your District 1 hotel means you don't arrange transport to Cai Be. The van collects you early and brings you back by late afternoon, so a full day in the Delta fits into a single trip. The cooking class and cycling are both at an easy pace, making this work whether you're visiting for the first time or returning to see the region differently.
Compare the 6 alternatives
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 9 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What do I actually cook in the cooking class?
The cooking class teaches you to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes using local ingredients. You work through the preparation with instruction, then eat the meal you've made in the tropical garden where the class happens. The specific dishes aren't detailed in advance, but they're authentic to the region and the kitchen where you'll work.
Are the floating markets still operating in Cai Be?
The floating markets have diminished significantly due to urbanization, but the tour visits the remnants on the Tien River to show how river commerce and culture have adapted. The operator emphasizes that the visit preserves and shares what remains of this heritage rather than presenting a fully active market as it once was.
How much cycling experience do I need for the bicycle tour?
The countryside cycling happens at a leisurely pace through picturesque lanes, and the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You'll ride through rice paddies and fruit groves, passing through charming villages. The pace is designed for observation and interaction with locals, not speed or difficulty.
What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay extra for?
The tour includes boat trips and entrance fees in the Mekong Delta, an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned van transport, hotel pickup and drop-off from District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City, and lunch at a local restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine. Travel insurance, tips, and personal expenses are not included. If your hotel is outside District 1, a surcharge may apply. Contact the operator to confirm your pickup location.
What time does the tour end, and how long is the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City?
The tour runs for about 9 to 10 hours total, starting at 7:30 AM. Return time depends on traffic conditions between Cai Be and Ho Chi Minh City, which the operator notes is beyond their control. You'll travel by air-conditioned van, so you can rest during the drive back.
Cai Be Cooking Class & Mekong Delta Tour from Ho Chi Minh City
9h–10h · EN
from US$ 36.21 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.