South, Mekong & Island
7 days · South · Moderate pace
Saigon's energy, a dawn on the Mekong and three slow days on Phu Quoc.
Overview
A private journey for two, shaped around you. Start here; every day can change.
A week in the South: two days in Ho Chi Minh City, a night in Can Tho for the floating market at dawn, and three nights on the island of Phu Quoc to finish slowly by the sea.
- Length
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Regions
- South
- Pace
- Moderate
- Best months
- Dec–Apr
- Places
- Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc
Day by day
7 days, 6 nights
Times are approximate, and every day can change: slower, shorter or in a different order.
1Day 1
Day 1: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City
Your driver meets you at Tan Son Nhat airport, 30 to 45 minutes from the centre. An easy evening, perhaps a rooftop with a view of the river.
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
2Day 2
Day 2: The city's story
The colonial centre, the old Post Office and the War Remnants Museum with a guide who brings the history to life. Lunch at a family-run restaurant, and a free afternoon.
Overnight: Ho Chi Minh City
3Day 3
Day 3: Into the Mekong Delta
About three and a half hours by road to Can Tho, the heart of the Delta. An afternoon by small boat along the canals and through the orchards.
Overnight: Can Tho
4Day 4
Day 4: Floating market at dawn, then the island
An early boat to Cai Rang floating market as the traders sell from boat to boat. Then a flight of about 50 minutes from Can Tho to Phu Quoc where the schedule allows, or a connection through Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight: Phu Quoc
5Day 5
Day 5: Phu Quoc, slowly
A free day by the sea. If you would like to go out, a boat to the quiet islands off the southern tip can be arranged.
Overnight: Phu Quoc
6Day 6
Day 6: Pepper, pearls and sunset
A gentle half-day to a pepper farm and the old fishing town of Ham Ninh, then back for the sunset over the western sea.
Overnight: Phu Quoc
7Day 7
Day 7: Depart
A last morning by the sea, then the short drive to Phu Quoc airport for your flight onward, usually through Ho Chi Minh City.
Overnight: none (departure day)
Pace and walking
Moderate pace
- Two to three hours of walking on the city days, on flat but busy streets; crossing the road is part of the experience, and your guide leads the way.
- One early start (around 5:30) for the floating market, by small boat.
- One drive of about three and a half hours to Can Tho and one short flight to Phu Quoc.
- The island days are as active or as restful as you like.
Tell us about any mobility needs: we shorten visits, add rest and plan the days around them.
Best months
Dec–Apr
- December to April is the dry season in the South and on Phu Quoc: sunny, calm seas and warm evenings.
- That is winter into spring for travellers from the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada, and summer into autumn for those from Australia and New Zealand.
- From May to October short tropical downpours are common and the island's western sea is rougher.
Where you'll stay
Nights, place by place
The hotels depend on the tier you choose, and we check them with you for your dates before you book. Swapping a hotel for another of the same tier is part of the free planning.
Below are hotels we often use in each tier; our coordinator team suggests the ones that suit you.
- Signature
- Five-star hotels in the city and Can Tho, and a five-star beach resort on Phu Quoc with a pool villa where available.
- Heritage
- Characterful four-star and boutique hotels in the city and the Delta, and a beachfront resort on Phu Quoc.
- Essential
- Comfortable, well-reviewed four-star hotels, and a comfortable beach hotel on Phu Quoc.
Ho Chi Minh City
2 nights
Signature
Park Hyatt Saigon
Luxury hotel opposite the Opera House in District 1
or The Reverie Saigon – The Leading Hotels of the World
Photo: Park Hyatt Saigon · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Hotel des Arts Saigon Mgallery Collection
Art-filled boutique hotel with a rooftop pool, near the cathedral
or Hotel Majestic Saigon
Photo: Hotel des Arts Saigon Mgallery Collection · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Fusion Original Saigon Centre
Central hotel near Ben Thanh Market, with a pool
or Liberty Central Saigon Riverside Hotel
Photo: Fusion Original Saigon Centre · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Can Tho
1 night
Signature
Legacy Mekong, Can Tho, Autograph Collection
Island resort on the Mekong at Can Tho, with a pool and a spa
or Sheraton Can Tho
Photo: Legacy Mekong, Can Tho, Autograph Collection · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
Victoria Can Tho Resort
Colonial-style riverside resort in Can Tho, with a pool
Photo: Victoria Can Tho Resort · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
TTC Hotel - Can Tho
Riverfront hotel by the wharf for boats to the floating market
Photo: TTC Hotel - Can Tho · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Phu Quoc
3 nights
Signature
JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
Large beach resort on Khem Beach in the south of Phu Quoc
Photo: JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Heritage
La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc - MGallery
French-style seaside mansion with gardens on Long Beach
or Salinda Resort Phu Quoc
Photo: La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc - MGallery · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Essential
Novotel Phu Quoc Resort
Large resort with pools in the south-west of Phu Quoc
or Seashells Phu Quoc Hotel & Spa
Photo: Novotel Phu Quoc Resort · the hotel's own photo, via Trip.com
Three ways to travel
One journey, three levels of comfort
Every tier is private, and the days are the same. What changes is the style of hotel, how you are guided and the touches along the way. You book each part with the provider that offers it.
