Private Cai Rang Floating Market & My Tho Boat Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Cai Rang Floating Market's vibrant stalls
- Cruise along the Mekong River's serene waters
- Discover traditional villages in My Tho
- Experience local culture and daily life
- Enjoy a personalized, private tour experience
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Private boat tour to Cai Rang Floating Market
- Visit to My Tho's traditional villages
- Local guide providing cultural insights
- Meals and personal expenses
Itinerary
At this bustling floating market, the cries of the sellers seem to be swallowed up by the immensity of the river and lost into the noise of the boat engines. The disadvantageous situation appears to favor the emergence of a unique advertising method: the sellers advertise their wares from the top of a long pole attached to their boats. Every boat has a tall upright pole with samples of the goods for sale hung on it, so the sellers don't have to cry out what they are selling and buyers can easily see the goods sold on that boat from a far distance. Just look up and one will know exactly which boat is providing the products they are looking for.
Your afternoon trip continues from here by motorized boat on the Tien River to the Lan ( Unicorn Islet). You will visit a local fruit garden and enjoy the tropical fruit while listening to Southern Vietnamese folk music performed by islanders. Here you also can join daily activities of the local people. Visit the bee house, and take the picture of the pythons. Lunch will be served right in the heart of the orchard garden. The boat cruise will lead you through Bao Dinh canal, entering Ben Tre province — "the land of coconuts." Here you'll see a typical agricultural model called "Garden - Pond – Cage,” before visiting the coconut candy-making shop. Next, enjoy a rowing boat trip on the small canal, fully covered by the shadow of the water coconut’s trees. After your boat ride, take another boat ride back to the port before returning to the van. You will arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City at around 5:30 to 6:00 PM.
Vinh Trang Pagoda is located along Nguyen Trung Truc Street in My Tho City, Tien Giang Province, approximately 4 kilometers away from the city center and 90 kilometers away from Can Tho City. Not only is it the largest pagoda in Tien Giang, Vinh Trang Pagoda is also considered one of the most famous temples in the Southern region and has been recognized as a national historical and cultural heritage site.
Important information
Know before you book
- This is a private tour; pricing varies based on group size.
- Confirm the tour's availability and schedule in advance.
- Be prepared for early departure from Ho Chi Minh City to maximize daylight hours.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable clothing and footwear suitable for boat travel.
- Bring a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent for sun protection.
- Carry a camera to capture the picturesque landscapes and vibrant market scenes.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Easy Public Transport
- Infant Seats Available
Good to know
- Tour will last 10 to 12 hours. 5 hours for visiting + lunch . 5 to 6 hours for transfer
Traveler reviews
I would absolutely not recommend this tour
This tour was TERRIBLE we were basically an ATM on tour. It was the third tour we took with this company. The food tour was excellent and very different than what we experienced on this one. The organization / flow of the tour, starting from the 5am pickup and the guide were not good. The pickup time of 5am, had us at the floating market AFTER the market!!! There was NO market when we got there. This was the entire reason I booked this tour was to see the floating market. After our guide fed us some breakfast (this was actually the highlight of the day), he took us from gift shop to gift shop where we felt continual pressure to tip or buy something. It was very uncomfortable for us as we didn't bring much cash and we also didn't experience the true region as our day was so incredibly touristy. For example, we went to an island where we had some women sing to us then bring us a tip jar. We sat on a pineapple boat at the "floating market" (which had ended for the locals but some touristy boats like this one were still out for the tourists) and had trinkets and bracelets put in front of us. We went to an island in the delta where we had "tea" and then were put bee pollen, honey and candy in front of us to buy. We were taken down a narrow canal where our guide told us to tip the drivers of the boats. We were served lunch at a touristy restaurant where after the meal they came and collected money from us for our drinks (we were not told to pay for drinks ahead). We felt nickel and dimed at every turn. In addition, we weren't told by our guide that we weren't returning to the boat after our third stop and we should to take our things with us (we went to the floating market, then the pineapple boat, then we went onshore to a "wet market") so I left my belongings on the boat for the third time, and this time we did not return to the boat, which had long gone driven off as we finished the wet market and went by car. The guide did not really explain much the entire trip. We didn't get any interesting facts or stories about what we were seeing or the history / current state of the country or region. We learned more by using Google as we went along. He napped in the car. It was really not an interesting or engaging guide. He was very friendly and when asked questions, he would answer, but we have travelled all over the world and the best guides (hell, not even the best...just the baseline!!) engage with their guests and give them some suggestions for the type of information that would make a tour interesting for visitors. It was a huge disappointment, waste of money and we felt like we spent an entire day shuttling around in a car or boat to various destinations where we were expected to put out cash to the locals. We are more than happy to support the local economy of Vietnam and its people, but we would like to do it spontaneously because we are having a great time and are appreciative for what we are experiencing (like the first two tours), instead of feeling pressure and feeling like we are a money machine on tour. It would also be nice to be given a heads up that we'd have to bring about as much cash as we spent to book the tour just to get through all the tipping and / taxing we had as we went along. We tipped our guide and driver out of respect for the low wages in the country, but it was not a sign we were happy with our day. I would absolutely not recommend this tour and regret spending a precious day of our travel on it. Interestingly enough, this company asked for feedback on both this and the food tour. When I gave very positive reviews on that tour, they responded. They went dark after asking for feedback on this tour when I said it was terrible and explained about the day.
Wonderful
JENS we did high-level tourism with it. A lot of knowledge and details in the explanations. Unforgettable moments!!
Great all-round Tour
I had a really great tour with our guide Jens! We have seen and tasted many things! Theo was also always happy to take pictures or answer questions.
Bravo!!!
Awesome tour. Variety of activities throughout the day. Jens was a great tour guide, very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and great communicator. We enjoyed the boat ride, coconut candy making and the traditional musical of local village people. Highly recommend this tour to everyone!
Amazing Family Experience
We had a fantastic day with Saigon Adventures! We travelling in their VIP Sky Bus and I couldn’t recommend that enough for families (or just people wanting a more luxe ride). It felt like being in business class. We were travelling with an 11 month old and 5.5 year old and the journey was incredible comfortable thanks to the reclining seats. The tour itself was fantastic and informative too - thanks to our great guide - Daisy! She was very helpful with the kids and made sure the tour was customised to our needs. We saw pythons, bee hives and cultural dances. We had an amazing lunch (very safe) and great boat rides.