This Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City is a full day private trip to My Tho and Ben Tre, covering the main waterways and islands of the Tien River delta.
Mekong delta tour full day visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, My Tho pier, Thoi Son Island, Tan Thach Creek, and the towns of Ben Tre by motorboat, rowing boat, Viet Nhat eco-tourism area and horse-drawn carriage
Mekong Delta tour a day itinerary
07:30: Pickup in central Saigon
The Vietnam Trails Travel’ tour guide meets you at your hotel for the transfer to Mekong delta tour (My Tho & Ben Tre)
The drive covers roughly 70 kilometers via the Trung Luong Expressway and takes about 1.5 hours, depending on morning traffic leaving the city.
09:00 am: Visit the Vinh Trang Pagoda
Vinh Trang Pagoda features unique, ancient architectural and artistic relics dating back to the 19th century.
The pagoda was built around 1849, starting out as just a small shrine. Its largest restoration took place in 1930
Eastern styles and Western influences blend strongly into its architecture, creating a work of great cultural and design value.
A family taking a photo in front of Vinh Trang Pagoda
When you visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, you will be amazed by the Buddha figures that were carefully and creatively carved by master craftsmen.
10:00: My Tho Tourist Pier
You arrive at My Tho Tourist Pier at 01 Hoang Sa Street, Ward 4, My Tho City, the main departure point for Mekong Delta boat tours in Tien Giang province.
Here, you board a motorboat for the first leg of the water journey.
10:15: Boat cruise on the Tien River
The motorboat heads out onto the Tien River, one of the main branches of the Mekong River.
A male tourist sits on a boat traveling along the Tien River
The route passes the four well-known islands of the delta: Long, Lan, Qui, and Phung, visible from the water as the boat moves downstream.
Along the way, the boat passes rows of fish farm rafts anchored mid-river and a clear view of Rach Mieu Bridge, which connects Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces.
10:45: Thoi Son Island
The first landing is Thoi Son Island, the largest of the four delta islands near My Tho.
You walk along shaded village paths, passing through a working fruit orchard where seasonal tropical fruits are available to sample, a common feature of family farms across southern Vietnam.
A group of guests enjoying fruit and listening to “Đờn ca tài tử” music
A short performance of Southern Vietnamese folk music, the traditional “don ca tai tu” style which is staged at a local house, featuring string instruments and vocals typical of the Mekong Delta region.
11h00: Rowing boat through the creek and bee farm
From Thoi Son, you switch to a small rowing boat for a slow trip through a narrow waterway lined with water coconut palms on both banks.
Two tourists visiting a bee and a python farm.
The creek leads to a local bee farm, where staff walk you through the hive-keeping process.
Tourists experience traveling by boat through the canals of Ben Tre
Honey tea and banana rice wine are offered for tasting at the farm, both made on site using local ingredients.
Tan Thach Creek, Ben Tre
The motorboat continues downstream to Tan Thach Creek in Ben Tre province, known as the Land of Coconuts.
The first stop here is a working coconut candy factory, a local specialty where the full production process, from cracking raw coconuts to wrapping the finished sweets, runs continuously throughout the day.
Tourists observing the process of making coconut-based products
Next door, a traditional handicraft village produces items carved from local wood and woven from dried palm leaves, a craft passed down through several generations in this part of Vietnam and a good example of traditional Vietnamese rural industry.
Tan Thach Creek by motorboat
A short motorboat ride along Tan Thach Creek gives you a closer look at daily life along the canal banks, small wooden houses on stilts, fishing boats moored at the water’s edge and local people going about their morning routines.
The creek is narrower than the main river and moves at a slower pace which gives a different perspective on Mekong Delta life compared to the open-water crossing earlier in the day.
12h30: Lunch at Viet Nhat Eco-Restaurant
Lunch is served at Viet Nhat Eco-Restaurant, an open-air venue set on the riverbank.
The menu features Mekong Delta specialties, typically including elephant ear fish, steamed rice, seasonal vegetables, and river prawn dishes.
Tourists enjoy a lunch of local specialties at a local restaurant.
The restaurant grounds include a crocodile farm, porcupine enclosure, frog pen and snake habitat, all open for visitors to view after lunch.
Hammocks are available for a short rest and bicycles are free to borrow for a ride through the fruit gardens, coconut groves and rice paddies that surround the property.
Tourists cycling to visit fruit orchards and local villages.
14:00: Horse-drawn carriage ride through the village
After lunch, you board a carriage for a ride along the rural roads of the local commune.
The route passes through coconut plantations and small family farms, with locals working in the gardens alongside the road.
15:30: Return boat to My Tho pier
The motorboat carries you back upstream to the pier. The crossing takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on river conditions.
The car heads back south. Under normal traffic conditions, the journey takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, arriving in your hotel.
18:00: Drop-off at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City
The driver drops you back at their hotel in the city center at 18:00 – 18:30, depending on the traffic.
This Mekong Delta private tour 1 day from Ho Chi Minh City runs with a dedicated guide and driver, the standard setup for independent travelers exploring Vietnam’s delta region on a full day out.
Note: The tour schedule and pickup times may be adjusted to fit your schedule. Timing above is based on a standard 1 day Mekong Delta trip. Final confirmation is provided after booking.
Travel Tips
What to wear & bring: Please wear lightweight clothing and bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, personal medication, and motion sickness pills if needed.
Footwear: Comfortable shoes or sandals are highly recommended, as the tour involves walking and boarding/disembarking boats.
Valuables: Advise against bringing expensive jewelry or large amounts of cash.
Safety: Please supervise children carefully, wear a life jacket when on board.
✓Inclusion: A/C car transport, local English-speaking tour guide at Mekong, Bottled water (1 bottle/pax/day), Entrance fees, Taxes, Lunch, Big boat, Sampan, Horse-drawn carriage, Fresh coconut, Honey tea, Southern amateur music
✓Exclusion: Flights, accommodation, personal expenses, tip, travel insurance and other service not clear mention.
