Deep Mekong: Can Tho – Chau Doc – Tra Su – Sam Mountain
Ho Chi Minh City → Can Tho → Cai Rang Floating Market → Chau Doc → Tra Su Cajeput Forest → Sam Mountain → Ho Chi Minh City
Overview
4-day 3-night tour exploring the Mekong Delta: Cai Rang floating market, Tra Su cajeput forest, Sam Mountain in Chau Doc, and a Cham village. Private car, English-speaking guide.
Introduction
The Mekong Delta is a land of gentle rivers, bustling floating markets, and vast cajeput forests. The Deep Mekong journey takes you from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho – the capital of the Mekong Delta, where the region's busiest floating market, Cai Rang, is located. Continue to Chau Doc – a border land rich in Cham and Khmer cultural heritage, with the Tra Su cajeput forest – a stunning flooded nature reserve, and Sam Mountain – a famous pilgrimage site.
Highlights
You will wake up early to board a boat and visit the Cai Rang floating market – where hundreds of boats gather to trade on the river. Next, you will paddle a small boat through the Tra Su cajeput forest, watching flocks of white herons flying in the tranquil surroundings. In Chau Doc, you will climb Sam Mountain to visit the Ba Chua Xu Temple, explore the Cham village, and savor local specialties: Chau Doc fish noodle soup, palm sugar cake, and fermented fish hotpot.
Why choose this tour
This is the ideal tour for those who want to explore the Mekong Delta in depth, not just stopping at the Cai Rang floating market. With a private car, English-speaking guide, and flexible itinerary, you will have a complete and comfortable journey.
Highlights
Cai Rang Floating Market – the busiest floating market in the Mekong Delta on the Can Tho River
Paddle through the Tra Su cajeput forest – a flooded nature reserve
Climb Sam Mountain to visit Ba Chua Xu Temple and enjoy panoramic views of the border
Explore the Cham village, brocade weaving, and Islamic culture of Chau Doc
Savor Mekong specialties: Chau Doc fish rice noodle soup, fermented fish hotpot, and palm sugar cake
Watch herons, pelicans, and the diverse ecosystem at the Tra Su cajeput forest
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City – Can Tho – Cai Rang Floating Market
Pick up at your hotel in central Ho Chi Minh City or Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Depart for Can Tho (about 3 hours). Check in to the hotel. In the afternoon: visit the Cai Rang floating market – the busiest floating market in the Mekong Delta, where hundreds of boats gather to trade on the river. Enjoy fruit and morning coffee on the river. Visit a rice paper and coconut candy making village. In the evening: enjoy dinner with Can Tho specialties. Overnight in Can Tho.
Day 2
Can Tho – Chau Doc – Tra Su Cajeput Forest
After breakfast, depart for Chau Doc (about 2.5 hours). On the way, stop to visit a fruit orchard or a traditional craft village. Arrive in Chau Doc, check in to your hotel. In the afternoon: explore the Tra Su cajeput forest – paddle a small boat through the shaded canals, watch herons, pelicans, and the flooded ecosystem. In the evening: enjoy Chau Doc fish rice noodle soup. Overnight in Chau Doc.
Day 3
Sam Mountain – Cham Village – Border Culture
After breakfast, visit Sam Mountain – climb to the summit to visit the Ba Chua Xu Temple, the Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum, and enjoy panoramic views of the Vietnam–Cambodia border. Continue to the Cham village – learn about Islamic culture, brocade weaving, and the life of the Cham people. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon: visit a palm sugar cake production facility and shop for local specialties. In the evening: enjoy fermented fish hotpot – a Chau Doc specialty. Overnight in Chau Doc.
Day 4
Chau Doc – Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, free time to shop for Chau Doc specialties: palm sugar cake, Chau Doc fish sauce, and dried snakehead fish. Check out of the hotel. Depart for Ho Chi Minh City (about 5 hours). Stop for a break and lunch at a local restaurant. Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, drop off at your hotel or Tan Son Nhat International Airport. End of the tour.
Included / Not Included
Included
- 3 nights accommodation: 1 night in Can Tho, 2 nights in Chau Doc
- Private air-conditioned vehicle throughout the journey
- English-speaking guide during sightseeing days
- Meals as per itinerary: breakfast at the accommodation, lunch/dinner as scheduled
- Entrance fees: Cai Rang floating market, Tra Su cajeput forest, Sam Mountain, Cham village
- Boat trips at the floating market and the Tra Su cajeput forest
- Bottled water on the vehicle and operational support throughout the tour
Not included
- International/domestic flights, visa, and entry/exit documents
- Airport pickup/drop-off at Tan Son Nhat International Airport unless specified
- Personal drinks, minibar, laundry, and personal expenses
- Tips for guide and driver
- Single room supplement, room upgrades, and holiday/Tet surcharges
- Personal travel insurance