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A private car with a driver lets you set the Mekong Delta's pace: a floating market at dawn, lunch in a fruit orchard, and your hotel before dark. The roads are not the hard part. The hard part is choosing where to sleep and splitting the distances sensibly. This guide gives 2, 3 and 4 day plans, real distances between stops, and the province names that changed in 2025, so the map makes sense when you read it.
Updated 21 October 2026. Written by the Car Rental Vietnam operations team from day-to-day dispatch experience and checked against current regulations. Traffic rules can change; check again before you travel.
The delta is wide and its sights are scattered. The efficient way to plan is to choose one or two places to sleep and visit what lies within one to two hours of each.
Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho is about 171 km. On the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway and the newer sections, it usually takes 3–4 hours depending on departure time and traffic at the city exits.
On 1 July 2025 many delta provinces merged. Roads and distances are the same, but names on documents, new signs and some map apps have changed:
| New province | Former provinces | Places visitors know |
|---|---|---|
| Dong Thap | Dong Thap, Tien Giang | My Tho, Sa Dec, Cai Be |
| Vinh Long | Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh | Phung Island, Ben Tre coconut groves |
| Can Tho | Can Tho, Soc Trang, Hau Giang | Cai Rang, Bat Pagoda, Chen Kieu Pagoda |
| An Giang | An Giang, Kien Giang | Chau Doc, Tra Su, Ha Tien, Rach Gia, Phu Quoc |
| Ca Mau | Ca Mau, Bac Lieu | Bac Lieu Prince's House, Ca Mau Cape |
When booking, use the names you know, such as Ben Tre or Soc Trang; drivers understand both old and new names.
Leave around 6:30 to beat traffic at the city exits. Reach Ben Tre before 9:00 for a canal boat ride, a coconut candy workshop and lunch in an orchard. In the afternoon cross into Vinh Long and continue to Can Tho, checking in before dark. Evening walk on Ninh Kieu wharf.
Early start for Cai Rang floating market; boats usually leave between 5:30 and 6:00. Breakfast back at the hotel, check out, then a rice-noodle workshop or fruit garden. After lunch, drive back and arrive in the late afternoon.
This plan suits families with small children: no leg is longer than 2–3 hours.
Keep day 1 and the morning of day 2. In the afternoon of day 2 drive from Can Tho to Chau Doc via Long Xuyen, about 2.5–3 hours, and stay the night.
On day 3 visit Ba Chua Xu temple and Sam Mountain early while it is cool, then Tra Su forest. In the flood season, roughly September to November, the boats go deeper and the forest is at its fullest. Start back around midday; it is about 250 km, so the driver will stop for a rest on the way.
Dress modestly for temples and pagodas. During the Ba Chua Xu festival (fourth lunar month) and Tết the area is very busy, so go earlier than usual.
Add a day trip from Can Tho to Soc Trang, about 61 km, for the Bat Pagoda, Chen Kieu and Kh'leang pagodas and a bowl of bun nuoc leo, then return to Can Tho.
From Chau Doc follow the border road through Tinh Bien to Ha Tien and spend a night by the sea. The last day back to Ho Chi Minh City is the longest, so leave early. If you are going on to Phu Quoc, finish at the Ha Tien or Rach Gia ferry pier; the car does not go to the island.
The fleet runs model years 2022–2025, with VinFast EVs if you prefer. Child seats on request.
Many visitors remember the delta for long ferry queues. Today most main routes have bridges: My Thuan and My Thuan 2 over the Tien river, the Can Tho bridge over the Hau, Rach Mieu to Ben Tre and Co Chien to former Tra Vinh. Journeys are faster and more predictable than they used to be.
The Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan expressway is the main trunk south, continuing on the My Thuan – Can Tho section. Other new expressway sections in the region are open or under construction; the driver picks the route on the day. Some river islands and canal-side craft villages still need a small ferry or a boat; the car waits on the bank.
At weekends and before holidays, the city exits onto the expressway are congested. Leaving before 07:00 or after 09:00 avoids the worst of it.
A private car means eating where and when you want. Local dishes to plan around:
Drivers who know the roads usually know clean places with parking. With small children, ask for somewhere with good toilets. Meals are paid by you; inviting the driver to eat with you is up to you, never expected.
| When | What | Note |
|---|---|---|
| May–August | Fruit season in the orchards | Afternoon rain; bring a raincoat |
| September–November | Flood season in An Giang and Dong Thap | Some orchard lanes flood; follow the driver |
| Last lunar month to Tết | Sa Dec flower village, Tết markets | Busy roads; book early, about 10% deposit |
| Fourth lunar month | Ba Chua Xu festival at Sam Mountain | Very crowded; go early, park far out |
Before Tết 2027, Sa Dec flower village usually fills up from around mid-December of the lunar calendar. Visit on a weekday and start early.
The delta suits multi-generation families with a little planning:
A private car lets the family rest when it needs to, instead of following a shared tour's timetable.
Not every trip needs to return to Ho Chi Minh City by car. Many visitors fly out of Can Tho airport, or take the ferry from Rach Gia or Ha Tien to Phu Quoc and fly home from there. A one-way hire saves a day of driving.
One-way quotes usually allow for the empty return leg; state the end point when you ask for a price.
Chauffeur quotes include fuel, tolls and the driver; for multi-day trips the driver's accommodation is shown clearly in the quote. An 8% VAT invoice is available, and at Tết a deposit of about 10% holds the car. Boat tickets, entrance fees and meals are paid on the spot.
For a price, enter your pick-up and stops in the quick-quote form. Related reading: the Trung Luong expressway route, a Can Tho road trip and Can Tho to Sam Mountain by car. Groups of more than nine can compare a 9-seat Limousine and a 16-seater.
The driver stays with you for the whole itinerary, and you never pay separately for the driver's room or meals on the road. Should you invite the driver to share a meal with the family, just mention it and that meal comes off the bill. Homestays in the delta are often down narrow lanes, so the car may park on the main road while you walk the last stretch; the driver helps carry luggage. English-speaking drivers are available on request, useful for visitors who want help ordering at local markets or talking to boat operators.
Two days cover Ben Tre and Can Tho; three add Chau Doc; four add Soc Trang or Ha Tien.
About 171 km, usually 3–4 hours depending on departure time and city traffic.
Yes. Use the names you know, such as Ben Tre or Soc Trang; drivers understand both.
No. The chauffeur price covers fuel, tolls and the driver; boats and entrance fees are paid on the spot.
No. It drops you at the Ha Tien or Rach Gia ferry; book a separate car on the island.
The flood season, roughly September to November, usually shows the flooded forest at its fullest; it varies by year.
If you are planning a nearby route, 3-Day Mekong Delta Tour from Nha Trang has more details to help you prepare.
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