The best places to visit in the Mekong Delta are Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho, the coconut villages of Ben Tre, Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho, Tra Su mangrove forest and Sam Mountain near Chau Doc, Xeo Quyt Forest and Can Gio mangrove reserve. The mekong delta is the vast river plain of southern Vietnam, starting about 70 km south-west of Ho Chi Minh City, and most travellers see it on a day trip or a two to three-day route from the city.
If you are wondering what to see in the Mekong Delta, here is a guide to the top 9 places to visit in the Mekong Delta, each with history, spirituality and natural beauty, and many with a surprising connection for Indian travellers. The table below shows where each place is and how long to allow (prices converted at about 295 VND to ₹1).
| Place | Area | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Cai Rang Floating Market | Can Tho, about 170 km from Ho Chi Minh City | Early morning, 2–3 hours |
| Ben Tre coconut villages | Ben Tre, about 85 km from Ho Chi Minh City | Half to full day |
| Vinh Trang Pagoda | My Tho, about 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City | 1 hour |
| Tra Su Forest | Near Chau Doc | 2–3 hours |
| Sam Mountain | Chau Doc | Half day |
| Cavern Pagoda | Foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc | 1 hour |
| Mubarak Mosque | Chau Giang, across the river from Chau Doc | 1 hour |
| Xeo Quyt Forest | Cao Lanh area | 2–3 hours |
| Can Gio Mangrove Reserve | Ho Chi Minh City, about 50 km south-east of the centre | Day trip |
Cai Rang Floating Market
Cai Rang Floating Market, about 6 km from the centre of Can Tho, is the largest floating market and the first of the places to visit in the Mekong Delta for most travellers, and it is busiest from about 5 to 7 AM, when hundreds of boats trade fruit and vegetables on the river. Traders hang samples of what they sell from tall poles, so you can spot pineapples, watermelons or pumpkins from a distance.
You can buy tropical fruit straight from the boats and have breakfast on the water, with local dishes such as hu tieu noodle soup, banh mi and fresh coconut juice. Vegetarian travellers can ask for fruit platters and noodle soup without meat.
- Tips: Leave Can Tho pier by 5:30 AM to see the market at its peak.
- Ticket: No entrance fee; hire a boat from Ninh Kieu Pier, about 200,000 to 500,000 VND (₹680 to ₹1,700) per boat depending on size and duration.
- Location: Can Tho River, about 6 km from Ninh Kieu Pier, Can Tho.
Ben Tre Coconut Villages
Ben Tre, about 85 km south-west of Ho Chi Minh City, is the “land of coconuts”, and a boat trip through its narrow canals, coconut candy workshops and fruit orchards is the classic Mekong Delta day trip. Most tours cross the river from My Tho and switch to small rowing boats under the water-coconut palms.
You can visit family workshops making coconut candy, taste honey tea and seasonal fruit, and listen to traditional “don ca tai tu” folk music. Our guide to ben tre covers the best islands and orchards, and nearby tan thach village is known for its homestays and green-skin pomelo gardens. Coconut candy is one of the cheap things to buy in vietnam that travellers take home.
Vinh Trang Pagoda
Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho, about 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is one of the most beautiful pagodas in the Mekong Delta, built in the 19th century with a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer and European styles, and it is free to visit. Vinh Trang Pagoda is usually the first stop on a day trip to My Tho and Ben Tre.
The pagoda is surrounded by gardens with lotus ponds and bonsai trees, and large outdoor statues include a reclining Buddha and a standing Amitabha Buddha. The carvings and calm gardens feel familiar to Indian visitors used to temple courtyards at home.
- Location: My Phong area, My Tho
- Ticket: Free; donations welcome
Tra Su Forest
Tra Su is a cajuput (melaleuca) forest of about 850 hectares near Chau Doc, famous for boat rides along canals covered in bright green duckweed, and it is most beautiful in the flood season from September to November. Much like India’s mangrove sanctuaries, the forest is rich in birds, including storks, herons and egrets.
A motorboat takes you deep into the forest, then you switch to a small rowing boat for the narrow channels. Carry insect repellent and a hat.
- Tips: Visit from September to November, when the water is high and the duckweed is greenest.
- Ticket: About 100,000 VND (₹340) per adult for entry and motorboat; small rowing boats cost extra, about 50,000 VND per boat.
- Location: Van Giao area, about 30 km from Chau Doc.
