Overview
A full day in the Mekong Delta with a dedicated guide, a professional driver, and a maximum of 7 guests — from a 19th-century pagoda in My Tho to rowing sampans and fruit orchards in Ben Tre.
The Mekong Delta is 70 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City and feels like a different country. The roads narrow, the river takes over, and the pace slows down. This tour spends a full day in the My Tho and Ben Tre area — the two provinces closest to Ho Chi Minh City that still give you genuine delta life rather than a highway checkpoint.
The programme covers the main things that make this part of the delta worth a day: the Vinh Trang Pagoda on the way into My Tho, a motorboat across the Tiền River to the island cluster, a walk through a working fruit orchard, honey tasting at a bee farm, a live đòn ca tài tử performance, the coconut candy workshop, a rowing sampan through the narrow palm canals, and a leisurely cycling or walking loop through the lanes of Tan Thach village.
The vehicle is a premium car or van suited to the group size, with a professional licensed driver. The guide is dedicated to your group for the full day. Along the route there are a few local craft and produce shops — these are genuinely run by local families and worth a browse if you’re interested, but the driver and guide will never push you to stop or buy. If you’d rather keep moving, that’s exactly what happens.
Lunch is a Vietnamese set menu at a riverside restaurant. If anyone in the group is vegetarian, let TNK know at booking and the kitchen will prepare a full Vietnamese vegetarian spread — the delta has excellent vegetarian cooking.
Why choose this tour
– Maximum 7 guests: the guide can give proper attention to everyone in the group. No shouting over a crowd, no waiting for 15 people to get off a bus.
– Dedicated guide and driver team: both are with your group from pickup to drop-off. The driver handles the vehicle and logistics; the guide handles the history, the explanations, and the pace. Two professionals, one small group.
– Premium vehicle on a scenic route: the drive to My Tho passes through the outer districts of Ho Chi Minh City and the Tiền Giang countryside. The vehicle is comfortable and properly air-conditioned — not a crowded minibus.
– Shopping stops, zero pressure: the route passes a few local shops selling delta specialties — dried fruit, coconut products, handicrafts. The guide explains what’s there. If the group wants to browse, they can. If not, the vehicle moves on. No performance, no commission culture.
– Lunch that works for everyone: the set menu is a Vietnamese shared plate lunch. Vegetarian guests get a full Vietnamese vegetarian menu, not a side salad. Let TNK know at booking.
– Trusted operator since 2000: TNK Travel is ranked #3 on TripAdvisor with over 24,000 verified reviews.
Tour highlights
– Vinh Trang Pagoda — a proper 19th-century temple: built in 1849, Vinh Trang is one of the most architecturally interesting pagodas in the Mekong Delta — a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer, and French elements layered over 170 years of additions. It’s actively used by the local Buddhist community, not just a tourist backdrop.
– Motorboat across the Tiền River: the main river crossing to the four islands — Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, and Tortoise — is by traditional motorboat. The Tiền is one of the main channels of the Mekong, wide and busy with cargo traffic. The crossing gives a real sense of the scale of the river system.
– Fruit orchard walk: a walk through a working tropical fruit orchard on one of the islands. Depending on the season, you’ll find longan, pomelo, jackfruit, star fruit, or rambutan on the trees. The guide explains the growing cycle and the economics of delta fruit farming. Tasting straight from the tree.
– Bee farm — honey tasting: a working bee farm on the island. The keeper lifts a frame from the hive so the honey and the bees are visible at close range. The honey here comes from bees feeding on coconut and longan blossoms — lighter and more floral than commercial honey. Honeyed tea included.
– Don ca tai tu — live performance: Southern Vietnamese chamber music performed by local musicians — moon lute, zither, two-string fiddle, percussion, and a singer in the regional style. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2013. The guide explains the tradition while the music plays.
– Coconut candy workshop: a small family operation making kẹo dừa by hand — pressing, boiling, rolling, and cutting. You watch the whole process and taste at each stage. Several flavours available. You can buy from the family directly if you want to; no pressure if you don’t.
