Mekong Delta Day Trip from Ho Chi Minh City: Sampan & Bike Tour

Sampan, Bicycle & Floating Village: A Full Day in the Mekong Delta

You travel two hours south to My Tho, then spend the day on a motorized sampan, a rowing boat through narrow canals, and a bicycle through rural island gardens. Lunch with a local family includes watching banh khot being made, and you visit working farms, craft workshops, and cottage industries before returning to Ho Chi Minh City in the late afternoon. All transport, entry fees, meals and a guide are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. My Tho2h
2. Mekong Delta2h

Mekong Delta boat and bike tour

• Drive from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho
• Board motorized sampan on Mekong River
• Cruise around Tan My and Thoi Son Islands
• Disembark at floating fish farm
• Interact with fishermen and learn fishing
• Row boat along small canals
• Cycle through fruit gardens on island
• Visit family to learn mushroom farming
• Enjoy lunch with Mekong delicacies
• Watch demonstration of making banh khot
• Cycle to see cottage industries and crafts
• Re-board motorized boat to return mainland
• Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City

The experience

A wooden sampan pushes off from the dock, and within minutes the city noise falls away. That's the motorized boat carrying you across the Mekong River toward Tan My and Thoi Son Islands, where floating fish farms and houseboats have sat anchored for decades. The two-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho is part of the rhythm. You watch the landscape flatten and green as you leave the urban sprawl behind. Your guide talks through the window, pointing out where the delta begins to sprawl, and then you're stepping onto the wooden sampan that will be your main transport for the morning.

After an hour on the motorized boat, you switch to a rowing boat for the canals. This is where the Mekong Delta day trip shifts into something quieter. The water coconut trees shade the narrow waterways, and you're moving slow enough to hear the sound of oars in the water. You stop at a floating farm to talk with fishermen about how they've worked these waters, then it's onto a bicycle to pedal through the island's interior. The roads are narrow and peaceful, lined with hectares of gardens growing grapefruits, coconuts, bananas, durian, jack fruits, longans: the kind of agricultural patchwork you can't see from the main highway. You'll pass a family's mushroom farm, stop to watch, and get a sense of how the work actually happens here, not as a performance but as the daily rhythm of the place.

Lunch happens at a family's garden, and this is where the tour includes something most visitors don't get to see: the hostess making banh khot, those Vietnamese savory mini pancakes, right in front of you. You eat what she's made, tasting the local flavors of the delta, and then you're back on the bicycle exploring the backstreets. A home-made moonshine operation that's been running for three generations, a bee farm with old farming tools scattered around, a craft weaver showing you straw hats and water hyacinth baskets. These aren't museum stops, they're working spaces where people are actually doing the thing. The guide translates, answers questions, and keeps the pace steady enough that you're not rushing through it.

By mid-afternoon, you're back on the motorized sampan heading toward the mainland. The return drive to Ho Chi Minh City takes another two hours, and you arrive in the late afternoon. The whole day runs from early morning pickup to evening drop-off, which is why the itinerary works. It's long enough to actually move through the delta instead of just glimpsing it. Bring sunscreen, wear moisture-wicking fabric (the humidity is real), and make sure to tell the operator your height when you book so the bike sizing is right.

What’s included

All entry fees to attractions and farms, bottled water throughout the day, lunch with local dishes at a family garden, bicycle use with proper sizing, motorized boat trip across the Mekong River, rowing boat trip through small canals, return transfer from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and back, and an English-speaking guide for the entire tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.Operator's directions: “Our tour guide will be waiting for you at Saigon Opera House: 07 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1. Please kindly arrive to the meeting point 15 minutes before the starting time.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Discova Vietnam

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to move through the Mekong Delta beyond the main tourist stops. The full day is what makes visiting floating farms, cycling quiet island roads, and stopping at working cottage industries possible without feeling rushed. Plan for an early start and a late afternoon return. The length is what lets you actually spend time in each place instead of just passing through.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

How long is the drive from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho?

About two hours each way. The drive is part of the tour, and you return to the city in the late afternoon.

What boats are used on the Mekong Delta day trip?

A motorized wooden sampan for the main river crossing, then a rowing boat for the smaller canals shaded by water coconut trees.

Is lunch included?

Yes. You eat at a family's garden with local Mekong delicacies, and you watch the hostess make banh khot (Vietnamese savory mini pancakes).

Do I need to bring my own bicycle?

No. Bicycles are provided and sized to your height, which you must specify when booking.

What cottage industries do you visit?

A mushroom farm, a home-made moonshine operation, a bee farm, and a craft weaver who makes straw hats and water hyacinth baskets.

Is this tour suitable for pregnant travelers?

No, it is not recommended for pregnant travelers.

What should I wear?

Comfortable clothes suitable for biking, with proper footwear (not flip-flops or loose sandals). Moisture-wicking or quick-dry fabric is advised due to humidity. Avoid light-colored or expensive clothes, as they can get dirty during the activities.

Is an English-speaking guide included?

Yes. An English-speaking guide is included for the full day.