The Mekong Delta is the southern region of Vietnam, it is also called the Southern Delta or the southwest region. However, people who live here often call it the Western Region ( mine tay) . It includes one city (Can Tho) and 12 provinces (Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, An Giang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau).
Travelers accustomed to the bustling and bustling city life should visit the Mekong Delta at least once in their life. It’s a totally different experience! You can find vast rice fields, hundreds of square meters of gardens, floating markets and boats of all sizes on the river.
From Saigon to Mekong Detla | Distance and travel time
The distance between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta depends on the destination you want to visit. The shortest distance is around 60 km and the longest distance is up to 210 km. The transfer time from Saigon to Mekong Delta is also different, let’s learn some main routes below:
- Ho Chi Minh to My Tho, Mekong Delta: 67 km, 1h25 transfer
- Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre, Mekong Delta: 84 km, 1h50 transfer
- Ho Chi Minh to Cai Be, Mekong Delta: 109 km, 2h30 transfer
- Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho, Mekong Delta: 166 km, 3h30 transfer
- Ho Chi Minh to Chau Doc, Mekong Delta: 209 km, 5h30 transfer
Getting from Saigon to the Mekong Delta
Although the Mekong Delta is made up of 12 provinces, the busiest route for most visitors to reach this destination is through Saigon to Can Tho, since it is home to the famous Cai Rang floating market. Therefore, I will suggest available transportation options for your 165 kilometer route.
Best ways to travel from Ho Chi Minh to the Mekong Delta
There are many options for traveling from Ho Chi Minh to the Mekong Delta such as car, bus, boat, motorbike or booking a tour. We will learn the details of each option below:
1. Bus Saigon – Mekong Delta
It takes about three hours to reach the Mekong Delta by bus. You have many bus options, but the most popular are the bus lines Futa (also known as Phuong Trang), Mai Linh Express and Sinh Tourist.
Bus tickets are sold at Ben Xe Mien Tay (395 An Duong Vuong Street, An Lac Ward, Binh Tan District, HCMC).
The price varies from 90,000 to 230,000 VND depending on the destination. There are many buses that leave several times a day and they usually pick up passengers from agencies or even your hotel/home.
| Itineraries | Price |
| Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho | 165,000 vnd |
| Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre | 90,000 vnd |
| Ho Chi Minh to My Tho | 90,000 vnd |
| Ho Chi Minh to Chau Doc | 210,000 vnd |
| Ho Chi Minh to Soc Trang | 170,000 vnd |
| Ho Chi Minh to Cau Mau | 230,000 vnd |
2. Private car from Ho Chi Minh to Mekong Delta
Taking a private car transfer to the Mekong Delta from Saigon is the best option as it is convenient and comfortable.
If you are looking to book a private car trip, we recommend Saigon Private Car which makes trips throughout southern Vietnam and therefore the Mekong Delta. Cheaper and more reliable than most companies.
The price of a private car is not too expensive and depends on your arrival destination, you can refer to the details in the table below:
| Itineraries | 4-seater car | 7-seater car | 16-seater minivan |
| Ho Chi Minh to My Tho | $55 | $65 | $105 |
| Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre | $60 | $70 | $110 |
| Ho Chi Minh to Cai Be | $70 | $80 | $120 |
| Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho | $90 | $100 | $140 |
| Ho Chi Minh to Chau Doc | $130 | $140 | $180 |
3. By boat
Some companies offer Mekong Delta boat tours from Saigon by speedboat. You will be picked up from the pier in central Saigon and head to the Mekong Delta by waterway.
After a day of visiting the Mekong Delta you will be taken back by boat.
You can book tours through:
The Shores
Address: 4th Floor, Kim Xuan Gia Building, 43-45 Ho Tung Mau street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
E-mail: bookings@lesrivesexperience.com
Hotline: (+84) 0128 592 0018
Website: https://lesrivesexperience.com/mekong-delta-tours/
4. By motorbike
Some adventure tourists want to experience the Mekong Delta in a different way, you can think about renting a motorbike to travel from Saigon.
The price of renting a motorbike from Saigon is around $20/day, you can refer to some places where you can rent below:
- Tigit Motorcycles
- Gia Hưng Motorbike Rental
- Hiep Motorbike Rental
- Vietnam Motorbike Tours & Rentals
Moving from the Mekong Delta to other provinces
Beside Can Tho, tourists visiting the Mekong Delta should also explore other neighboring provinces such as Soc Trang, Tien Giang and Ben Tre. In addition, Chau Doc Town (An Giang Province) and Sa Dec Town (Dong Thap Province) are also worth a visit.
I’m going to give you some bus options for traveling and some activities you can do in the provinces I listed above.
