Mekong Delta travel has long been a dream journey for millions of Vietnamese locals and international visitors alike — a destination where nature, culture, and cuisine weave together into a vibrant tapestry found nowhere else on earth. At the heart of the Mekong Delta travel map sits Can Tho — the region's only municipality under central government authority, and a place that checks every box for an unforgettable destination: bustling floating markets, poetic waterways, lush fruit orchards, and a gentle pace of life deeply rooted in Southern Vietnamese culture.
Are you looking for a Mekong Delta travel experience that's truly different — not a crowded group tour with a fixed itinerary, but a private, flexible journey captured in stunning photographs by a professional travel photographer? Let The Rice Travel Group be your guide as you explore Can Tho in the most complete and comfortable way possible.
The Rice Travel Group – your companion on your journey to fully explore the Mekong Delta.
Can Tho — The Most Beautiful River City in the Mekong Delta
Nestled along the peaceful Hau River, Can Tho is not only the economic and political hub of the Mekong Delta but also the region's most celebrated travel destination, welcoming millions of visitors every year. Covering nearly 1,400 km² with a population of over 1.2 million, Can Tho boasts modern tourism infrastructure, accommodation options ranging from friendly homestays to luxury resorts, and a thriving food scene where every dish tells a cultural story.
What truly sets Can Tho apart from other Mekong Delta provinces is its seamless blend of urban and rural, modern and traditional. In the early morning, you can glide along a lively floating market. In the afternoon, wander through ancient alleyways. And as night falls, the city lights reflected on the river create a magical, dreamlike scene you'll never forget.
Can Tho - a must-visit destination in the Mekong Delta.
Top Attractions Not to Miss on Your Mekong Delta Trip to Can Tho
1. Ninh Kieu Wharf — Can Tho's Most Iconic Landmark
If you could only choose one place to truly understand Can Tho, it would be Ninh Kieu Wharf. Situated right in the heart of the city along the romantic Hau River, Ninh Kieu is the Mekong Delta's most beautiful public space — where locals take their morning walks, children play in the afternoon, and travelers watch the sunset in the evening.
By day, Ninh Kieu is serene — lined with lush green trees, riverside benches, and a stately statue of President Ho Chi Minh. But at night, this is where the magic truly happens: thousands of decorative lights, the glow of boats moored side by side, and the soft music drifting from riverside cafés all combine to create a breathtakingly romantic atmosphere. It's a top photo spot for photography enthusiasts looking to capture the most beautiful moments of their Mekong Delta journey.
Best time to visit: 6–8 PM, when the lights are at their most brilliant but the crowds haven't yet peaked. Don't miss dining at one of the floating restaurants right beside the wharf — the perfect way to soak in the scenery and spirit of life on the river.
Ninh Kieu Wharf
2. Cai Rang Floating Market — The Soul of Mekong Delta Water Culture
No Mekong Delta travel itinerary is complete without a visit to Cai Rang Floating Market. Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2016, this is the largest and most vibrant floating market in the entire Mekong Delta region. Every morning from 5 AM to 9 AM, hundreds of boats gather on the Can Tho River, laden with fresh produce, fruits, and food sourced from across the delta.
The market's most charming feature is the "cây bẹo" tradition — each boat hoists a pole displaying the goods it sells, creating a fascinating visual trading language unique to this region's commercial culture. From watermelons and durians to mangoes and fresh vegetables, commerce flows energetically across the water. Sitting aboard a boat, savoring a steaming bowl of noodle soup or a strong black coffee while the river trade hums around you — this is an experience you simply cannot find anywhere else in the world.
Travel tip: Depart from Ninh Kieu Wharf at 6 AM to arrive at peak market hours. Opt for a small wooden boat rather than a large tourist vessel — you'll be able to weave between trading boats and experience the authentic atmosphere up close.
Cai Rang Floating Market
3. Can Tho Bridge — A Modern Icon Over the Mekong
Can Tho Bridge — once the longest cable-stayed bridge in Southeast Asia at the time of its inauguration — is more than just a vital transport link spanning the Hau River. It's also one of the most iconic photo stops on any Mekong Delta trip. Stretching over 15 km with twin towers rising 175 meters high, Can Tho Bridge is striking from every angle and at every hour.
At sunset and after dark, when lights illuminate the steel frame and cable stays, the bridge transforms into a luminous work of art reflected in the river below. Photographers adore this spot — shots taken from beneath the bridge, from a boat on the river, or from the open ground opposite yield spectacular, one-of-a-kind images.
