Cai Rang Floating Market tour: Bike, cook & weave from Can Tho

You make noodles at a factory, then cook dinner in a family kitchen, then weave water hyacinth into a souvenir you take home.

An eight-hour cultural tour from Can Tho combines a sunrise boat trip to Cai Rang Floating Market, Vietnam's largest, with a rice noodle factory visit, countryside cycling, a hands-on Vietnamese cooking class in a local home, and a traditional water hyacinth weaving workshop. Hotel pickup and all meals, entry tickets, and an English-speaking guide are included. Choose between a cycling version or a non-cycling option. Book as a small group or private tour.

Options for this experience

4 options

From US$ 30 per person, depending on the option and date you choose.See dates & book

Cook and Weave, Non-Cycling 05:30 Guide in English Small group tour lasting 5 hours. Pickup is included, from 5:30 a.m. until the tour ends at 10:00 a.m. Breakfast and coffee are provided. Non-Cycling, Cook & Weave: visit the Cai Rang floating market, a noodle factory, small canals and a fruit garden. Pickup is included.

Non-Cycling Option 05:30 Guide in English Tour option without cycling. No cycling is included, and guests continue to enjoy the local village experience and other tour activities. Pickup is included.

Small group tour 05:30 Guide in English Group tour offering the best price for travelers, with a local guide who speaks English. Includes door-to-door pickup from hotels in central Can Tho. Pickup is included.

Private tour 05:30, 06:00, 07:00 and 08:00 Guide in English Private boat option at the best price, with a professional local guide. Includes pickup from hotels in central Can Tho, breakfast and coffee. Full day visiting the Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating markets, a noodle factory, small canals and a fruit garden. Pickup is included.

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Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Mekong Delta culture and crafts

• Boat trip to Cai Rang Floating Market
• Enjoy local breakfast on the boat
• Visit rice noodle and pho factory
• Cruise through scenic canals
• Cycle through Mekong villages and gardens
• Join Vietnamese cooking class
• Participate in water hyacinth weaving workshop

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return.
• English-speaking guide.
• traditional local breakfast with coffee and coconut water at the floating market.
• fresh seasonal fruits.
• entry to Cai Rang Floating Market and the rice noodle factory.
• lunch prepared during the cooking class (Vietnamese or vegetarian).
• water hyacinth and bamboo weaving workshop with a handmade souvenir to take home.
• cycling through rural villages (or boat alternative on the non-cycling option).

Times

• Every day 05:30 06:00 07:00 08:00

Before you book

Group Up to 30

Live guide English Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Ages Adult (12 to 80 years) · Child (7 to 11 years) · Infant (under 7): free

Cancellation and refunds Free 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.

Good to know

Low physical effort Public transport nearby Not recommended during pregnancy Not recommended with back problems Infants must sit on laps

Operated by Winter Spring Homestay

Prices and times updated yesterday

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The experience

The day starts before dawn with hotel pickup and a boat ride to Cai Rang Floating Market, where vendors sell produce, noodles and fish from wooden boats anchored in the Mekong River. You watch the sunrise over the water while eating a traditional local breakfast (coffee, coconut water, fresh fruit), and ride on a large local boat to see how the market works and talk to the people selling. The market is the largest floating market in Vietnam, and the morning light on the water and the activity of boats moving around you is the reason the tour starts early.

From the market, the boat takes you through peaceful canals lined with mangrove palms and lush green trees to a rice noodle and pho factory. Local experts show you how noodles are made by hand (the stretching, the drying, the whole process), so you understand what goes into the bowls you eat. Then you cycle through quiet village paths and fruit gardens along the canals, moving at a pace that lets you see the countryside and stop when something catches your eye. The non-cycling option follows the same route by boat instead.

In the afternoon, you arrive at a local family home for a cooking class where you prepare Vietnamese dishes using ingredients from their garden. You chop, stir and taste as you go, then sit down to eat what you made in a garden setting. After lunch, local artisans teach you to weave water hyacinth and bamboo into a small handmade piece: a souvenir you create and carry with you. The tour ends with a return to your hotel.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 11 years); Infant (under 7): 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 is Cai Rang Floating Market like when I arrive at sunrise?

Cai Rang is Vietnam's largest floating market, with vendors selling produce, noodles and fish from wooden boats anchored in the Mekong River. You watch the sunrise over the water, eat a traditional local breakfast on the boat, and ride among the vendors to see how the market operates and meet the people selling.

Do I have to cycle on this tour, or can I skip the biking part?

You can choose a non-cycling option that follows the same route by boat instead of cycling through the villages. Both versions include the floating market, noodle factory, cooking class and weaving workshop.

What do I cook in the cooking class, and where does it happen?

You prepare Vietnamese dishes at a local family home using ingredients from their garden, then eat the meal you made in the garden setting. Vegetarian meals are available if you prefer.

Is hotel pickup included in the price?

Yes, pickup and return to your hotel are included in the tour price, along with an English-speaking guide.

What do I get to take home from the weaving workshop?

You create a handmade souvenir from water hyacinth and bamboo during the workshop with local artisans, and you take it with you at the end of the day.

How long is the whole tour, and what meals are included?

The tour runs eight hours and includes a traditional local breakfast at the floating market, lunch (the meal you cook in the cooking class), and seasonal fresh fruits from the market and fruit gardens.