The Best Mekong Delta Cycling Tour

As the sun rises, the farmers here begin their day, creating a serene morning atmosphere that's perfect for observing the local daily activities around villages. The peaceful sight of fruits being transported to local markets by mopeds or sampan boats, the gentle sound of watering the vegetables and fruits on their farmlands, and the older generation's trips to the nearby markets all contribute to a tranquil start to the day. This sense of calm is further enhanced as everyone returns to the homestay for a riverside breakfast, adding a touch of community to the peaceful morning.

We'll transfer 45 minutes to Tra Vinh for the morning ride. Pick up our bikes and explore Khmer villages, stop to meet locals working on lush farmlands, and learn how to make rice crops. Wave locals working on rice paddy fields, take it easy as you cycle on opened air paths across rice paddy fields and make many stops at local home business workshops. Experience the lifestyles and daily activities of Khmer and Vietnamese on the riverside trails, which make it possible to enjoy the greenery and fresh air through villages. Venture into Khmer hamlets, learn about Theravada Buddhism, visit the beautiful Pagodas, and encounter the stunning landscapes and vibrant countryside.

Break for lunch in a little town, then a shuttle transfer an hour to Tra On for the afternoon ride. We take a public ferry, cross the river to Luc Si Island, then continue cycling across the islands, taste seasonal fruit at local orchards, and take another ferry to the mainland, where we ride on trails alongside the Mekong River and the Can Tho suspension bridge. We hop on the van for a short transfer to Can Tho City.

Can Tho, the capital of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, is famous for the unique Cai Rang floating market—a one-of-a-kind experience.

After breakfast, take a motorized boat to the lively market and observe morning river life. Large boats stay anchored as wholesalers, while smaller ones move around to trade. Tiny sampans sell breakfast like noodle soup, rice dishes, and coffee. The market is open all day but busiest from sunrise to 9 a.m., with goods displayed on poles for advertising.

Afterward, visit a local land market before heading to Chau Doc. The journey is split into two parts: a 30 km morning ride along shaded rural paths through villages, canals, and farms. Along the way, visit a historic 19th-century Mandarin house blending French and Vietnamese architecture.

After lunch, transfer to Chau Phu, then cycle 20 km through rice fields, villages, and pagodas, passing canals, palm trees, and peaceful countryside. The ride ends at Sam Mountain, followed by a transfer to Victoria Sam Lodge, where you can relax by the pool and enjoy sunset views over the Cambodian border.

Enjoy the sunrise, taste tea and coffee, and look over the endless rice paddies and Cambodian borderline from Sam Mountain. After a hearty breakfast, you will transfer to Chau Doc town, and it takes about 15 minutes to drive. Embark on samapan boat to a floating village, experience the local life whose tiny houses are on the river,  and see how wealthy people raise catfish. The floating fish farms were built with a good quality waterproof and durable materials, such as big houses while floating homes are tiny on top of sampans. 

After the boat, you cycle through the Muslim villages, past Muslim wooden stilt houses, stop at a busy village market, follow the small path to the verdant farmland, and have a ferry crossing the Bassac River. Break for a coffee stop at a lively market and continue to explore a lowland in Dong Thap. The areas flooded yearly during the wet season. Houses on stilts had been used in this land for a long time. Most are not solid stilt houses because locals built with local materials; proof usually changes after 2 to 3 years. 

We will have lunch in Cho Moi, following lunch with 30 30-minute transfer to My Luong township to continue your adventure to Cao Lanh. The weather is much more relaxed, and your leisurely ride is more enjoyable. Take some photos of the Monastery complex before the ride takes you through peaceful, seemingly undiscovered Gieng island and its rustic villages. Take today's last ferry to a rural town and cycle to Cao Lanh. 

You ride narrow lances from the hotel to get out of the town, past many brick factories along rivers, cross water channels on the little wooden bridges, and ride on a dirt track along the Mekong River. Stop by a small workshop that weaves dried water hyacinths to make hats, handbags, bins, indoor sandals, etc. You can buy some directly from the locals instead of paying high prices in Ho Chi Minh. 

A half-day allows us to marvel at the lush green vegetation fields and pass by a mudfish farm and a mango orchard as we bike through. Take a break for a refreshing coffee in a small town, then continue your journey on country back roads. Traverse through the town on concrete paths across farmlands and agricultural canals until you reach the serene Xeo Quyt forest. Enjoy a delightful lunch at a charming forest restaurant. After lunch, explore the Viet Cong base and the Xeo Quyt forest.

The forest is a vast swamp and full of tall cajeput trees. The tree has a white spongy bark that easily flakes off the trunk, and locals love to use these for fires. Viet Cong built its base inside the forest in 1960 with bunkers, meeting rooms, command headquarters, etc. Xeo Quyt is an ecological site that offers a rowed sampan to visit historical relics, admire the scenery, and learn about the harsh life in the Vietnam War. Enjoy a sampan boat row by Viet Cong, stop at some Viet Cong bunkers, walk to communist leaders, and learn about the Vietnam War and the wildlife of the forest. Finally, you will transfer to Saigon in the late afternoon. Tour Ends!