Small Canal & Sampan Tours in Can Tho
Behind the river is a grid of canals dug for irrigation and used ever since as lanes, and this is where the delta stops performing and simply gets on with it. Rowed sampans slip under water-coconut palms past houses on stilts, monkey bridges, and gardens where the fruit is picked into the boat. Most trips swap to a small craft after the market, because the main boat cannot fit.
40 tours · prices per person, book with partner
Small Canal Tours in Can Tho — FAQ
What are the small canals in Can Tho?
A network of narrow irrigation channels branching off the Hau River, shaded by nipa palms and lined with stilt houses. Tours transfer you from the main boat into a rowed or small-motor sampan to enter them, usually for 40 minutes to an hour.
Is the canal trip worth it after the floating market?
Most travellers rate it the better half of the morning. The market is the spectacle; the canals are where you actually see how people live on the water, and they are quiet by the time the market has broken up.
What is a monkey bridge?
A cau khi — a footbridge of one or two bamboo poles with a handrail, still used to cross canals in the delta. Concrete has replaced most of them, but you will pass several on any canal trip, and guides will happily dare you to try one.