Cai Rang Floating Market Sunrise Boat Tour
The big one: a sunrise boat trip to Cai Rang, the Mekong Delta’s largest floating market, with cacao orchard and a quiet small-canal stretch afterwards.
Vietnam
Can Tho & the Mekong Delta
Can Tho is the capital of the Mekong Delta, a green maze of rivers, canals and orchards where the day begins on the water.
Boats loaded with pineapples and watermelons gather at Cai Rang Floating Market at sunrise, quieter Phong Dien offers a more local scene, and fruit gardens, rice noodle workshops and cooking classes show how the region feeds itself. Beyond the city you can cycle through village lanes, paddle under cajuput trees at Tra Su, visit Khmer temples in Vinh Long, see the flower nurseries of Sa Dec or spend a night in a riverside homestay. Evenings belong to the Ninh Kieu waterfront, where street food stalls and river cruises fill the promenade. This guide covers twenty experiences, ten places to stay from city hotels to a border lodge and a village homestay, and six guides to timing, food and floating markets. Trips from Ho Chi Minh City are covered in the Saigon market, so here the focus is on staying in the delta itself.
Don't miss
Cai Rang Floating Market Sunrise Boat Tour
The big one: a sunrise boat trip to Cai Rang, the Mekong Delta’s largest floating market, with cacao orchard and a quiet small-canal stretch afterwards.
Can Tho Floating Market and Fruit Garden Tour
A morning on the Hau River combining the Cai Rang floating market with a visit to a family fruit garden, where you taste what the delta grows.
Phong Dien Floating Market, Bike and Cook Day
A quieter floating market upriver, then bikes through village lanes, a home cooking session and a go at weaving, in one full day around Can Tho.
Cai Rang Floating Market and Rice Noodle Workshop
Breakfast with a story: the Cai Rang floating market followed by a hands-on rice noodle workshop that shows how a local staple is made.
Things to do in Can Tho & the Mekong Delta
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Can Tho Floating Market and Fruit Garden Tour
A morning on the Hau River combining the Cai Rang floating market with a visit to a family fruit garden, where you taste what the delta grows.
Phong Dien Floating Market, Bike and Cook Day
A quieter floating market upriver, then bikes through village lanes, a home cooking session and a go at weaving, in one full day around Can Tho.
Cai Rang Floating Market and Rice Noodle Workshop
Breakfast with a story: the Cai Rang floating market followed by a hands-on rice noodle workshop that shows how a local staple is made.
Con Son Islet Day Trip
A river island across from Can Tho where orchards, floating fish farms and local activities show how people live on the Hau River.
Hau River Sunset Cruise from Can Tho
An evening cruise on the Hau River past the Can Tho waterfront, with the light, the traffic of the river and the city’s lights coming on.
Full-Day Can Tho City Tour with Ninh Kieu Wharf
A full-day guided loop through Can Tho’s main sights, from the Ninh Kieu waterfront and the city’s riverside life to temples, markets and a countryside stop.
Binh Thuy Ancient House, Khmer Pagoda and Museum Tour
A culture-focused tour of Can Tho’s heritage: the Binh Thuy ancient house, a Khmer pagoda and a local museum, away from the river crowds.
Khmer Culture Experience in Vinh Long
A day trip into Vinh Long province to meet the Khmer community, visit a temple and see everyday life in the delta’s lesser-known culture.
Can Tho Food Tour with Local Guides
An evening walking-and-riding food tour of Can Tho, tasting the delta’s noodle soups, grilled snacks and sweet desserts with a guide who knows the stalls.
Can Tho Street Food Tour on the Back of a Motorbike
Ride pillion through Can Tho’s evening streets with a local rider, stopping for tastings that you would never find on your own.
Can Tho Countryside Cooking Class
A hands-on cooking class in a rural kitchen near Can Tho, with a market or garden stop and a vegetarian option.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Sheraton Can Tho
Ninh Kieu
An upscale international-brand hotel in Can Tho, a comfortable base for floating-market mornings with a more polished stay than most of the city offers.
Check rates →Muong Thanh Luxury Can Tho Hotel
Ninh Kieu
A large city hotel in Can Tho from a well-known Vietnamese chain, offering comfortable rooms and familiar services near the main sights.
Check rates →Ninh Kieu Riverside Hotel
Ninh Kieu Waterfront
A hotel named for the Ninh Kieu riverside, in the area of Can Tho where the promenade, cafes and evening food stalls are close at hand.
Check rates →Ninh Kieu 2 Hotel
Ninh Kieu
A budget-friendly hotel in the Ninh Kieu district of Can Tho, a practical base for tours, street food and low-cost stays.
Check rates →Kim Tho Hotel
Can Tho Centre
A practical hotel in central Can Tho, popular with independent travellers who want a straightforward room and a convenient location.
Check rates →Thanh Tung Hotel
Can Tho
A small, budget-priced hotel in Can Tho for independent travellers who want a simple room and a friendly front desk.
Check rates →Tran Phu Riverside House
Riverside
A small riverside guesthouse-style stay in Can Tho, suited to travellers who like a homely feel and a short walk to the water.
Check rates →Tay Ho Hotel
Can Tho
A simple, budget-priced hotel in Can Tho with the basics in place, a convenient pick for short stays and early tours.
Check rates →Victoria Nui Sam Lodge
Chau Doc
A hillside lodge at the foot of Sam Mountain in Chau Doc, a stylish stop on the western delta route near the Cambodian border.
Check rates →Thusan House Mekong Homestay
Ba Tri, Ben Tre
A Mekong homestay in Ba Tri, Ben Tre province, for travellers who want a rural stay in coconut country between Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho.
Check rates →Tour + stay
Ready-made pairings: a top sight and a hotel that suits it. Add both to your trip and book each when you are ready.
Do
Cai Rang Floating Market Sunrise Boat TourStay
Sheraton Can ThoNinh Kieu
Do
Can Tho Floating Market and Fruit Garden TourStay
Ninh Kieu Riverside HotelNinh Kieu Waterfront
Do
Phong Dien Floating Market, Bike and Cook DayStay
Kim Tho HotelCan Tho Centre
Can Tho & the Mekong Delta guides
First Time in Can Tho and the Mekong Delta: What to Know Before You Go
A practical first-timer’s guide to Can Tho, the delta’s main city: how the region works, what to do first and how to avoid the common mistakes.
Where to Stay in Can Tho and the Western Delta: Waterfront, City Hotels, Border Lodge or Homestay
A guide to choosing a base in Can Tho, Chau Doc or the countryside, with trade-offs for early tours, food, comfort and budget.
Can Tho in Three Days: A Practical Itinerary for Markets, Gardens and Food
A three-day plan for Can Tho: floating markets, fruit gardens, culture, nature and food, paced to avoid the midday heat.
Eating and Drinking in Can Tho: Delta Flavours, Street Stalls and Cooking Classes
A food guide to Can Tho: what delta cooking tastes like, which dishes to try, how to eat at street stalls and where to learn to cook.
Best Time to Visit the Mekong Delta: Seasons, Floods, Festivals and Heat
When to visit Can Tho and the Mekong Delta: the dry and wet seasons, flood effects on forests and markets, the Lunar New Year rush and how to plan around heat.
Floating Markets of Can Tho Compared: Cai Rang, Phong Dien and How to Choose
A guide to the floating markets around Can Tho: how Cai Rang and Phong Dien differ, when to go, how to behave and how to pair them with other stops.
