The Mekong Delta tour from Phu My Port trades the city for river country — a full day among the waterways, fruit gardens, and coconut workshops of My Tho and Ben Tre.
The day is mostly boat rides and short walking stops at an easy pace, with lunch on an island and a close look at authentic Vietnamese life along the water.
The drive is long, about three hours each way, so this is a single shore excursion rather than a quick outing.
Pickup and return are set around your ship’s schedule, which keeps the distance from becoming a worry
Mekong Delta tour from Phu My port Itinerary
This Mekong delta shore excursion from Phu My Port runs about 11 to 12 hours door to door, with roughly six hours on the road and the rest on the water and in the villages.
The times below shift with traffic and your ship’s schedule.
07:00 — Pickup at Phu My Port
The tour guide picks you up at the port gate, a short walk from the ship, where your guide waits with a name sign.
The private, air-conditioned car then heads southwest toward My Tho City, the capital of Tien Giang province.
Tour guide holding a welcome sign for guests at Phu My Port
This first transfer takes about three hours, covering roughly 130 km past the southern edge of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and out into the rice paddies.
Phu My Port offers the easiest road access to the delta for cruise ship passengers with one day in port.
10:00 — Vinh Trang Pagoda
The first stop is Vinh Trang Pagoda, just outside the town. The temple dates to the 19th century and blends Khmer, Chinese, and French design in one complex, with large Buddha statues set among bonsai gardens.
A short visit here gives some Vietnamese culture and history before the river part of the day.
10:45 — Boat ride on the Tien River
At the My Tho pier, you step onto a traditional wooden boat for a cruise along the Tien River, a main branch of the Mekong River.
The route passes stilt houses, fishing boats, and small islands, with panoramic views of the water and time to sightsee while the guide explains daily local life.
This is the part most visitors picture when they think of a boat trip in Mekong country.
Happy travelers cruising the Mekong Delta’s Tien River in a traditional boat
Locals call this stretch the Nine Dragon River, after the nine mouths where the Mekong reaches the sea, and the brown, silt-heavy water is what feeds the orchards on every island.
11:00 — Unicorn Island (Con Lan)
Unicorn Island, known locally as Con Lan, is the first island stop. A local fruit orchard here serves seasonal tropical fruits, while a small group performs Southern Vietnam folk music and other traditional music.
Tourists enjoying honey tea and traditional folk music
The setting is built for tasting and listening rather than rushing. Snake fruit, longan, and rambutan are common on the plate, depending on the season.
11:45 — Coconut candy workshop and bee farm
Next on the island is a coconut candy workshop, a specialty of the delta.
Workers boil and cut the paste by hand, and you watch coconut candies made from scratch before sampling a few flavors.
Travelers learning about coconut products from a local artisan at a rustic workshop
A nearby bee farm serves honey tea and sells local products such as royal jelly and pollen.
12:15 — Rowing boat through the canals
A hand-rowed sampan carries small groups through the narrow canals under rows of nipa palms — the quietest stretch of the day, and the best moment for the tranquility of the creek.
Traditional Vietnamese sampan carrying tourists on a Mekong Delta tour from Phu My Port
The rowing boat glides along the shaded water, then drops you at a local’s house where you visit a family and explore rural villages on foot.
A rice-paper factory sits along the path, and the local people there show how each sheet is dried over a fire.
12:45 — Horse-cart ride
A horse-drawn cart then carries you along the dirt roads of a small commune.
Travelers seated in a horse-drawn carriage exploring a local village
The ride is short and bumpy, past fruit orchards and the simple daily life of this coconut-growing area.
13:15 — Lunch on the island
Lunch is served at a local restaurant on one of the islands. The set lunch features local specialties, often the local “elephant ear fish” rolled in rice paper with herbs, made from fresh local ingredients.
Happy traveler posing with a large shrimp dish and a fried ear elephant fish
Vegetarian dishes are available on request, and the stop is a calm break in the middle of the day.
The elephant ear fish is grilled whole on a stand, and the staff usually roll the first few rice-paper pieces for you.
14:30 — Ben Tre Province
After lunch, the boat crosses to Ben Tre, the province known as the Land of Coconuts.
A handicraft village here makes bowls, mats, and souvenirs from coconut wood and palm leaves, a clear look at local culture, local traditions, and everyday village life.
Travelers sampling and buying coconut candies and local goods at a shop
Coconut shapes the whole economy here, candy, oil, fibre, charcoal, timber all come from the palm, workers split, dry and weave within a few steps of each other. The boat then returns you to the My Tho pier for the road back.
15:30 — Transfer back to the port
The drive back to Phu My Port takes about three to three and a half hours, with a short rest stop on the way.
Your guide tracks the time against your ship’s schedule, so the car reaches the port with a clear buffer rather than a rush.
17:30 — Drop-off at the port
Drop-off is at the port gate, near your ship, at around 18:30. End of the Mekong Delta tour from Phu My port.
Price Table
Code tour
MKP1D
Journey
Mekong Delta day tour from Phu My port
Group Size
1 – 2
3 – 5
5 – 7
7 – 9
10+
Tour Cost (USD)/pax
✓Inclusion: A/C car transport, English-speaking tour guide, Bottled water (1 bottle/pax/day), Entrance fees, Taxes, Lunch.
✓Exclusion: Flights, accommodation, personal expenses, tip, travel insurance and other service not clear mention.
