Cai Be cooking class and kayaking: Mekong Delta day trip from Ho Chi Minh City

You cook lunch yourself, then eat it at a leaf-roof restaurant on the water.

A full-day cooking class and cultural experience in Cai Be and Vinh Long on the Mekong Delta, departing from Ho Chi Minh City with a live English-speaking guide. You prepare spring rolls, pancakes and giant elephant ear fish in a hands-on kitchen session, then enjoy the meal at a local restaurant. The day also includes a sampan boat ride through canals, chocolate and honey production visits, tropical fruit tasting with traditional music, kayaking, and village cycling. Groups stay under ten, or book the tour privately.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. My Tho20m
2. Cai Be4h

Explore Mekong Delta and Cai Be

• Pick up from hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
• Travel to Mekong Delta, view rice paddies
• Visit local chocolate factory
• See traditional handicraft workshops in Cai Be
• Take sampan boat ride through waterways
• Taste tropical fruits and hear folk music
• Visit bee farm and taste honey tea
• Join cooking class and enjoy lunch
• Relax in hammock, kayak, or cycle village
• Depart for Ho Chi Minh City
• Drop off at hotel

The experience

The day starts with a hotel pickup around 7:30 AM and a drive through rice paddies and fruit plantations to reach Cai Be. Before the cooking class, you'll visit a local chocolate factory to see how Mekong farmers make their signature sweets, then move through traditional handicraft workshops where locals produce pop rice cakes, rice wine, rice paper and coconut candies. A sampan boat ride follows, gliding through scenic waterways past fruit orchards and apple mangrove trees. You'll taste fresh seasonal fruits while listening to traditional folk songs, and stop at a bee farm to learn about honey production and sample freshly brewed honey tea.

The cooking class is the center of the day. You prepare Mekong specialties (spring rolls, pancakes, and the famous giant elephant ear fish) using local ingredients, then sit down to eat what you made at a leaf-roof restaurant overlooking the water. After lunch, the afternoon is yours to choose: relax in a hammock, paddle a kayak along the river, or cycle through the peaceful village. The group departs at 4:30 PM and returns to Ho Chi Minh City by 6:30 PM.

The tour runs as a shared group of up to ten people with a live English-speaking guide, or you can book it privately. An air-conditioned vehicle handles transport, and vegetarian meals are available on request. Drinking water is provided throughout the day. The itinerary is built around a single pace (no rushing between stops, no long stretches of sitting), so the mix of cooking, water, cycling and downtime holds together without strain.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Ho Chi Minh City.
• air-conditioned transport throughout the day.
• sampan boat ride through Mekong canals.
• chocolate factory and handicraft workshop visits.
• tropical fruit tasting with traditional folk music.
• bee farm visit and honey tea.
• hands-on cooking class preparing spring rolls, pancakes and giant elephant ear fish.
• lunch at a local leaf-roof restaurant.
• afternoon kayaking and village cycling.
• drinking water.
• live English-speaking guide.
• vegetarian meals available on request.

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English07:30

Guide in English07:30

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 dayDeparts at 07:30

AgesAdult (11 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “HANA TOURIST, 20/13 Nguyen Truong To Street, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Hana Tourist Vietnam

Is this one for you?Book the shared group tour if you want to meet other travelers. Choose private if you prefer to set your own pace through the rowing, cooking class, and cycling without coordinating with others.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): 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 24h before the start.

What exactly do I cook in the Mekong cooking class?

The cooking class focuses on three Mekong specialties: spring rolls, pancakes, and giant elephant ear fish. You prepare these dishes using local ingredients at a kitchen in Cai Be, then eat the meal you've made at a local restaurant on the water.

How much time do I spend in the boat on the Mekong?

You take a sampan boat ride through scenic canals and waterways, passing fruit orchards and mangrove trees. The ride is part of the morning itinerary before the cooking class. The exact duration is built into the full-day schedule without long stretches on the water.

Can I choose between the shared group and a private tour?

Yes. The tour operates as a shared group of up to ten people, or you can book it as a private tour at checkout. Both versions include the same itinerary, guide, cooking class, boat rides and activities.

What's included in the day, and what costs extra?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Ho Chi Minh City, all transport by air-conditioned vehicle, the sampan boat ride, chocolate factory and handicraft workshop visits, fruit tasting and traditional music, the bee farm, the hands-on cooking class and lunch, kayaking, village cycling, and drinking water. Gratuities are optional.

What should I know before booking if I'm pregnant?

The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers. If you have questions about your specific situation, contact the operator before booking.