Mekong Delta day trip from Saigon: Sampan ride and four islets
Row through mangrove creeks instead of watching from a boat
A full-day tour from Saigon to the Mekong Delta with hotel pickup, combining a motorboat cruise on the Tien River past four islets with a rowing boat through shaded mangrove canals. You visit a honey bee farm for tea and tropical fruits, watch coconut candy being made by hand, hear traditional folk music, and tour Vinh Trang Pagoda (the largest and oldest pagoda in southern Vietnam) before returning by early evening.
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3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Mekong Delta Day Trip from Saigon
- Pick up at hotel in Saigon
- Drive to Mekong Delta port
- Cruise on Tien River to see four islets
- Visit honey bee farm and taste honey tea
- Enjoy tropical fruits and folk music
- Visit coconut candy workshop
- Rowing boat through mangrove palm canal
- Visit Vinh Trang pagoda
- Return to Saigon and end tour
- Ho Chi Minh City passing by
- My Tho 2h
- My Tho 1h
- Vinh Tràng Pagoda 30m
- Ho Chi Minh City passing by
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Saigon.
- transportation by motorboat, rowing boat, and horse riding.
- fresh tropical fruits and honey tea.
- bottled water and local tea.
- a main meal at a local restaurant.
- an English-speaking tour guide (other languages available).
- entrance to Vinh Trang Pagoda.
- Every day 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00
Information
Escape Saigon for a full day in the Mekong Delta: cruise past four mythical islets, paddle through mangrove creeks by rowing boat.
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The experience
The drive from Saigon takes around two hours, then the day splits between two kinds of water. A motorboat cruise on the Tien River shows you four islets, each named for a mythical animal in Southeast Asian tradition. The rowing boat comes after: you paddle through a maze of mangrove palm canals where the water narrows and the noise of the city disappears. Between the two, you stop at a honey bee farm to taste honey tea with lemon and eat whatever tropical fruits are in season: mango, dragon fruit, papaya depending on the month.
The coconut candy workshop is where you see how the sweets are actually made, by hand, using methods locals have refined for generations. Ben Tre calls itself the coconut kingdom, and that's not marketing: coconut appears in the candy, in the tea, in how people have shaped the economy here. While you're there, you'll hear "Don Ca Tai Tu," a genre of traditional folk music that is a spiritual and cultural fixture in Mekong Delta life. Lunch comes at a local restaurant and centers on Mekong delicacies: fish, shrimp, and vegetables grown in the delta's rich soil.
Vinh Trang Pagoda, the final stop, is the biggest and oldest ancient pagoda in southern Vietnam. The tour wraps around 5pm, and you're back in Saigon by early evening. The whole day runs seven to eight hours from pickup to drop-off, and the guide speaks English (other languages available on request).
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Chinese and Japanese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (1 to 3 years): 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 are the four islets on the Tien River cruise, and what makes them special?
The four islets are named for mythical animals in Southeast Asian tradition. The motorboat cruise passes all four as part of the morning on the water, showing you the landscape and islands that define this stretch of the Mekong.
Do I paddle the rowing boat myself, or does someone else row?
You paddle yourself through the mangrove palm canals. The rowing boat is the hands-on part of the day. You're the one moving through the shaded creeks, not watching from a motorboat.
What is Don Ca Tai Tu, and when do I hear it?
Don Ca Tai Tu is a genre of traditional folk music that is an indispensable spiritual and cultural activity in Mekong Delta life. You'll hear it played during your visit to the coconut candy workshop and the honey bee farm.
What kind of lunch is included, and where do we eat?
Lunch is a main meal at a local restaurant featuring Mekong delicacies, typically fish, shrimp, and vegetables grown in the delta. It's included in the tour price and served after the morning stops.
How far is Vinh Trang Pagoda from the other stops, and how long do we spend there?
Vinh Trang Pagoda is the final stop before heading back to Saigon. It's the largest and oldest ancient pagoda in southern Vietnam, and the itinerary includes a visit there before the return drive, which finishes around 5pm.
Operated by VN Bike Tour. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 2 days ago
Mekong Delta day trip from Saigon: Sampan ride and four islets
7h–8h · EN · ES · FR · DE · IT +3 · at your hotel
from US$ 30 per person
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