[TRAVEL GUIDE] All The Details You Need For Mekong Delta Itinerary 2019

Nga Do
Want to explore the Mekong Delta? Mekong River tour is the perfect way to escape the crazy streets of big Cities and immerse yourself in the lush nature of the Mekong Delta. Keep reading for all the details you need!

Though Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) is great place to visit, it’s also big, busy, and jam-packed with traffic. After a few days exploring the streets, cafes and museums of Vietnam’s biggest city, an escape to the peaceful Mekong Delta is practically mandatory.

[TRAVEL GUIDE] All The Details You Need For Mekong Delta Itinerary 2019
Photo by Tomáš Malčo Malík

Introduce about Mekong Delta


The Mekong Delta is very large. It’s the culmination of the river’s 4,500km journey from the Tibetan Plateau from where it flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam on its way to the South China Sea.

Vietnam has 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta including Can Tho, Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, An Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau.

The river is a source of food, water, and income for millions of people and there are more than 10,000 square kilometres of rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta alone.

Thousands of species of animals, birds, and fish also make their home in the Mekong Delta.

All that is to say, you really shouldn’t miss taking a Mekong day tour when you’re in Ho Chi Minh City.

>>> Looking for a great tour to experience in Ho Chi Minh City? Here are our carefully curated picks <<<

The best time to visit Mekong Delta


The dry season is the best time to visit the Mekong Delta because you can go outside and enjoy the full day without an onslaught of rain. Cruise on the boat with the blue sky and quiet water, walk through and take photos in the middle of the paddy fields, cycle around the villages, enjoy sweet fruits from the garden, catch fish in the canal nearby, and visit brick and noodle factories while you’re there.

Moreover, Lunar New Year Holiday which happens at the end of January or the beginning of February is the most important and bustling holiday in Vietnam. On the way to the Mekong Delta, flower gardens stretch all over the streetsides for sale, many kinds of jams and cakes are displayed at grocery stores, markets are crowded with an abundance of traditional food like Vietnamese sausage (lap xuong), pickled small leeks (cu kieu), and Vietnamese cylindrical sticky rice cake (banh tet). The atmosphere during this time is lively and bustling, it is worth the experience.

[TRAVEL GUIDE] All The Details You Need For Mekong Delta Itinerary 2019 1
Photo by Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker

Transportation Guide: From Saigon to the Mekong Delta


Although there are 12 provinces that make up the Mekong Delta, the common route for most visitors to reach this destination is from Saigon to Can Tho, since it has the famous Cai Rang floating market. Therefore, I will suggest some means of transportation that are available for your 165-kilometer route.

Express Bus and Sleeper Bus


It takes you roughly three hours traveling to reach the Mekong Delta by bus. There are many buses departing at many times a day, and they usually pick up passengers at the agencies or even at your hotel/house.

You have many bus options but the most popular ones are Futa Bus Lines (also known as Phuong Trang), Mai Linh Express, and The Sinh Tourists. The bus tickets are also sold at Ben Xe Mien Tay (395 An Duong Vuong Street, An Lac Ward, Binh Tan District, HCMC). Or you can choose better service with Limousine with quality facilities compared to the traditional buses.

By Airplane


Yes, you read it right. Mekong Delta has an airport located in Can Tho city. Instead of spending four hours sitting on an express bus, you can spend only 45 minutes enjoying the view at the height of 10,000 meters above land. 

By Private Car


Nowadays, many families consider hiring a private car because of its comfort and convenience, this service is also provided by lots of hotels across the country. 

When traveling by private car, you can follow your own route for scenery, attractions, and you don’t have to rush because the timing is all up to you. However, it’s more expensive than the express bus option.

By Boat


There are now travel boats that operate a Saigon river-tour that end in the Mekong Delta. The price starts at 1,500,000 VND for one person.

By Motorbike


Motorbike is the most common transportation in Vietnam, so you can to travel like a Vietnamese local by driving or sitting on the back of the bike to reach the Mekong Delta. Even though sitting on a bike might cause butt pain, you will have many memorable experiences once you look around with the wind on your face. If you intend to follow Google Maps or Map.me, you should know that motorbikes are not allowed on Trung Luong Freeway.

The procedure to hire a motorbike is very simple: you just need to make a deposit or leave your passport at the agency, then you are good to begin your journey.

Don’t miss: If you want to experience the non-touristy side of Vietnam, why not try a adventure tour in North Vietnam?

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Photo by Vietnam Typical Tours

What will you discovery on Mekong Delta tours from Ho Chi Minh City?


