The short answer
- Best trip
- 1 or 2 nights
- Best floating market
- Cai Rang, at dawn
- From Ho Chi Minh City
- 2 to 4 hours
- Best months
- December to April
The Mekong Delta is Vietnam's rice bowl: a maze of rivers and canals, fruit orchards, villages and markets where much of daily life still happens on the water.
Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City show you a little of it, but the best moments, like the floating market at sunrise, need a night in the delta.
Day trip or overnight?
| Day trip | 1 or 2 nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | My Tho and Ben Tre, about 2 hours away | Can Tho, Vinh Long or Cai Be |
| Floating market | Usually not, or a small one | Cai Rang at dawn |
| Experience | Boats, coconut candy, fruit tasting; busy | Homestays, cycling, quieter canals |
| Best for | Very short trips | Most travellers |
Tip: Floating markets are busiest around sunrise and wind down by mid morning. Cai Rang is smaller than it once was, but still worth an early start.
Seasons
December to April is dry and sunny. From May the rains arrive, usually as afternoon storms. From about September to November the river is high and fields flood, which is beautiful and the best time to visit flooded forests near Chau Doc, though some paths are under water.
Average daily high / low and monthly rainfall
| Month | Ho Chi Minh CityMekong is similar |
|---|---|
| Jan | 32° / 22°14 mm |
| Feb | 33° / 23°4 mm |
| Mar | 34° / 24°12 mm |
| Apr | 35° / 25°42 mm |
| May | 34° / 25°220 mm |
| Jun | 33° / 25°330 mm |
| Jul | 32° / 25°315 mm |
| Aug | 32° / 24°270 mm |
| Sep | 32° / 24°330 mm |
| Oct | 31° / 24°270 mm |
| Nov | 31° / 23°110 mm |
| Dec | 31° / 22°50 mm |
Rounded long term averages. Blue shading marks the wetter months. Individual years can be hotter, colder or wetter.
Continuing to Cambodia
From Chau Doc, near the border, boats run up the Mekong to Phnom Penh, a scenic way to combine the two countries. See our guide to Vietnam and Cambodia in one trip.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a Mekong Delta day trip worth it?
It gives a taste, but an overnight trip to Can Tho for the Cai Rang floating market at dawn is far more rewarding.
When is the best time to visit the Mekong Delta?
December to April for dry weather; September to November for the high water season and flooded landscapes.
Vietnam month by month
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