Can Tho – Soc Trang
Soc Trang is about 60 kilometers from Can Tho. It takes almost 45 minutes if you travel by car and 90 minutes if you travel by motorbike. Soc Trang has many pagodas such as Buu Son Pagoda, Sa Lon Pagoda and Doi Pagoda – a national monument loaded with culture and history.
You should also stop at the floating market named Nga Nam, which is really exciting. I bet a few of you, if any of you, have never seen this kind of deal before.
Bus options:
Address
Mai Linh Express (ticket sales agencies): – Can Tho Bus Depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
– Soc Trang Bus Depot: 38 Le Duan Street, Ward 3, Soc Trang Town, Soc Trang Province
Phone number:
– Can Tho Agency: +84 292 3739 333
– Soc Trang Agency: +84 299 3621 777
Futa Bus Express (Phuong Trang):
Address (ticket sales agencies):
- Can Tho Bus Depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
- Chau Doc: 89 Phan Van Vang Street, Chau Phu B District, Chau Doc Town
Phone number:
- (+84) 0915 726 570
- (+84) 0973 573 793
Departure time and ticket price: Click here
Can Tho – Tien Giang
To get to Tien Giang from Can Tho, it takes you about an hour and a half to cover 75 kilometers. If you have time, I suggest you spend a day exploring the interesting experiences such as shopping at the Cai Be floating market, visiting and picking seasonal fruits from the gardens of the islanders (you will have to pay extra). ‘money, but not much) and eat the famous My Tho rice noodles.
Bus options:
Address Hoang Long Bus (pick-up location) : Can Tho Bus Depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
Phone number: (+84) 0292 3 783 378
Price: 140,000 VND / ticket
Departure time:5:30 p.m.
Address of bus Muoi Lam (pick-up location): – Hung Vuong Bus Depot: 01, Hung Vuong Street, Thoi Binh Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City – Go Cong Bus Depot: Dong Khoi Street, Ward 4, Go Cong District, Tien Giang Province
Phone number:
- Can Tho: +84 292 382 1475
- Tien Giang: +84 913 635 539
Price: 110,000 VND / ticket
Departure time:
- From Can Tho: 11:00 a.m.
- From Tien Giang: 04:30
Can Tho – Ben Tre
The distance between Can Tho and Ben Tre is approximately 110 kilometers. It takes you two and a half hours to get there by bus or car. Some activities you can do in Ben Tre are visiting fruit gardens and taking a coconut candy making workshop to see how people prepare this treat.
Bus options:
Address
Hiep bus (pick-up location): – Can Tho Bus Depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
– Ben Tre Bus Depot: 303 Doan Hoang Minh Street, Phu Tan District, Tan Tan Province District
Phone number:
- (+84) 915 726 570
- (+84) 973 573 793
Price: 70,000 VND / ticket
Departure time:
- From Can Tho: 8:00 a.m.
- From Ben Tre: 1:30 p.m.
Can Tho – Chau Doc
The distance between Can Tho and Chau Doc is around 110 kilometers, the same distance between Can Tho and Ben Tre, so the driving time is quite similar (around two and a half hours).
When you are in Chau Doc, you should spend time visiting famous attractions such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, Tra Su Cajuput Forest, Sam Mountain and Forbidden Mountain. The floating village and floating houses are also interesting.
Bus options:
Futa Bus Express (Phuong Trang):
Address (ticketing agencies):
– Can Tho Bus Depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
– Chau Doc: 89 Phan Van Vang Street, Chau Phu B Ward, Chau Doc Town
Phone number:
- (+84) 0915 726 570
- (+84) 0973 573 793
Departure time and ticket price: Click here
Address
Mai Linh Express (ticket sales agencies): – Can Tho Bus Depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City
– Chau Doc Bus Depot: 91, Road, Chau Phu B Ward, Chau Doc City, An Giang Province
Phone number for booking tickets:
- Can Tho: (+84) 292 3739 333
- Soc Trang: (+84) 296 3565 222
Can Tho – Sa Dec
From Can Tho, it takes less than an hour to get to Sa Dec town, the distance is nearly 60 kilometers. Sa Dec is known for its flower village. Although there are fewer types of flowers here than in Dalat; its attractive and humble beauty is undeniable.
Bus options:
- An Nhien bus address (pick-up locations): Can Tho bus depot: 91B Nguyen Van Linh, Hung Loi ward, Ninh Kieu district, Can Tho city
- Sa Dec bus depot: Nguyen Sinh Sac street, Sa Dec city, Dong Thap province
- Phone number:+84 939 156 756 Ticket price:
45,000 VND / ticket Departure time: From Can Tho: 14:00
- From Sa Dec: 8:30
- I hope this blog can help you find the best way to travel in the Mekong Delta. Whether alone or on a tour, I know you will enjoy this region as much as I do.