– Sampan ride through the palm canals: the narrowest, quietest part of the day — a flat wooden rowing boat through canals completely shaded by water coconut palms. The oarsman rows; you look around. The most photographed part of the tour.
– Cycling or walking through Tan Thach village: a leisurely loop through the lanes of Tan Thach — traditional wooden houses, fruit orchards, small gardens, and local life going about its day. Cycling is the default; walking is equally good if you prefer. No pressure either way.
Important information
Pickup
– Hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City, District 1 (Bến Thành Ward and surrounding areas). Pickup between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. Please wait in the hotel lobby — the guide will come to you.
– Exact pickup time confirmed by WhatsApp or email 24 hours before departure.
– For hotels in Sài Gòn Ward, Tân Định Ward, or outside the standard zone: meet at TNK Travel, 112 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, District 1 at 7:00 AM.
Your guide and driver
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Your team for the day Guide: a professional English-speaking guide dedicated to your group for the full day. Born or raised in the delta region, with genuine knowledge of the communities, the agriculture, and the cultural practices you’ll encounter. Available for questions at every stop, and good at reading what the group wants more or less of. Driver: a licensed professional driver with a premium vehicle maintained to a high standard. Handles all logistics so the guide can focus entirely on the tour. Cold water in the vehicle throughout the day. |
Shopping stops — no pressure policy
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How the shopping stops work The route passes a few family-run shops selling delta produce and crafts — dried fruit, coconut candy, honey, and local handicrafts. The guide will briefly explain what the shop sells. If the group is interested, they can browse and buy. If not, everyone gets back in the vehicle and the tour continues. There are no commissions, no performance requirements, and no awkward waiting while a sales pitch runs. The stops are there if you want them; they are not the point of the tour. |
Lunch
– Lunch is included at a riverside restaurant in the Ben Tre / My Tho area. The menu is a Vietnamese shared-plate set menu using fresh local ingredients. The kitchen adjusts based on what’s available and in season.
– Vegetarian guests: let TNK know at booking. The restaurant prepares a full Vietnamese vegetarian set menu — proper delta vegetarian cooking, not just side dishes. Please specify at booking, not on the day.
– Other dietary requirements (halal, gluten-free, allergies): let TNK know at booking and we’ll confirm what the kitchen can accommodate.
Cycling and walking in the village
– The cycle through Tan Thach village is a flat, leisurely loop on quiet paths — suitable for adults and children who can ride a bicycle. The pace is slow; it’s not exercise, it’s sightseeing on wheels.
– If anyone in the group prefers not to cycle, walking is equally good — the same lanes, the same scenery, just on foot. Let the guide know at the start of the village stop and a walking route is arranged.
– Bicycles are provided. Helmets are available. Children who are too small to ride independently can ride on the back of a guide’s bicycle.
Physical requirements
– Moderate activity level. The day involves getting in and out of boats (the motorboat has a modest step down; the sampan sits low on the water), walking on uneven paths through orchards and villages, and the optional cycling loop.
– The sampan ride requires sitting low and still — the boat is narrow and stability depends on the group being calm. Small children should be seated and supervised throughout.
– Not recommended for guests with severe mobility limitations. Guests with moderate mobility can manage most of the programme with guide assistance.
What to wear and bring
– Comfortable shoes suitable for walking on uneven paths and light cycling — closed-toe preferred for the orchard and village sections
– Light, breathable clothing — the delta is warm and humid
– Hat and sunscreen for the river and orchard sections
– Light rain layer — the wet season (May–October) brings afternoon rain; the dry season is generally clear
– Insect repellent, especially for the orchard and canal sections
– Camera — the sampan canal, the bee farm, and the village lanes are all good for photography
– Small amount of cash (VND or USD) for any personal purchases at the shopping stops and tips
Weather
- The tour runs year-round. Wet season (May–October): afternoon rain is common but usually brief. The orchard and canal sections are actually more atmospheric in light rain. Dry season (November–April): the most comfortable conditions.
