Cai Rang Floating Market & My Tho River Tour from Ho Chi Minh

The Cai Rang Floating Market trades wholesale at dawn, and you arrive while vendors are still loading boats with produce.

A 10-hour private tour from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho's Cai Rang Floating Market and My Tho on the Mekong River, with hotel pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking guide, and boat access to both the market and river islets. You depart at 5 AM, explore the market by boat, visit a fruit garden, then travel to My Tho for a traditional sampan ride through narrow waterways, stops at a bee farm and local villages, and a Vietnamese lunch before returning around 4 PM. Vegan options are available.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Cai Rang Floating Market2h · entry included
2. My Tho3h

Mekong Delta Floating Market and Cruise

• Depart Ho Chi Minh City early morning
• Drive 2.5 hours to Can Tho
• Have breakfast at local restaurant or floating market
• Explore Cai Rang Floating Market by boat
• Learn vermicelli soup making and visit village
• Visit Fruit Garden to taste and pick fruits
• Travel to My Tho
• Take scenic Mekong River cruise
• Ride traditional sampan boat through waterways
• Visit bee farm for honey tea and local fruits
• Enjoy traditional music by villagers
• Have Vietnamese lunch with vegan options
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City by afternoon

The experience

The day starts before dawn with pickup from your Ho Chi Minh City hotel and a 2.5-hour drive to Can Tho in the Mekong Delta. You arrive at Cai Rang Floating Market around 8 AM, when it is still in full swing: vendors trading fresh produce directly from their boats, the water crowded with activity. A motorboat takes you through the market itself. You'll see how vermicelli soup is made on the water and walk through a nearby village. The fruit garden visit that follows lets you taste and pick fresh tropical fruits grown in the region.

After the market, you travel to My Tho to board a traditional Mekong Delta boat for a scenic cruise. The route passes Turtle, Dragon, and Phoenix Islets before arriving at Unicorn Islet, moving through lush greenery and the river's working life. A sampan, a narrow wooden boat, takes you deeper into the waterways flanked by coconut palms, where you stop at a bee farm for honey tea and local fruits, and listen to traditional music performed by villagers. This is where the tour shifts from watching the market to moving through the daily landscape itself.

Vietnamese lunch happens at a local restaurant, with vegan dishes available if you need them. The return drive to Ho Chi Minh City takes roughly three hours, and you arrive back at your hotel around 4 PM. Your guide speaks English throughout, and the private vehicle (an A/C car or minivan depending on group size) is yours for the full day, including all pickups and drop-offs within districts 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7.

What’s included

• Motorboat and sampan rides through the floating market and Mekong River.
• entrance fees to Cai Rang Floating Market.
• fresh fruit tasting and picking at the fruit garden.
• honey tea and local fruits at a bee farm.
• traditional music performance by villagers.
• Vietnamese lunch with vegan options available.
• A/C car or minivan for the full day.
• hotel pickup and drop-off within districts 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7.
• English-speaking tour guide.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private TourGuide in English · 04:30Car or minivan transfer: includes pickup and drop-off at your hotel in districts 1, 3, and 4.

VIP Private TourGuide in English · 04:30 and 05:00Limousine transfer: includes pickup from your hotel in districts 1, 3, and 4.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 04:30 and 05:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (under 11)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Indochina Heritage Travel

Is this one for you?Book the VIP Private Tour if your group is smaller or you want more personalized attention. The standard Private Tour works equally well for most travelers, with the same itinerary, guide, meals and transport. The difference is in group size and vehicle capacity, so choose based on how many people are in your party.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 11).

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 time do I need to leave my hotel in Ho Chi Minh City?

Pickup happens at 5 AM for the 2.5-hour drive to Can Tho, so you'll arrive at Cai Rang Floating Market around 8 AM when trading is at its busiest.

What is the Cai Rang Floating Market actually like when I get there?

Cai Rang is the largest wholesale floating market in the Mekong Delta, with vendors trading fresh produce directly from their boats. You navigate it by motorboat, watch vermicelli soup being made on the water, and walk through a village on the bank.

Do I ride in a boat on the Mekong River, or just at the market?

You ride boats twice: first a motorboat through Cai Rang Floating Market, then a traditional sampan on the Mekong River near My Tho, passing Turtle, Dragon, and Phoenix Islets and navigating narrow waterways lined with coconut palms.

Is lunch included, and what if I'm vegetarian?

Vietnamese lunch is included at a local restaurant, and vegan options are available. Just let your guide know your preference.

What time do I get back to my hotel?

The return drive from My Tho to Ho Chi Minh City takes about three hours, and you arrive back at your hotel around 4 PM.

Does the price cover everything, or are there extra costs?

Entrance fees, both boat trips, lunch, the A/C vehicle, hotel pickup and drop-off, and your English-speaking guide are all included. Tips are optional.