To be together

Saigon, the Mekong and Phu Quoc: city, river and sea

Eight days from the energy of Saigon to the floating markets of the Mekong Delta and the beaches of Phu Quoc.

Ho Chi Minh City · Mekong Delta · Phu Quoc

Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
Places: Ho Chi Minh City · Mekong Delta · Phu Quoc
Best season: December to April
Ideal for: Friends, colleagues, small groups

This journey moves through three very different moods. Saigon is fast, bright and full of flavour; the Mekong Delta is slow and green, ruled by the river; Phu Quoc is pure rest. It suits groups of friends or colleagues who want to share discoveries by day and long dinners by night.

Saigon after dark

We ride through the city in the evening with local food guides, from a broken-rice stall in District 3 to a rooftop for a last drink.

Cai Rang floating market at dawn

A private boat leaves before sunrise for the market near Can Tho, then follows narrow canals to orchards and family workshops.

III

A sunset sail off Phu Quoc

On the final evening, a private boat sails along the west coast as the sun sets into the Gulf of Thailand.

Note from the journey designer

In the delta we stay in a restored heritage house or a riverside lodge rather than a city hotel, so that evenings are as quiet as the mornings are early.

Tailored for you

Pace

Busy days in Saigon, gentle days in the delta, free days on the island.

You could add

The Cu Chi tunnels with a historian, or a snorkelling day in the An Thoi islands.

You could swap

Exchange the island for two more nights in the delta, cycling between villages.

Read the story from this journeyPhu Quoc, slow days on the Gulf of Thailand →

Before you go

Day by day

Day 1Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City; an evening of street food by scooter or car
Day 2Colonial Saigon and Cholon's temples and markets
Day 3Drive to the Mekong Delta; sampan through the canals
Day 4Cai Rang floating market at dawn; orchards and family workshops
Day 5Return to Saigon and fly to Phu Quoc
Day 6A free day on the beach
Day 7Boat to the southern islands; sunset sail
Day 8Morning at leisure, flight home via Ho Chi Minh City

We take care of

Private cars and boats throughout, and domestic flights
English-speaking Asia Sun guides in Saigon and the delta
Restaurants reserved for every evening, with room for spontaneity
A single point of contact for the whole group, available around the clock

Good to know

The south is warm all year; the dry season from December to April is the most comfortable.
Floating markets are busiest early: expect a 5am start on day 4.