Mekong Delta from Sài Gòn: a day trip or an overnight stay?

South of Sài Gòn the Mekong, at the end of its long journey from the Tibetan plateau, splits into branch after branch on its way to the sea. Vietnamese call it Cửu Long, “nine dragons”. Between the branches lies the delta: rice fields, orchards, coconut palms and a maze of canals where plenty of people still get about by boat.

The big question is whether to do it in a day or stay the night. Here is how to choose.

Where people go

• Mỹ Tho: the closest, on the Tiền river, a couple of hours from Sài Gòn by road. Most day trips start here, with a boat out to the islands in the river.
• Bến Tre: just across the river from Mỹ Tho, and the land of coconuts. Coconut palms everywhere, and workshops making coconut candy (kẹo dừa), chewy and sweet, each piece wrapped in a thin layer of rice paper you can eat.
• Vĩnh Long: further in, known for its river islands, orchards and family homestays.
• Cần Thơ: the delta’s largest city, about three to four hours from Sài Gòn, and home to Cái Răng, the biggest floating market in the delta.

The day trip

Day trips from Sài Gòn usually go to the closer areas, Mỹ Tho or Bến Tre. A typical day: a drive out, a boat across the river, a small rowing boat (xuồng) through narrow canals lined with water coconut palms (dừa nước), fruit in an orchard, a coconut candy workshop, lunch, and back to the city by evening.

• Good for: a first taste of the delta, if you only have one day.
• Not so good for: floating markets. They trade before dawn and are winding down by mid-morning, so a day trip that leaves Sài Gòn after breakfast arrives too late. To see one in a day, you have to leave in the dark.

The overnight stay

Stay a night and the delta slows down for you. Sleep in Cần Thơ and you can be on the river at first light, when Cái Răng is at its busiest: our Cái Răng guide covers when to go and what to eat on the water. Or stay at a homestay on one of the river islands, eat dinner with the family and wake up to boat engines on the canal.

• Good for: floating markets, cycling the orchards while it is cool, slow evenings by the water.
• With two nights you can do both: a homestay one night, Cần Thơ the next.

Things to do

• Small boats. A xuồng gets into the narrow canals where the big tour boats can’t go.
• Orchards. Walk or cycle through the fruit gardens and eat whatever is ripe. Our guide to Vietnamese fruit tells you what you are looking at.
• Homestays. Sleep in a family home, help in the kitchen, eat what the family eats.
• Eat. Hủ tiếu noodle soup for breakfast, river fish, and elephant ear fish (cá tai tượng), fried whole, often served standing up, and rolled in rice paper with herbs at the table.

When to go

• The dry season, roughly December to April: sunny, and easy on the roads and the boats.
• The rainy season, roughly May to November: hot and very green, with heavy downpours that usually pass quickly.
• The flood season (mùa nước nổi), roughly August to November: in the upper delta, near the Cambodian border, the river rises over the fields and much of life moves onto boats.

For the rest of the country, see the best time to visit Việt Nam.

Good to know

• Bring a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. The sun on the water is stronger than it feels.
• Carry cash in small notes for boats, fruit and snacks.
• Mornings are the best time on the water: cooler, busier and prettier.

Go with us

Our Floating Market Sunrise is the long day from Sài Gòn, done properly: we leave before dawn for Cái Răng floating market, eat breakfast on a private sampan, then cycle the orchards and eat a home-cooked lunch with a farming family. Return transport from Sài Gòn is included.