Mekong Delta tour at your own pace

Saigon arrival / free time and rest (-)

Arrival at Saigon airport. Greeted by our driver (without guide) and transfer to your hotel in the city center. Free time to rest or do your own activities... Meals at leisure. Overnight in Saigon.

NOTE: The hotel room is available from 2:00 PM.

Saigon – City Discovery (B/L/D)

After breakfast, meet at 8:00 AM with our guide and driver to begin the discovery of Saigon city:

- Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, it is one of the few strongholds of Catholicism in a predominantly Buddhist Vietnam. Located on Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the "Peaceful Notre Dame" statue in 1959.

- The Central Post Office built by Gustave Eiffel, the Opera House and the City Hall with beautiful architecture, these are the oldest buildings in Saigon. They are classic examples of French colonial architecture in Vietnam and are the most popular places to see in Saigon.

- A stroll through the Chinese quarter of Cho Lon. A multitude of small family businesses thrive today in this "Chinatown" dedicated to trade and money. The richly decorated Chinese pagodas and temples are very different in style from Vietnamese shrines.

- Visit of Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the protective goddess of ships in Asian belief. A popular meeting place for Chinese faithful from the city and surrounding areas, Thien Hau Pagoda is also known as "Chua Ba Cho Lon" for its location in Cho Lon, Saigon's Chinatown.

- Binh Tay wholesale market. Lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Overnight in Saigon.

Saigon – Ben Tre – Walks (B/L/D)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Ben Tre, crossing My Tho to begin your discovery of the Mekong Delta, formed by the nine arms of the nourishing river.

Upon your arrival in Ben Tre, you embark on a local boat that takes you on the river to see the daily activities of the inhabitants. You visit a brick factory, an old house, and a family-run coconut candy factory. Tasting of candies, honey tea, and seasonal fruits. The family workshop makes local products with coconut.

The navigation continues on the Cai Son River. Disembarkation at the village of Nhon Thanh where local families specialize in mat making.

Then, a bike ride through coconut fields and orchards. You return to the traditional house located in a coconut orchard where you taste the specialties of the Mekong Delta.

After lunch at the local restaurant, you walk for about ten minutes to take the rowing boat.

Around 3:00 PM, you visit the tropical fruit market before heading towards Ba Tri (40km – 1h). You pass through immense rice fields and next to coconut forests. Visit a family workshop to meet local people who live from bamboo weaving. They are smiling and ready to show you the steps and techniques of their work.

Check-in at the homestay at the end of the day. Here, you have the opportunity to discover how to manually pick coconuts, you can certainly try it and then taste the coconut juice you picked.

In the evening, the family cook is pleased to invite you to participate in cooking with her. Aperitif offered and dinner at the homestay.

You do many activities in this region to see local life and this night you sleep in a typical Southern house.

You are all together in a room where there are single or double beds separated in the Vietnamese style.

Ben Tre – Cai Be – Vinh Long – Tra On – Overnight on board (B/L/D)

After breakfast, departure for Cai Be.

Arrival at Cai Be pier around 10:30 AM-11:00 AM. Transfer by junk that takes us to a sumptuous traditional residence, an ancient imperial residence, where the descendants of the Kiet family welcome you and invite you to taste tea accompanied by delicious samples of tropical fruits. We have the opportunity to explore the garden strewn with fruit trees. Head towards the craft villages where rice and coconut-based products are made: rice alcohol, puffed rice cakes, rice paper, coconut milk sweets.

12:00 PM: Boarding the boat, welcome with a welcome drink.

Lunch on board as the boat heads towards Co Chien. During the cruise, you have the opportunity to contemplate beautiful authentic landscapes along the river.

In the afternoon, we take a walk or bike ride on the paths through the villages. The walk allows us to discover lush orchards and river activities, and especially to connect with local inhabitants.

The boat continues towards Tra On, while going upriver. The aperitif is offered on the upper deck while enjoying a foot massage as the sun slowly sets on the river.

Participation in the cooking class on the boat, you have the chance to try the dish "zucchini flowers stuffed with 'that lat' fish" and learn how to cut vegetables for dish decoration.

Dinner and overnight on board to fully enjoy the beauty of the river at night.

Tra On – Can Tho – Chau Doc (B/L/D)

An early wake-up allows you to contemplate the dawn on the Mekong River: fresh air, birdsong, barge traffic, and the activities of locals along the riverbank.

Breakfast is served on board while the boat slowly departs towards Can Tho.

Along the water, the boat takes you to Cai Rang market, one of the most important floating markets in the Mekong, teeming with boats loaded with fruits and vegetables, and small vessels zigzagging through the lively waters.

Boat trip along the creeks shaded by palm trees. You can admire magnificent orchards, local dwellings, shipbuilding yards, and the hustle and bustle of river activity. Visit an orchard where you will find many kinds of tropical fruits: mango, dragon fruit, kumquat, jackfruit, star apple, etc. Return and disembark from the boat at 11:00 AM.

Resume the vehicle to reach Chau Doc.

Stop en route for lunch at a local restaurant.

Arrival in Chau Doc, visit the city center and the local market. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Chau Doc.

Chau Doc – Long Xuyen (B/L/D)

After breakfast, the morning is dedicated to visiting the essential sites of Chau Doc:

- Ba Chua Xu Pagoda, dedicated to a legendary lady for her sacrifice for the peace of the region. The site is remarkable for its three-tiered roof inspired by a carefully decorated lotus flower. Its biggest festival, from the 23rd to the 27th of the 4th lunar month, sees its largest pilgrimage during which the statue of the goddess is bathed and her clothes are changed, as is the custom.

- Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb, known for its almost intact architecture that has stood since its construction dating back to the Nguyen dynasty. Housing the tomb and sepulchre of a mandarin who governed An Giang at the time and recognized as a national relic, this monument surrounded by ancient trees is worth a visit for its historical and aesthetic value.

- The summit of Sam Mountain, the place contains a good two hundred pagodas and temples to which pilgrims flock from all corners, especially during traditional festivities. 

- A boat trip to the Cham fishing village to visit the floating houses under which Pan-gar fish are raised.

Lunch at a local restaurant and departure for Long Xuyen. Check into your room upon arrival in Long Xuyen. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Long Xuyen.

Long Xuyen – Floating Market – Saigon (B/L/-)

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, we take a boat to visit the most authentic floating market of Long Xuyen, bordered on one side by beautiful houses and on the other by rice fields and stilt houses. The river comes alive at dawn, hundreds of boats overflowing with all kinds of products follow one another along the water in an incredible mosaic of colors and fragrances.

Bike ride on Tiger Island followed by lunch at a local's home

Disembarkation and return to Saigon.