Mekong Delta Day Trip: My Tho, Ben Tre & Lunch Pickup

Summary

One day in the Mekong Delta with boat rides, food and music

You’ll taste honey wine on Unicorn Island, cruise past islands on motorboats through the Mekong Delta, watch coconut candy being made in Ben Tre, and share lunch with new friends while Southern folk music drifts through an orchard garden. This day trip from Ho Chi Minh City lets you slow down and feel life along the riverbanks—you might even find yourself thinking about it long after you’re home.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City

• Pick up at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
• Travel to My Tho by air-conditioned vehicle
• Motor excursion to Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix Islands
• Visit bee farm and taste honey and local wines
• Motor boat to Ben Tre coconut candy workshop
• Boat cruise along green canals
• Lunch at local restaurant in Ben Tre
• Sample tropical fruits and listen to traditional music
• Return to My Tho by local boat
• Bus back to Ho Chi Minh City with optional Vinh Trang pagoda stop

Top questions

How long is the Mekong Delta day trip from Ho Chi Minh City?

The tour lasts approximately one full day with pickup in the morning and return around 5:30pm.

Is hotel pickup included for this Mekong Delta tour?

Yes, pickup is included for hotels in central District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City.

What food is served for lunch during the tour?

A local set menu lunch is provided at a restaurant in Ben Tre province.

Do you visit both My Tho and Ben Tre on this day trip?

Yes, the itinerary includes stops in both My Tho and Ben Tre provinces.

Are drinks included during the tour?

You’ll get one bottle of mineral water per person plus tastings of honey tea and local wines.

Is there a guide who speaks English?

An English-speaking tour guide leads the group throughout the day.

Are there any physical requirements for this trip?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels but not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.

Will we see traditional music performances?

Yes, you’ll listen to Southern traditional music during fruit tasting at an orchard garden.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup from your hotel in central Ho Chi Minh City by air-conditioned bus or van, all boat rides between islands and along canals, entrance to workshops like the coconut candy factory and bee farm, tastings of honey tea and various local wines, plenty of tropical fruits at an orchard garden with live traditional music performance, mineral water for each guest, an English-speaking guide throughout—and a set menu lunch served in Ben Tre before heading back in the evening.

What’s the experience like?

“Try this—just a sip!” That’s what our guide, Minh, said as he handed me a tiny glass of honey wine on Unicorn Island. I’ll admit I was nervous (it smelled sweeter than I expected), but everyone else at our table was already laughing and swapping stories about their first taste. We’d left Ho Chi Minh City early that morning—traffic was humming, scooters everywhere—and after two hours watching rice paddies and roadside cafés blur by, the Mekong Delta finally opened up around us. The air felt heavier here, almost sticky with river mist.

The motorboat ride was louder than I thought it would be—kids waving from the banks, water hyacinths bumping against the hull. Minh pointed out Dragon Island and Turtle Island as we passed; honestly, I lost track of which was which because there were so many birds overhead and someone nearby started playing music on their phone. We stopped at a bee farm on Unicorn Island (yes, there were bees everywhere but they seemed chill), tasted banana wine that burned just a little going down, and then hopped back onto another boat toward Ben Tre. The coconut candy workshop smelled like melted sugar—sticky-sweet—and watching the workers shape each piece by hand made me realize how much patience goes into something you eat in two seconds.

Lunch was in a shaded garden in Ben Tre—rice, fish, vegetables I couldn’t name but really liked. There was this old man playing traditional Southern music while we ate; his voice kind of floated over everything. Afterward we tried tropical fruits straight from the orchard (the mangosteen was my favorite). On the way back to My Tho by boat, I sat next to Minh again and asked if he ever gets tired of this route. He just grinned and said every group is different—that’s what keeps it interesting for him.

We got back to Ho Chi Minh City around sunset. My shirt still smelled faintly like river water and honey wine. Sometimes when things get quiet at home now, I remember that slow drift through the canals—the sound of paddles in green water—and wonder how many people are having lunch under those trees right now.