One Day Trip To Mekong Delta in Vietnam

Mekong Delta is a must-visit destination when you visit Ho Chi Minh in southern Vietnam. Touring around the Mekong Delta will give you the chance to be familiar with the local lifestyle and the countryside beauty of Vietnam. My one day trip to Mekong Delta was one of the best experiences during my seven days solo trip to Vietnam. I loved to see and know how the Mekong River Delta is playing an important role in the whole of Vietnam. The locals in Mekong Delta live along the river, produces the main food crops of Vietnam, and their daily life activities depends totally on the river.

Mekong Delta is almost 193 km away from Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon. It takes 3 to 4 hours to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Mekong Delta. I made a group tour to Mekong Delta and arranged by Galaxy Boutique Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. One day trip to Mekong Delta in Vietnam started in the morning after breakfast from the hotel. The route was Cai Be to Vinh Long, and we departed from Ho Chi Minh City. Altogether it was almost 12 to 13 hours long day trip.

It is possible to make budget travel in Mekong Delta. Our Mekong Delta day tour price was only 320,000 VND (price varies) per person. Most importantly, the trip was unique, interesting, and informative. Get all the details inside.

When To Visit

Mekong Delta is all the year-round destination. The yearly average temperature is between 24°C – 27°C. But to avoid the excessive summer heat and rains October to May are the best months for Mekong Delta tours. During the rainy season, it is not fun for a day trip to Mekong Delta. You’ll not love to enjoy walking tours and boating on the river and canal. Therefore, it is not the best time to visit Mekong Delta from June to September. I visited in March, and the weather was fine. It was a bright and sunny day, but a day-long tour was not uncomfortable.

How To Visit

A road trip by bus is a convenient way to visit Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. The road is scenic from Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be Bus Station. The actual journey to Mekong Delta started from the ride on a Mekong River motorboat in Cai Be. After getting down from the bus river cruising in Mekong Delta will take you to explore all places according to your Mekong Delta tour itinerary.

The lush vegetations, paddy fields, and beautiful scenery are best to enjoy on a motorboat ride. You’ll cross many bridges, floating markets, and houses during Mekong Delta boat trips.

On the way to Cai Be, we made a stop at Bac Kim Thang Rest Stop & Farming Resort in Tien Giang. The farming theme and natural decoration of this farming resort are unique and praiseworthy. They also sell all farm and organic products from egg to fruits and vegetables, straw products, and potteries. You can have here a traditional Vietnamese meal with fresh local fruits or juice.

During the entire Mekong Delta day tour, our guide was with the group and helped us to explore the best way to all local activities and places. Local Vietnamese lunch is also included in the tour. We came back to Ho Chi Minh City on the same bus from Vinh Long. It is possible to back to the city by 7 PM unless there is traffic on the road.

You may also explore Mekong Delta in two or three days. Many standard homestays are the best option to stay in the local village, plus you’ll love the simple living lifestyle of the southern local peoples in Vietnam.

Day Trip To Mekong Delta: Top Things To Do & See

There are many top things to do and see in the beautiful countryside of Mekong Delta. Before visiting Mekong Delta, I thought it might be just a boat tour where boating is the only fun, but in reality, Mekong Delta tour is more than that. Therefore, Mekong Delta is worth to visit for the listed many reasons.

Visit Mekong Delta Floating Markets

Mekong Delta floating market tours are very popular among tourists. And visiting the lively floating markets will give you the chance to buy all fresh produce from the local peoples. Cai Rang is the biggest Mekong Delta floating market where locals mainly sell fruits, vegetables, and flowers in a boat.

I loved to buy different colorful tropical fruits and tried the first time some new kind of local fruits. It is best to visit local floating markets in the early morning, and bargaining is a must to get the right price.

Visit Local Product Making Shops

During our day tour to Mekong Delta, we enjoyed visiting several local products making shops. I loved the concept of selling local products by showing the process of making that infront of the tourists. In the meantime, those activities will give you the chance to learn and see something new through travel.

See The Process of Making Coconut Candy

First, we visited local product making shops of coconut candy and puffed rice. The natural process of making handmade coconut candy was interesting. They even showed how to grate coconut by hand. No machine was used to make the candy by locals. You can try to taste first before buying the candy from them.

