The Mekong River Delta in southern Vietnam is one of the most picturesque regions in the country. Offering a slower pace of life, with palm trees, floating markets, and colonial towns crisscrossed by meandering rivers and streams.

Roughly made up of the entire area of the country south of Ho Chi Minh City and the island of Phu Quoc (15,600 sq miles/40,500 sq km), you can spend several days, weeks, or even months exploring all the towns and villages in the region. Popular places to visit include Ben Tre, Can Tho, Soc Trang, and Vinh Long. 

Whilst tours are one of our favorite ways to get off-the-beaten-track and explore the Mekong River Delta, it is also easily visited and traversed by bus, private transfer and taxi, bicycle, and boat. You can also fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc island and Rach Gia. 

By Tour

Duration: Multiple Days

Tours are a great way to explore the Mekong Delta. You can take private or group trips from Ho Chi Minh City through the Mekong Delta and onto Cambodia, where you can jump on a boat and do a river border crossing on your way to Phnom Penh, or you can cross over to Kampot at Ha Tien.

It’s also possible to visit the Mekong as part of a longer tour like this 12-day Highlights of Vietnam trip and this 11-day Active Vietnam trip that takes in some of the best spots in the Mekong Delta.

By Flight

Duration: <30 mins between Ho Chi Minh City and Rach Gia, <55 mins between Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc

There are also several daily flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Rach Gia in the eastern Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc island. You can also fly there from Hanoi and Siem Reap in Cambodia. This is definitely the quickest way of escaping the hustle and bustle of the big city and escaping to a tropical paradise. There is also the Tra Noc airport in Can Tho.

By Road

Duration: 4 hours

The roads through the Mekong Delta leave a lot to be desired. There is one main road—the QL1A—that connects Ho Chi Minh City with Can Tho (106 miles/171 km) via My Tho and Vinh Long, but it takes around 3.5 to four hours to drive there. There are other roads that cross through the region, but they are not very direct and are quite narrow in most places and traffic can be quite bad, so add on an extra half an hour to an hour for any journey.

It is possible to travel by private transfer, taxi, bus, minibus, rental car, motorbike, and moto-taxi. Private transfers are the easiest and most convenient way to get around, but taxis are also a great way to explore the different towns and villages in the Delta. You can also hire a private car and driver for the day and go on day trips around. Moto-taxis are great for short-distances. Make sure you always wear a helmet.

By Boat Tour

You can reach the Mekong River Delta by boat from Cambodia. A lot of people enter at Chau Doc and spend a few days exploring the Mekong River Delta from there before heading up to Ho Chi Minh City, or vice versa. You can easily get from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh. There are ferries and hydrofoils to Phu Quoc from Ha Tien and Rach Gia.

By Bicycle Tour

Bicycle is another great way to get around the Mekong Delta and slowly watch life pass by. You can visit local villages and towns, cycle along the backwaters and enjoy the lush green scenery. Perfect for traveling shorter distances, you can also do multi-day bicycle tours of the Mekong Delta. Ask your local travel specialist for more information.