The Mekong Delta tour has long been one of the most beloved travel experiences in Vietnam, captivating both domestic visitors and international travelers eager to explore the legendary Mekong River Delta. If you're searching for a truly complete Mekong Delta tour — one where you don't just sightsee but actually live, breathe, eat, and listen like a true Southerner — then The Rice Travel Group is the ideal travel companion you shouldn't miss.

This guide reveals everything you need to know about The Rice Travel Group's My Tho – Ben Tre tour: a detailed itinerary of every stop, unique experiences you won't find anywhere else, and everything you need to prepare for the perfect trip.

The Rice Travel Group's Mekong Delta Tour - My Tho - Ben Tre

What Makes a Mekong Delta Tour So Special?

Southern Vietnam's Mekong Delta — also known as the Mekong River Delta — is one of the most remarkable regions in all of Southeast Asia. Shaped over thousands of years by the nine branches of the Mekong River, this land boasts one of the world's richest riverine ecosystems, a vibrant folk culture, warm-hearted locals, bold cuisine, and year-round lush greenery.

A Mekong Delta tour in the truest sense is more than a sightseeing trip. It's an opportunity to step away from the fast pace of city life and enter an entirely different world — where mornings begin with the sound of oars cutting through water, lunches are served beneath fruit-laden trees, and afternoons drift by to the soulful melodies of traditional Đờn ca tài tử music.

For international visitors, the Mekong Delta is one of the most-searched Vietnam travel destinations worldwide — and for good reason. Where else on earth can you, in a single day: glide through coconut palm waterways on a sampan, visit a working bee farm to taste raw honey, listen to a live đàn tranh performance in a garden setting, and try your hand at crocodile fishing — all wrapped in an atmosphere of breathtaking, unhurried calm?

The Rice Travel Group understands this deeply. That's why their My Tho – Ben Tre Mekong Delta tour is designed as a living cultural journey, not just a checklist of photo stops.

My Tho – Ben Tre Tour Itinerary: Every Stop, Every Unforgettable Experience

Stop 1: Mekong Rest Stop – The Perfect Mekong-Themed Photo Spot

Your Mekong Delta tour kicks off at a charming roadside stop along National Highway 1: Mekong Rest Stop — a modern rest area designed with authentic Southern Vietnamese character. This isn't just a place to stretch your legs after the drive from Ho Chi Minh City; it's also a fantastic "warm-up" photography spot for the whole group.

Featuring architecture that blends traditional Southern Vietnamese stilt-house style with open modern spaces, the Mekong Rest Stop offers endless photo opportunities: displays of regional produce, recreations of riverine life, and sweeping views over the green delta landscape. Many visitors say this is where they end up using the most photos from the entire trip.

Pro tip: Pick up some Mekong Delta specialties sold here — coconut candy, puffed milk cakes, lotus jam — both delicious and meaningful souvenirs to bring home for friends and family.

Mekong Rest Stop - a rest stop with a distinctly Western Vietnam feel.

Stop 2: Boat Ride Across the Four Islands – Long, Lan, Qui, Phung

This is the experience every traveler mentions first when asked about their most memorable moment on a Mekong Delta tour: a boat ride across the Four Islands of Long – Lan – Qui – Phung — four legendary river islands in the middle of the Tiền River, named after the four sacred animals in Vietnamese folklore.

As the boat pulls away from the dock, the contrast with city life hits you immediately: the river shimmers in the morning light, a gentle breeze rolls in, and both banks are lined with swaying coconut palms and fruit-heavy orchards. The soft hum of the engine, the lapping of water against the hull — together, they create a rare sense of peace within untouched nature.

Each island has its own distinct character: longan orchards, rambutan groves, durian gardens, homes nestled beneath canopies of trees, and shaded bamboo-lined paths. This is the heart of the Mekong Delta tour experience — the moment you stop being a tourist and truly become part of life in the delta.

Pro tip: Bring your camera and wear light, breathable clothing. Early morning offers the most beautiful natural light for river photography.

Visitors will pass by four islets: Long, Lan, Qui, and Phung.

Stop 3: Bee Farm Visit – Fresh Honey and Bee Pollen Tasting

One of the most distinctive stops on the My Tho Mekong Delta tour is a visit to a traditional bee farm. Here, a skilled local beekeeper guides you through the natural honey-making process — from how hives are placed among the orchard trees to how honey is harvested, filtered, and stored.

The beehives have just been harvested by the beekeeper.

What makes this experience truly special is the tasting: fresh honey and bee pollen, sampled directly on-site — raw, unblended, and unprocessed. A single drop of pure honey on the tip of your tongue, its gentle sweetness slowly blooming — this is a flavor you simply cannot find anywhere outside a Mekong Delta honey garden.

Guests can sample pure honey right at the bee farm.

