Choosing a Mekong river cruise
Cruises · Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Delta overnight: Cai Be to Can Tho, 1 night
One night on the river between two delta towns, on a boat of one to sixteen cabins. Four operators run this kind of cruise; they differ in boat size, cabin size, direction and whether you share the boat. This page compares them.
At a glance
- Length
- 2 days, 1 night
- Boat size
- 1 to 16 cabins
- Boards
- Cai Be or Can Tho
- Ends
- The other town
- From Saigon
- About 108 km to Cai Be, 171 km to Can Tho
- Price
- On request
Who this cruise is for
This is for a trip that has room for the Mekong Delta but not for Cambodia, and for travellers who would rather see the delta from a deck than from a minibus. You spend most of the time between lunch on the first day and mid-morning on the second on the water, with one or two short stops ashore. It is also the gentlest way to find out whether you like river cruising before committing to a week on a larger ship.
Two things decide which boat suits you. The first is size: a two-cabin boat is effectively private, a fourteen-cabin barge is a small hotel. The second is the direction, because only the Cai Be to Can Tho direction reaches Cai Rang floating market on the second morning on the published Bassac itinerary. The other direction gives you an afternoon on the water first and a quieter arrival at Cai Be.
The boats that run this route
| Boat | Cabins | Cabin size | Route as published | Published from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassac (Trans Mekong), three wooden boats | 6, 10 or 12 per boat (Audley: 6, 12, 12) | About 9 m² | Cai Be ↔ Can Tho, both directions | USD 266 per person, 1 night | Secret Retreats; Audley |
| Le Cochinchine, barge about 30 m | Not stated by the operator | About 10 m² (Deluxe) | Can Tho → Tra On → Cho Lach → Cai Be; Tuesday and Saturday departures (reseller) | USD 206 per person (reseller) | Le Cochinchine; Mekong-Delta-Tours.com |
| Mekong Eyes Classic | 14 | Not stated | 2-day delta cruise via Cai Rang, Saigon round trip | USD 249 or USD 239 (page shows both) | Mekong Eyes |
| Mekong Eyes Explorer | 16 | Not stated | As above | As above | Mekong Eyes |
| Dragon Eyes / Gecko Eyes | 2 / 1 | Not stated | Private cruisers | Not published | Mekong Eyes |
| Song Xanh sampans (five boats) | Private charter | 20 m², 2 adults | 2 days from Cai Be or Can Tho via Sa Dec | Not published | Mekong-Delta-Tours.com |
Read the cabin counts with care. Secret Retreats lists Bassac's three boats with 6, 10 and 12 cabins; Audley lists Bassac I with six and Bassac II and III with twelve each. Both sources describe converted rice barges. We ask which boat sails your date before quoting.
Sources: Secret Retreats — Bassac cruises; Audley Travel — Bassac; Le Cochinchine (operator site); Mekong-Delta-Tours.com — Le Cochinchine 2 days 1 night (reseller); Mekong Eyes (operator site, modified 4 Aug 2026); Mekong-Delta-Tours.com — Song Xanh (reseller) · checked .
Day by day
The pattern below follows the Cai Be to Can Tho direction as published for Bassac by a reseller. Other boats keep a similar rhythm with different stops; your quote gives the times for the boat you choose.
Day 1
Saigon to Cai Be, then the river
The Cho Lach canal in the late afternoon
Leave central Saigon in the morning. Cai Be is about 108 km by road, roughly two to two and a half hours depending on how quickly you clear the city. The road transfer is often sold separately from the cruise; Bassac's published itinerary does not include it, and Le Cochinchine offers an optional shuttle.
Board, settle into the cabin and have lunch as the boat leaves the town. The afternoon goes through the Cho Lach canal, the narrow cut through the orchard country of the former Ben Tre province, with a stop ashore at a village or workshop. Dinner is on board; the boat moors for the night on a side river.
Day 2
Cai Rang at dawn, ashore in Can Tho
An early start to reach Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho while there is still trading. The market is far smaller than it was and now carries many tourist boats among the traders; the useful window is roughly 06:00 to 07:30.
Breakfast on board, then the boat ties up at Ninh Kieu pier in Can Tho at about 10:30. From here it is about 171 km back to Saigon by road, three to three and a half hours, or you continue west.
Sources: BestPrice Travel — Bassac 2 days 1 night (reseller); Mekong-Delta-Tours.com — Le Cochinchine 2 days 1 night (reseller); OSRM / OpenStreetMap road distances, queried 11 Oct 2026; vietnamtourism.com (private publisher), 27 May 2026 — Cai Rang guide · checked .
Price
| Party | Boat type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2 travellers, one cabin | Shared barge, double or twin cabin | On request |
| 1 traveller | Shared barge, cabin for one | On request |
| 3–4 travellers | Two cabins on a shared barge | On request |
| 2–4 travellers | Private one- or two-cabin boat | On request |
| Families with children | Song Xanh private sampan (child rates apply) | On request |
Road transfers, the direction you sail and the boat size move this price most. The pricing page explains each one, and how to book covers the steps once you have chosen.
What the price includes
- One night in a cabin with en-suite shower (as published for Bassac; check other boats)
- Meals on board as published: usually lunch, dinner and breakfast
- The boat's own guided stops ashore
- Drinking water on board (check each boat)
- A written comparison of the boats that sail your date
What it does not include
- Road transfer from Saigon and back, unless the operator includes it
- Drinks other than water, unless the fare says otherwise
- Tips for crew and guides
- Travel insurance
- International and domestic flights
Gallery
Who this cruise is NOT for
- Anyone hoping to see a floating market as it was a generation ago; Cai Rang survives smaller and busier with tourist boats
- Travellers who need step-free access; few of these operators publish deck plans or access details, so ask before you book
- People who want to reach Cambodia; this cruise stays in Vietnam
- Light sleepers who dislike engine noise or early starts; the market morning begins before sunrise
- Groups larger than a boat's cabin count; a 6-cabin barge takes 12 guests at most
Boats and ships on this site are named as public facts, each with the page we read and the date we read it. Mekong Cruiser is not a cruise line, does not operate any vessel and does not speak for any operator. Naming a ship does not mean we hold a contract or an allocation on it; availability and fares are whatever the operator confirms on the day you ask.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Which direction should we choose?
On Bassac's published itinerary, Cai Be to Can Tho reaches Cai Rang market on the second morning; Can Tho to Cai Be boards around midday and finishes at Cai Be the next morning. If the market matters to you, sail towards Can Tho.
Is the road transfer from Saigon included?
Usually not. The Bassac itinerary we read excludes it, and Le Cochinchine sells an optional shuttle. We price it as a separate line so you can compare like with like.
Are children allowed?
Song Xanh publishes child rates through a reseller: ages 4 to 8 pay half, 9 to 11 pay three quarters. Other operators set their own rules, which we check for your dates.
What happens if it rains?
The boats sail in the rainy season, which in Can Tho runs from about May to November. Shore stops may be shortened in heavy rain; ask each operator how much of its deck is under cover.
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Ports · Mekong Delta
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Can Tho as a cruise port: Ninh Kieu pier, Cai Rang at dawn, and getting back to Saigon.
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How to choose
Cabins and inclusions
Cabin sizes, balconies, lifts and inclusions on Mekong boats and ships, as published.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us which cruise you are weighing up
A month, how many are travelling and whether you lean towards a delta boat or a ship into Cambodia are enough to start. We reply by email with the boats that sail your dates and the fares their operators show that day.