Overview
Cruise the Tien River from My Tho, walk the lanes of Con Qui Island, pick fruit from the orchards, row through the inner canals, and ride xe lam through the villages of Quoi Son — a private half-day on the Mekong for your group alone.
This private half-day tour departs from My Tho Cruise Port and follows the Tien River — the northern distributary of the Mekong — past the Rach Mieu Bridge and along the fish cages and riverside settlements that line the current. The first stop is Con Qui, one of the four islands of My Tho, where the group walks through fruit orchards, picks and tastes seasonal fruit directly from the trees, visits a working honey farm, and samples coconut water from palms that overhang the garden paths.
The afternoon moves by xe điện (electric cart) or xe lam (motorised rickshaw) through the village lanes of Quỳi Sơn commune in Ben Tre — narrow paths between family properties and working workshops where coconut candy (kủo dừa) and banana candy (kủo chuối) are made the same way they have always been made. Lunch follows at a riverside restaurant: a rotating set of freshly cooked Mekong delta dishes drawn from what is fresh that day. The menu is different each visit — river fish, seasonal vegetables, delta specialities, steamed rice. After lunch, the group cycles through the surrounding village lanes at a leisurely pace — quiet paths between gardens and paddies inaccessible to larger vehicles. Guests who prefer not to cycle can walk the same route. The boat then returns to My Tho Cruise Port, and the vehicle brings the group back to Ho Chi Minh City.
The vehicle and guide are exclusively for your group throughout. The pace is private — if your group wants to spend more time in the orchard or at a workshop, the guide can adjust. Departure time is flexible and confirmed at booking.
Why TNK Travel for this tour
– Hotel pickup and drop-off from Ho Chi Minh City: the private vehicle collects your group from your hotel and returns you there at the end of the day. No need to arrange your own transfer to My Tho. Departure time is confirmed at booking to fit your schedule.
– Private, your pace: the boat, xe điện or xe lam, and guide are yours for the duration. No shared group, no fixed pace.
– Con Qui Island — less visited: the four islands of My Tho (Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix, Tortoise) receive the majority of standard group tour traffic. Con Qui (Tortoise Island) is the quietest of the four — the orchard and honey farm visits here are with working families rather than demonstration setups for high-volume groups.
– Xe điện or xe lam: the choice of electric cart or motorised rickshaw is offered based on availability and group size. Both navigate the village lanes of Quỳi Sơn in the same way and give the same access to the workshop stops. Your guide will confirm which is available at booking.
– Trusted operator since 2000: TNK Travel is ranked #3 on TripAdvisor with over 24,000 verified reviews.
Tour highlights
– Tien River cruise past Rạch Miễu Bridge
– Floating fish cages on the Tien River
– Con Qui Island — Tortoise Island
– Honey farm and coconut tasting on Con Qui
– Rowing sampan through the inner canals.
– Xe điện or xe lam through Thoi Sơn village
– Coconut candy and banana candy
– Cycling or walking through the village lanes
Important information
Meeting point & departure
– This tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Ho Chi Minh City. The private vehicle collects your group from your hotel and drives to My Tho Cruise Port (Cảng Du Thuyền Mỹ Tho) — approximately 70 kilometres, around 90 minutes by road.
– At the end of the day, the boat returns to My Tho pier and the vehicle drives the group back to Ho Chi Minh City. Drop-off at your hotel or a central point confirmed at booking.
– Departure time from Ho Chi Minh City is flexible and confirmed at booking — the tour is designed to fit your itinerary.
What to wear & bring
– Clothing: light, comfortable clothes. Long trousers or a wrap are useful if your group includes a temple or pagoda visit alongside this itinerary (not included in the standard programme but can be added).
– Footwear: comfortable walking shoes or sandals. The island paths are compacted earth and can be damp or muddy in the wet season. The sampan ride requires stepping into a low boat — shoes that can get splashed are advisable.
– Sun protection: hat and sunscreen for the river cruise and orchard walk sections.
– Insect repellent: recommended for the sampan canal section, especially in the wet season.
– Cash: Vietnamese dong for optional purchases at the candy workshops and honey farm. Tipping the guide, boat crew, and boatwomen is optional but appreciated.
Physical requirements
– Light to moderate activity level. The island walk is on flat, compacted paths. The sampan boarding requires stepping into a low wooden boat — your guide and boat crew assist.