- If TNK cancels due to severe weather, guests receive a full refund or can reschedule.
Related tours
• Mekong Delta day tour — small group (MK1): same programme, up to 12 guests, shared minibus, lower price
• Cu Chi & Mekong Delta luxury full day (LX CMK): Cu Chi Tunnels in the morning + Mekong Delta in the afternoon, max 7 guests, limousine
• Mekong Delta 3 days 2 nights (MK3): Cai Be, Can Tho, Tra Su Forest, Chau Doc — the most complete delta tour TNK runs
• Mekong Delta 2 days 1 night — Cai Be & Vinh Long (PR MK1.3): private overnight tour with homestay on An Binh Island
Itinerary
Full day — HCMC → My Tho → Tiền River islands → Ben Tre → HCMC
The guide and driver collect the group from your hotel lobby. Cold water is in the vehicle. The drive southwest to My Tho takes approximately 1.5 hours. Your guide uses the journey to introduce the Mekong Delta — the river system, the delta’s role in Vietnam’s food production, and what’s ahead for the day. The route passes through the outer districts of Ho Chi Minh City and into Tiền Giang Province, where the landscape flattens, the rice fields open up, and the highway narrows into provincial roads.
8:30 AM Vinh Trang Pagoda — My Tho
The first stop is Vinh Trang Pagoda, a Buddhist temple originally built in 1849 at the edge of My Tho. The main building is a layered architectural mix: the front gateway is in a Vietnamese-Chinese style with ceramic tile mosaics; the main hall has a French-influenced facade with arched windows and plastered pillars; the interior shrines follow traditional Vietnamese Buddhist layout with added Khmer elements in the ceiling carvings. The complex has been added to and restored in stages over 170 years, which gives it a more lived-in, layered quality than newer temple builds.
The guide explains the religious and architectural history, the significance of the main Buddha statues inside, and the daily rhythms of the community that still uses the temple. Approximately 30–40 minutes at the pagoda. Modest dress is required — shoulders and knees covered. The guide will advise at the entrance.
9:15 AM My Tho pier — motorboat to the Tiền River islands
The group boards a traditional motorboat at the My Tho waterfront. The boat crosses the Tiền River to the cluster of four islands named after the four mythical creatures of Vietnamese cosmology: Dragon (Phượng), Unicorn (Kỳ Lân), Phoenix (Phụng), and Tortoise (Qui). The crossing takes about 15 minutes and gives a clear sense of the Tiền’s scale — one of the nine main channels of the Mekong, wide and busy with cargo traffic, fishing boats, and ferries.
9:45 AM Fruit orchard walk — tasting from the tree
The first island stop is a working tropical fruit orchard. The guide leads the group on a shaded walk through the orchard. What’s on the trees depends on the season — longan, pomelo, jackfruit, rambutan, star fruit, and mangosteen are the main delta crops, each with its own season. The guide explains the growing cycle, the harvesting method, and how the orchard fits into the island’s household economy. Fruit tasting from whatever is ripe on the day — picked directly from the tree.
10:30 AM Bee farm — honey tasting
A working bee farm on the island. The beekeeper opens one of the hive frames and holds it up so the bees, the comb, and the raw honey are visible at close range. The keeper explains how the bees work, what they feed on (primarily coconut and longan blossoms in this part of the delta), and how the honey is harvested. Honey is tasted directly from the comb. Honeyed tea is served. The honey from this part of the delta has a lighter, more floral flavour than commercial honey.
11:00 AM Đòn ca tài tử — live performance
Đòn ca tài tử is the traditional chamber music of Southern Vietnam, developed in the Mekong Delta in the late 19th century and added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. A small ensemble of local musicians performs in a riverside pavilion: the đàn kìm (moon lute), đàn tranh (zither), đàn cò (two-string fiddle), and percussion, with a singer performing in the Southern Vietnamese regional style. The guide explains the tradition, the instruments, and the lyrics while the music is playing. This is the right cultural setting for this music — a shaded pavilion on a river island in the delta where it originated, not a staged hotel performance.
