Booking choice: The two-day tour with a night in Can Tho and Cai Rang floating market, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
The Mekong Delta is big. From Ho Chi Minh City the near edge at My Tho is about two hours by road, Can Tho about three, and Chau Doc, close to Cambodia, further still. Every extra night moves you deeper into it.
This guide sets out a one-day, a two-day and a three-day plan using the tours on this site, and says who each one suits.
The quick answer
One day is enough for My Tho and Ben Tre: islands, a sampan, coconut candy and an orchard lunch, back by about 5 pm. Two days are the right length if you want a floating market, because a night in Can Tho puts you on Cai Rang at sunrise. Three days reach Chau Doc and the Tra Su forest, with the option of continuing to Phnom Penh.
How long do you need in the Mekong Delta?
Two days is the sweet spot for most travellers. One day covers the near edge; two days add the floating market; three days reach the far delta.
The difference between the plans is not how many sights you tick off but which part of the delta you reach. A day trip stays around My Tho and Ben Tre. A night in Can Tho lets you be on the river at dawn, when Cai Rang trades. A third day carries you west to Chau Doc, with its floating village and Cham communities.
| Plan | Where you sleep | Highlights | Tour on this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | Your hotel in the city | My Tho islands, Ben Tre canals, coconut candy | The classic My Tho and Ben Tre day |
| 1 long day | Your hotel in the city | Cu Chi tunnels plus a shorter delta visit | The Cu Chi and Mekong Delta day |
| 2 days | A hotel in Can Tho | Cai Rang floating market at 6 am | The two-day Cai Rang tour |
| 2 days | A garden homestay | Bikes, kayaks, cooking, rice planting | The bike, kayak and homestay tour |
| 3 days | Hotels in Can Tho and Chau Doc | Cai Rang, Tra Su forest, Chau Doc | The three-day Chau Doc trip |
What can you see in one day?
The delta's near edge: the My Tho islands by motorboat, a bee farm, Ben Tre's coconut workshops and a sampan through the palm canals.
The classic day picks you up between 7 and 8 am, reaches My Tho around 10 am and is back between 4:30 and 5 pm. It is a full, easy day and leaves your evening free in the city. The less-touristy Ben Tre day and the speedboat day are one-day alternatives on quieter routes.
What one day does not include is a floating market in trading hours; see the floating markets guide for why.
One relaxed day at the delta's near edge: islands, honey tea, coconut candy and a sampan ride.
Book thisHow long does a Mekong Delta day tour last?
About 8 to 11 hours door to door. Roughly four of those hours are on the road, there and back.
Per the listings on this site, the speedboat day takes about 8 hours, the classic and four-islands days about 9, the less-touristy Ben Tre day about 10, and the Cu Chi combination 10 to 11. Pickups start between 7 and 8 am. Pack for a long day in the sun and on the water.
Is two days in the Mekong Delta worth it?
Yes, if you want the floating market. The night in Can Tho is what puts you on the water at dawn.
The two-day Cai Rang tour does the classic route on day one, drives on to Can Tho, and starts day two at 6 am on the market, followed by a rice noodle workshop, a local market, an old house and a banh xeo lesson with lunch. You are back in the city around 4:45 pm. Groups are capped at 12, and the free evening in Can Tho is yours to explore the waterfront.
Two days with a night in Can Tho and Cai Rang floating market by boat at 6 am.
Book thisWhat about a homestay night?
Choose the homestay tour if you would rather stay in the countryside than in a city hotel. It is the most active two-day option.
The bike, kayak and homestay tour spends its night at a garden homestay rather than in Can Tho, so it does not include a floating market. It makes up for that with cycling, a cooking class, a Mekong cruise to Thoi Son islet, a barbecue dinner, and a second morning of kayaking, rice planting and fishing, back around 2 pm. Rooms have air conditioning and a private bathroom, per the listing.
What does a three-day trip add?
The far delta. A third day carries you to Chau Doc, near Cambodia, with the Tra Su forest, a floating village and Cham communities.
The three-day trip starts in Cai Be's orchards and historic houses, spends day two at Cai Rang, a noodle factory and a Khmer pagoda in Can Tho before driving to Chau Doc and the Tra Su forest, and on day three visits a floating village and a Cham village. Then you choose: back to Ho Chi Minh City around 5 pm, or onward to Phnom Penh by boat or bus. Two hotel nights are included, and luggage is limited to one medium suitcase and a small backpack, per the listing.
Three days across the delta to Chau Doc, then back to the city or on to Phnom Penh.
Book thisCan I fit the delta and Cu Chi into one day?
Yes, with a long day. The combination tour visits the tunnels in the morning and My Tho in the afternoon.
The Cu Chi and Mekong Delta day runs 10 to 11 hours and is back between 6:30 and 7 pm. It saves you a second early start, at the cost of a shorter time on the water. Our Cu Chi guide sets out the trade-off.
Which plan suits whom?
Short trips suit the classic day, market lovers the two-day tour, active families the homestay, and overlanders the three-day trip to Cambodia.
- A few days in Saigon: the classic day, or the Cu Chi combination if you have only one free day.
- Photographers and early risers: the two-day tour or the Can Tho sunrise boat.
- Families and active travellers: the homestay tour.
- Heading to Cambodia: the three-day trip with the Phnom Penh exit.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in the Mekong Delta?
Two days suits most travellers, because the night in Can Tho adds the floating market. One day covers My Tho and Ben Tre.
How long does a Mekong Delta tour typically last?
Day tours last about 8 to 11 hours including pickup; overnight tours two or three days.
Can I continue from the Mekong Delta to Cambodia?
Yes. The three-day trip on this site offers an onward boat or bus to Phnom Penh; you arrange your own visa as the listing explains.
Where do the two-day tours sleep?
The Cai Rang tour sleeps in a Can Tho hotel; the bike and kayak tour at a garden homestay.
Ready to book
Choose your Mekong tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
My Tho & Ben Tre: Islands, Sampans & Coconut Village
- Pickup 7 to 8 am from hotels in Districts 1, 3 and 4; about two hours by road to My Tho, back 4:30 to 5 pm
- Motorboat past Dragon, Phoenix and Turtle islands; a bee farm with honey tea on Unicorn Island
- A coconut candy workshop in Ben Tre, a sampan through the canals, a tuk-tuk or electric-car ride and some cycling
2 Days: Mekong Delta & Cai Rang Floating Market
- Day one: Vinh Trang Pagoda, a My Tho boat trip, a Ben Tre sampan, coconut candy and lunch, then on to Can Tho
- A hotel night in Can Tho (if that option is selected) with a free evening in the city
- Day two: Cai Rang Floating Market by boat from 6 am, a rice noodle workshop and a local market
3 Days to Chau Doc, with an Optional Exit to Phnom Penh
The deep delta: Cai Be's orchards on day one, Cai Rang and a Khmer pagoda in Can Tho on day two, then the Tra Su forest and the floating village at Chau Doc near the Cambodian border, with the choice of returning to Ho Chi Minh City or carrying on to Phnom Penh, per the listing.
