Mekong Delta Add-on Tour

Activity

Culture

Overview

Get to the soul of the Mekong Delta, guided by a tour leader who knows every bend and story to share

Venture deep into the Mekong Delta, where traditional life is still shaped by the ebb and flow of the waters. This immersive adventure takes you straight to the soul of the Delta: drift along the canals on a sampan fishing boat, meet skilled silk weavers, scale the sacred Sam Mountain for sunset views, and witness traditional life in action at Long Xuyên floating market. Along the way, and with the help of your expert tour leader, you’ll also share meaningful interactions with the local people, encounters no guidebook could arrange.

Key Information

Trip Code: XTNMKD
Countries: Vietnam

What's Included

All breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Pick up from SGN Airport or central HCMC city hotel on Day 1
Drop off to SGN Airport or central HCMC city hotel on Day 4

Highlights

Experience the true Mekong Delta with the insight of a local tour leader
Cruise the canals on a traditional sampan fishing boat
Summit the sacred Sam Mountain at sunset for a beautiful panorama
Meet the silk weavers of Chau Phong village
Explore the biodiverse Tra Sa Cajuput Forest by canoe
See traditional Mekong Delta life at the Long Xuyên floating market

Itinerary

First Destination: Ho Chi Minh City
Next Destination: Ho Chi Minh City

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Ho Chi Minh City
Next Destination: Ho Chi Minh City

The add-on tour begins in Ho Chi Minh City, where you meet your local tour leader at the airport or your hotel (if your main tour finishes in Ho Chi Minh City).

Fully acquainted, you transfer (approximately three to four hours) to the river-land town of Cai Be, our first stop in the Mekong Delta.

Take it easy this evening, relaxing into Delta life and enjoying the traditional hospitality. We stay in a simple guesthouse built in the local style.

Accommodation: Phuong Thao Homestay Guesthouse (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

After breakfast, we board a traditional sampan, a flat-bottomed wooden fishing boat, to cruise along the Delta canals. Passing many orchards and friendly local people, we also stop to see cottage industries, such as rice paper and coconut candy, with a chance to sample the produce.

After lunch in a restaurant, we head deeper into the Mekong Delta, driving to the small border town of Chau Doc.

Our lodge for tonight is on Sam Mountain, a holy peak sacred to followers of Buddhism and local folk religions. We then visit the Lady Xu Temple, which faces the peak, to see the statue of Lady Xu (make sure to ask your tour leader about its fascinating story!).

Then, we turn our attentions to the summit of Sam Mountain, heading to the top of the holy peak for a magical sunset and views stretching into Cambodia.

This evening, enjoy the remote location of our lodge, perhaps with a dip in the pool and an excellent meal at La Giang restaurant.

Accommodation: Victoria Nui Sam Lodge (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, transfer (approximately 30 minutes) to the village of Chau Phong, known for its silk-weaving artisans.

After, transfer (one hour) to the Tra Su Cajuput Forest, a vibrant flooded ecosystem of dense cajuput groves, water lilies and abundant birdlife. Here, we enjoy a three-hour exploration of the forest by canoe, which is helmed by a local guide, and a stroll along the longest bamboo bridge in Vietnam.

Disembarking, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant near the forest, then transfer (approximately two hours) to the Mekong Delta town of Long Xuyên, where you spend the night and have a free evening to explore.

Accommodation: Hoa Bing Hotel 1 (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Wake early this morning to visit Long Xuyên by boat with your tour leader. It’s one of the few floating markets that remains relatively unchanged, despite a reduction in size, offering you the chance to watch a river trading hub, where residents sell local goods. An authentic glimpse into traditional Mekong Delta life.

After, check out of the hotel and transfer (approximately four hours) to Ho Chi Minh City, where the add-on tour ends.

Please note: If you wish to be dropped at Ho Chi Minh City airport, please do not book a flight departing before 7pm this evening.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Accommodation

Lodge, hotel and homestay-style guesthouse

We aim to secure locally owned accommodation that is well located, offers good value for money, and plenty of comfort. To help you find your ideal adventure, each trip is given a Comfort Level rating, which indicates the overall standard of accommodation. For more on our ratings, see our Comfort Level guidelines.

Worth knowing

Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book.
Private rooms: Like most tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s normally possible to do this for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Essential Information

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Accommodation: A compulsory solo supplement is applicable. We need a minimum of two people to operate this add-on tour, otherwise a sole traveller supplement is applied (this is in place of a single supplement, not in addition).

Arrival and departure: When booking, please tells us your collection and drop-off points for arrival/departure. Your options are:

Arrivals: You can meet your tour leader at the airport or your hotel (if your main tour finishes in Ho Chi Minh City).
Departures: You can be transferred to Ho Chi Minh City Airport or a central hotel on the final day. If you wish to be dropped at the airport, it is essential you do not book a flight departing before 7pm on the last day of the extension.

Extend your adventure: To spend longer in Ho Chi Minh City, you can book additional accommodation through your sales representative.

E-cigarettes and vapes: These are banned in Vietnam with strict penalties, including large fines and imprisonment – we strongly recommend you do not bring these with you.

Vietnam

UK passport holders normally do not need a visa to enter Vietnam for visits up to 45 days, while those with a US or Irish passport normally do need a visa to enter. Visa requirements for EU citizens vary by country.

Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through. Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/vietnam
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/vietnam
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Vietnam.html

For many, the culinary offerings in Vietnam are a highlight. Across the country, the influence of the Chinese and French is still strong and you’re just as likely to be offered a banh mi (stuffed baguette) as you are a flavour-packed bowl of pho (noodle soup).

Be sure to seek out the national beverages: Vietnamese coffee is served iced and sweet with condensed milk, a real sugar and caffeine hit, and beer hoi (local beer, brewed daily) is served on most street corners in the north out of large plastic jugs that are perfect for sharing.

Food is cheap in Vietnam and you can generally avoid the spicier dishes if you wish. Western food is readily available almost everywhere, except for the night in the Mekong Delta.

Vegetarian meals are widely available; however, the offering is fairly similar in most places. Please advise at the time of booking if you have any dietary requirements.

The weather is mostly hot and humid with daytime temperatures of 28C-34C (82F-93F). It is only a little cooler at nights.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.