Is the Vietnam Mekong Delta Day Tour Worth It? Honest Review & Travel Tips

Visiting the Mekong Delta is one of the most popular activities for travelers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. But is it worth joining a Mekong Delta day tour? And which tour is both reliable and fun? In this article, I will share my experience with a recommended Mekong River day tour that I personally enjoyed and can confidently say is worth joining. This tour is packed with cultural experiences, giving you a deeper insight into the unique charm of the Mekong Delta.

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My review of Mekong Delta day tour

Overall, I would rate the Mekong Delta day tour I joined an 8/10. The main reason is that it offered a wide range of cultural activities. I had the chance to experience multiple local transportations including the Mekong Delta sampan boat and tuk tuk, as well as visited coconut forest, Mekong River, and learned some local cultures.  

The entire trip went smoothly, allowing us to travel hassle free and explored places we couldn’t reach by ourselves. I highly recommend it to you! 

Below, I’ve shared my detailed reviews about this Mekong Delta day tour and photos from the day, for you to get an idea of what to expect from the tour.

Mekong Delta day tour Itinerary

Driving from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta takes about an hour and a half, so the driver and the tour guide picked us up by bus from our hotel in Ho Chi Minh City pretty early, around 7:30 am, allowing us to start the full-day trip early.

Below are the activities included in the itinerary of the tour.

1. Touring My Tho Mekong Delta by wooden boat

Rating: 7.5/10

Once our bus arrived at the Mekong Delta port in My Tho, we switched to a wooden boat. As our tour guide introduced the Mekong Delta day tour itinerary, he handed each participant a refreshing coconut to help us cool off from the heat.

During the boat ride, we passed by Tortoise Island, Dragon Island, Phoenix Island, and finally arrived at Unicorn Island.

Seeing the muddy waters of the Mekong River and the local fisherman’s lifestyles reminded me of the floating villages in Cambodia. Witnessing these authentic local ways of life, so different from our daily routines, was truly interesting and worth having a look.

2. Taking sampan boat touring along the coconut forest

Rating: 8.5/10

The highlight of the Mekong Delta trip (and my favorite part) was the traditional sampan boat ride through the coconut forest in Ben Tre province.

As we rode along, the water coconut trees on both sides made it feel like we were in a magical coconut tunnel. The whole atmosphere was so peaceful and kind of mysterious—it was really special!

Here, we got to see locals making a living by paddling sampan boats. They were waiting in line to get the passengers. The woman who rowed our boat even brought a little girl along with her. I found the scene worth capturing so I took this photo, and the image has stayed in my mind ever since.

Note: Here is where you will need to give a bit of tips to the boatlady/boatman. It would be easier if you bring some small cash with you : 1-5 USD notes or VND. And consider tipping them around 3-5 USD.

3. Experience local cultures

Rating: 6/10

This tour also includes tasting local tropical fruits, sampling honey, watching a local performance, interacting with a snake, and learning how coconut candy is made.

During the fruit tasting, I recognised most of the fruits they offered since I’m from Taiwan, where tropical fruits are common. But there was one I hadn’t tried before- the cacao fruit. As for my Italian friend, she found most of the fruits new and interesting, which made the experience even more special for her.

The part we visited where coconut candy is made is interesting. The guide explained and showed us the entire process, from cracking the coconuts to cutting the candy into pieces. We also got to try different flavours of coconut candy, and of course selling the coconut products too.

If you are interested in buying coconut candy, coconut cookies, or other coconut products (like coconut lip balm, coconut oil, and coconut face masks) they are all available here. The coconut skincare products sold here are also available at Vietnam’s international airports, but I learned from my own experience that those same products (same brand) cost three times more at the airport. So if you’re interested, I’d definitely recommend buying them at the tour instead of the airport!

As for the other activities—like seeing beehives full of bees, taking photos with snakes (no way I’d do that!), and watching a local singing performance—they were just okay, nothing special. The singing performance, in particular, was disappointing, and to make things awkward, the performer came around for tips. It put people (including us) in an uncomfortable spot, since the performance didn’t really deserve a tip. Honestly, they could’ve skipped these three parts. We threw in $1-2 just to be polite, but it definitely felt unnecessary (you don’t have to tip them though).

4. Riding tuk tuk

Rating: 8.5/10

One of the highlights of the Mekong Delta tour we joined was hopping on a local tuk-tuk for a short ride through the green tunnel of coconut trees and seeing a bit of authentic local life. The tuk-tuk itself was unique- unlike the typical ones you see in Southeast Asian cities, this was more like a mini truck that could seat six people and we actually had to climb up into it, which made the whole experience feel more fun and adventurous.

5. Cycling along the countryside roads

Rating: 7.5/10

After lunch, we got to hop on a free bike and explore the island at our own pace. It’s a great way to enjoy the peaceful countryside and digest lots of food we had.

The route takes just 30-40 minutes round trip – short and easy. You will cycle past nice countryside views and get a glimpse of local island life.

6. Visiting Vinh Trang Pagoda in My Tho, Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Rating: 6.5/10

Vinh Trang Pagoda is one of the most significant and well-known temples in the Mekong Delta region. Since it’s conveniently located near other popular stops on Mekong Delta day tours, our itinerary included a visit here, giving us a chance to explore this famous site.

The pagoda features massive statues of Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy), the Laughing Buddha, and The Buddha Shakyamuni.

While It’s worth checking out if you are nearby, I wouldn’t necessarily make a special trip just to see it.

The driver and the tour guide

Rating: 8/10

The tour guide for our Mekong Delta day trip was very energetic and experienced. He provided a clear guide, and handled the whole tour smoothly. We didn’t have to worry about anything.

As for the driver, he drove safely and cautiously. I was able to relax throughout the journey without any concerns.

Lunch

Rating: 7/10

The lunch they served was good and authentic, featuring a variety of local dishes such as a local specialty fish, two types of Vietnamese spring rolls, it also offered meat, soup, vegetables, eggs, and rice. I can see, even though it’s the Asian style of food, the western tourists who were sitting with us all enjoyed the food as well.

Conclusion

Overall, I’d say this Mekong Delta tour is worth joining! While it had a few minor flaws, the itinerary, service, tour guide and fellow travelers were all great!

It’s great value and we enjoyed it.

You can check the price, more details and book it in advance here ( it even offers a discount sometimes!).

Mekong Delta travel tips & information

What should you pack for a Mekong Delta day tour?

• Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hats are essentials as Vietnam is quite hot.
• Bug repellent/mosquito spray is needed as there are many bugs and mosquitoes.
• Cash in VND or USD (USD is accepted in Vietnam but I’d suggest you bring small USD notes for tips and roadside vendors. However, when you pay things with USD, the locals will only give you VND changes back with exchange rates that are better for them, so you’d lose a bit of money. I’d suggest you bring USD cash to exchange a bit of VND at the local places where you find a better exchange rate.
• Water: you need to stay hydrated to prevent getting sunstroke. 
• Camera
• Raincoat or umbrella: if you are going to Mekong Delta Vietnam during the wet season.