11:45 AM Coconut candy workshop
A family-run coconut candy operation making kẹo dừa — the signature sweet of the Ben Tre region. The process is visible from start to finish: green coconuts pressed for their water and milk, the liquid boiled in a large wok with palm sugar until thick, then poured flat, rolled, cut, and wrapped by hand. The family produces several flavours. You taste at each stage of the process. There’s a shop at the end if you want to buy; the guide will mention it once and leave it there.
12:30 PM Lunch — riverside restaurant
Lunch at a riverside restaurant in the Ben Tre or My Tho area. Vietnamese shared-plate set menu using fresh local ingredients. Vegetarian guests are served a full Vietnamese vegetarian spread — please confirm this at booking, not on the day. The guide stays with the group during lunch and is available for questions or conversation about the afternoon programme.
1:30 PM Sampan ride — palm canal
After lunch, the group transfers to traditional rowing sampans for the trip through the narrow canals between the islands. The sampan is a flat-bottomed wooden boat, narrow and low on the water. The canal is completely covered by a canopy of water coconut palms (dừa nước) — no sun, little wind, and very quiet apart from the sound of the paddle and the birds. The canal is too narrow for motorboats; the sampan fits with a few centimetres to spare. This is the most photographed part of the day. About 20–25 minutes.
2:00 PM Cycling or walking — Tan Thach village, Ben Tre
The group crosses to the Ben Tre side by motorboat and arrives at Tan Thach village for the cycling or walking loop through the village lanes. The route runs through shaded paths past traditional wooden houses, small gardens, fruit trees, and local life. The pace is slow and the distance is short — this is not an exercise session, it’s a way of moving through the village at a speed that lets you actually see it. Walking guests follow a parallel route with the guide. About 45–60 minutes.
3:00 PM Return motorboat to My Tho pier
The motorboat returns the group to the My Tho waterfront. The guide gives a short recap of the day and answers any final questions on the water before the vehicle transfer.
3:15 PM Return drive to Ho Chi Minh City
The vehicle departs My Tho for the return to Ho Chi Minh City. Approximately 1.5 hours. Cold water in the vehicle. The guide is available throughout the return journey.
5:00–5:30 PM Hotel drop-off — District 1. End of tour.
Price & Bookings
All rates are per person in USD. Maximum 7 guests per departure. Lunch included. Rate decreases with group size.
| Ticket type | Regular price | Holiday price |
| Adult | 55$ | 66$ |
| Child (4–10 years) | 40$ | 49$ |
| Child (under 4) | Free | Free |
Public holidays — holiday pricing applies
If your departure date falls on or within any of the periods below, the holiday price applies automatically at booking.
| Holiday | Dates |
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2027 |
| Lunar New Year (Tết) | 15 February – 3 March 2026 |
| Hung Kings’ Festival | 26 April 2026 |
| Reunification Day & Labour Day | 30 April – 1 May 2026 |
| Vietnam National Day | 1–2 September 2026 |
Children’s pricing
| Age | Rate | Notes |
| Under 4 years | Free | Shares seat with parents |
| 4–10 years | 75% of adult rate | Standard children’s rate |
| 11 and above | Adult rate | Full adult rate |
What’s included
- Premium vehicle for hotel pickup and drop-off in District 1 — dedicated to your group
- Professional licensed driver for the full day
- Professional English-speaking guide dedicated to your group
- All entrance fees — Vinh Trang Pagoda, local workshops and farms
- Traditional motorboat across the Tiền River (return)
- Rowing sampan through the palm canals
- Fruit orchard walk with fruit tasting
- Bee farm visit with honey tasting and honeyed tea
- Đòn ca tài tử live performance
- Coconut candy workshop with tasting
- Cycling through Tan Thach village (or walking, your choice)
- Lunch — Vietnamese set menu, vegetarian option available on request
- Cold water in the vehicle throughout the day
- All taxes and service charges
What’s not included
- Travel insurance
- Personal purchases at shopping stops (entirely optional)
- Additional food and drinks beyond included lunch
- Tips for guide and driver (optional, appreciated)
Why TNK Travel
TNK Travel is a Vietnam-based inbound tour operator licensed since 2000. We run daily departures from Ho Chi Minh City and have taken over 1,000,000 travellers on tours across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
- Ranked #3 on TripAdvisor among Ho Chi Minh City tour operators
- 24,000+ verified reviews across TripAdvisor, Viator, and Klook
- Viator Top-Rated Operator badge
- 94% of travellers recommend our tours
- Licensed operator: International Tour Operator Licence No. 79-102/2010/TCDL-GP LHQT
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between this tour and the standard MK1 group tour?
