Overview
Fish the Ben Luc canals, herd ducks, cook southern Vietnamese dishes & eat lunch in a coconut garden
Ben Luc district in Long An province sits about 40 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City, where the city’s edge dissolves into the flat canal-threaded landscape of the Mekong Delta. The drive takes about an hour. What you arrive at is a working agricultural community — families who fish the waterways, tend kitchen gardens, grow coconuts, and raise ducks alongside the canals.
This tour is built around doing those things alongside them, not watching from a distance. You spend the morning on the water: a motorboat out of Go Dung Pier along the canal network, stopping under a rural bridge where local fishing lines are set. Each guest gets a rod and bait bought that morning at the market. The fishing is not sport fishing — it’s the same simple technique that families here have used for generations to supplement what they grow. Whether you catch anything or not, the hour and a half on the water gives you a very different sense of how the river functions in daily life.
The afternoon moves to a coconut garden on the riverbank. Duck herding, canal bailing with a traditional scoop, a hands-on cooking class preparing bánh xèo, chả giò, and thịt nướng lá lốt — then lunch under the palms, followed by a sampan ride back through the nipa canals. The pace is relaxed and the group is small. It’s the kind of day that’s hard to replicate on a larger tour.
Why TNK Travel for this tour
- Hands-on, not hands-off: you fish with real equipment, cook real dishes, and participate in garden activities that are part of the host family’s actual daily routine.
- Ben Luc is not on the standard Mekong circuit: most day trips from Ho Chi Minh City go to My Tho or Cai Be. Long An province sees far fewer visitors, and the places you go here are not set up for tour groups.
- Small groups only: maximum 12 people. The fishing spots, the coconut garden kitchen, and the sampan work best at this scale.
- Trusted by over 1,000,000 travellers: TNK Travel has operated tours out of Ho Chi Minh City since 2000, ranked #3 on TripAdvisor with over 24,000 verified reviews.
Tour highlights
- Ben Luc market: a quick stop at the local market to pick up bait for the fishing session and fresh ingredients for the afternoon cooking class. The market is active in the early morning — produce from local gardens, freshwater fish, herbs, and river snacks.
- Canal fishing at Go Dung Pier: motorboat out to a fishing spot under a rural bridge. Each guest gets their own rod, bait, and a spot along the bank. The technique is simple — line, hook, bait, patience — and your guide will help anyone who hasn’t fished before. Snacks, fresh fruit, and cold drinks are served on the boat while you fish.
- Countryside walk & canal cruise: after fishing, the boat moves deeper into the narrow canal network. A short walk along the riverbank between the trees and garden plots before arriving at the coconut garden.
- Duck herding (“Duck Massage”): a lighthearted activity that is more entertaining than it sounds. Ducks are guided from their pen to the water and back using long bamboo poles — a real part of daily farm management, and genuinely difficult to do in a straight line.
- Canal bailing: using a traditional wooden scoop to transfer water between canal sections — a technique used to irrigate garden plots and control water levels in the delta. It looks straightforward and is not.
- Cooking class: three southern Vietnamese dishes prepared in the garden kitchen: bánh xèo (sizzling rice-flour pancake with pork, prawn, and bean sprouts), chả giò (deep-fried spring rolls), and thịt nướng lá lốt (minced pork grilled in wild betel leaves). Your guide and the host will walk you through each dish.
- Lunch in the coconut garden: a home-style meal under the palms, combining the dishes from the cooking class with a set southern Vietnamese lunch: lemongrass chicken, fried eggs, minced pork soup, steamed rice, and seasonal fruit.
- Hammock time: after lunch, a genuine break in hammocks strung between the coconut trees. No schedule for 30 minutes.
- Sampan ride through nipa canals: the return journey to the pier is by paddle-powered sampan through shaded narrow canals lined with nipa palm. Quiet, slow, and a good way to end the day.
Important information
Pickup
- Available from hotels in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City (excluding Sài Gòn Ward and Tân Định Ward)
- Pickup time: 8:00 AM. Please wait in your hotel lobby.
- Exact pickup time confirmed by email or WhatsApp 24 hours before departure
- Hotels outside Ben Thanh Ward: meet at TNK Travel, 112 Trần Hưng Đạo Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1 by 7:45 AM
What to wear & bring
- Clothing: light, casual clothes you don’t mind getting wet or muddy. The fishing involves sitting close to the water; the garden activities involve soil and canal water.
- Footwear: sandals with straps or old shoes for the market and garden. Flip-flops are fine for the boat. Avoid good shoes — the garden paths can be muddy after rain.
- Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. The fishing section has limited shade.
- Insect repellent: recommended, particularly for the canal and garden sections in the wet season (May–October).
- Cash: for personal purchases at the market. Most vendors do not accept cards.