– The xe điện and xe lam are seated — guests ride rather than walk through the village lanes.
– After lunch: optional bicycle ride through the village lanes. This is flat, unhurried cycling on quiet paths — no hills, no traffic. Guests who prefer not to cycle can walk the same route on foot.
– Suitable for all fitness levels including elderly guests and children. Not recommended for guests with serious mobility limitations that prevent boat boarding.
– Pregnant guests should consult their doctor before booking.
Weather
– The tour operates year-round including light rain.
– Wet season (May–October): the orchards are more productive and the canal vegetation is at its densest. Bring a light raincoat or poncho.
– Dry season (November–April): more comfortable temperatures and lower humidity for the outdoor sections.
– If TNK Travel cancels due to severe weather, guests receive a full refund or can reschedule.
Related tours
– Mekong Delta day tour — My Tho & Ben Tre (MK1): full-day group tour from Ho Chi Minh City covering My Tho, Con Qui Island, Ben Tre workshops, sampan canals, and village cycling
– Mekong Delta 2 days 1 night (GT-MK2): Cai Be floating market, overnight Can Tho, Cai Rang floating market at dawn
– Mekong Delta adventure 2 days 1 night — Ben Tre & Tra Vinh (PR MK2S): private two-day tour covering Ben Tre waterways and Tra Vinh’s Khmer heritage
– Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta full day (CMK): Cu Chi in the morning, Mekong Delta river cruise and sampan in the afternoon
– Mekong Delta nature tour — Dong Thap (PRI-DT): private full-day tour to the Plain of Reeds wetlands and Truc Lam Zen Monastery
Itinerary
Half day — My Tho → Con Qui Island → Quỳi Sơn, Ben Tre → My Tho
The group boards the private cruise boat at My Tho Cruise Port (Cảng Du Thuyền Mỹ Tho). Your guide provides a brief orientation to the Tien River and introduces the route for the day. Exact departure time confirmed at booking.
On the river Tien River cruise — Rach Mieu Bridge & floating fish cages
The boat heads east along the Tien River. The Rach Mieu suspension bridge — which connects Tiền Giang Province to Bến Tre — comes into view on the right. The bridge was completed in 2009 and replaced the ferry crossing that previously connected the two provinces. Your guide explains its significance to the region’s development and the change it brought to the communities on both banks.
Along both banks of the river: rows of floating fish cages moored in the current. The cages raise tra catfish (cá tra), snakehead (cá lóc), and other species in the controlled water conditions of the river channel. The scale of the operations varies from small family-run cages to larger commercial setups. Your guide describes how the cage farming works and its place in the broader Mekong Delta economy.
Con Qui Island Orchard walk — fruit picking & tasting
The boat docks at Con Qui (Cồn Quy — Tortoise Island) and the group walks the orchard paths on foot. The island’s interior is planted with seasonal fruit trees: longan (nhãn), rambutan (chôm chôm), starfruit (khế), jackfruit (mít), banana (chuối), and others depending on the time of year. Guests pick fruit directly from the trees and taste it immediately. Your guide identifies each fruit, explains the growing cycle, and points out the differences between varieties.
The walk continues deeper into the orchard to the coconut garden. Young coconuts are opened at the tree and the fresh water is served directly. Further into the garden, guests can also sample the fermented coconut toddy (rượu chuối hột) — a mildly alcoholic drink made from the fermented liquid of the palm — if available in season. Hanging coconuts, some covered in natural green fibre, others ripening on the stem, are visible throughout.
Con Qui Island Honey farm & bee hive visit
A short walk from the orchard brings the group to a working bee farm. The hives are maintained using the traditional delta method — the farmer works the hives without a veil or gloves, using smoke from a handheld burner to calm the bees. Your guide translates the farmer’s explanation of the colony structure, the seasonal harvesting cycle, and the products made from the honey: pure raw honey, honeycomb, and honey-based drinks. Tasting included.
On the canals Rowing sampan — nipa palm waterways
The group transfers to hand-rowed wooden sampan boats — two to three guests per boat, rowed by a local boatwoman. The route moves through the inner canals of the island system, beneath a continuous arch of nipa palms (dừa nước) — the low-growing palms whose fronds thatch the roofs of riverside houses across the delta. The canal is narrow, the water is still, and the only sound is the rhythm of the oar. About 20–30 minutes. The contrast with the open river is immediate and complete.