The standard MK1 tour runs with up to 12 guests in a shared minibus. This tour has a maximum of 7 guests in a premium vehicle, with a dedicated guide and driver team who are with your group the entire day. The programme covers the same sites, but the pace is more flexible, the guide has more time for each person, and the vehicle is significantly more comfortable. The price reflects the smaller group and dedicated service.
Can vegetarians join this tour?
Yes, absolutely. Vietnamese cuisine has excellent vegetarian cooking, especially in the Mekong Delta where Buddhist vegetarian traditions are strong. Let TNK know at booking that you need a vegetarian menu. The restaurant prepares a full Vietnamese vegetarian spread alongside the standard menu — separate dishes, not just the non-meat items from the standard menu. Please confirm this at booking rather than on the day so the kitchen can prepare properly.
Are the shopping stops mandatory?
No. The guide will mention what each shop sells and offer the group the option to stop. If the group isn’t interested, the vehicle continues. There are no commissions, no minimum time requirements at shops, and no pressure from the guide or driver. The shops are run by local families and are genuinely worth a look if you’re interested in delta produce, but they’re a small optional part of the day, not a core feature.
What if I don’t want to cycle?
Walking is equally good and covers the same village lanes. Let the guide know at the start of the Tan Thach stop and they’ll arrange the walking route. You see the same things, just on foot. Children who can’t cycle independently can ride with a guide on the back of a tandem bike if they want to join the cycling group.
What fruit will be in season?
The main delta fruits and their approximate seasons: longan (July–September), pomelo (year-round, best October–February), jackfruit (March–June), rambutan (May–July), mangosteen (April–June), star fruit (year-round). The guide explains what’s available on the day and why. Whatever is in season at the orchard is what gets tasted — always fresh and picked that morning.
Is Vinh Trang Pagoda still an active temple?
Yes. Vinh Trang is an active Buddhist monastery with resident monks. The main complex is open to visitors throughout the day, and daily ceremonies take place in the mornings and evenings. If a ceremony is underway when the group arrives, the guide will adjust the visit so guests can observe respectfully without disrupting the monks. Modest dress is required — shoulders and knees covered. The guide advises on this before the vehicle arrives.
Is this tour suitable for children?
Yes. The boat rides, the orchard, the bee farm (with appropriate supervision), and the village cycling are all enjoyable for children. The sampan ride requires children to sit still and low in a narrow boat — the guide will brief parents before boarding. The đòn ca tài tử performance is calm and may hold children’s attention better with the guide’s explanation of the instruments. Children under 4 travel free; children 4–10 pay 75% of the adult rate.
Book the Mekong Delta luxury small group day tour
Maximum 7 guests. Dedicated guide and driver. Premium vehicle. Full day in My Tho and Ben Tre — pagoda, river cruise, fruit orchard, honey farm, live music, coconut candy, sampan, cycling. Lunch included. Hotel pickup District 1. Daily departure.
- Online: tnktravel.com — booking form on this page
- WhatsApp: +84 938 195 445
- Email: booking@tnktravel.com
- Walk in: 90 Bui Vien Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
International Tour Operator Licence No: 79-102/2010/TCDL-GP LHQT
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