Physical requirements
- Moderate activity level. The tour involves walking on uneven garden paths, getting in and out of boats, and standing at the canal bank for the fishing session.
- The fishing and garden activities require no prior experience or fitness level beyond the ability to stand and walk comfortably.
- The sampan requires stepping into a low-sided boat — your guide will assist. Life jackets available on request.
- Not recommended for travellers with severe mobility limitations.
Weather
- The tour runs in most weather conditions, including light rain. Ponchos available if needed.
- Fishing may be moved to a sheltered spot during heavy rain. Garden activities continue under the coconut canopy.
- If TNK Travel cancels due to severe weather, you receive a full refund or can reschedule.
Itinerary
Your guide meets you at your hotel in District 1. The group departs for Ben Luc district in Long An province, approximately 40 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. The drive takes about 45–60 minutes depending on morning traffic. Your guide will give a brief introduction to the delta — the geography of the Mekong system, why Long An province developed differently from the more visited areas further southwest, and what to expect from the day.
8:45 – 9:30 AM Countryside market
The first stop is a local wet market in Ben Luc. Morning is when the market is most alive — vendors have arrived before dawn with produce from their own plots: water spinach, bitter melon, banana blossom, fresh herbs, live freshwater fish, and rice in several forms including the glutinous rice that will be used at the wine workshop later. The market is not set up for tourists and does not slow down for them. You walk through it with your guide, who will explain what is being sold and introduce you to vendors willing to talk.
This is also where ingredients for the afternoon cooking class are sourced — you’ll see your guide selecting vegetables, herbs, and protein for the meal you’ll prepare later.
9:30 – 10:15 AM Rice mill
A short drive or walk to a family-run rice mill. Paddy rice arrives from local farms, passes through the husking machine to remove the outer hull, then through the milling machine to strip the bran layer and polish the grain. The by-products — rice bran and husks — are used as animal feed and fuel. The whole process takes a few minutes per batch, and the mill runs continuously through the morning.
The space is industrial and unpretentious: concrete floors, dust in the air, the smell of raw grain, and the particular noise of the milling machinery. Your guide will explain the economics — how much rice a family farm produces, what it sells for at the mill, and how the margin works for the miller. 10:15 – 11:00 AM Sticky-rice wine workshop
A family home where rượu nếp — sticky-rice wine — has been made for at least two generations. The process starts with glutinous rice cooked in a wooden steamer, mixed with men rượu (wine yeast cakes), and left to ferment in ceramic jars for three to five days. The fermented mash is then distilled in a clay pot still with a bamboo condenser tube running through a water-cooled basin. The resulting spirit is clear, mildly sweet, and typically around 25–30% ABV.
You’ll see the fermentation jars at different stages, watch the distillation if the timing works out, and taste the finished wine at the end of the visit alongside a small snack. The family will explain the differences between batches — rice variety, fermentation time, and number of distillation runs all affect the flavour. 11:00 – 11:45 AM Long-tail boat on the Mekong River
From the riverbank, you board a motorised long-tail boat for a ride on the main Mekong channel. The river here is wide — several hundred metres across — and busy with commercial traffic: sand barges, fishing boats, and the flat-bottomed cargo vessels that are the primary freight transport of the delta. Your guide will point out landmarks and explain the river’s role in the regional economy. 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM Sampan through the nipa canals
The long-tail boat turns off the main river into a network of smaller canals lined with nipa palm (dừa nước). Here the motor is cut and you transfer to a paddle-powered sampan — a flat-bottomed wooden boat narrow enough to fit through gaps in the vegetation. The guide or a local rower paddles from the stern.
The nipa canals are a different world from the main river: shaded, quiet, and close to the bank. The palms grow right to the water’s edge; their fronds form a canopy overhead. Garden plots run along the banks behind them — banana, papaya, and water coconut visible through the gaps. This section lasts about 30–40 minutes and is the quietest part of the day. 12:30 – 2:00 PM Cooking class & lunch at riverside garden
At a riverside garden, you join in preparing lunch using the ingredients purchased at the morning market. The cooking class is hands-on and informal — you’re cooking in a real kitchen alongside the host family, not watching a demonstration. The dishes are southern Vietnamese home cooking, typically including gọi cuốn (fresh rice paper rolls with herbs and dipping sauce), a claypot fish or pork dish (cá kho tộ or thịt kho), stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and steamed rice.
After cooking, you eat what you made at a table in the garden. Tropical fruit from the orchard — whatever is ripe that day — is served as dessert. This is typically the most relaxed part of the day; there’s no schedule pressure and most groups linger over the meal. 2:00 – 2:30 PM Tropical fruit garden
A walk through the garden orchard after lunch. The variety of fruit depends entirely on the season: in the cool dry season (November–February) you’ll likely find longan, pomelo, and star apple; in the warmer months, jackfruit, rambutan, mangosteen, and dragon fruit. Your guide will explain the growing cycle and let you taste whatever is ripe directly from the tree or vine. 2:30 PM Depart for Ho Chi Minh City
The group returns to the vehicle for the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving at District 1 hotels between 3:30 and 4:30 PM depending on traffic.
