Can Tho Tour from Ho Chi Minh City: 2-Day Private Mekong Delta Trip

07:00 – Leave Saigon

Your Can Tho tour from Ho Chi Minh City starts early: we leave Saigon and head west toward Can Tho via the Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway. We’ll make a short stop along the way for a light local breakfast, such as hu tieu My Tho or bun nuoc leo.

10:00 – Cross the Hau River to Con Son Island

Leave the noise of the city behind and take a short ferry ride across the Hau River to Con Son, a small, green island where community-based tourism is still very much a part of everyday life.

Here, life moves at a slower pace. Walk through seasonal fruit gardens, meet local families, make traditional Southern Vietnamese cakes with your own hands, and watch the surprisingly entertaining “flying snakehead fish” performance.

It’s a simple and relaxed way to experience the Mekong Delta — through its gardens, food, waterways, and most importantly, its people.

10:15 – 12:30 – Explore Con Son

• Walk through seasonal tropical fruit gardens, with rambutan, longan, pomelo and other local fruits depending on the season.
• Learn how to make traditional Southern Vietnamese cakes, such as banh kep to ong and banh la mo.
• Watch the famous “flying snakehead fish” performance — one of Con Son’s most unusual local attractions.

12:30 – 13:30- A Mekong Delta Home Lunch

Enjoy a homemade-style lunch at a traditional wooden house on Con Son. The house was the first wooden house built on the island, dating back to 1963, and offers a glimpse into the way local families once lived along the Mekong.

14:00- Return to the mainland

Take the ferry back to the mainland and continue to your hotel in central Can Tho. Check in, freshen up, and take some time to rest.

15:30- 17:30 – A local folklore heritage

This afternoon, we explore three important cultural sites around Binh Thuy, where old houses, temples, and local legends reveal another side of life in the Mekong Delta.

Binh Thuy Ancient House – A Family Story

Built in 1870, this elegant house belonged to the Duong family, one of the wealthy families of old Binh Thuy. Its architecture is a fascinating blend of French, Chinese, and Vietnamese influences -a French-style exterior surrounds a distinctly Vietnamese interior, complete with a traditional ancestral altar.

The house also became famous internationally as one of the filming locations for The Lover (L’Amant), the acclaimed film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud.

Binh Thuy Communal House- The Tiger Legend

Step into one of the finest traditional communal houses in Southern Vietnam, built as a spiritual center for the local community.

But behind the beautiful architecture is a fascinating local legend. In the old days, tigers were believed to roam the wild countryside around Binh Thuy. Rather than simply seeing the tiger as a dangerous animal, local people respected it as a powerful guardian spirit – “Ong Cop,” or the Tiger Lord – and built a small shrine to honor it.

The area is also associated with an old story about a mysterious waterspout and a powerful white tiger, blending the forces of nature with the spiritual beliefs of the people who settled this river frontier.

Nam Nha Pagoda – Faith, Medicine & Resistance

Across the river stands Nam Nha Pagoda, an old Buddhist temple with a very different story. Beyond being a place of worship, the pagoda was closely connected to religious, educational, and patriotic movements in Southern Vietnam during the early 20th century.

Together, these three sites offer a fascinating look at Can Tho through family life, folk beliefs, religion, and history.

Evening – Heart of Mekong by Night

Return to your hotel for a shower and some downtime.

18:30 – Dinner Cruise on the Hau River

Meet again in the evening for dinner aboard a Can Tho cruise. Enjoy local dishes, live entertainment, and the cool breeze of the Hau River as Can Tho slowly lights up around you.

21:00 -Back to Ninh Kieu Wharf

Return to the harbor and spend the rest of the evening at your own pace. Wander through the night market, try some local street food, or simply enjoy the atmosphere along the riverfront.

05:00 -Cai Rang Floating Market

Rise early – this is the Mekong at its most authentic, and the highlight of any Can Tho tour from Ho Chi Minh City.

Board a boat from Ninh Kieu Wharf and cruise toward Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest and best-known floating market in the Mekong Delta.

As the sun rises, boats begin gathering on the river, carrying tropical fruits, vegetables, breakfast, and all kinds of everyday goods. Look out for the traditional “cay beo” -a tall bamboo pole displayed on a boat to show what the vendor is selling.

Instead of browsing rows of shops, you’ll watch traders buy, sell, eat breakfast, and go about their morning lives -all from the middle of the river.

Pull up alongside a local boat, enjoy a bowl of hot hu tieu or a Vietnamese coffee, and watch the market wake up around you.

07:00 -08:30 -Mekong Craft Villages

Continue by boat to a cluster of traditional workshops along the river.

Traditional Rice Noodle Workshop
See how rice is soaked, ground, steamed into sheets, dried, and finally cut into noodles. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the local specialty known as “hu tieu pizza.”

Rice Paper & Rice Popcorn Workshops
Visit small family-run workshops producing traditional rice paper and com -puffed rice made using traditional methods.

Tropical Fruit Garden

Step into a lush local fruit garden and taste seasonal tropical fruits straight from the Mekong countryside.

09:00 – Return to Ninh Kieu Wharf

Cruise back to Ninh Kieu Wharf and return to the hotel to freshen up and check out.

10:00 – 11:30 – Can Tho’s Chinese Heritage & Colonial Past

Continue exploring the historic heart of Can Tho.

Ong Pagoda (Quang Trieu Assembly Hall)
Step inside this colorful Chinese temple, built by the Cantonese community. Its elaborate decorations, carved woodwork, and gold-leaf details offer a glimpse into the long history of the Chinese community in the Mekong Delta.

Can Tho Grand Prison

Visit the remains of the old Can Tho prison and learn about a darker chapter of the city’s history, from the French colonial period through Vietnam’s later struggles for independence.

12:00 -13:30 -Lunch by the River

Enjoy lunch at Lua Nep Restaurant, where you can relax by the river and sample Southern Vietnamese specialties such as banh xeo, bun tom, and local freshwater fish.

13:30 -Leave Can Tho

Begin the journey back to Saigon.

15:30 -Local Specialty Stop (optional)

Make a short stop along the way to pick up some Mekong Delta specialties and souvenirs, such as Lai Vung fermented pork rolls, banh pia, and seasonal fruits.

17:30 -Arrive in Saigon

Arrive back in Saigon and say goodbye after two days of rivers, gardens, local food, old houses, folk legends, and everyday Mekong life.