Mekong Delta Boat Tour: Row Sampans, Cook Khot Cakes Ho Chi Minh City
Row a sampan under coconut trees, then cook Vietnamese pancakes with a local chef.
A full-day Mekong Delta boat tour from Ho Chi Minh City combines motorboat travel through islands and canals with hands-on activities: you row a sampan, cook khot cakes with instruction, visit a honey farm and coconut candy workshop, and eat Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant. Pickup from central Ho Chi Minh City hotels and an English-speaking guide are included. The tour runs about nine hours and returns by late afternoon.
Options for this experience
4 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Mekong Delta boat and local village visit
- Depart 8AM from Kim Travel office
- Travel 2 hours to My Tho
- Ride motorboat through Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle Islands
- Visit Unicorn Island honey farm
- Taste honey, rice, and banana wine
- Walk village and row coconut canal
- Visit coconut candy workshop in Ben Tre
- Travel small motorboat along green canals
- Have lunch at local Vietnamese restaurant
- Enjoy tropical fruits at orchard garden
- Listen to traditional folk music
- Return by boat to My Tho
- Bus back to Ho Chi Minh City
- Optional visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda
- My Tho 5h
- Vinh Tràng Pagoda Entry included 30m
What’s included
- Pickup from central Ho Chi Minh City hotels (Districts 1, 3, 4).
- khot cake cooking with a local chef.
- sampan rowing along coconut canals.
- motorboat travel through Dragon Island, Phoenix Island, Turtle Island and Unicorn Island.
- honey farm visit with tastings of honey wine, rice wine and banana wine.
- coconut candy workshop.
- tuk tuk or electric car ride through the coconut village.
- cycling around the coconut garden.
- Vietnamese lunch with set menu (vegan available).
- tropical fruit tasting.
- traditional music performance.
- wheat cake, honey tea, coconut candy, mineral water and wet tissues.
- English-speaking guide.
- travel insurance.
- return to Ho Chi Minh City by late afternoon.
Times
- Every day 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00
Before you book
Operated by KIM TRAVEL
Prices and times updated yesterday
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The experience
The day starts with a two-hour minivan ride from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho, where you board a motorboat to cruise Dragon Island, Phoenix Island and Turtle Island. At Unicorn Island you walk through a natural beekeeping farm, taste honey wine and rice wine, then row a sampan along narrow coconut canals under the green canopy of water coconut trees. This is where the pace drops and the labyrinthine network of the Delta opens up. The motorboat then carries you into Ben Tre province to a handmade coconut candy workshop, where you see how the sweets are made by hand.
The cooking happens next: you work with a local chef to make khot cakes, the Vietnamese mini savory pancakes, learning the technique before eating what you've made. Lunch follows at a local restaurant with a set menu of traditional Vietnamese dishes (vegan options available), and you'll taste tropical fruits from a nearby orchard garden. A traditional music performance rounds out the afternoon before the motorboat takes you back to My Tho and the bus returns you to central Ho Chi Minh City by around 4:30 to 5:00 PM.
The tour includes an experienced English-speaking guide, all transport by air-conditioned minivan and motorboat, travel insurance, and pickup from hotels in Districts 1, 3 or 4. Children under five ride free. All ages are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Four purchase options are available: a join-in tour with up to 25 people, a small group capped at 12, a luxury group option, or a private tour for your party alone. The luxury option adds a visit to Vinh Trang Pagoda, an ancient 19th-century architectural site.
Is this one for you?Choose the small group or private option if you want a slower pace and more time at each stop. The join-in tour with up to 25 people moves faster through the same sites. Add the luxury group option if Vinh Trang Pagoda matters to your visit. It's not on the standard itinerary.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 4 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 exactly is khot cake cooking, and do I need any cooking experience?
Khot cakes are Vietnamese mini savory pancakes, and you make them with a local chef as part of the tour: no prior cooking experience is needed. The chef teaches you the technique, and you cook and eat what you've prepared.
Will I actually row the sampan myself, or just ride in one?
You row the sampan yourself along the small coconut canals under the water coconut trees. It's one of the hands-on moments that sets this tour apart from a motorboat-only experience.
What's included in the Vietnamese lunch?
Lunch is a set menu of traditional Vietnamese cuisine served at a local restaurant in the Delta. Vegan food is available if you request it when booking.
How long is the drive from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta?
The minivan ride to My Tho takes about two hours from Ho Chi Minh City, and you arrive around 10:00 AM. The return journey is also roughly two hours, with the bus dropping you back in central Ho Chi Minh City by 4:30 to 5:00 PM.
Can I visit Vinh Trang Pagoda on this tour?
Vinh Trang Pagoda, an ancient 19th-century architectural site, is included as an add-on with the luxury group option. It is not part of the standard join-in or small-group tours.
What's the difference between the join-in tour, small group and private options?
The join-in tour runs with up to 25 people. The small group is capped at 12 travelers. A private tour is for your group alone. All follow the same itinerary and include the same activities, guide and meals. The choice is about group size and the luxury option's pagoda visit.
Mekong Delta Boat Tour: Row Sampans, Cook Khot Cakes Ho Chi Minh City
9h · EN
from US$ 16.10 per person
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