Seventy kilometers from Saigon, the highway ends and the water begins. My Tho is where most travelers meet the Mekong Delta for the first time: river islands, candy workshops, an extraordinary pagoda and lunch on the water.
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My Tho has been the front door of the Mekong Delta since the 17th century, when settlers built a market town where the river meets the road from Saigon. Today it is a relaxed riverside city of wide boulevards, colonial era shophouses and a waterfront that comes alive at dusk. For travelers, it is the simplest possible introduction to delta life: close enough for a day trip, real enough to feel like another world.
The classic My Tho day follows the water. From the city pier, motorboats cross to the islands in the middle of the Tien River, the northern branch of the Mekong. The crossing takes minutes, but the change of pace is total: car horns give way to roosters, and the riverbank slides past in a green blur of coconut palms and stilt houses.
What makes My Tho ideal for a first visit is how compact the experience is. Pagoda, islands, candy workshop, sampan ride and lunch fit comfortably between 9:00 and 16:00, with no rushing and no overnight bag. If the delta bug bites, Ben Tre across the river and Can Tho further south wait for trip two.
Before the boats, stop at Vinh Trang pagoda on the edge of the city. Built in the early 19th century and expanded over decades, it is one of the most beautiful pagodas in the south, blending Vietnamese, Chinese and even French architectural touches. The facade mixes mosaic dragons with European style columns, and the grounds hold serene Buddha statues beneath ancient trees.
Inside, the main hall glows with lacquered wood, gilded altars and the smell of incense. The pagoda is still active, so visit in the morning when monks chant and the light falls through the courtyard. Modest dress is expected: cover shoulders and knees, remove shoes before stepping onto the inner floors.
Allow 45 minutes here. It is a 15 minute drive from the city center, and most boat tour itineraries include it as the first stop before heading to the pier.
The heart of the trip is Thoi Son, also called Unicorn Island, the largest of the four islands facing My Tho. Boats land at orchards where you walk shaded paths between longan and rambutan trees, sip honey tea with kumquat, and listen to don ca tai tu, the traditional southern chamber music recognized by UNESCO. It is gentle, sweet and unmistakably delta.
From there the program usually continues to a coconut candy workshop, where you watch molten coconut milk turn into chewy candy, then taste it warm off the tray. The grand finale is the sampan ride: a hand rowed wooden boat slipping through a narrow canal walled with nipa palms, so tight the rower sometimes pushes off the banks with her hands.
Lunch is typically served at a riverside restaurant on one of the islands: elephant ear fish fried whole and stood upright, Mekong style hotpot, and spring rolls you wrap yourself. A private small boat for the island circuit costs 300,000 to 500,000 VND (about $12 to $20), while group tours from Ho Chi Minh City bundle transport, boat, lunch and guide from around 700,000 to 1,000,000 VND per person.
The don ca tai tu performance deserves a special mention. This traditional southern chamber music, recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage, is performed by local artists in the orchard rest houses while you sip honey tea. The melancholic melodies of the dan tranh zither and dan bau monochord are the soundtrack of the delta, and the musicians happily pose for photos afterward.
Leave Ho Chi Minh City by 8:00 to reach My Tho by 9:30. Coaches depart from Mien Dong station and the western bus station roughly every 30 minutes, costing 80,000 to 120,000 VND. Driving via the Trung Luong expressway takes about 1.5 hours. At the My Tho pier you can hire boats directly or join a group tour, which is simpler if your Vietnamese is limited.
Eat like a local while you are here. My Tho is famous for hu tieu My Tho, the clear pork and seafood noodle soup that gave the city a national reputation. Our hu tieu guide explains the southern noodle soup family it belongs to. The riverside restaurants also do excellent grilled snakehead fish and fresh spring rolls.
Bring sun protection, mosquito repellent and cash in small notes for tips and snacks. The dry season from December to April offers the best weather; the rainy months can flood paths but the boats run year round. You will be back in Saigon by late afternoon, with river mud on your shoes and candy in your bag.
Easily. It is 1.5 to 2 hours each way, and the full island program fits in a day.
Its unique blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and French architecture and its peaceful gardens.
Private small boats 300,000 to 500,000 VND. Group day tours from the city run 700,000 to 1,000,000 VND per person.
Very. The boat rides, candy workshop and sampan canals are all child friendly.
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