Thoi Sơn, Ben Tre Xe điện or xe lam — village lanes & candy workshops
The boat docks and the group boards electric carts (xe điện) or xe lam — motorised three-wheel rickshaws — for a tour through the village lanes of Thoi Sơn commune. The lanes are too narrow for a standard vehicle. The route passes between family properties, vegetable gardens, and the small food production workshops that the area is known for.
The first workshop stop produces coconut candy (keo dừa) — the process runs continuously: coconut milk is cooked in a large wok to a thick paste, poured onto a flat surface, flavoured (pandan green, durian yellow, or plain white), then rolled by hand and cut into pieces. Guests can join the rolling and cutting stage and purchase finished candy by the bag.
The second stop produces banana candy (keo chuối): overripe bananas are cooked with palm sugar and coconut milk into a dense, dark-coloured sweet with a chewy texture. The finished product is wrapped individually in dried banana leaf or clear film. Both products are iconic Ben Tre specialities and genuinely different in flavour from commercially produced versions.
Ben Tre Lunch at a riverside restaurant
After the workshop visits, the group sits down for lunch at a local riverside restaurant in Ben Tre. The kitchen does not work from a fixed menu — the cook prepares whatever is fresh from the market that morning. The menu is different each visit. Vegetarian alternatives available if requested at booking.
Lunch is unhurried. The restaurant sits directly on the water — the river moves past the deck at the pace the Mekong always moves, which is to say slowly and continuously. This is the moment to stop and absorb the day rather than move through it.
Ben Tre Cycling (or walking) through the village lanes
After lunch, bicycles are provided for a slow circuit through the lanes surrounding the restaurant. The paths here are unpaved tracks between family vegetable gardens, fish ponds shaded by banana and coconut palms, and narrow waterways crossed by single-plank bridges. No vehicle larger than a bicycle fits on these lanes — which means no noise, no exhaust, and none of the usual background of road traffic. The cycling is flat and the pace is entirely up to the group.
Guests who prefer not to cycle can walk the same route on foot at the same easy pace. The guide accompanies both groups. The circuit takes approximately 30–45 minutes depending on how often the group stops.
Return journey Boat back to My Tho — then road to Ho Chi Minh City
After cycling, the group returns to the boat for the cruise back to My Tho Cruise Port (Cảng Du Thuyền Mỹ Tho). The return trip covers the same stretch of the Tiền River in the opposite direction — late afternoon light on the water, the Rach Mieu Bridge again from the other side, the fish cage farms settling into the quieter pace of the afternoon.
At My Tho pier, the group transfers to the private vehicle for the road journey back to Ho Chi Minh City — approximately 70 kilometres, around 90 minutes by road depending on traffic. Drop-off at your hotel or a central point in the city confirmed at booking. End of tour.
Price & Bookings
All rates are per person in USD. Private tour — vehicle, boat, and guide exclusively for your group. Per-person price decreases with group size.
| Tour type | 2–3 pax | 4–5 pax | 6–9 pax | Holiday 2–3 pax | Holiday 4–5 pax | Holiday 6–9 pax |
| Private tour | [_85$__] | [_50$__] | [_40$__] | [__90$_] | [__55$_] | [_45$__] |
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 Nguyên Đán) | 15 February – 3 March 2026 |
| Hung Kings’ Festival (Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương) | 26 April 2026 |
| Reunification Day & International Labour Day | 30 April – 1 May 2026 |
| Vietnam National Day (Quốc Khánh) | 1 – 2 September 2026 |
Children’s pricing
| Age | Rate | Notes |
| Under 4 years | Free | Shares seat with parents. No separate seat provided. |
| 4–10 years | 75% of adult rate | Standard children’s rate. |
| 11 years and above | Adult rate | Full adult rate applies. |
This is a half-day tour with no overnight stay. Children aged 4–10 pay 75% of the applicable adult rate for their group size. Children under 4 travel free and share a seat with their parents.
