Ho Chi Minh City: Mekong Delta Tuk Tuk, Boat & Bike Tour

A Local Rower's Route Through the Mekong: Boats, Coconut Canals & Fruit Islands

You're picked up from your Ho Chi Minh City hotel and driven to the Mekong Delta, where you spend the day rowing through coconut-shaded canals, visiting Vinh Trang Pagoda, tasting tropical fruits and honey tea on the water, and eating a Vietnamese lunch on Tortoise Islet. Hotel drop-off is included, so you don't arrange transport or timing yourself. The guide handles the route and the schedule fits the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Mekong Delta boat tour and pagoda visit

• Hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City
• Travel to My Tho City by minivan
• Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda
• Boat trip along the Tien River to Tortoise Islet
• Cruise Bao Dinh Canal to Ben Tre Province
• Learn about Garden-Pond-Cage agriculture
• Taste local coconut candy and honey tea
• Relax on wooden river boat through shaded canals

The experience

"You come early, the river is still sleeping," our guide said as the minivan pulled out of Ho Chi Minh City just after dawn. That's the thing about a full-day Mekong Delta tour. It starts before the heat settles in, which means you actually see the water the way locals do: quiet, lined with stilt houses, the air still cool enough to breathe. The drive from the city takes about ninety minutes, and somewhere around the halfway point, the concrete gives way to rice fields that stretch flat and green in every direction. You stop first at Vinh Trang Pagoda, the largest in the delta, where the air smells like incense and the courtyards are lined with stone statues worn smooth by decades of footsteps.

Then you get into the wooden rowing boat. This is the part that stays with you, not because it's dramatic, but because it's exactly what it sounds like. A local rower poles you through the Bao Dinh Canal, where the water is shaded by water-coconut trees so thick you can barely see the sky. You pass boat-building workshops where men are still hammering hulls together the way they have for generations, and vendors selling everything from honey tea to coconut candy from small wooden stalls. The boat moves slowly enough that you can actually talk to people, watch the houses on stilts, notice the details. You eat seasonal tropical fruits while sitting in the shade of the canopy (mango, papaya, whatever's ripe that week), and drink honey tea that tastes nothing like what you'd make at home. It's sweet and herbal and served in a small glass while you're floating.

After the canal, you row across the Tien River to Qui Islet, also called Tortoise Islet, where there's a small garden and more fruit trees. The pace here is deliberate. You're not rushing between photo stops. You're moving through the landscape the way it actually moves. Lunch happens later, back on solid ground (Vietnamese food, with a vegan option if you need it), and by then you've been on the water long enough that sitting at a table feels strange. The whole day runs about eight to nine hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, which sounds long until you realize how much ground you've covered without ever feeling rushed.

The minivan back to Ho Chi Minh City gives you time to sit quiet and watch the rice fields turn back into suburbs. You'll have a cool towel, bottled water, and the kind of tired that comes from being outside all day without fighting the sun.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Ho Chi Minh City, air-conditioned minivan or bus transport to the Mekong Delta, a wooden rowing boat through the canals, entry to Vinh Trang Pagoda, a Vietnamese lunch with a vegan option, seasonal tropical fruits, honey tea and coconut candy tasted on the water, bottled water throughout the day, an English-speaking guide, and a cool towel.

Options for this experience

5 options

Shared bus, up to twenty-five travelersGuide in English · 07:00

Luxury bus, groups up to sixteen, pickup includedGuide in English · 07:00

Luxury van, groups up to twelveGuide in English · 07:00Ride in a clean, air-conditioned van with pickup included.

See 2 more options

VIP limousine, groups up to nineGuide in English · 07:00

Private tour, just your groupGuide in English · 07:00A private tour with pickup included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

AgesAdult (15 to 80 years) · Child (2 to 14 years)

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Vietnam Travel Group Co., LTD

Is this one for you?Book this if you have one day in Ho Chi Minh City and want to see the Mekong Delta without arranging your own transport, timing the stops, or figuring out which islands are worth the detour: the fixed itinerary and included lunch mean you spend the day on the water instead of planning it.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 14 years).

How long is the full Mekong Delta tour?

Approximately 8 to 9 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, including travel time to and from Ho Chi Minh City.

What's included in the tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, minivan or bus transport, boat ride through the delta, entry to Vinh Trang Pagoda, Vietnamese lunch (vegan option available), tropical fruits, honey tea, coconut candy, bottled water, English-speaking guide, and a cool towel.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the Mekong Delta?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, so you don't need to book a separate transfer.

What kind of boat is used?

A traditional wooden rowing boat that poles through the canals. It's shaded and moves slowly enough to see the riverside villages and workshops.

Is the tour suitable for people with limited fitness?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though it's not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health. Most of the day is spent sitting in boats or on transport.

Can I get a vegan lunch?

Yes, a vegan option is available. Let the operator know when you book.

What time does the tour start?

Hotel pickup happens early in the morning, before the heat of the day. Exact pickup time is confirmed when you book.

Are there infant seats available?

Yes, specialized infant seats are available on request.