Rambling Mekong Delta Bike Tour

Our guide meets you at your hotel at 17:00hrs for a bike fitting followed by dinner to celebrate the start of our journey on a bike.

The morning is free for you to explore the city. We recommend exploring some of the most popular sites - Ben Thanh Market, Saigon Opera House, Continental Hotel, The Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office, The War Remnants Museum, China Town (Cho Lon in Dist 5), Thien Hau Pagoda, Landmark 81 building and Jade Emperor Pagoda. It gives you an excellent introduction to the city’s history with plenty of opportunities to soak up the unique mix of chaos and tranquility that is modern-day Saigon.

If you intend to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City a day in advance, we recommend seizing the chance to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels—an elaborate network of underground passages that were extensively used during the Vietnam War.

A short shuttle transfer brings us to the outskirts of My Tho — the gateway to the Mekong delta. We ride along a small creek to Mekong estuary past gorgeous paddy fields and lush orchards. Along the way, we cross a river on a local ferry. After 20 kms (12.5 mi) of biking, we stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

Post-lunch, we drive in the van for 30 minutes before beginning our afternoon cycling. We ride past coconut plantations on a smooth surface, and under a green canopy of trees growing on either side of the road. En route, we stop at a local family to see how they use coconut fiber to make ropes and use coconut leaves to make thatched huts. After another 30 kms (18.6 mi) miles of cycling, we load our bikes in the van and drive for 40 minutes to our hotel, the Coco Riverside Lodge.

Before dinner, our hotel organizes a fun cooking class where they teach how to make rice pancakes.

We begin the day with a 40 minute shuttle transfer to head deeper into the delta. We then visit a beautiful Khmer Pagoda before beginning the day's biking. We ride past numerous rice fields, rivers, and canals, and over a multitude of bridges that may offer views of floating villages. Apart from rice fields, the region is dotted with many plantations of banana, coconut, and citrus trees.

We stop for coffee after biking for 25 kms (15.5 mi), and then bike another 21 kms (13 mi) before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant.

It’s a long ride today through the interior trails of Mekong Delta to Can Tho. Post lunch, we ride another 20 kms (12.4 mi) on these trails and even cross a river on a local ferry before loading our bike in the van and driving for 90 minutes to Can Tho.

Set on the southern bank of the Hau River, Can Tho is known for its network of canals and nearby floating markets. We reach our hotel around 5 PM.

We start this day at 7:30am and hop on to a boat to experience the early morning Cai Rang floating market. Each boat in this market showcases its distinct specialty, which can be identified by the items hanging on tall poles. While many boats anchor in place, a few gracefully float around, particularly those dedicated to snacks or coffee, catering to the shop owners' needs. The majority of the boats appear weathered, constructed from aged wood and exude a rustic charm.

This bustling market primarily focuses on the sale of fresh produce and food items, ranging from sweet potatoes and watermelons to lychee. Unlike clothing or household goods, the market solely revolves around agricultural products. Exploring this lively marketplace provides a fascinating glimpse into the authentic daily life of the locals. After the boat ride, we disembark onto a pathway made of old railroad ties and proceed to walk along a busy road lined with numerous meat markets, eventually making our way back to the van.

Later ride into the heartland of the Mekong Delta, past the pristine hamlets nestled in the orchards and coconut plantations. Along the way, see farmers working in nursery fruit tree gardens.

We stay tonight at the Ba Linh homestay, which was one of the first homestays started in this region to welcome tourists. They cook their meals in the traditional Vietnamese fashion using firewood which adds a more authentic flavor to the food. The homestay, however, does not have AC, and the beds come with mosquito nets to make sleeping comfortable.

In the morning, we take a boat trip on the Mekong river and visit handicraft villages. After the boat trip, cycle to Cai Lay and along the way discover the gardens of Longan (Dragon eyes). We continue cycling to My Tho and visit the ornamental Khmer pagoda of Vinh Trang.

Later we take a shuttle to our hotel in Saigon or the airport.