Delta day trips from Ho Chi Minh City
Destinations
Four towns, one river system
My Tho, Ben Tre, Cai Be and Can Tho are the delta towns a day trip or a one-night trip from Ho Chi Minh City can reach. They sit on the same river system but are not interchangeable: they differ in distance, in crowds, and in what is left of the floating markets.
The four places side by side
| Place | Road from central HCMC | Province since 1 July 2025 | Known for | Floating market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Tho | about 71 km, 1.5–2 h | Dong Thap (former Tien Giang) | Vinh Trang pagoda, Thoi Son islet, hu tieu noodles | None on the usual route |
| Ben Tre | about 85 km, 1.75–2.25 h | Vinh Long (former Ben Tre province) | Coconut canals, coconut candy, orchards | None |
| Cai Be | about 108 km, 2–2.5 h | Dong Thap (former Tien Giang) | River workshops, orchards, river boats | Faded: a few boats on some mornings |
| Can Tho | about 171 km, 3–3.5 h | Can Tho city (now including former Soc Trang and Hau Giang) | Cai Rang market, Ninh Kieu riverfront | Cai Rang: smaller but still trading |
Distances are route-planner figures from central Ho Chi Minh City; times are ranges in ordinary traffic.
Sources: OSRM / OpenStreetMap route model, queried 11 Oct 2026; Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân — Resolution 202/2025/QH15, 12 Jun 2025 · checked .
The 2025 merger, briefly
On 12 June 2025 the National Assembly merged most of Vietnam's provinces, and the new provinces began working on 1 July 2025. Several familiar names stopped being provinces. Tien Giang, which held My Tho and Cai Be, is now part of Dong Thap. Ben Tre province, together with Tra Vinh, is now part of Vinh Long. Can Tho city absorbed the former Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces.
For a traveller almost nothing changes: the towns keep their names, signs are being replaced slowly, and guides use both old and new names. We write the town names as you will hear them, and say "former" where a province name has gone. If an older guidebook tells you My Tho is the capital of Tien Giang, it was right when it was printed.
Sources: Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân — Resolution 202/2025/QH15, 12 Jun 2025 · checked .
Names you will see on signs and maps
Below province level, the 2025 reform also removed districts, so towns became wards and communes of the new provinces. Cai Be is listed as a ward of Dong Thap; so are My Tho and Thoi Son, the islet off My Tho. Maps and booking sites update at different speeds, so you may see "Tien Giang" on one screen and "Dong Thap" on the next for the same jetty.
None of this changes the roads, the boats or the ticket prices. If an address on a confirmation uses a new ward name you do not recognise, the guide and the driver will know it by both.
Sources: Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân — Resolution 202/2025/QH15, 12 Jun 2025 · checked .
Which place for which traveller
My Tho
The nearest, and among the most crowded. It is the starting point for most day trips, because boats leave from its riverfront for Thoi Son islet within minutes of arriving. Good for a first, short look at the river; less good if you dislike sharing a jetty with several groups. Read about My Tho.
Ben Tre
Across the Tien River from My Tho, reached by the Rach Mieu bridges. Its canals are lined with coconut palms and its workshops turn coconuts into candy. Further inland, around Cho Lach, are orchards and plant nurseries. Read about Ben Tre.
Cai Be
Further up the Tien River, quieter, with workshops and orchards along the banks. Its floating market has mostly faded, which is the main thing to know before going. Read about Cai Be.
Can Tho
The delta's main city and the base for Cai Rang, the floating market that still trades. Too far for a comfortable day trip; one night is the minimum. Read about Can Tho.
How far is too far for a day
A day trip from Ho Chi Minh City works when the road is under about 2.5 hours each way. That covers My Tho, the Ben Tre side and Cai Be. Can Tho is 3 to 3.5 hours each way in ordinary traffic, and its reason to visit happens between about 06:00 and 07:30. Driving there and back in a day means six or seven hours in a vehicle and arriving after the market has thinned. That is why our Can Tho trip has a night in it.
Further places, such as Chau Doc near the Cambodian border at about 235 km, are beyond what a day or a one-night trip can do well, and this site does not sell them.
Sources: OSRM / OpenStreetMap route model, queried 11 Oct 2026; vietnamtourism.com (private publisher) — Cái Răng guide, 27 May 2026 · checked .
The trips that go to each place
- My Tho and Ben Tre day — My Tho, Thoi Son islet and the Ben Tre bank
- Cai Be day — the Tien River at Cai Be
- Can Tho and Cai Rang, 2 days — the Ben Tre side on day 1, Can Tho and Cai Rang
- Private Ben Tre day — the Ben Tre canals by road over the Rach Mieu bridges
If you are still choosing how to go, join-in or private compares the two for each route, and when to go covers the months.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Which town is closest to Ho Chi Minh City?
My Tho, at about 71 km by road, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours in ordinary traffic.
Is Ben Tre still a province?
No. Since 1 July 2025 the former Ben Tre province is part of Vinh Long province. Ben Tre is still the name of the town and of the area most people mean.
Where is the floating market?
The one that still trades is Cai Rang, about 6 km from central Can Tho. Cai Be's market has largely faded.
Can I see all four in one trip?
Not well in a day. The two-day Can Tho trip passes the Ben Tre side on day 1; a private version can call at Cai Be instead.
Related
Read next
Destinations · Dong Thap
My Tho
The nearest delta town: Thoi Son islet, Vinh Trang pagoda, hu tieu, costs and when to skip it.
View this journey
Destinations · Vinh Long
Ben Tre
Coconut canals, candy workshops, Cho Lach orchards, the Rach Mieu bridges, and when Ben Tre is not worth it.
View this journey
Destinations · Dong Thap
Cai Be
Cai Be honestly: the faded floating market, river workshops, distance, costs and when to skip it.
View this journey
Destinations · Can Tho
Can Tho
Can Tho: Cai Rang today, the Ninh Kieu riverfront, Binh Thuy house, boat prices and one night minimum.
View this journey
Tours
Tours
The four trips side by side: days, departure times, road time, join-in or private.
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Planning
When to go
Dry season, wet season, the hottest and wettest months, king tides, fruit and holidays on delta day trips.
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Tell us which trip and which day
The trip, the date, how many of you and whether you lean to join-in or private are enough to start. We reply by email with a price per person, the pick-up window and what is included.