Most people booking a Mekong Delta full day trip want to know one thing before they commit: what does the day actually look like? Below is a realistic, hour-by-hour breakdown of a Mekong Delta full day trip to My Tho and Ben Tre, the part of the delta closest to Ho Chi Minh City. Times are approximate, because Saigon traffic, the weather and boat schedules all play a part.
07:30–08:00: Check-In and Departure
A Mekong Delta full day trip starts early. With Suntrail you check in at Suntrail Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City, meet your guide and leave together in an air-conditioned vehicle. Private guests can ask for hotel pickup within our service area instead. Leaving before the worst of the morning traffic makes a real difference to how much time you get on the river.
08:00–10:00: The Drive to My Tho
My Tho, the gateway to the Mekong Delta, is about 70 km from central Ho Chi Minh City. The drive usually takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Your guide uses this time to explain how the river system works and how the day will run, so nothing on your Mekong Delta full day trip feels like a surprise later on.
Mid-Morning: Vinh Trang Pagoda
The first stop is Vinh Trang Pagoda in the My Tho area. It mixes Asian and European architecture and has large Buddha statues in its gardens. It is quiet, shaded and a good place to stretch your legs after the drive.
Late Morning: Motorboat on the Mekong
From the pier you cross the wide Mekong River by motorboat to the river islands. This is the part of a Mekong Delta full day trip most guests remember: brown water, passing cargo boats and coconut palms along both banks. On the islands you stop for seasonal tropical fruit and a cup of honey tea at a bee farm, made with local honey and kumquat.
Midday: Vietnamese Lunch
Lunch is a sit-down Vietnamese meal with time to rest, not a rushed buffet. It is included in the price of a Suntrail Mekong Delta full day trip, and it is a good chance to ask your guide anything about life in the delta.
Afternoon: Coconut Candy and a Sampan Ride
In the Ben Tre area you see how coconut milk and malt are cooked, stretched and wrapped by hand into the region’s famous coconut candy. Then you swap the motorboat for a hand-rowed sampan and glide through narrow canals shaded by water coconut palms. For many travellers, this quiet stretch is the highlight of the whole Mekong Delta full day trip.
Late Afternoon: The Drive Back
The return drive takes about as long as the morning one, but evening traffic into Ho Chi Minh City can add to it. That is why we quote the finish time with a margin rather than promising an exact minute.
17:30–18:30: Finish at Suntrail Gallery
Your Mekong Delta full day trip ends back at Suntrail Gallery with complimentary Vietnamese coffee or tea and souvenir photos among hand-painted conical hats. If you booked hotel drop-off, you go straight back to your hotel instead.
Is a Mekong Delta Full Day Trip Right for You?
A Mekong Delta full day trip suits first-time visitors, couples, families and anyone who wants river life without spending a night away from the city. If you only have half a day, the Cu Chi Tunnels are a shorter option, and if you want both in one day, look at our Cu Chi and Mekong full day tour.
To see the full route, inclusions and booking details, visit our Mekong Delta day tour from Ho Chi Minh City page. Prices depend on group size: groups of 10 to 12 start from US$46 per adult with lunch included, and every group size is listed on our day tour prices page.