What’s included
- Private river cruise boat for the full tour duration
- Xe điện (electric cart) or xe lam (motorised rickshaw) for village lane section
- Hand-rowed sampan boats for canal section
- Professional English-speaking guide for the full tour
- Private vehicle for hotel pickup and drop-off in Ho Chi Minh City
- Private river cruise boat for the full on-water portion
- Xe điện (electric cart) or xe lam (motorised rickshaw) for village lane section
- Hand-rowed sampan boats for nipa palm canal section
- Bicycles for post-lunch village cycling (walking option available)
- Professional English-speaking guide for the full tour
- Cồn Qui Island orchard walk — fruit picking and tasting (seasonal)
- Bee farm visit and honey tasting
- Fresh coconut water tasting at the orchard
- Coconut candy and banana candy workshop visits
- Lunch at a local riverside restaurant in Quỳi Sơn (seasonal rotating menu)
- Bottled water throughout the tour
- All guide, boat crew, and site fees
- All taxes and service charges
What’s not included
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Optional purchases at candy workshops and honey farm
- Additional food and drinks beyond the included lunch
- Tips for guide, boat crew, boatwomen, and cyclists (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
Does this tour depart from Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes. The private vehicle picks up your group at your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and drives to My Tho Cruise Port (approximately 70 kilometres, around 90 minutes). At the end of the day, the boat returns to My Tho pier and the vehicle brings the group back to Ho Chi Minh City by road. Hotel drop-off confirmed at booking. The total day runs approximately 8–9 hours from hotel pickup to return.
What is the difference between xe điện and xe lam?
Both are small vehicles used for short-distance travel on the narrow village lanes of the Mekong Delta. The xe điện is a battery-powered electric cart — quiet, smooth, and emission-free. The xe lam is a motorised three-wheel rickshaw with a small petrol engine, a more traditional vehicle that has been used in the delta for decades. Both navigate the same lanes and stop at the same workshop points. Your guide will confirm which is available at booking based on current conditions.
What fruit will I find on the island?
The fruit available on Cồn Qui Island depends on the season. In the dry season (November–April): longan (nhãn), rambutan (chôm chôm), and starfruit (khế) are typically in season. In the wet season (May–October): jackfruit (mít), banana (chuối), and various citrus varieties. Year-round: coconut (dừa) and banana. Your guide will explain what is in season on the day and point out which trees to pick from.
What will we eat for lunch?
The lunch menu is not fixed — the kitchen prepares whatever is fresh from the local market that morning. Expect a spread of two or three shared dishes: typically a river fish (whole, prepared in one of the classic delta styles — steamed, grilled, or clay-pot braised in caramel sauce), a stir-fried vegetable dish, a clear soup, and steamed rice served from a shared pot. The exact dishes change with the season and the day’s market. Vegetarian, vegan, and halal alternatives are available if requested at booking.
What is nipa palm and why is it significant?
Nipa palm (dừa nước — literally ‘water coconut’) is a low-growing palm that grows in brackish tidal waterways throughout the Mekong Delta. Unlike standard palms, it has no trunk — the fronds grow directly from the root mass at water level. Nipa is one of the most important plants in the delta: the fronds are the primary thatching material for riverside houses, the shoots are edible, the sap is fermented into wine, and the root system stabilises riverbanks. The sampan canal sections of this tour pass through nipa-lined waterways characteristic of the inner island system.
Is this tour suitable for children?
Yes. The fruit picking, honey tasting, sampan ride, and post-lunch bicycle ride are all popular with children. The xe điện or xe lam ride through the village lanes is also engaging. Children under 4 travel free. Children aged 4–10 pay 75% of the adult rate. Let TNK know the ages of children in your group at booking. Younger children who cannot ride bicycles can be seated on the back of an adult’s bicycle or can walk with the guide.
Can vegetarians join this tour?
Yes. Please indicate dietary requirements at booking. The lunch can be adapted for vegetarian, vegan, or halal guests with advance notice. The fruit tastings, coconut water, and honey are naturally suitable for vegetarians.
How long is the full tour day?
The tour runs approximately 8–9 hours from hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City to hotel drop-off. The road transfer to My Tho is around 90 minutes each way. Time on the water, at the island, in the workshops, over lunch, and cycling the village lanes accounts for around 5–6 hours in the delta. Exact departure time is confirmed at booking and can be adjusted to suit your schedule.
Book your My Tho river cruise — Thoi Son & Ben Tre
Private full-day tour departing from Ho Chi Minh City. Your group only — no shared departures. Hotel pickup and drop-off included. Flexible departure time confirmed at booking. Lunch included.
- 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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