Sam Mountain
Sam Mountain, about 5 km from Chau Doc, is the most important pilgrimage site in the Mekong Delta, a hill of about 280 m dotted with temples and pagodas, with a cable car to the top. From the summit you can see rice fields, orchards and, on clear days, the Cambodian border.
The main sacred sites are Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tay An Pagoda, the tomb of Thoai Ngoc Hau and Phat Lon Pagoda. For Indian travellers, the busy festivals and pilgrims climbing with offerings recall India’s own hill shrines.
- Location: Nui Sam area, about 5 km from Chau Doc centre
- Ticket: Small entry fee; cable car about 75,000 to 150,000 VND (₹250 to ₹510) depending on age and route
Cavern Pagoda
Cavern Pagoda (Chua Hang) sits on the western slope of Sam Mountain near Chau Doc, with a lower temple and an upper cave shrine reached by a flight of steps, and it is free to visit. Inside the cave are statues of the Buddha and other deities in a cool, quiet setting.
It combines easily with Sam Mountain on the same morning, and the climb is short enough for most visitors. Its cave shrine invites the same quiet reflection as India’s ancient cave temples.
- Location: Western slope of Sam Mountain, near Chau Doc
Masjid Mubarak Mosque
Mubarak Mosque is a historic mosque of the Cham Muslim community in Chau Giang village, a short ferry ride across the river from Chau Doc, with origins in the mid-18th century and later rebuilds. Its white walls, green domes and Arabic inscriptions make it one of the most distinctive sights in the Mekong Delta.
Visitors are welcome outside prayer times; dress modestly, remove shoes at the entrance and ask before taking photos. The surrounding Cham village is also known for its hand-woven textiles.
- Location: Chau Giang village, Chau Phong area, across the Hau River from Chau Doc
Xeo Quyt Forest
Xeo Quyt Forest near Cao Lanh is a cajuput forest that hid a resistance base during the Vietnam War, and today visitors explore its bunkers and quiet canals by small boat for a low entry fee. The dense trees and winding waterways provided natural camouflage for the guerrillas.
You can explore by boat or on foot and see bunkers, trenches and traps. The air is fresh and calm, a real contrast to the city.
- Location: My Hiep area, near Cao Lanh
- Ticket: Low entry fee, with small extra charges for the boat and bicycle rental
Can Gio Biosphere Reserve
Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, about 50 km south-east of central Ho Chi Minh City where the rivers reach the sea, was recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 2000 and covers more than 70,000 hectares. Strictly speaking it belongs to Ho Chi Minh City rather than the delta provinces, but it shares the same river-and-mangrove landscape and makes an easy day trip.
For Indian travellers, the mangrove walkways feel much like India’s Sundarbans. Activities include boat trips through the mangroves, birdwatching and Monkey Island.
- Location: Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City, about 1.5 to 2 hours by road from the centre
How To Get To The Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta starts about 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City: My Tho and Ben Tre are 1.5 to 2 hours away by road, Can Tho about 3.5 hours, and Chau Doc about 5 to 6 hours. Most visitors take a private car or join a day tour to My Tho and Ben Tre, or spend two to three days continuing to Can Tho and Chau Doc. Our guide on ho chi minh to mekong delta compares buses, private cars and boats.
From Chau Doc, fast boats run up the Mekong to Phnom Penh, so the delta is the natural link to Cambodia; our vietnam and cambodia tour packages use this route.
Best Time To Visit The Mekong Delta
The best time to visit the Mekong Delta is from December to April, when the weather is dry and sunny; September to November is the flood season, best for the green forests of Tra Su. Our guide on the best time to visit mekong delta explains each month and the fruit seasons.
If you are travelling around Diwali, read about the climate in vietnam in october and the climate in vietnam in november: these months bring high water in the delta and a dry start to the season in the south.
Plan Your Mekong Delta Trip
These top 9 places to visit in the Mekong Delta show a side of Vietnam that many Indian travellers find close to home: busy rivers, temples, pilgrim hills and spiritual sanctuaries. The delta usually fits into a southern route of a 7 day trip to vietnam cost plan, or a longer vietnam package tour 10 days that also covers Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. You can add a beach finish with a phu quoc travel package, or compare every vietnam tour package from india on one page.
To plan your Mekong Delta trip, share your travel dates, group size and departure city in the form below. A Vietnamtour.in expert will arrange a private car from Ho Chi Minh City, boat trips and vegetarian or Jain meals in advance.
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