By air
Tan Son Nhat, Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), ~3 h by road to Can Tho
Southeast Asia · Vietnam
Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Floating markets and river life
Getting there
Best time to visit
December to April — dry season
Don't miss
Cai Rang floating market
Can Tho
Ben Tre's coconut canals
Tra Su cajuput forest
Things to do
The Cai Rang floating market at dawn
Sampan rides through the canals
A homestay
Fruit orchards
Where to eat
What to pack
Sun hat, light clothes, insect repellent
A quieter corner
Cycling the orchard lanes of Vinh Long's islands
Questions travellers ask
How far is the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City?
Fly into Tan Son Nhat, Ho Chi Minh City (SGN), then it's about 3 hours by road to Can Tho.
When should I visit the Cai Rang floating market?
Go at dawn, ideally between December and April, the dry season. Bring a sun hat and insect repellent.
What should I taste in the Mekong Delta?
Elephant-ear fish, tropical fruit and hu tieu noodles.
What's a quieter way to experience the Mekong Delta?
Cycle the orchard lanes of Vinh Long's islands, or take a sampan ride through the canals and spend a night at a homestay.
About Mekong Delta
- Riverside
Where it is
The Mekong Delta is the vast, flat region of southern Vietnam where the Mekong divides into many branches before reaching the sea, a web of rivers, canals, rice fields and orchards south-west of Ho Chi Minh City, with Can Tho as its largest city.
History
The delta was an important part of Funan, whose port at Oc Eo traded with India and has yielded Roman gold medallions of the 2nd century AD, and it later formed part of the Khmer lands. Vietnamese settlers moved in from the 17th century, the Nguyen lords had taken control by the mid-18th century and the French by the 1860s, and today the delta grows more than half of Vietnam's rice.
People
The delta's people are mostly Kinh Vietnamese, speaking the southern dialect, alongside Khmer Krom communities with their own Theravada pagodas and Hoa (Chinese) merchant families. Life follows the water, with rice, fruit, fish farming and boat-borne trade, and the southern folk music don ca tai tu is played at family gatherings.
Known for
- Floating markets such as Cai Rang
- Sampan rides through the canals
- Fruit orchards and coconut groves
- Homestays among the rice fields
- The Tra Su cajuput forest
Did you know?
The Vietnamese name for the region, Dong bang Song Cuu Long, means Nine Dragon River Delta.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.