The Mekong Delta is famous for its agricultural side. Here you can experience the local lifestyle, which is the floating life. Another interesting thing to do is try the local cuisine. With a vast variety of fresh tropical produce, you will truly be blown away. Here are some things that you should look to do on your trip to the Mekong Delta.

[TRAVEL GUIDE] All The Details You Need For Mekong Delta Itinerary 2019 3
Photo by Vietnam Typical Tours

Explore the non-touristy side of Mekong Delta


For this experience, you could immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Mekong Delta. Taking a walk or a bicycle ride around the village can give you a closer look at the locals’ lifestyle. You can see people napping on hammocks on the side of the street. You can see children riding their bicycles to school or even hear the sound of karaoke echoing from someone’s house. If you have your children with you, then consider taking them to visit a local elementary school. They can make new friends while the local kids see a foreigner up close. 

So what’s more can you expect? How about homemade meals, fresh fruits harvesting, folk music and numerous other amazing things waiting for you?

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Photo by Vietnam Typical Tours

Explore The Mekong Delta’s floating markets


Because of separate characteristics should they have to adapt to a floating way of life: living on floating houses, living on boats, anything that they can live on. And it gives way to one of the more unique places in Vietnam: the floating markets. They are markets that are entirely on the rivers and each stall is a different boat. Exploring a floating market in the Mekong Delta is definitely a completely unique experience.

There are two large floating markets that you should visit. They’re Cai Be floating market and Cai Rang floating market.

[TRAVEL GUIDE] All The Details You Need For Mekong Delta Itinerary 2019 5
Photo by collect on the internet

Explore the Khmer temples of Mekong Delta


For those who are looking for a religious experience or just want to learn more about Buddhism, the Mekong Delta is definitely a must-visit place. It’s full of ancient and beautiful pagodas and temples. Moreover, this place used to belong to the Khmer, so the temples here resemble that style.

One Khmer temple that you should visit is Chen Kieu Temple. Residing in Soc Trang province, this Khmer temple was constructed in the 19th century. It’s just 10 kilometers away from Soc Trong city and the temple is decorated with beautiful and delicate pieces of colored ceramics. One interesting thing about this temple is that it has 16 large pillars surrounding it. Each of the pillars tells a story about a Khmer legend, and the wall here is full of Buddhist history.

Explore national parks of Mekong Delta


As you enter the rich, green tangle of rivers, time seems to slow down to match the slow flow of the water. The way people live in harmony with nature is truly something to behold. The Mekong Delta is famous with many national parks that represent this idea. If you want to explore Vietnam’s nature, numerous national parks in the Mekong Delta will be the place for you.

One of the largest and most popular national parks in the Mekong Delta is U Minh Thuong national park. It’s basically a freshwater wetland. Inside, you can find a peat swamp forest, seasonally inundated grassland and open swamp. It is home to distinctive flora and fauna, and you can find a vast variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and insects. Many of those species are globally threatened, including many endangered species.

Tram Chim national park is also a famous park for you to visit. You can find this 76-square-meters park in the Dong Thap Province. The park is in the lowest area of the Mekong River. The park has six main plant populations as follows: the lotus society, nan society, weed society, moc moc society, wild rice society, and melaleuca forest society.

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Photo by Mongnt

Explore some places only the locals know about


How about visiting some places only the locals know about? Well, one of the places that I can think of is the Prince of Bac Lieu house.

Prince of Bac Lieu was a well-known playboy in Bac Lieu and Southern Vietnam in the 1930s – 1940s. During his time, he owned things that were extremely rare in Vietnam at the time, including a Ford Vedette and a Peugeot. He was also the second person in Vietnam to own a private plane, the other being Emperor Bao Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Visiting the Prince of Bac Lieu’s house is definitely something you’d want to do.

Location:  13, Dien Bien Phu St, Bac Lieu City.

Explore the culinary essence of Mekong delta


As you know, the Mekong Delta is famous for its natural beauty, but it’s not just that, the food here is also very unique. Here are some suggestions on the food that you must try when visiting Mekong Delta.
  • Fish noodle soup – Bun Ca
  • Snakehead fish thick noodle soup – Banh Canh Ca Loc
  • Sa Dec or My Tho noodle soup – Hu Tieu Sa Dec/ My Tho
  • Mud roasted chicken
  • Durian cake – Banh pia
  • Coconut worm – Duong dua
There are many tour providers out there with different levels of quality. But if you’re looking for an authentic experience with a local guide. Then consider our tours at Vietnam Typical Tours. You can visit our website to learn more about what we have to offer or contact us directly.

VIETNAM TYPICAL TOURS

Hotline/whatsApp: +84 984 326 723

Email: info@vietnamtypicaltours.com
Webside: vietnamtypicaltours.com

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