The finest
Signature
The finest stays and the most private way to travel, with room in the days for the special touches.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Five-star hotels in the city and Can Tho, and a five-star beach resort on Phu Quoc with a pool villa where available.
- Guiding
- A senior private guide for the whole journey, and a private driver.
- Getting around
- A private car or van with a driver for every transfer, timed around you.
- Also with Signature
- Every special touch listed for this journey, where it can be booked for your dates
- Early check-in or late check-out requested at each hotel
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
Most chosen
Heritage
Characterful stays and a private guide in each region: the balance most travellers choose.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Characterful four-star and boutique hotels in the city and the Delta, and a beachfront resort on Phu Quoc.
- Guiding
- A private English-speaking guide in each region, and a private driver.
- Getting around
- A private car with a driver for every transfer.
- Also with Heritage
- One or two special touches, chosen with you
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
The essentials, privately
Essential
Comfortable, central stays with private transfers and a guide on the sightseeing days.
Priced by each provider
For two travellers, for the whole journey. Ask us for your dates.
- Where you stay
- Comfortable, well-reviewed four-star hotels, and a comfortable beach hotel on Phu Quoc.
- Guiding
- A private English-speaking guide on sightseeing days; the other days are yours.
- Getting around
- A private car with a driver for every transfer.
- Also with Essential
- Our own suggestions for the free time, sent before you travel
- Swapping a hotel for another of this tier, free in the planning
Moments that may be part of it
- A private boat to the floating market before the other boats arrive (may include, where it can be booked)
- A home-cooked lunch with a Mekong family in their orchard (may include, where it can be booked)
- A private sunset sail off Phu Quoc (may include, where it can be booked)
Nothing is charged today
Asking is free. When your plan is ready, you book each part on the provider's own site and pay it directly, after reading its terms. Tripora never takes your payment.
Make it yours
South, Mekong & Island, your way
Most travellers change something. Change any day below, then send us your version.
Your version: 7 days, 6 nights · as planned
Request this journeyNothing is booked or charged. We plan your version and price it in our reply.
Bigger changes
Add a few days
Stay longer where you are happiest, or add a region: the North, the Centre or the South.
End by the sea
Finish with quiet days on the central coast, Phu Quoc or Con Dao, depending on the season.
Slow it down
Fewer places, two nights or more in each, and afternoons with nothing planned.
Start somewhere else
Begin in Ho Chi Minh City instead of Hanoi, or join the journey from a stay in Singapore or Bangkok.
In the plan
What the plan covers
In the plan
- A hotel for every night of the journey, at the level of your tier
- Private transfers between places, including the airport
- Private guided tours as described for your tier
- The boat trips, visits and meals named in the itinerary
- A booking link for each piece: you book and pay each partner directly
- Free planning help from Tripora, reachable by WhatsApp or email while you travel
Not in the plan
- Flights, international and within Vietnam: booked separately, and we suggest the flights that fit the journey
- Vietnam visa (most travellers apply online for an e-visa)
- Travel insurance (strongly suggested)
- Meals and drinks not named in the itinerary
- Tips and personal spending
Cancellation
Each booking follows the change and cancellation terms of the partner you book it with, shown on its site before you pay. Ask us if you need help finding them.
Travel insurance
Please take out a policy that covers cancellation and your health while abroad, once your journey is confirmed.
Add tours, or book the pieces yourself
Lay this route out on your dates, add well-reviewed tours to any day, and book hotels and tours on our partners' sites, or send it to us and a person fine-tunes it with you, free.
Plan it day by dayPractical answers
Heat, walking, food and safety
The questions travellers ask us most, answered plainly. More questions and answers
- How hot will it be?
- Vietnam is warm and often humid, and the heat is what most travellers find hardest, more than the walking. We plan sightseeing for the cooler mornings, keep the middle of the day for rest, and every transfer is in a private air-conditioned car. The months listed for each journey are the most comfortable ones.
- How much walking is there?
- Each journey says plainly how much walking there is, where there are steps, boats or uneven ground, and which days are long. Any visit can be shortened or swapped for a drive or a boat. Tell us about any mobility needs and we plan around them.
- What about the food?
- Vietnamese food is fresh and mostly gentle: chilli is usually served on the side. Your guide chooses restaurants they know well, every hotel serves Western dishes too, and you can tell us about any diet or allergy before you travel.
- Is Vietnam safe for visitors?
- Vietnam is generally a calm and welcoming country to travel in. The main things to watch are the traffic and pickpockets in busy places. With a private car door to door and a guide beside you in the old quarters, you rarely handle either.
- Do I need travel insurance?
- Yes, please. Choose a policy that covers cancellation and your health while abroad, and check its age limits and terms. We do not sell insurance, so we cannot advise on a policy, but we will gladly tell you what the journey includes.
Plan with people who know Vietnam
Plan with Tripora's coordinator team
An experienced team based in Vietnam
Our coordinators are an experienced team who know Vietnam well, from the far north to the islands, and the hotels, drivers and guides there.
They plan each journey with you, check the days before sending you the booking links, and stay reachable while you travel.
Speak to us
Plan South, Mekong & Island with us
A few questions, then a reply from a person. We design the days with you and send them back with a booking link for each part.
Nothing is charged today.
We reply within one business hour, 8:00–18:00 Vietnam time (UTC+7), Monday to Saturday.