Mekong Delta My Tho & Ben Tre Tour: 3 boats, honey, cooking class

Three boat rides, a pagoda, honey tasting, and you make Vietnamese pancakes for lunch

This full-day guided tour of the Mekong Delta takes you from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Ben Tre, combining three separate boat journeys with cultural stops at Vinh Trang Pagoda, a local fruit and honey farm, and a coconut candy workshop. The tour includes a 5-course Southern Vietnamese lunch where you cook banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes) yourself, plus tastings of local honey, fresh fruit, and coconut juice. Hotel pickup is included. The guide speaks English. Return to the city by late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Vinh Tràng Pagoda30m
2. My Tho1h 30m

Mekong Delta day tour from Saigon

• Pick up guests in city center
• Travel to Mekong Delta
• Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda
• Boat cruise to Unicorn Island
• Rowing boat ride in coconut canal
• Visit floating fishing farm
• Explore Ben Tre and coconut candy making
• Lunch and Banh Xeo cooking class
• Optional bicycle ride or relax in hammock
• Boat ride back to station
• Return to Saigon

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel in Districts 1 or 4, then a drive to My Tho where you'll visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, a 100-year-old Buddhist temple set on 2 hectares of gardens. The architecture blends Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian styles, with a main sanctuary decorated in colorful Buddha statues and dragon-shaped roof ornaments. From there, you board the first of three boats for a cruise on the Mekong River toward Ben Tre.

Your first stop is Unicorn Island, where you'll taste local honey straight from the hive and learn how bees produce it. You'll walk through fruit orchards, listen to traditional Southern Vietnamese music, then take a rowing boat through a narrow water coconut canal: the quietest stretch of the day, designed to let you absorb the landscape without engine noise. A second boat takes you to a floating fishing farm where you can watch the local fishing community at work.

In Ben Tre, known as the "kingdom of coconut," you'll visit a local home workshop to see coconut candy being made, then sit down for your 5-course Southern Vietnamese lunch. The meal is not passive: you'll make your own banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese pancakes) as part of a short cooking session. Afterward, you can choose to explore the village by bicycle or rest in a hammock. At 2:30 PM, a third boat ride takes you back to the station for the return drive to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving around 4:30–5:00 PM.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup from Districts 1 and 4.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the drive to and from the Mekong Delta.
• three separate boat rides (Mekong River cruise, water coconut canal rowing boat, return boat from Ben Tre).
• entry to Vinh Trang Pagoda.
• honey tasting and farm visit on Unicorn Island.
• coconut candy workshop in Ben Tre.
• 5-course Southern Vietnamese lunch with banh xeo cooking participation.
• fresh fruit and coconut juice.
• one bottle of water per guest.
• live English-speaking guide.
• all fees and taxes.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private tourGuide in English · 6 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 10:00Pickup is included

Premier group, maximum 10 passengersGuide in English · 07:00 and 07:30Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 10:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (18 to 59 years) · Senior (60 and older) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree 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.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Joy Journeys

Is this one for you?Book the private tour if your group wants to set the pace and skip the group schedule. The Premier Group option works well if you're traveling solo or with one other person and don't mind sharing the day with up to 10 others. Either way, the cooking class and three boat rides are the same. The difference is just who's in the vehicle and how much flexibility you have on timing.

Traveler reviews

4.90★★★★★★★★★★

261 verified traveler reviews

5 ★241

4 ★15

3 ★4

2 ★0

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (under 3): 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's included in the lunch on this Mekong Delta tour?

The lunch is a 5-course Southern Vietnamese set menu, and you participate in making banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes) as part of the meal. Water, fresh fruit, and coconut juice are also provided throughout the day.

How many boats will I be on during this tour?

You'll take three separate boats: a cruise on the Mekong River from My Tho to Ben Tre, a rowing boat through the water coconut canal on Unicorn Island, and a return boat from Ben Tre back to the station.

What is Vinh Trang Pagoda like?

Vinh Trang Pagoda is a 100-year-old Buddhist temple in My Tho set on 2 hectares of gardens and green trees. The architecture combines Vietnamese, Chinese, and Cambodian styles, with a large sanctuary decorated with colorful Buddha statues and dragon-shaped roof ornaments.

Can I choose what to do in Ben Tre, or is the schedule fixed?

After lunch in Ben Tre, you can choose to explore the village by bicycle or relax in a hammock. The boat departure at 2:30 PM is fixed so the return to Ho Chi Minh City stays on schedule.

Is this tour private, or will I be with other travelers?

You can book a private tour for your group, or join the Premier Group option with a maximum of 10 people. Both include the same itinerary, guide, and inclusions.

What time does the tour end and how do I get back to my hotel?

The return boat departs Ben Tre at 2:30 PM, and you'll arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City around 4:30–5:00 PM. The air-conditioned vehicle that picked you up in the morning will return you to your hotel.