Bee pollen, widely recognized for its impressive nutritional and health benefits, is also introduced and offered for tasting. This is a wonderful food-and-wellness experience, especially appealing to travelers interested in natural and organic living.

Pro tip: If you'd like to buy honey as a gift, this is the best time to purchase directly from the source — quality guaranteed, and far better value than anything you'll find in stores.

See More: 100% Real Crocodile Fishing! The Most Unique Adventure You Can Only Find in the Mekong Delta

Stop 4: Rice Paper & Puffed Rice Making Demo + Fresh Coconut Ice Cream

Continuing the Mekong Delta tour, the group visits a traditional artisan workshop where you can watch — and join in — the making of rice paper and puffed rice, two of the Mekong Delta's most iconic handcrafted foods.

Making of rice paper

Southern Vietnamese rice paper — thin, crisp, and translucently white — is made entirely by hand using traditional methods: batter spread by hand onto bamboo frames, dried in the sun, then finished over charcoal heat. Watching the sheets of rice paper slowly firm up under the hands of a skilled artisan, you'll understand why people say: "Making rice paper is the craft of patience and love."

Puffed rice — a humble, beloved staple of Mekong life — is made from glutinous rice toasted until it pops into fragrant, crispy morsels. Watching the artisan stir-fry each batch in a hot iron wok is both lively and mesmerizing.

And the sweetest highlight of this stop: fresh coconut ice cream. Not the commercial kind — this is ice cream made from pure fresh coconut milk, scooped directly into a coconut shell, and topped with jelly, mung bean, and fresh young coconut meat. On a warm Mekong afternoon, nothing beats a scoop of cold, sweet, creamy coconut ice cream served the old-fashioned way.

Stop 5: Tuk Tuk Ride + Traditional Music & Tropical Fruit Tasting

After exploring the local workshops, the group hops onto a very special mode of transport — a three-wheeled open-top tuk tuk, one of the most photogenic and fun ways to travel the Mekong Delta countryside. The tuk tuk rattles cheerfully along shaded village lanes, past hedges of red hibiscus and peaceful garden homes.

The sound of the engine, the cool breeze, the greenery on all sides — the tuk tuk ride itself is an experience worth remembering.

Tuk Tuk Ride

The final destination of the tuk tuk journey: a traditional Southern Vietnamese garden home, where you'll settle into a cool, shaded open-air setting and enjoy a generous platter of seasonal Mekong Delta fruits — rambutan, longan, mangosteen, pineapple, watermelon — each bursting with freshness.

Guests enjoyed fruit while listening to traditional Vietnamese folk music

While enjoying your fruit, a live Đờn ca tài tử ensemble performs traditional Southern folk music. Đờn ca tài tử — recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — is not background music to be heard passively; it is music to be felt. When the sounds of the zither, moon lute, and fiddle fill the garden air, visitors inevitably fall quiet, letting the melodies carry them somewhere deeper.

Pro tip: Don't be shy about asking the performers about the meaning of each song — they love sharing the stories, and it will give you a whole new appreciation for this extraordinary musical tradition.

Đờn ca tài tử

Stop 6: Sampan Through the Nipa Palm Waterways + Crocodile Fishing + Catfish Pond

This is the part most travelers describe as the most thrilling of the entire Mekong Delta tour: a sampan boat ride through dense nipa palm waterways, where the fronds of two rows of palms meet overhead to form a green tunnel, dappled light filtering through the leaves and dancing on the water below.

Seated in a narrow wooden boat, guided gently by a local oarsman through winding, narrow canals — this is a moment many visitors say they'll carry with them forever.

Next comes an exciting challenge for the brave: crocodile fishing. Under the safe guidance of local staff, you'll hold a fishing rod and try your luck with crocodiles raised in a secured enclosure. Perfectly safe — but guaranteed to make your heart beat a little faster when you feel the tug on the line.

Nearby, the catfish pond showcases a traditional Mekong aquaculture setup. Thousands of catfish crowd the water, splashing noisily when fed — a scene that's both fascinating and entertaining, especially for children and first-time international visitors experiencing Mekong fish farming up close.

Stop 7: Tropical Fruit Orchard Visit + Authentic Mekong-Style Lunch

After all that river adventure, your appetite will be well and truly ready. The group heads into a Mekong Delta fruit orchard — where the region's signature crops grow side by side in a lush, peaceful, welcoming environment.

Depending on the season, you may see clusters of vivid red rambutan, golden longan, soursop, guava, or green pineapple. Your guide will introduce each variety, explain how locals tend and harvest them using traditional natural methods — small nuggets of knowledge you won't find in any guidebook.