Travel tip: Hire a small boat and drift beneath the bridge at golden hour to capture its most stunning views. The Rice Travel Group's photographers know every unique angle here, ensuring you leave with truly memorable shots.
Can Tho Bridge
4. Con Son Island — An Eco-Paradise in the Heart of the River
Just 15 minutes by boat from the city center, Con Son Island is a small, lush green island in the middle of the Hau River — where time seems to slow down and rural Mekong Delta life has been preserved almost entirely intact. This is Can Tho's most beloved eco-tourism destination, drawing visitors with its tranquility, clean air, and authentic countryside experiences.
On Con Son, you can pick ripe tropical fruits straight from the trees — mangoes, rambutans, guavas, jackfruits, coconuts, pineapples — and enjoy them right in the orchard for a freshness that simply can't be replicated. Visitors can also learn to make traditional Southern Vietnamese treats like banana candy and folk cakes alongside local residents, try their hand at fishing by the river, or simply swing in a hammock beneath the shade of fruit trees, breathing the fresh air and listening to birdsong and the gentle lapping of the water. These are often the experiences that stay with guests long after they return home.
5. Bang Lang Stork Garden — Vietnam's Largest Natural Stork Sanctuary
Located in Thai Thuan commune, Thot Not district, Bang Lang Stork Garden is one of the Mekong Delta's most extraordinary natural attractions — home to tens of thousands of white egrets, pond herons, little blue herons, night herons, and other waterbirds nesting in the treetops. Recognized as Vietnam's largest natural stork sanctuary, it is a true ecological wonder.
The most awe-inspiring moment at Bang Lang is at dusk, when thousands of storks simultaneously return to their roosts — a blanket of white wings fills the sky, and the sound of beating wings and calling birds creates a magnificent, breathtaking spectacle. It's also a golden opportunity for wildlife photography: images captured here never fail to draw admiration.
Travel tip: Arrive around 5 PM to witness the mass return of the storks — the most visually dramatic moment of the day. Bring binoculars or a telephoto lens to observe and photograph the birds in close-up detail.
6. Ong Pagoda — Ancient Sacred Architecture in the Heart of the City
Ong Pagoda in Can Tho — also known as Quang Trieu Assembly Hall — is one of the most beautifully preserved historic Chinese temples in Southern Vietnam, built in 1894 by Can Tho's Chinese community. With its sweeping curved roof tiles, intricately carved wooden pillars, and bright red lanterns, Ong Pagoda is an unmissable cultural landmark.
The temple is dedicated to Quan Cong — the deity of loyalty and prosperity — and is held in deep reverence by both the local Vietnamese population and the Chinese community. The solemn atmosphere, rising incense smoke, and resonant bells and drums create a profoundly spiritual experience. It's also an ideal place to explore the unique cultural tapestry woven by the Kinh, Chinese, and Khmer communities who have shared this land for centuries.
Ong pagoda Can Tho
7. Binh Thuy Ancient House — A French–Vietnamese Architectural Treasure
Tucked away on a quiet street in Binh Thuy ward, this 150-year-old villa blending French colonial and traditional Vietnamese architectural styles is one of Can Tho's most historically significant landmarks. Belonging to the Duong family — a distinguished household with deep contributions to the Nam Bo region — the house is famously recognized as the filming location for the French classic L'Amant (The Lover), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud.
The architecture is a harmonious fusion of French colonial grandeur and Vietnamese tradition: graceful white columns, terracotta roof tiles, ornate wrought-iron fencing enclosing a garden of centuries-old trees. Inside, the furniture, artwork, and personal artifacts have been preserved almost entirely intact — transporting visitors back to another era.
Visiting hours: 8 AM – 5 PM daily, with a nominal entry fee. The house is also a popular wedding photography location, thanks to its rare combination of elegance, history, and romance.
Binh Thuy Ancient House
8. My Khanh Tourist Village — The Mekong Delta's Premier Entertainment & Food Hub
Often dubbed the "Disneyland of the Mekong Delta," My Khanh Tourist Village in Phong Dien district is a sprawling 10-hectare eco-tourism, entertainment, and culinary complex with activities for all ages. From fruit orchards where you can pick your own harvest to traditional communal houses and folk games — including clay pot breaking, fishing, bare-hand fish catching, and rowing a traditional sampan — there's something here for everyone.
It's an especially ideal destination for families with young children, where kids can learn through play and discover agricultural and delta culture in a vivid, hands-on setting. The on-site food court is equally impressive, serving a wide array of Mekong Delta specialties freshly prepared on the spot.