See The Process of Making Puffed Rice

Puffed rice is like popcorn but made from rice and popular to make different snack items. It was nice to see the process of making puffed rice from the paddy in an iron pan. The natural process helped to retains the nutrients of the puffed rice. Later they mix the caramel to make sweet snacks from puffed rice.

Drink Honey Tea With Black Garlic

The sweet and sour taste of honey tea was refreshing with the mixture of pure honey and kumquat (citrus fruit). Caffeine-free Vietnamese tea is like herbal tea and good for health.

Honey tea was served with black garlic and crispy fried mushroom. I had no idea about black garlic until I tried it from local products shop. They mainly sell pure honey along with herbal products from spices like garlic. You may like to buy honey or any other product from them.

There are many health benefits of black garlic, and the taste is the same but no strong smell like the common (white one) garlic. It helps to reduce cholesterol, treat diabetes, blood pressure, and liver diseases. Also good for skin and hair.

Enjoy Traditional Southern Vietnamese Music

It was very entertaining to listen and enjoy traditional music for the first time during our one day trip to Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. It was a kind of folk music and performed so nicely as a drama by local artists. We had refreshing Vietnamese tea with local fruits while enjoying the music. I also loved the simple yet creative settings in almost all the places I visited in Mekong Delta.

Visit Local Orchard And Eat Tropical Fruits

We visited one local orchard of many tropical fruits. If you love gardening, then you’ll enjoy visiting even fruit gardens like flowers in Mekong Delta. They served us fruits to eat from the orchard only in the local restaurant where we enjoyed the music.

Visit Bee Farms Of Mekong Delta

Visiting one bee farm was very interesting to see the natural process of farming bees. They stored many bees inside many small boxes. There is also a flower garden, a small pond with lotus, and a mushroom farm inside the area of the bee farm.

One banner catches the attention to all where written ‘Keep Calm and Love Bees.’ Later understood the reason behind the availability of pure honey in almost all local stores in Mekong Delta Province.

Visit Handicraft Village Of Eco-Friendly Products

It was simply fantastic to see the process of making eco-friendly straw products in Cai Be handicraft village. It is worth to buy local products from local peoples to inspire and appreciate making handicrafts those are even safe for the environment.

They showcase cute straw bags, hats, baskets to sell. You just can’t beat the price, plus the quality is guaranteed. You have to spend more from your pocket if you buy those same products from the city shopping mall or online stores.

Enjoy A Boat Ride Through The Canals

A rowboat ride through the canals is one of the top things to do during travel to Mekong Delta. Boating on the waterways is fun and the best way to see the countryside charm of southern Vietnam. I found rowing the boat by hand is common in Mekong Delta, quite different than the Tam Coc boat tour, where they use the foot for rowing the boat. 

The water is not clear, but you’ll enjoy the ride for the shaded coconut trees and the greeneries for sure. I loved to wear a Vietnamese conical hat for the first time during the Mekong Delta boat tour, which became a symbol of Vietnamese culture and tradition.

Have Vietnamese Lunch At The Homestay

After a boat ride and short dirt trails, we enjoyed delicious home-cooked lunch with Vietnamese food at Bay Thoi Homestay in Vinh Long. They also have arrangements for non-veg food items, cold drinks, local beer. I had rice, veg rolls, and fried tofu with veggies, salad, and vegetable soup. The entire decorations of this homestay are beautiful for flower gardens and old antique pieces of furniture. After lunch, you may also relax in the hammock.

Fun Bike Riding/Bicycling To The Villages

Riding bicycle is complete fun and relaxing in the countryside of Mekong Delta. I enjoyed 15 minutes biking from Bay Thoi Homestay to the villages in Vinh Long Province. It was a pleasant experience, loved the scenery and the road was not bumpy. Those living in a homestay can use the bicycle to ride independently. We had this activity for free on our Mekong Delta tour.

Visit Vinh Long Local Market

Before leaving Mekong Delta, we visited the local market of Vinh Long. You can buy almost all kinds of local products, from food items to household commodities are available in the market. Inside there is one fish market where locals sell freshly caught fishes from the Mekong River Delta. Many are also selling farming products like fruits, vegetables, and flowers by sitting on the roadside.

Every activity in Mekong Delta was the fun way to learn something new for the first time. No way to be bored while exploring off the beaten track of the Mekong. Furthermore, we came back to city life full of sweet Mekong memories.

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Have you visited Mekong Delta from Saigon? Share your top travel experiences in comments for the best day trip to Mekong Delta.