Then comes the moment everyone has been waiting for: a traditional Mekong-style lunch. No fancy restaurant, no elaborate menu — just a home-style meal served on woven mats in the open garden air, featuring authentic Southern Vietnamese dishes:

• Crispy-fried elephant ear fish: served with fresh herbs, rice vermicelli, and ginger fish sauce
• Mekong fermented fish hotpot — a bubbling pot of fermented snakehead fish sauce with morning glory, điên điển flowers, and eggplant
• Southern sour soup  — the distinctly tangy, bright flavor unique to the Mekong Delta
• Lotus stem and shrimp salad  — crisp, refreshing, served with prawn crackers

Every dish is prepared using traditional local recipes — simple, unfussy, and delicious in a way that only those who've tasted it can truly understand.

Stop 8: Vinh Trang Pagoda – Spiritual Heritage and Extraordinary Architecture

As the afternoon winds down, the Mekong Delta tour concludes with a visit that offers both cultural depth and quiet reflection: Vinh Trang Pagoda — one of the most celebrated temples in Tien Giang Province and an unmissable landmark of My Tho.

Built in the early 19th century, Vinh Trang Pagoda is a remarkable architectural achievement blending Asian and European influences: traditional curved roof lines, Roman columns, and Gothic stained-glass windows — all harmonized in a way unlike any other temple in Vietnam.

The expansive grounds hold many awe-inspiring features: a massive Maitreya Buddha statue standing over 10 meters tall, a Shakyamuni Buddha statue meditating beside a lotus pond, and countless intricate sculptures crafted from ceramic and colored glass. The pagoda also houses a collection of rare antique statues, including several carved from precious hardwood dating back hundreds of years.

Beyond its architectural splendor, Vinh Trang Pagoda is a space to slow down and simply be — to sit beneath ancient trees in the temple courtyard, listen to the evening bell, and watch golden light fall across moss-touched rooftiles. It's the kind of peaceful, unhurried moment every traveler deserves at the end of a full day.

Vinh Trang Pagoda

Why Choose The Rice Travel Group for Your Mekong Delta Tour?

Among the many tour operators offering Mekong Delta experiences, The Rice Travel Group stands apart through several clear commitments:

Culturally immersed guides: The Rice Travel's tour guides aren't reciting facts from a pamphlet — they're people who have lived and breathed this land, sharing stories and perspectives you won't find in any travel book.

Balanced itinerary — no rushing: Rather than racing through ten stops with no time to breathe, The Rice Travel designs each tour to give you enough time to actually experience each destination, not just glance through a bus window.

Small groups — deeper experiences: Tour group sizes are kept intentionally small to ensure high service quality and a more personal experience for every traveler.

Convenient departure from Bui Vien: Pick-up is located right at The Rice Hotel on the Bui Vien Walking Street, District 1 — central, easy to find, and easy to reach from anywhere in Ho Chi Minh City.

What to Pack for Your Mekong Delta Tour

To make sure your Mekong Delta tour goes as smoothly and enjoyably as possible, here's The Rice Travel Group's recommended packing checklist:

Clothing: Wear comfortable, moisture-wicking clothes. Avoid high heels — village paths, bamboo bridges, and boarding sampans all require flat shoes or sandals with a back strap.

Sun protection: A wide-brimmed hat or traditional nón lá (available at the stops!), SPF 50+ sunscreen, sunglasses, and a light long-sleeved layer if your skin is sun-sensitive.

Gadgets: A portable power bank — you'll be taking a lot of photos. A small waterproof phone pouch for the boat rides is also a smart idea.

Health: If you're prone to motion sickness, take medication before departure. Bring insect repellent if you have sensitive skin.

Cash: Some local craft and specialty vendors only accept cash. Bring 200,000–500,000 VND if you'd like to purchase local specialties or souvenirs along the way.

You should wear comfortable clothes that allow for easy movement

Best Time to Visit for a My Tho – Ben Tre Mekong Delta Tour

Dry season (December – May): The best weather of the year — clear skies, smooth road and river conditions, and vibrant greenery refreshed after the rains. This is peak season for Mekong Delta tourism, particularly around Tết (Lunar New Year) when golden apricot blossoms cover the orchards.

Flood season (September – November): For a different kind of Mekong Delta experience — high waters stretching across the plains, fish and shrimp returning with the tide — this season holds its own distinct appeal for travelers drawn to raw, untouched nature.

See More: The Rice Hotel Saigon – Central City Hotel - 3-Star Comfort - 24/7 Dedicated Service

Book Your Mekong Delta Tour with The Rice Travel Group Today

Ready for a Mekong Delta tour you'll actually remember — not just for the photos, but for the way it made you feel? The Rice Travel Group is ready to welcome you.

Contact us directly for a personalized itinerary, pricing, and reservations — our team will handle every detail so all you need to do is pack your bag and step on board.

Contact The Rice Travel Group now to experience the Mekong Delta more fully

BOOK YOUR TOUR — THE RICE TRAVEL GROUP 

Address: Bui Vien Walking Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 

Hotline / Zalo / WhatsApp: +84 962.333.621