9. Phong Dien Floating Market — The Most Authentic Local Experience
Where Cai Rang Floating Market is lively and tourist-frequented, Phong Dien Floating Market in Phong Dien district offers something rarer: quiet, unscripted authenticity. Life on the water here continues exactly as it always has — locals buying and selling everyday necessities like vegetables, fresh fish, poultry, and fruit, with no performances for passing cameras.
Free from the noise of mass tourism, Phong Dien gives travelers a genuine window into the daily life of Mekong waterway communities. It's the ideal stop for those who want to step away from the well-worn tourist trail and discover a version of the Mekong Delta that remains beautifully unhurried and real.
Can Tho Specialties — The Finest Flavors of the Mekong Delta
No Mekong Delta travel experience is complete without indulging in the food. Can Tho takes pride in a rich repertoire of regional specialties — each one distinctive, each one a piece of the delta's cultural identity:
Cai Rang Bánh Cống — crispy fried cakes filled with shrimp and pork, best enjoyed piping hot with fresh herbs and sweet-and-sour dipping sauce
Can Tho Bún Cá — a fragrant noodle soup with fresh snakehead fish, clear and lightly sweet broth, served with fermented shrimp paste and garden vegetables
Mekong Bánh Xèo — Southern-style sizzling pancakes, larger than their Central Vietnamese counterpart, filled with shrimp, pork belly, bean sprouts, and straw mushrooms, wrapped in green mustard leaves
Lẩu Mắm — the Mekong's signature hot pot, built on a base of fermented catfish and climbing perch paste, loaded with wild river herbs, eggplant, and sesbania flowers — rich, bold, and deeply cultural
Coconut Candy & Ginger Preserves — the essential souvenir from any Mekong Delta trip
Ca That Lat Couom — the prized featherback fish of the Mekong, served steamed, fried, or as savory fish cakes
Lai Vung Nem — a regional specialty from nearby Lai Vung district in Dong Thap province — thin, subtly sour fermented pork rolls best wrapped in fresh banana leaf
Beyond these highlights, Can Tho's street food ecosystem is extraordinary — from narrow back-alley stalls to the Ninh Kieu night market, from humble roadside carts to floating riverside restaurants. Every meal is a discovery; every dish, a new chapter of Mekong Delta culture.
Can Tho cuisine is diverse, bearing the unique flavors of this region.
The Rice Travel Group — Your Trusted Partner for an Unforgettable Mekong Delta Journey
Now that you've discovered what makes this waterland so extraordinary, are you ready to plan your own Mekong Delta adventure? The Rice Travel Group is here to make it happen.
With deep expertise in organizing private, flexible Mekong Delta tours, we design every itinerary around your preferences, schedule, and travel style. Instead of joining a large group with a rigid program, you'll enjoy a journey that's unhurried, personalized, and filled with the moments you actually want.
We specialize in private tours for groups of up to 5 people — fully customized, with no fixed stops and no strangers to share your experience with. Just meaningful moments, thoughtfully curated for your group alone.
What Makes The Rice Travel Group Different
✦ Private small-group tours (maximum 5 guests): Your vehicle, your boat, your guide — all dedicated exclusively to your group. Intimate, comfortable, and truly personal.
✦ Professional travel photographer included: This is what sets The Rice Travel Group apart. Our experienced travel photographers join every tour, capturing everything from sunrise over the floating market to the moment you pick fruit in a riverside orchard to the luminous reflection of Can Tho Bridge after dark — in high-quality images that are authentic, artistic, and yours to keep.
✦ 100% flexible itinerary: Want to linger at the floating market for another hour? Feel like swapping a stop at the last minute? No problem. We adapt so your experience is always exactly what you want it to be.
100% flexible itinerary
✦ Deep-local expert guides: Our guides don't just show you the way — they tell the stories. The history, the culture, the people, and the hidden corners that no guidebook ever captures.
✦ All-inclusive pricing, no surprises: Tour prices are quoted clearly upfront, covering transport, meals, and all experiences. All you need to do is pack your bag and enjoy.
If you're ready for a Mekong Delta journey that's genuinely different — one you'll remember not just in your heart but in every photograph — contact The Rice Travel Group today for a personalized itinerary and private tour quote.
- Address: Bui Vien Walking Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Book a tour: +84 962.333.621 & +84 962 333 641 (Zalo / WhatsApp)
Email: daiviettherice@gmail.com
