Can Tho · Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Can Tho Tours, Floating Markets & Things to Do
The best things to do in Can Tho, ranked by real traveller reviews: leave the quay before dawn for the wholesale boats of Cai Rang, turn off the Hau River into canals too narrow for anything but a sampan, watch rice paper become hu tieu noodles in a family workshop, cycle the dyke paths between orchards, and eat banh cong on Ninh Kieu quay after dark. Compare floating-market trips, boat tours and cycling days side by side, most with free cancellation.
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Explore Can Tho by interest
Whatever brings you to Can Tho — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
What to see
Top attractions in Can Tho
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Cai Rang market
Wholesale barges at dawn.
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The small canals
Sampans under nipa palms.
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Hu tieu workshops
Noodles dried on bamboo.
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Con Son islet
Fruit gardens and fish farms.
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Lung Ngoc Hoang
Cajuput swamp by boat.
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Ninh Kieu quay
Night market and cruises.
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Phong Dien orchards
Dyke paths between gardens.
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Binh Thuy house
An 1870 delta mansion.
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1 day
Can Tho in 1 day
- 1Cai Rang before sunrise
- 2Canals and a noodle workshop
- 3Binh Thuy house at midday
- 4Sunset from Ninh Kieu
2 days
Can Tho in 2 days
- 1Day 1: Cai Rang and canals
- 2Afternoon by bike
- 3Day 2: Phong Dien market
- 4Wetlands or an islet
With kids
Can Tho with kids
- 1A later boat, not the 5am one
- 2Noodle workshop
- 3Fruit gardens by bike
- 4Storks at dusk
Day trips
Day trips from Can Tho
- 1Phong Dien market
- 2Con Son islet
- 3Lung Ngoc Hoang
- 4Chau Doc and Tra Su
30 min awayPhong Dien market
Rowed boats, retail trade.
from €25View trips
30 min by boat awayCon Son islet
Fruit gardens, fish farms.
from €20View trips
2 h awayLung Ngoc Hoang
Cajuput swamp reserve.
from €21View trips
3 h awayTra Su forest
Green duckweed in flood.
from €50View trips
40 min awayPhong Dien orchards
Dyke paths by bicycle.
from €26View trips
Full day awayBen Tre & My Tho
Coconut country upriver.
from €50View trips
Practical guide
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Can Tho visitor asks before booking.
December–March
Dry, cooler mornings, the easiest cycling.
April & May
The hottest months; be off the river by ten.
June–August
Rain in short bursts, and peak fruit season.
September–November
Floating water season; the wetlands are at their best.
Every day
The market runs daily, busiest before Tet.
Best overall
December to February, without much argument.
One night
Enough for Cai Rang and the canals.
Two days
Add Phong Dien and a day on the bike.
Three days
Add the wetlands or an islet homestay.
Delta route
Four to five days via Ben Tre and Chau Doc.
With children
Two days at a gentler hour.
For photographers
Two mornings — both markets, different light.
From Ho Chi Minh City
170 km, about four hours by bus.
By air
Can Tho International (VCA), 10 km out.
Boats
All river trips leave Ninh Kieu quay.
In the centre
The quay and night market are walkable.
Grab
Cars and motorbike taxis work well here.
To the orchards
20–40 minutes by road, then dyke paths.
Go at five
Seven o’clock is a different, emptier market.
Life jackets
Provided; wear one in the narrow canals.
Cash
Dong in small notes for the boat vendors.
Sun on the water
Hat and sunscreen — there is no shade.
Breakfast afloat
Buy a bowl of hu tieu from a boat.
Best light
The first twenty minutes after sunrise.
Sunrise tours
Small boats; book a day or two ahead.
Private boats
Cheap and worth it — reserve the night before.
Homestays
Few rooms per house; book ahead in winter.
Tet
The market peaks and the city fills.
Flood season trips
Tra Su is busiest September–November.
Cooking classes
Small groups, usually one session a day.
Floating market tour
€19–€32 with canals and a workshop.
Private boat
From about €16 with a boatman.
Cycling day
€26–€40 guided, bike included.
Nature reserve
About €21 to Lung Ngoc Hoang.
Food tour
Around €28 for five or six stops.
Sunset cruise
From €31 on the Hau River.
When to visit
Can Tho through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
Dry (Dec–Mar)
Dec–Mar
- Best for
- Markets and cycling.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- The best mornings of the year.
Hot (Apr–May)
Apr–May
- Best for
- Early starts only.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Rest through the afternoon.
Rains (Jun–Aug)
Jun–Aug
- Best for
- Fruit season in the orchards.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Showers are short and heavy.
Flood (Sep–Nov)
Sep–Nov
- Best for
- Wetlands and cajuput forest.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Tra Su turns solid green.
People also ask
Can Tho travel FAQ
What are the best tours in Can Tho?
The highest-rated experiences are the sunrise boat to Cai Rang floating market with the small canals and a rice-noodle workshop (€19–€32), a private boat with a boatman (from €16), a guided cycling day through the Phong Dien orchards (€26–€40), the Lung Ngoc Hoang wetland trip (€21), a walking food tour of the night market (€28), and a sunset cruise on the Hau River (from €31).
How much do Can Tho tours cost?
Shared floating-market mornings cost €19–€32, private boats start at €16, cycling days €26–€40, the nature reserve trip about €21, food tours €28, sunset cruises from €31, and overnight homestay packages €55–€120. Can Tho is one of the cheapest places in Vietnam to book a guided experience.
How many days do you need in Can Tho?
Two days: the first for Cai Rang and the canals at sunrise and the city in the evening, the second for Phong Dien market, the orchards by bike or a wetland reserve. One night is the minimum, because the market cannot be reached in time from Ho Chi Minh City.
When is the best time to visit Can Tho?
December to March, when the mornings are cooler and the rain has stopped — the best conditions for both the market and cycling. September to November is worth it for the flood season, when the wetlands and the Tra Su cajuput forest are at their most striking.
Is Cai Rang floating market worth it?
Yes, provided you go at five in the morning. It is the last floating market in the delta still trading at genuine wholesale scale, and at first light, among barges hung with samples on bamboo poles, it is unlike anything else in Vietnam. Arrive at eight and you will wonder what the fuss was.
What is Can Tho famous for?
Being the capital of the Mekong Delta and the gateway to Cai Rang floating market, plus the network of small canals behind the Hau River, the rice-noodle workshops, the Binh Thuy ancient house of 1870, and the night market and cruises along Ninh Kieu quay.
What are the best day trips from Can Tho?
Phong Dien floating market and the fruit orchards behind it, Con Son islet with its floating fish farms, the Lung Ngoc Hoang cajuput reserve two hours south, the Bang Lang stork garden at dusk, and Chau Doc with the Tra Su flooded forest as a full day upriver.
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