Gentle Mekong Delta trips, 1 to 3 days
Destinations · Ben Tre
Ben Tre, coconut country
The coconut country south of the Tien River, now joined to My Tho by two road bridges. Busy with day visitors around the crossing, quieter further in, and close enough to Ho Chi Minh City to see in a single unhurried day.
At a glance
Sources: OSRM / OpenStreetMap road routing, distances from central Ho Chi Minh City; Sài Gòn Giải Phóng — Bến Tre's coconut sector, 16 Aug 2024; Doanh nghiệp Hội nhập — Rạch Miễu 2 bridge opens, 19 Aug 2025; Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân — Resolution 202/2025/QH15 on provincial mergers, 12 Jun 2025 · checked .
What Ben Tre really is
Ben Tre is a land of islands between branches of the Mekong, planted almost wall to wall with coconut palms and fruit trees and cut by small canals. In the official sense it is no longer a province: since 2025 it has been part of the new Vinh Long province. In every other sense it is still Ben Tre, the name on the candy wrappers and on the road signs.
Two very different Ben Tres sit next to each other. Around the Rach Mieu crossing, on Thoi Son islet on the My Tho side and on the islets just across the river, day visitors from Ho Chi Minh City arrive by the coachload: sampans queue on the canals, workshops sell candy by the box, and groups are offered honey tea and traditional music. It is busy and partly staged, and it is also the nearest place to the city where you can sit in a small boat under water-coconut palms. Further in, around Cho Lach, more than 40 km beyond Ben Tre town, the orchards and nurseries are working farms that see far fewer visitors.
For a gentle day we use the crossing area, because it is close, and choose the stops within it carefully. For a quieter day we go further in, and accept the extra hour in the car.
Sources: Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân — Resolution 202/2025/QH15 on provincial mergers, 12 Jun 2025; Mia.vn — Thới Sơn islet, 15 Jul 2026; Mia.vn — Chợ Lách orchards and Cái Mơn flowers, 13 Oct 2025 · checked .
How long to stay
Most of our travellers see Ben Tre in a day and sleep in Ho Chi Minh City. The road distance, about 85 km to Ben Tre town and less to the crossing, makes that comfortable: roughly two hours each way, with five or six hours on the ground. A night here adds little for a gentle trip unless you want the Cho Lach orchards or the flower villages at Cai Mon in the weeks before Tet, which are further from the city.
We advise against combining Ben Tre with Can Tho in a single day. Both drives together turn a pleasant day into most of a day on the road.
When to go
Comfort combines heat and rain: April is the hottest month, September the wettest. Fruit peaks from May to August, though some orchards have fruit all year.
December to February is the most comfortable time: mean daily maximums around 30 °C and very little rain. March and April grow hotter; April is the hottest month of the year. In the dry season, salty water also pushes up the river mouths, which matters to farmers here more than to visitors. From May the rains begin, and the fruit season runs through August. Cho Lach's rambutan, durian and longan are harvested then. The weeks before the Lunar New Year bring the flower nurseries at Cai Mon into bloom, and bring crowds; book early for those weeks.
More detail by month is on the when to go page.
Sources: Wikipedia — Cần Thơ climate table (Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology data); Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Mekong Delta; Mia.vn — Chợ Lách orchards and Cái Mơn flowers, 13 Oct 2025; National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting — salinity bulletin, 10 Mar 2026 · checked .
How to get there
By car from Ho Chi Minh City, the route follows the Ho Chi Minh City–Trung Luong expressway, then leaves it for My Tho and the Rach Mieu bridges. The first bridge opened in 2009; the second opened to traffic on 19 August 2025, and the temporary car ferry stopped the next day. Ben Tre is now reached by road all the way, which removes a boarding and a queue from the day.
Thoi Son islet, on the My Tho side, has its own turn-off half-way across the original bridge, so you can drive onto it. The traditional way in is by boat from the 30/4 wharf in My Tho; it is a pleasant ride, and it adds boardings.
Public buses run from Ho Chi Minh City's Western Bus Station to My Tho and Ben Tre. They are cheap, but they do not carry child seats and the stations are some distance from the gardens. Grab lists service in Ben Tre.
Sources: Doanh nghiệp Hội nhập — Rạch Miễu 2 bridge opens, 19 Aug 2025; Mia.vn — Thới Sơn islet, 15 Jul 2026; Grab Vietnam — cities served · checked .
Costs on the ground
| Item | Published figure | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Shared boat from My Tho to Thoi Son, per person | VND 20,000–30,000 | 2021 |
| Private boat from My Tho to Thoi Son | VND 300,000–350,000 | 2021 |
| Bus Ho Chi Minh City–My Tho, one way | VND 60,000–90,000 | 2021 |
| Hu tieu My Tho, per bowl | Typically VND 20,000–40,000 | September 2023 |
These are travellers' prices published by others, and some are several years old; check before you go. On our trips the boats, entrances and lunch are inside the quote.
Sources: Vietnambooking — Thới Sơn travel notes, 2021; Mia.vn — hủ tiếu Mỹ Tho, 25 Sep 2023 · checked .
Pictures
When to skip it
- If you have already done a day around My Tho and Thoi Son. The crossing area is the same experience twice.
- On weekends and Vietnamese public holidays, if crowds bother you. Go on a weekday.
- If a floating market is your main reason for visiting the delta. There is none here.
- In April, with very young children or frail parents, unless you keep the day short. It is the hottest month.
Our trips here
The Ben Tre orchards and coconut day covers the workshop, a sampan loop, an orchard and a garden-house lunch with a long rest. The market and garden kitchen day uses the same crossing: a market in My Tho, then cooking lunch on Thoi Son.
Plan your trip
A slow day in Ben Tre
Private, 08:00 pick-up, about two hours each way, a long rest after lunch.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is Ben Tre the same as My Tho?
No. My Tho is the town on the north bank of the Tien River, now in Dong Thap province; Ben Tre is across the river, now part of Vinh Long province. Most day trips touch both, using the Rach Mieu bridges.
Do we still need a ferry to reach Ben Tre?
No. The second Rach Mieu bridge opened in August 2025 and the temporary ferry stopped. The crossing is now by road.
Is Ben Tre good for young children?
It is the easiest of the three areas we use: the shortest drive, flat paths and plenty of shade. The boat is optional, and the candy workshop holds most children's attention.
Can we buy coconut candy to take home?
Yes, at the workshops. It is made from coconut milk, malt, coconut flesh and sugar; check your home country's food import rules before packing it.
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Example journey
Ben Tre orchards and coconut day
One day, 08:00 start: coconut workshop, sampan loop, orchard, garden-house lunch and rest.
View this journey
Example journey
Market and garden kitchen day
One day: My Tho market with a cook, cooking lunch in a garden kitchen, rest.
View this journey
Destinations · Cai Be · Vinh Long
Cai Be and An Binh
Old wooden houses at Dong Hoa Hiep and the orchards of An Binh islet.
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Planning · Seasons
When to go
Heat, rain, fruit and flood tides by month, for a comfortable delta trip.
View this journey
Planning · Families
With young children
Car seats, heat, life jackets, toilets and naps on a delta day with children.
View this journey
Destinations
Destinations
Ben Tre, Cai Be with An Binh, and Can Tho, for unhurried travellers.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us who is travelling and how you like to move
A month, the number of travellers and the ages of any children or older travellers are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a first day plan that shows the hours in the car, the boat boardings and the midday rest.