Ho Chi Minh City: Cai Rang Floating Market & Mekong Day Trip

You'll Make Noodles by Hand on the Mekong, Then Taste Chocolate Straight from a Family Farm

You start before sunrise at Ninh Kieu Wharf and spend the morning navigating Cai Rang Floating Market by boat, tasting fresh pineapple from vendors and eating breakfast while the market trades around you. After that, you make noodles by hand at a family workshop, walk through a local village, and visit Muoi Cuong Cocoa Farm to see how chocolate gets made traditionally. Hotel pickup, guide, all meals, entrance fees, and return transport to Ho Chi Minh City by 3pm are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Ninh Kieu Wharf1h · entry included
2. Cai Rang Floating Market1h · entry included
3. Muoi Cuong Cocoa Farm20m · entry included

Mekong Delta Floating Market Tour

• Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho
• Boat trip from Ninh Kieu Wharf at sunrise
• Explore Cai Rang Floating Market and pineapple stop
• Breakfast on the boat at the floating market
• Visit family-owned rice noodle house
• Cruise through small peaceful canals
• Walk through local village
• Visit cacao plantation and learn chocolate making
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City

The experience

The alarm goes off before dawn, and you're wondering if you should have slept more. But then the boat pushes away from Ninh Kieu Wharf as the sun breaks over the Mekong, and suddenly you're floating past vendors calling out prices, wooden boats loaded with pineapples, and the kind of quiet that only happens on water before the day gets loud. This is Cai Rang Floating Market, Vietnam's largest, and it's nothing like the photos. The market doesn't sit still for you. It moves, trades, breathes. You watch vendors haggle from boat to boat, then your guide steers you toward a pineapple seller who hands you a slice so fresh it's still cold from the river. Breakfast comes next, served right there on the boat while the market hums around you: noodle soup or fried rice, depending on what's cooking that morning.

After the market settles down a bit, you head inland through narrow canals where the noise drops away. Coconut palms lean over the water, fruit orchards line the banks, and your guide points out what grows where. Then comes the part that sticks with you: a family-run noodle house where an artisan shows you how to make rice paper and noodles by hand. It's messier than you'd think, and probably funnier too: the family laughs when you get it wrong, and then you taste what you made, which tastes better because you made it. The village walk happens after that, just a stroll through where people actually live, not a performance. Kids wave. Someone's hanging laundry. It's small and real.

The cacao farm at Muoi Cuong comes last, and it's the kind of place that makes you rethink chocolate. A local artisan walks you through how cocoa gets grown, fermented, and turned into chocolate using methods that have been in the family for years. You get a glass of fresh cacao milk (thick, not too sweet), and you can feel the difference between this and anything you've bought in a supermarket. The whole day wraps up by mid-afternoon. You're back in Ho Chi Minh City around 3pm, which means you haven't lost your evening.

Hotel pickup starts the morning, and you'll travel by private car or public bus depending on what you book. The guide speaks English or French (French costs extra), and the pace is built around the market's rhythm, not a clock. Vegetarian options are available if you ask when you book. The company runs 24/7 support, which matters if your flight lands late or you need to shift the date.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Ho Chi Minh City (or public bus departure from the city's bus station), private or shared transportation to Can Tho, an English or French-speaking guide, boat trip through Cai Rang Floating Market with pineapple tasting, breakfast on the water, a noodle-making class at a family workshop, a village walk, entry to Muoi Cuong Cocoa Farm with cacao milk, fruits and one drink throughout the day, and return transport to Ho Chi Minh City by 3pm. Vegetarian meal options are available upon request.

Options for this experience

3 options

Tour by public bus, in a groupGuide in English · 02:30Public bus: we will book your bus ticket and point out the bus's location. Travelers board the bus at Mien Tay Bus Station.

Group tour with pickup by car in Ho Chi Minh CityGuide in English · 02:30Pickup at your hotel, with vegetarian meal options available. Our driver will collect you from your hotel in a car or minivan. Pickup is included.

PrivateGuide in English · 02:30Private car and boat. Pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 02:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (6 to 9 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

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 24 h 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 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Fabulous Mekong Eco Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this tour if you want to see the Mekong Delta's main attractions (the floating market, village life, and local food traditions) without arranging transport, guides, or timing yourself. The fixed schedule and included pickup handle all three in a single day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 9 years); Infant (under 6): 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 time does the tour start?

Pickup happens early morning from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. The boat departs from Ninh Kieu Wharf at sunrise, and you return to the city around 3pm.

Is breakfast included?

Yes. You eat a traditional river meal (noodle soup or fried rice), while floating at Cai Rang Market. Vegetarian options are available if requested when booking.

How long is the full day?

The tour runs roughly 8 hours from pickup to return, including travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho and back.

Can I make the noodles myself?

Yes. At the family-run noodle house, you'll learn to make rice paper and noodles by hand with guidance from local artisans.

What language is the guide?

English-speaking guides are included. French-speaking guides are available for an extra fee.

Is the cacao farm visit included?

Yes. You visit Muoi Cuong Cocoa Farm, see the chocolate-making process, and receive a glass of fresh cacao milk.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup, transportation by car or bus, boat trip, English guide, entrance fees, breakfast, fruits, one drink, and all activity costs.

Can I choose between public bus and private car?

Yes. Both options are available. Private car pickup comes to your hotel. The public bus option departs from Ho Chi Minh City's bus station.