Mekong Delta Can Tho Tour: Floating Market & Cooking Class

Row through Cai Rang’s floating market and cook crispy Bánh Xèo with locals overnight

A two-day guided tour from Ho Chi Minh City into the Mekong Delta, based in Can Tho, with rowboat rides, visits to Vinh Trang Pagoda and Cai Rang Floating Market, a cooking class, and an overnight hotel stay. The guide speaks English, pickup is included from District 1 hotels, and meals are provided each day except dinner. Hotel options range from 3-star to 5-star, with surcharges during peak holiday periods.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho via Mekong Delta

• Hotel pick-up in Ho Chi Minh City
• Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho
• Rowboat ride on the Tien River
• Taste seasonal fruits and listen to folk music
• Visit honey farm and coconut candy factory
• Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant
• Depart for Can Tho
• Hotel check-in in Can Tho
• Free time to explore Can Tho by night

Day 2 — Cai Rang Market and Return to Ho Chi Minh

• Visit Cai Rang Floating Market by boat
• See rice noodle-making process
• Return to hotel and check-out
• Visit a historic house
• Join cooking class and enjoy meal
• Cycle through village and meet locals
• Return to Ho Chi Minh City

The Experience

The tour starts at 7:30 AM from your hotel in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, heading south toward My Tho and the Mekong Delta. You'll visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, a Buddhist temple with distinctive architecture set in the heart of the region, then move into the working landscape of the delta itself. A rowboat takes you onto the Tien River where you see how the waterway shapes daily life—fruit orchards line the banks, and you taste seasonal fruits picked fresh. The honey farm and Ben Tre coconut candy factory show how locals process what the delta grows, and folk music plays while you're on the water. By 3:00 PM you're heading to Can Tho, arriving by 5:00 PM with the evening free to walk the city on your own.

Day two starts before dawn. You're on a motorboat heading to Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest in the delta, where vendors sell produce and goods directly from their boats. You'll watch rice noodle-making happen on the water, then return to your hotel to check out. A cooking class follows—you choose between Bánh Xèo (a crispy pancake) or Bánh Khọt (small savory cakes)—and you eat what you make. After lunch, a bicycle ride through the village lets you meet locals and see how the delta works away from the main markets. The return to Ho Chi Minh City happens around 2:00 PM, with drop-off at your hotel or a meeting point you choose.

The guide is English-speaking and with you both days. Transport includes an air-conditioned vehicle for the road sections and boats for the water. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day; dinner is on your own. The overnight accommodation depends on which package you select at checkout—options range from a 3-star hotel or homestay up to a 5-star property, and a single room can be added if you prefer not to share. During peak holiday periods (late April, early May, early September, late December, and early February), a surcharge applies to the hotel options and is paid on-site.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide for both days.
• hotel pickup from District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
• air-conditioned vehicle for road travel.
• rowboat and motorboat rides on the Tien River and to Cai Rang Floating Market.
• entrance fees to Vinh Trang Pagoda, honey farm and coconut candy factory.
• breakfast and lunch each day.
• one night accommodation (choice of 3-star, 4-star or 5-star).
• hands-on cooking class where you prepare and eat Bánh Xèo or Bánh Khọt.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SST TRAVEL

Is this one for you?Book the overnight option if you want to see the floating market at its busiest (dawn) and have time to cook and cycle through the village—a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City would cut the market visit short and skip the cooking class entirely. Choose the 3-star or homestay if you want to keep costs down; upgrade to 4-star or 5-star if you prefer more comfort after a full day of boat rides and activities.

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Top questions

What exactly happens at Cai Rang Floating Market and why is it worth the early start?

Cai Rang Floating Market is where vendors sell rice, produce and goods directly from boats on the water—it's the largest floating market in the delta and the activity peaks at dawn before the heat and crowds build. You'll see rice noodle-making happen on the boats and watch how the market operates as a working commercial center, not a tourist display.

Do I cook the entire meal myself in the cooking class, or is it a demonstration?

You make the dish yourself—either Bánh Xèo or Bánh Khọt, your choice—and then eat what you've cooked. It's a hands-on class, not a watch-and-learn setup.

What's included in the price and what do I need to pay for separately?

The tour includes hotel pickup from District 1, the guide, all boat trips, entrance fees, breakfast and lunch both days, and one night of accommodation. Dinner is not included, and tips are separate. If you book a 3-star, 4-star or 5-star hotel during peak holiday periods, a surcharge applies and you pay it on arrival.

How much time do I actually spend on the water versus on land?

Day one includes a rowboat ride and a cruise on the Tien River, plus visits to the pagoda and the factories—roughly half water, half land. Day two is mostly water in the morning at the floating market, then land-based (cooking class and village cycling) in the afternoon.

Can I choose which hotel I stay in, or does the price lock me into one option?

You choose your hotel at checkout—3-star or homestay, 4-star, or 5-star—and the price adjusts accordingly. You can also add a single room if you don't want to share.

Is this tour suitable for children, and are there any age restrictions?

Children are welcome from age 3. Pricing is based on height: under 1 meter is free, 1 to 1.4 meters is charged at the child rate, and 1.4 meters and above is the adult rate. Infants can sit on an adult's lap.