Mekong Delta Eco-Explorer
Culture
5 Days
Trip Overview
This 5-day itinerary explores the vibrant culture and traditions of Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta from the comfort of the chic Can Tho Ecolodge in Can Tho, the largest city in the region. Cycle through lush scenery, join a southern-cuisine cooking class, and participate in local workshops to gain insight into daily life in the Mekong. Then, set sail for Cai Be, stopping along the way at Cai Rang Floating Market on an overnight cruise.
Highlights
- Cycling through the Mekong Delta’s lush nature
- Participating in hands-on private workshops run by locals in massage therapy, wood-carving, or seasonal farming
- Drifting through the stalls of Cai Rang Floating Market on a traditional sampan
- Sailing through the delta on an overnight cruise
This Tour is Perfect for
- Culture and relaxation, with stylish and eco-friendly accommodation
- Combining a stay in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City with the vibrant nature of the Mekong Delta
- Families with children of all ages
- Getting off the beaten path
Detailed Itinerary
Topas Travel creates tailor-made tours for our guests according to their specific requests. This itinerary has been designed to show you just one of many options
In Brief
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City Arrival
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City – Can Tho
Day 3: Can Tho
Day 4: Can Tho – Cai Be
Day 5: Cai Be – Ho Chi Minh City Departure
Day 1: Welcome to the land of the ascending dragon | Ho Chi Minh City Arrival
Xin Chao and welcome to Vietnam! Upon arrival to Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International or Domestic Airport, a Topas representative will welcome you to the land of the ascending dragon before heading straight to your hotel in the heart of the city. The day is at leisure to discover Saigon on your own, wandering the pulsating streets of District 1 along the river.
Included meals: N/A
Transfer distance and activities:45’ drive
Day 2: Off to the Mekong Delta | Ho Chi Minh City – Can Tho
Leave the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City behind today, heading into the fertile rice bowl of Vietnam: the Mekong Delta. Watch the lush land of palm trees and great rivers pass you by on a 3,5-hour ride to Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong, traditionally known as “the river of poems” in Vietnamese. Check-in to the Can Tho Ecolodge, one of the most eco-friendly accommodation options in the entire Mekong Delta, dedicated to environmental protection and cultural preservation.
The afternoon is at your leisure save for a traditional southern Vietnamese cooking class to introduce you to the special flavors of the Mekong.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Distance and activities: 3h transfer – 2h sampan tour
Day 3: The River of Poems | Can Tho
Spend the day getting to know the enchanting Can Tho a little bit better. Stretch your legs with a morning cycling tour, getting close to nature on quiet paths hugging winding rivers and rice paddies. Then, in the afternoon, join a private workshop to gain insight into the daily lives of Mekong locals, whether its massage therapy, wood-carving, or seasonal farming.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance and activities: 3h cycling tour – 3h traditional workshop
Day 4: Cruising the Mekong I Can Tho – Cai Be
Wake up in time for a sunrise breakfast cruise to Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest wholesale floating market in Southeast Asia. Bargain with merchants for the tastiest fruits, freshest vegetables, warm noodle soups, and regional handcrafted products. Since it is a wholesale market, you will see a bustling trading center as opposed to floating markets seen in Bangkok, Thailand.
Head back to Can Tho Ecolodge to pack your things in order to board your overnight Mekong River cruise to Cai Be at noon. Watch scenes of life pass you by as the boat lazily makes its way downstream, stopping at either a rice-farm or fruit orchard to meet with locals. Don’t forget to enjoy a sundowner on the deck of the ship as the sky turns radiant shades of red, purple, and gold.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Distance and activities: 2h sunrise cruise – overnight sightseeing cruise
DAY 5: Farewell, for now… I Cai Be – Ho Chi Minh City Departure
Let the sounds of the Mekong River Delta act as your alarm this morning, as the ship begins to cruise at 6:30. Watch locals going about their daily lives drying fruits and building ships in small wooden yards while eating breakfast.
Afterwards, board a sampan, a type of traditional Vietnamese rowboat, and wind through the canals of Cai Be, another river town, although much smaller than Can Tho.
Leave the boat and return to Ho Chi Minh City by road, stopping in Vinh Long for lunch. Transfer can be arranged to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City or Tan Son Nhat International Airport for onward booked travel.
Included meals: Breakfast
Distance and Activities: 2h transfer
Tour Inclusions
- 1-way private A/C airport transfer
- All accommodation indicated as twin-shared room
- All meals as indicated in the program
- All entrance tickets to local villages
- 1 sunrise breakfast cruise to Cai Rang Floating Market
- Refillable water in vans (Please check with your guide or driver)
- 1 x English speaking local tour guide on days with activities
- Government VAT
Important Notes
Tour Exclusions
- Drinks and alcohol
- Vietnam visa (On request with additional charge)
- Travel insurance (Compulsory with Topas Travel programs)
- Upgrades to higher standard rooms or single supplements
- Personal travel items (Please visit our Vietnam weather page for more information)
Essential Information
This program utilizes comfortable accommodation in the form of carefully curated hotels, lodges, and homestays. Hotels and lodges have been selected with the active traveler in mind, offering standard services and located as close to nature and local engagement as possible. Homestays are simple and equipped with western toilets and amenities such as fans and mattresses. If you have a specific property in mind you wish to stay at, please let your travel designer know so they can work it into your program.
All bookings are made with and through Topas Travel. By booking a trip with Topas Travel, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth here.