The Mekong Delta – full day excursion along the waterways of Vietnam’s culinary heart

You will be picked up from your hotel and driven towards the Mekong Delta, south of Ho Chi Minh City. The Mekong River itself runs 4,500 km through 6 countries from its source to the delta south of Ho Chi Minh City. The delta is known as Vietnam’s pantry and is, as the nickname suggests, an extremely fertile place. The delta covers an area of almost 40,000 km², but the area covered by water depends on the amount of rainfall and the season.

You won’t get far from Ho Chi Minh City before you start seeing beautiful green rice fields. The climate here allows farmers to plant and harvest three crops a year.

Arriving in the small charming town of Cai Be, you board a boat that takes you around the lush Mekong Delta. Here, you can experience the locals with their boats filled with watermelons, coconuts, and pineapples, or patiently waiting for another fish to bite. The area was formerly known for its floating markets, but today, goods are sold on land.

Then, you visit a family that produces and sells various products made from water hyacinths. The tour also passes by a small home factory that produces “pop rice,” a local specialty in the Mekong Delta.

You now board a sampan, a traditional boat, and sail through the labyrinth of narrow channels in the charming delta before enjoying a late lunch in a beautiful old local house. Here, you will also be shown how to make the traditional Vietnamese pancakes, banh xeo.

Afterward, you are sailed back to Cai Be and from there, driven back to Ho Chi Minh City.

This excursion is open to TourCompass’ own guests only.

We recommend that you book the excursion when booking the tour.

Want to know more? Read our blog post on the Mekong Delta.