Mekong Delta Day Trip from Ho Chi Minh City: Ben Tre Boat Tour
Brick kilns, coconut workshops, and a rowing boat through palm-shaded waterways
A small-group or private day trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre, the Mekong Delta's coconut kingdom, combines boat travel on the river with stops at working villages (a brick kiln, coconut charcoal and fiber workshops, a mat-weaving village), and a canoe ride through narrow creeks lined with palms. Lunch at a riverside restaurant and a visit to Ben Tre's local market round out the nine-hour itinerary.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Explore Mekong Delta and Ben Tre
- Depart from Saigon to Ben Tre
- Board private boat on Mekong River
- Visit local brick kiln
- Learn coconut charcoal and fiber processing
- Visit coconut candy workshop
- Taste fresh fruits at local orchard
- Cruise creek with coconut and nipa palms
- Visit mat-weaving village
- Ride xe-lôi or bicycle to riverside restaurant
- Enjoy lunch with local delicacies
- Rowing boat trip along canals
- Visit Ben Tre Local Market
- Return to Saigon
What’s included
- Private boat trip on the Mekong River and a rowing canoe through palm-shaded creeks.
- bicycle or motorized xe-lôi rickshaw ride to the mat-weaving village.
- lunch at a riverside restaurant with local dishes.
- one bottle of water per person.
- English-speaking guide.
- transport by air-conditioned minivan.
- hotel pickup and drop-off at selected hotels.
Times
- Every day 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00
Before you book
Operated by Ginkgo Voyage
Prices and times updated 4 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The day starts with a drive from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre, where you board a private boat for the main event: a morning on the Mekong River. Your first stop is a working brick kiln where you watch clay being shaped and fired, then move on to coconut processing: charcoal production, fiber workshops, and a candy-making operation where you taste freshly made sweets. Between villages, the boat meanders through creeks so narrow and overhung with coconut and nipa palms that the water disappears under shade.
After the boat leg, you switch to either a bicycle or a motorized xe-lôi (three-wheeled rickshaw) to reach a mat-weaving village, where weavers show you how they make the traditional sleeping mats locals have used for generations. The route passes through everyday village life, not a tourist zone, but the actual landscape where people live and work. Lunch happens at a riverside restaurant with local dishes, then you return to the boat for a rowing canoe trip along the quieter canals before the drive back includes a stop at Ben Tre's local market.
The itinerary packs a lot of movement (boat, bike or rickshaw, canoe, market), so the day has rhythm rather than depth at any one place. You're not spending hours at a single site. Instead, you're sampling how the delta actually works: how things are made, how people travel, what the waterways look like when you're on them instead of driving past.
Is this one for you?Choose the small-group option if you want to meet other travelers and keep costs down, or book the private tour if your group prefers to move at its own pace and skip the shared schedule. Either way, the nine-hour day suits anyone comfortable with frequent changes of transport (boat, bike or rickshaw, canoe, minivan), and ready to spend time in working villages rather than polished tourist sites.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.
What exactly happens at the coconut workshops in Ben Tre?
The coconut workshops show three stages of processing: charcoal production from coconut shells, fiber extraction for rope and matting, and a candy-making operation where you can taste freshly made coconut sweets. Each stop is a working village, not a demonstration built for tourists.
How much time do I spend on the water versus on land?
The morning centers on the private boat trip through the Mekong and its creeks, which takes up the bulk of the early hours. After lunch, you take a second boat ride. This time a rowing canoe through narrower palm-lined waterways. The land portions include the rickshaw or bicycle ride to the mat-weaving village and the market visit at the end.
Do I need to arrange my own transport to the meeting point?
Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for selected hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, so you don't need to arrange transport yourself if your accommodation is on the pickup list. Public transportation options are available nearby if your hotel is not included.
Mekong Delta Day Trip from Ho Chi Minh City: Ben Tre Boat Tour
9h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 71 per person
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