Essential Saigon & Can Tho 4 Days

Depart for the 1.5hr drive from Saigon to Ben Tre, situated in the Mekong River Delta, exchanging city scenes for lush rice paddies and fruit farms. At the pier, embark on a fascinating motor boat excursion past stilt houses, fish farms and scenes of countryside living. Arrive at Island, and sample freshly picked fruit and coconut milk while interacting with a local farming family. Tour a family-run coconut candy workshop which utilises Ben Tre’s famous coconuts. Explore more of the Delta’s many canals from a rowing sampan and enjoy country hospitality as you sip a cup of honey tea while taking in a traditional folk song performance. A local lunch will be served at the town of My Tho before continuing on a 2hr drive to your Can Tho hotel where you will have the evening free. Overnight in Can Tho (Lunch)
Overnight in Can Tho

NOTES:
Suggested departure time: 08:00
Tour duration: 04 hours 
Lunch time: 13:30
Estimated arrival time at Can Tho: 17:00
 

Rise early and board a local boat to explore the famed Cai Rang floating market where dozens of boats laden with fruits, vegetables and fish from all over the Delta jostle for trade. Notice the long poles with sample products for sale tied to the top so as to be seen from afar as well as the many small boats providing boat-to-boat service of meals and refreshments. Have your camera ready as this vibrant wholesale market on the water makes for excellent photo opportunities, especially from the unique vantage point of your boat. Relax and enjoy the cruise back to the hotel where we will freshen up before our departure. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant on the way back to Saigon. 

Overnight in HCMC.
NOTES:
Suggested departure time: 06:00
Tour duration: 03 hours
Lunch time: 11:30
Estimated arrival time at Saigon: 16:00
 

With over eight million inhabitants and four million motorbikes, Saigon is truly a city that never sleeps. Despite its modernity, Saigon maintains a strong link to the past and our walking tour takes in some of the city’s most historic landmarks. Transfer to Dong Khoi Street downtown to visit some of the beautiful French colonial-era buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century. Appreciate the splendidly restored exteriors of the Saigon Opera House and the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with twin spires constructed from materials imported from France (entrance is only permitted when no services are being performed). Then head across the square to the Central Post Office, completed in 1891. A short drive away is the former Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the Saigon Government during the American War. Continue to the elegant City Hall (the former Hotel de Ville) which is one of Saigon’s most stunning colonial monuments especially when floodlit at night. Experience Saigon’s famed street coffee culture while your guide provides insights into daily life in Saigon. Afternoon visit to the War Remnants Museum for a vivid perspective of the American War through the eyes of the Vietnamese. (Please note that ssaiome of the displays are very graphic.) We then drive to Chinatown to visit the beautiful Thien Hau Pagoda, built by the Cantonese community in the early 19th century to honour the Goddess of the Sea. Take time to make a wish, write it on a small card and attach it to one of the incense coils according to local custom. Continue your visit to FITO, the first museum of traditional medicine in Vietnam, offering an insightful look into the history and application of traditional medicine in everyday life before drive to airport for your onward flight.

NOTES
Suggested departure time: 08:30
Tour duration: 09 hours