Vietnam » Southern Vietnam » Ho Chi Minh City | 🏛 Ho Chi Minh River Cruise

Mekong Delta Day Tour: My Tho, Ben Tre & Sampan Ride

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.82 (353 reviews) 89% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/21

Duration8h

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

From Ho Chi Minh to the Mekong’s quiet canals and coconut sweets

You’ll leave Ho Chi Minh City behind for a day of coconut-scented air, slow boat rides through palm canals, and shared laughter over Mekong specialties like elephant ear fish. With local guides leading you through workshops and riverside villages, you’ll get close to real Delta life — not just watch it float by.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up from hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
Drive to My Tho (1.5-2 hours)
Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda
Boat trip along the Tien River
Visit coconut workshop in Ben Tre
Rowing boat ride through canals
Enjoy tropical fruits and folk music
Lunch at riverside restaurant
Bicycle ride or walk in village
Return to My Tho by boat
Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City
Drop off at hotel and end tour

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the sweet, almost grassy smell drifting from the coconut workshop in Ben Tre. Our guide, Hanh, handed me a piece of warm candy right off the press — I’ll be honest, it stuck to my teeth but tasted like nothing I’d had before. The drive from Ho Chi Minh City felt long at first (maybe because I skipped breakfast), but when we stopped at Vinh Trang Pagoda with its mix of bright colors and giant Buddha statues, I forgot about being tired. There were locals lighting incense and laughing softly with each other — not for show, just living their day.

We boarded a wooden boat in My Tho and drifted past floating fish farms and those legendary islets — Dragon, Turtle, Unicorn, Phoenix. Hanh pointed out how each one’s got its own story (I only half-remember them now). The air was thick but breezy on the water; you could hear kids calling from shore and see fishermen mending nets. At some point we switched to tiny sampans — low enough that your hand could skim the water if you wanted. The palm trees made this green tunnel overhead. It was quiet except for the splash of oars and once, someone’s ringtone playing “Gangnam Style” (not kidding).

Lunch was at a riverside place — elephant ear fish arrived looking almost prehistoric on the plate. We wrapped it up with rice paper and herbs; honestly, I still think about that taste sometimes. There was folk music too — Đờn Ca Tài Tử — played by locals who didn’t seem to mind us fumbling with chopsticks or asking questions about honey wine. Afterward we biked through a village lane where old women waved from their porches and a dog barked at our group like he owned the road. The sun got heavy but no one rushed us back to the bus.

I didn’t expect to feel so far from city life in just a few hours — or to remember small things like how cool the tiles felt under my feet at Vinh Trang Pagoda or how everyone seemed to know each other along the riverbanks. It wasn’t perfect (I spilled coconut water on my shirt), but maybe that’s why it sticks with me.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Ho Chi Minh City in an air-conditioned vehicle.
all boat trips including rowing sampan.
entry to Vinh Trang Pagoda.
an English-speaking guide.
visits to coconut candy workshops plus fruit tasting with traditional folk music.
choice of cycling or walking through village lanes.
a full Vietnamese lunch (vegetarian available).
drinking water and even a fresh coconut along the way before returning by late afternoon.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Hana Tourist Vietnam