Cultural journeys through the Mekong Delta
Tours · Pricing
What a delta journey costs, and why
We quote every journey per trip, after you send dates, party size and hotel level. This page shows how the quote is built, the third-party fares we could verify with their dates, and the ways a cheaper quote is usually made.
Overview
The four journeys and what sets their price
| Journey | Days | What weighs most in the price | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Khmer Delta | 5 | Vehicle and guide days; simple town hotels | On request |
| Festival Journey | 6 | Festival-week hotel rates and minimum stays | On request |
| The Four Cultures | 7 | Seven guide days; boat or road ending | On request |
| Delta to the Sea | 8 | Phu Quoc hotel; Victoria hotels if chosen | On request |
We do not print a “from” price. A five-day trip for two people sharing one car and one guide and the same trip for six travellers in a larger vehicle are different numbers per person, and in festival weeks the hotel line can change more than everything else together. A figure on the website would be wrong for most people who read it. What we can show you is how the quote is put together.
How a quote is built
Your quote lists each of these as a separate line, so you can see where the money goes and compare it with any other quote:
| Line | How it is charged | What we found published |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | Per room per night, named hotel and room type | Ninh Kieu (Can Tho) hotels averaged about 500,000–800,000 VND a night in a 2023 press guide; Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and Ha Tien hotels are simpler |
| Vehicle and driver | Per day, by vehicle size | Not published by suppliers; quoted |
| Private guide | Per day, English-speaking | Not published; quoted |
| Chau Doc–Phnom Penh speedboat | Per person, ticket | VND 1,640,000 one way, Hang Chau published fare for June 2026–June 2027 |
| Ha Tien–Phu Quoc fast boat | Per person, ticket | Economy from 250,000 VND in one operator’s 2025 listing; 160,000–230,000 VND in a 2024 press report |
| Entrance fees | Per person | Bình Thủy ancient house 15,000 VND (2023); Khmer pagodas — donation box, no fee published |
| Lunches | Per person per meal | Included on touring days; quoted |
| Donations at pagodas | Per visit | A modest donation we leave on your behalf |
Third-party fares are the operators’ or the press’s published figures, checked in October 2026. Confirm them on your written quote before booking; they can change without notice. The Sam Mountain area may also gain a visitor fee: a scheme covering the Bà Chúa Xứ temple, Tây An pagoda and Thoại Ngọc Hầu’s tomb was presented in October 2025, without an amount, and we could not confirm that it is in force.
Sources: VnExpress, 27 Oct 2023 — 48 hours in Can Tho; Hang Chau Tourist — Chau Doc–Phnom Penh boat (fares Jun 2026–Jun 2027); VinWonders, 19 Jul 2025 — boats to Phu Quoc; Doanh nghiệp Hội nhập, 22 Mar 2024 — boats to Phu Quoc; Nhân Dân, 22 Oct 2025 — Sam Mountain fee proposal · checked .
What moves the price, in order
- How many of you share the car and the guide. Two travellers carry the whole cost of the vehicle and guide between them; six travellers split it six ways but need a bigger vehicle and more rooms.
- Festival dates. In the Bà Chúa Xứ festival weeks at Chau Doc and around Ok Om Bok in Soc Trang, hotels raise rates and fill early.
- Hotel level. Only Can Tho, Chau Doc and Phu Quoc offer a real choice. Elsewhere the difference between levels is small.
- The ending. Finishing in Phnom Penh by boat adds a ticket per person but saves a day’s drive back to Ho Chi Minh City for the vehicle; which is cheaper depends on party size.
- Length. Each extra night adds a hotel night, a guide day and a vehicle day — more for a night in Chau Doc, less for a free day on Phu Quoc where we do not keep the guide.
What is not included, and why
- International flights. You will find better fares yourself, and changes are easier when the ticket is in your name with the airline.
- Visas. Vietnam’s e-visa is applied for only on the official portal, by you. For Cambodia, the embassy lists visas on arrival at the Kaam Samnor river checkpoint used by the Chau Doc boat.
- Travel insurance. It must match your health, your home country and your other travel, which we cannot judge.
- Most dinners. After a long day at pagodas most travellers prefer to choose where and when to eat.
- Tips. They are personal; we give guidance on request.
Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — visa requirements; Royal Embassy of Cambodia, Washington DC — FAQ · checked .
How a cheaper quote is usually made
If another quote for a similar route is a quarter cheaper, it is usually for one of these reasons. None of them is wrong in itself; you should simply know which one you are buying.
- The guide only on some days, with a driver who speaks little English on the others.
- Hotels described by stars rather than named, so the hotel is chosen after you pay.
- Pagodas grouped into one day — Tra Vinh and Soc Trang in a single long round trip from Can Tho.
- A shared coach for part of the route, or public buses between towns; a Ho Chi Minh City–Can Tho bus ticket is about 170,000–260,000 VND.
- Shopping stops that earn the operator a commission, in place of a site visit.
- No festival surcharge shown until after booking, when the hotel adds it.
We would rather say this plainly than lose the comparison. If a shorter or simpler trip suits you, tell us and we will quote it; if it does not fit what this site does, we will say so. How to book explains the steps once you have a quote you like.
Sources: redBus Vietnam — Saigon to Can Tho · checked .
Paying for the journey
The deposit, the balance date and the cancellation terms are written on your quotation and confirmed before any payment. We never ask for card details by email. If a payment request names an account that is not on your written quotation, do not pay it — send the form and ask us first.
Check that the account name and number match your written quotation.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Why is your quote higher than others I have seen?
Usually because ours includes a private guide on every touring day, named hotels and the boat tickets, and spreads the pagodas over enough days to see them at the right hours. Compare the lines one by one; if the other quote leaves something out, you will see it.
Can I pay in Vietnamese dong?
Quotes are in US dollars. Tell us if you need another currency and we will say what is possible.
Are entrance fees really that low?
Many of the sites on our routes are working pagodas or mosques with no published ticket price. The cost of a heritage journey is mostly the car, the guide and the hotels.
Do prices change after I confirm?
No, except for changes you ask for or new government fees, which we show you before they are charged.
Related
Read next
Tours · Booking
How to book
The steps from first message to confirmed journey, and what we need from you.
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Tours
Tours
Four private cultural routes of five to eight days, compared side by side.
View this journey
Example journey
The Khmer Delta
Five days, two bases: Khmer pagodas of Tra Vinh and Soc Trang, ending in Can Tho.
View this journey
Example journey
The Four Cultures
Seven days: Khmer, Hoa, Kinh and Cham heritage, Oc Eo, and a boat to Phnom Penh.
View this journey
Example journey
Delta to the Sea
Eight days west to the sea: Chau Doc, Oc Eo, Ha Tien and two nights on Phu Quoc.
View this journey
Contact
Contact
How to reach us through the form, and what to put in a first message.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us about the journey you have in mind
A month, how many are travelling and the communities or festival that interest you are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a first route and its heritage table.