Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Southern Vietnam
City, delta and island in a week
A week in the south done at a sensible pace: one busy day in Saigon, two slow days on the delta rivers, and four nights on an island to finish.
Overview
A week in one region
The south is a region you can do properly in a week without spending half of it in transit. This route gives Saigon one full day, which is enough for the essentials, then drives to Can Tho for two nights, so you see Cai Rang at dawn and the small canals without a rushed morning. From the delta it goes straight to Phu Quoc, without doubling back through Saigon, for four nights on the west coast.
It suits families, couples and anyone who wants to finish a long-haul journey with real rest. It also works as the southern half of a longer Vietnam trip: Phu Quoc has flights to Hanoi and Da Nang.
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Saigon to Can Tho
- 3 to 3.5 hours
- Can Tho to Phu Quoc
- Flight, or road and ferry
- Ends
- Phu Quoc airport
- Style
- Private, with guide
Nights
Where you sleep
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive in Saigon
The first evening of Saigon street food
We meet you at the airport. In the late afternoon, if you are awake enough, your guide walks you through the centre and takes you for dinner at a street-food place that locals queue for.
Day 2
Saigon, then south to Can Tho
The palace and the museum in one morning
At 08:00 the Independence Palace, then the War Remnants Museum. After an early lunch we leave at 12:30 for Can Tho, three to three and a half hours on the expressway, arriving in the late afternoon for a walk on the riverfront.
Day 3
Cai Rang at dawn and the orchard islands
The market at six in the morning
The boat leaves at 05:30. Cai Rang is smaller than it was before the roads took much of its trade, but at six it is still a working market. We come back along the small canals towards Phong Dien, stopping at a noodle workshop.
After breakfast and a rest, the afternoon is by bicycle on an orchard island and at the Binh Thuy old house. The evening is at the night market.
Day 4
Across to Phu Quoc
The first sunset on the island
Can Tho has flights to Phu Quoc on some days, a hop of under an hour. When the schedule does not work, we drive about two and a half hours to Rach Gia and you take the fast ferry, roughly two and a half hours in calm weather. Either way you are on the west coast by the afternoon, in time for the sunset.
Day 5
The north of the island
Ham Ninh fishing village
A day with your guide in the forested north: a starfish village, a quiet beach for lunch and a swim, a pepper farm and the stilt houses of Ham Ninh on the east coast. Back for the sunset.
Day 6
A boat day or a free day
Snorkelling off the southern islands
In the dry season, a private boat to the small islands off the southern tip for snorkelling and lunch. From June to September, when swell hits this coast, we replace it with a land day or leave it free.
Day 7
Nothing planned
A whole day on the beach
A day with no car, no guide and no alarm. Your planner is still on the 24/7 line if you want to add anything.
Day 8
Fly home or onward
A last swim before the flight
Transfer to Phu Quoc airport for your flight to Saigon, Hanoi, Da Nang or one of the international connections.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 1155 | from 1445 | from 2195 |
| 4 travelling | from 945 | from 1185 | from 1800 |
| 6 travelling | from 855 | from 1070 | from 1625 |
The Phu Quoc hotel is the biggest single variable, since four nights at the top tier costs a great deal more than at the simple one. The flight or ferry to the island depends on the day, and the flight from Phu Quoc at the end is not included, because it depends on where you go next. For families of four or six, the shared car and guide cut the per-person figure considerably.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Private car, driver and guide in Saigon and the delta
- Private boat at Can Tho
- Flight or ferry to Phu Quoc, with transfers
- Guide and car on Phu Quoc on day five, boat on day six
- Seven nights at your chosen tier, with breakfast
- Lunches as listed, one dinner, entrance fees and water
What it does not include
- Your flight out of Phu Quoc
- Other dinners, drinks and tips
- Travel insurance and visas
- Theme park, cable car and other optional tickets
Practical
When to go
November to April is the best window: dry in Saigon and the delta and calm on the west coast of Phu Quoc. From June to September the island’s west coast is rougher and cloudier; the delta is at high water from September to November, which is lovely on the river but means you may meet some rain.
If your dates fall in the monsoon, we can swap Phu Quoc for Con Dao, whose calm season runs from March to June, or for Nha Trang, which is dry through the summer.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
If you want the whole country in a week, this is not the route; it is deliberately the south only. It also gives Saigon a single full day, which is too little if the city itself is your interest. And travellers who get restless on beaches will find four nights on Phu Quoc too many; take two and add Chau Doc or Con Dao instead.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Why not fly back to Saigon from Can Tho?
There is no need. Going straight from the delta to Phu Quoc saves a day and a return trip through the city.
Can we fly home from Phu Quoc?
Phu Quoc has some international flights and good connections through Saigon and Hanoi. We plan the last day around your flight.
Is this a good family trip?
Yes. The drives are short, the delta works well with children and four nights on the island give everyone a rest.
Related
Read next
Southern Vietnam
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The city we work in: districts, food, timing and honest advice.
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Mekong Delta
Can Tho
The delta base: Cai Rang, canals and a real night market.
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Southern Vietnam
Phu Quoc
Beaches, timing and where on the island to stay.
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Example journey
Can Tho, two days
Sleep in Can Tho, be on the water at half past five, back in Saigon mid-afternoon.
View this journey
Example journey
Phu Quoc, four days
Three nights on the west coast, the forest north and a fishing village.
View this journey
Tours
Tours
Day trips, regional routes and full-length itineraries.
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Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
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