With Guide
Our Tip
Saigon City Explorer
Discover the vibrant energy of Ho Chi Minh City with historic sites and Mekong Delta day trip.
4 days
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$599
The part of the Mekong most tours skip.
Trip duration: 9 hours
Cai Be Floating Market and Tan Phong Island: Full Day from Saigon
Trip duration: 9 hours
The stretch of the Mekong around Cai Be runs quieter than the routes closer to Saigon. The floating market here is working rather than curated, and Tan Phong Island sits in the Tien River with longan orchards and no road in.
The day moves from the market to the island: a boat past the gothic spires of Cai Be Cathedral, cycling through Tan Phong's orchard paths, stops at traditional workshops making pop rice candy and rice paper, a cooking class in a garden house, and a sampan back through the canals.
Small group. AC minivan, guide, boat, bicycle, cooking class, lunch: all in.
Guided tour southern-vietnam mekong-delta day-trip cultural cai-be tan-phong floating-market cycling cooking-class
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What you'll experience
⛵
Cai Be floating market
A working river market, not a tourist recreation: boats trading produce at dawn, with the gothic spires of Cai Be Cathedral rising above the water behind them.
🌿
Tan Phong Island
A quiet orchard island in the Tien River, accessible only by boat, planted with longan, rambutan, and mango trees tended by the same families for generations.
🚲
Orchard cycling
A bicycle ride through Tan Phong's shaded orchard paths and canal-side tracks — flat, unhurried, and away from any road traffic.
🍚
Traditional workshops
Pop rice candy and rice paper made the same way they have been in these family workshops for decades — taste both before you leave.
👨🍳
Garden house cooking class
Cook a Vietnamese dish with local ingredients in a riverside garden kitchen on Tan Phong Island, then eat what you made at lunch.
🛶
Sampan back through the canals
Hand-rowed through the narrow waterways between the island orchards before the drive home — the quietest stretch of the day.
What to expect
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Pick-up in Ho Chi Minh City, two-hour drive to Cai Be
Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel. The drive southwest reaches the banks of the Tien River at Cai Be in around two hours.
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Boat along the Tien River past Cai Be floating market and Cathedral
Board a private boat and head out onto the Tien River. The floating market moves slowly past — traders in wooden boats, produce changing hands — with the neo-Gothic spires of Cai Be Cathedral visible on the far bank.
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Arrive Tan Phong Island: cycling through the orchard paths
Land on Tan Phong Island and pick up a bicycle. The paths run flat and shaded through longan, rambutan, and mango orchards, past canal edges and the houses of the families who work the land.
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Traditional workshops: pop rice candy and rice paper making
Two family workshops in the same cluster of buildings: one making pop rice candy from puffed grains and sugar syrup, another rolling and drying fresh rice paper on bamboo frames. Both are still producing for local sale.
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Cooking class in a garden house on Tan Phong Island
In an open-sided riverside kitchen, cook a Vietnamese dish with your guide using local ingredients. The class is hands-on and informal — the meal that follows is made from what you prepare.
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Lunch, then sampan back through the narrow island canals
Eat at the garden house, then board a hand-rowed sampan for the return through the narrow waterways between the island orchards. The canal section is the quietest stretch of the day.
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Return drive to Ho Chi Minh City, back by late afternoon
The boat returns to the Cai Be landing and the minivan heads back to Saigon, arriving at your hotel by around 17:00, traffic depending.
What's included
All essential services for a comfortable and memorable trip.
- AC minivan — hotel pick-up and drop-off in Ho Chi Minh City
- English-speaking guide for the full day
- Private boat on the Tien River
- Hand-rowed sampan through the island canals
- Bicycle rental on Tan Phong Island
- Cooking class in a garden house
- All workshop visits (pop rice candy, rice paper)
- Lunch
- All entrance fees
- 1 bottle of water per person
Not included
Items and services that are not part of the package price.
- Personal drinks and alcohol
- Tips (appreciated)
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Any services not listed above
Pick-up runs between 07:30 and 08:00 from hotels in central Ho Chi Minh City. Your exact time is confirmed the day before.
“<p>Minh grew up in the delta south of Saigon and knows the Cai Be stretch of the Tien River the way most people know their own neighbourhood. He times the floating market arrival to the morning hours when the trading is still active, knows which family on Tan Phong has the best rambutan that month, and runs a cooking class that actually teaches you something. His English is clear and his pace is unhurried.</p>”
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Why travel with Banh Mi Escape Travel
Trips with English-speaking guide
Our experienced guides speak fluent English and know Vietnam inside out. They share local insights and ensure you have an authentic experience.
Group or individual travel
Choose between small group tours with like-minded travelers or customize a private journey just for you and your companions.
Vietnam specialists for 8+ years
With nearly a decade of experience in Vietnam, we've built trusted relationships and deep local knowledge.
We've tried everything ourselves
Every hotel, restaurant, and activity we recommend has been personally tested by our team. We only offer what we love.
We plan your ideal trip A to Z
From the moment you land to your departure, every detail is arranged. Just relax and enjoy the journey.
Guaranteed customer satisfaction
Our 4.9 rating speaks for itself. We go above and beyond to ensure every traveler returns home with amazing memories.
Weather
Best months to visit this destination
Best
Good
Off-peak
Weather in Ho Chi Minh City in July
Vietnam can be visited year-round. The north is cooler in winter (January, February), sometimes with snow in the mountains. Autumn (September, October) in central Vietnam can be rainy. The south is warm year-round, with minimal rainfall from March to the end of September except for some islands. Best time to visit: February-June and September-December.
Air temperature
30 °C
Water temperature
27 °C
Frequently asked questions about this trip
From your hotel in central Ho Chi Minh City. Your guide confirms the exact time and address the evening before. Hotels outside the central area may require a short walk to the nearest collection point.
About two hours each way from central Saigon, depending on traffic. The route runs southwest through Tien Giang province to the Tien River.
The Cai Be route focuses on a less-visited stretch of the delta. The floating market at Cai Be is smaller and less trafficked than My Tho's, Tan Phong Island is more orchard-focused, and the day includes bicycle riding and a cooking class that the My Tho tour does not.
Very easy. The paths on Tan Phong Island are flat, shaded, and free of motor traffic. Anyone comfortable on a bicycle will manage without difficulty. If you'd prefer not to cycle, let us know at booking.
Groups run 8 to 12. If you prefer a private day, ask about our private option when you enquire.
Year-round, though the dry season (December to April) is more comfortable on the water. The orchards on Tan Phong are most productive from May to September when longan, rambutan, and mango are all in season.
Light, comfortable clothes you don't mind getting slightly muddy on the cycling section. Closed-toe shoes or sturdy sandals. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and a small bag.
Non-binding inquiry
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From
$43