Vietnam Bicycling Tours: Meandering the Mekong Delta

Itinerary Details

1. Day 1Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a Saigon) → Cai Lay → Cai Be

   You leave the concrete jungle of Saigon behind and transfer 2.5 hours into the Mekong Delta. Your first ride takes you through the district of Cai Lay, where abundant fruit orchards grow tropical delicacies like durian, jackfruit and rambutan. Taking a leisurely pace, you get accustomed to scenes of daily life in the Delta as you ride through a labyrinth of country roads beneath a lush canopy of trees arcing over irrigation canals and quiet rural hamlets. From time to time, farmers on scooters zip past you, and children on bicycles may try to race you!
   
   Before reaching your hotel, you skirt along the riverside promenade of Cai Be, a small, bustling town where you can see a French colonial-era church towering over the water, filled with boats and ferries carrying local goods or tourists. You may also stop to sample the beloved regional snacks of coconut candy and crispy puffed rice.
   
   In the mid-afternoon, you reach a cosy ecolodge nestled on the banks of the mighty Mekong River, where you spend the night.

   • 14.9 miles
   • 6.6 ft
     278.9 ft
     272.3 ft
   • Mekong Lodge
   • Lunch and Dinner
2. Day 2Cai Be → Tra Vinh

   The Mekong Delta rises early, and so do you, avoiding riding during the hottest hours of the day to make the most of your time in the saddle. From Cai Be, you hop across a large Mekong island via river ferries on either side and enter a serene world of coconut farms, banana plantations, sugarcane fields, small bridges, and criss-crossing canals and rivers. Should the occasion present itself, you may stop to learn more about the local cottage industries that line your route, such as coconut husking, terracotta brick making, or the crafting of traditional nipa palm thatch.
   
   Around halfway through the ride, you take a ferry across the Co Chien River – a major arm of the Mekong – and ride south along its floodplain towards the city of Tra Vinh. Traffic picks up as you approach the city, so you load your bikes and transfer roughly 30 minutes to tonight’s lodging: another lovely riverside lodge nestled in the countryside.

   • 28.6 miles
   • -3.3 ft
     567.6 ft
     570.9 ft
   • Coco Riverside Resort
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
3. Day 3Tra Vinh → Can Tho

   Today begins with a 30-minute transfer to your cycling start point just outside Tra Vinh. From here, you head westward along a fertile floodplain nestled between the Co Chien and Hau Rivers. The route winds through an extensive patchwork of rice paddies, highlighting why the Mekong Delta is known as Vietnam’s “rice bowl”! Taking a leisurely pace, you soak in scenes of daily life amidst the fields, waterways, fruit orchards, and villages.
   
   Along the way, you'll also encounter numerous Khmer-style Buddhist temples, a testament to centuries of Cambodian presence in the heart of the Mekong Delta. You end your ride at one such temple before transferring around 1.5 hours to Can Tho. As the largest city in the Mekong Delta, Can Tho serves as a bastion of the region's waterborne lifeways and thrives as a bustling commercial hub.

   • 26.7 miles
   • 23 ft
     741.5 ft
     718.5 ft
   • The Iris Signature Hotel and Spa
   • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

   • 

     Iris Hotel

     Iris Hotel Can Tho offers 4-star accommodation in Can Tho and features a shared lounge, a terrace and a bar

   • 

     Iris Hotel

     Iris Hotel Can Tho offers 4-star accommodation in Can Tho and features a shared lounge, a terrace and a bar

4. Day 4Can Tho Floating Market & Bike Loop → Saigon

   You have an early start as you board a boat to visit bustling Cai Rang, the Mekong Delta’s largest floating wholesale market. Here, you discover a lively aquatic scene as vendors navigate their brightly adorned boats, displaying goods for sale on tall poles. From the comfort of your chartered boat, you can join the locals for a morning coffee, a bowl of rice noodles, and some fresh fruit.
   
   Back on dry land, you hop on your bikes and enjoy your final green and meandering Mekong Delta ride in the countryside surrounding Can Tho. Your tour ends with a celebratory farewell lunch before driving 3.5 hours back to Saigon, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.
   
   If you are flying out today, please ensure your departure is after 20:00 (8:00 PM). Let us know if you need assistance with post-tour hotel bookings or airport transfers.

   • 24.9 miles
   • -13.1 ft
     541.3 ft
     554.5 ft
   • Breakfast and Lunch