Begin with pickup at your Ho Chi Minh City hotel, then travel to Ben Tre in a private, air-conditioned vehicle, a roughly 2-hour drive. Upon arrival in Ben Tre, board a small boat to visit local factories, a coconut processing workshop, and a house where traditional mats are woven.
Take a walking tour of a small village—this is the perfect time to get a feel for daily life in the Mekong Delta—then hop a xe-lôi, a motorized rickshaw, to a riverside restaurant where you can refuel over a Delta-style lunch.
Ride a bike through the fields around the village, then board a sampan sightseeing tour along the picturesque canals. Return to shore, where you’ll visit a Cao Dai temple: this monotheistic religion was founded in southern Vietnam in the 1920s, and has brightly colored architecture and artwork. At the end of your time in Ben Tre, make the return trip to Ho Chi Minh City, where this tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel.