Price & Bookings
Price & bookings
| Tour type | Group size | Price per person | Holiday price per person | Features |
| Small group tour | 2–12 people | $44 USD | $50 USD | Daily departure |
Public holidays — $50 USD per person
Holiday pricing applies to all departures on the following dates. If your travel date falls within one of these periods, the $50 rate 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
- Children under 3 years: free (sharing seat with parents)
- Children 4–9 years: 75% of adult rate (sharing with parents)
- Children 10 years and above: adult rate applies
- 1 free child place per 2 paying adults; additional children pay the applicable rate
Cancellation policy
- Cancel 24+ hours before departure: full refund
- Cancel less than 24 hours before departure: 100% charge, no refund
- No-shows or latecomers after departure: no refund
Payment methods
Cash (USD or VND), all major credit cards, bank transfer, PayPal, Viator, Klook.
What’s included
- Round-trip transportation in air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Private motorised long-tail boat on the Mekong River
- Sampan ride through the nipa palm canals
- Countryside market visit
- Rice mill visit
- Sticky-rice wine workshop visit and tasting
- Riverside cooking class with hands-on participation
- Lunch (prepared during the cooking class)
- Tropical fruit tasting from the garden orchard
- Bottled water throughout the day
- All taxes and service charges
What’s not included
- Personal expenses and shopping at the market
- Additional drinks beyond included water
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- 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 operated tours for over 1,000,000 travellers from more than 80 countries.
- 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
Where exactly is Ben Luc and how is this different from a standard Mekong Delta tour?
Ben Luc is a district in Long An province, about 40 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City — closer than most Mekong day trips, which typically go to My Tho (70 km) or Cai Be (90 km). The difference is not just distance: Long An is less developed for tourism than Tiền Giang or Vĩnh Long, which means the places you visit here are genuinely working rather than set up for tour groups. The market, rice mill, and wine workshop all exist independently of tourism and would operate the same way on a day when no visitors came.
What is sticky-rice wine and is it very strong?
Rượu nếp is a traditional Vietnamese spirit made from fermented glutinous rice, distilled in a simple clay pot still. The flavour is mild and slightly sweet compared to grain spirits. A single distillation typically produces a spirit of around 25–30% ABV — stronger than beer but not intensely alcoholic. You’ll taste a small amount during the workshop visit. If you prefer not to drink alcohol, just let your guide know.
Is the cooking class suitable for people who can’t cook?
Yes. The class is hands-on and informal — you’re cooking alongside the host family in their kitchen, not following a structured curriculum. The dishes are straightforward (rolling spring rolls, wrapping gọi cuốn, watching the clay pot) and your guide and the hosts will help with everything. No cooking experience is needed or expected.
Can the lunch accommodate dietary restrictions?
Yes, with advance notice. The default menu contains fish sauce, pork, and seafood. Vegetarian and fish-free options can be arranged if you let us know at booking. Fully vegan options are possible but the choice will be more limited given the ingredients available at the local market. Contact us before booking if you have specific requirements.
What is the sampan ride like? Is it safe?
The sampan is a flat-bottomed wooden boat, paddle-powered, and very stable in the calm canal water. The canals are narrow and shallow — typically 1–2 metres deep — and the pace is gentle. Your guide or a local rower paddles from the stern. Life jackets are available on request. The ride is suitable for all ages and fitness levels; the main requirement is the ability to step into a low-sided boat from a bank or pontoon.
What is the best season to do this tour?
The tour runs year-round. The dry season (November–April) offers the most reliable weather and is the peak season for tropical fruit. The wet season (May–October) brings afternoon rain but also lush greenery, higher water levels in the canals (better for sampan access), and a different range of fruit. Both seasons have their character. The tour is not cancelled due to light rain.
How is this tour different from the Cai Be full day tour or the Mekong Delta 2-day tour?
The Cai Be full day tour focuses on the Tien River and Tan Phong Island, with craft workshops, a river cruise, and a folk music performance. The Mekong Delta 2-day tour adds Cai Rang floating market and an overnight in Can Tho. This Ben Luc tour stays closer to Ho Chi Minh City and goes deeper into cottage industry and daily life — the rice mill and wine workshop are not on the standard Mekong itinerary. If you have limited time, Ben Luc is the most accessible; if you want more of the delta, consider the 2-day tour.
Book your day in the delta
Daily departures from Ho Chi Minh City. Pickup in District 1 included. Cooking class and lunch included. No hidden costs.
- 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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