Private 2–5 day Mekong Delta routes
Plan · Seasons
When to go, route by route
The delta is warm all year and every route runs in every month. What changes is the water: low and dry from December to April, rain from May, and the flood that fills the upper delta from September to November. Here is how that plays out for each part of the line, and which route we would choose in which month.
The calendar
● ideal · ◐ good · ○ hard. Can Tho: dry months suit boats. Ben Tre and Vinh Long: fruit from May to August. Chau Doc: the autumn flood fills Tra Su. The Phnom Penh boat runs daily all year.
These ratings are our planning judgement built on the figures below, not an official scale. A month marked hard is still possible; it just asks more of you.
The three seasons that matter
Dry: December to April
The rainy season in Can Tho runs from May to November and the dry season from December to April; February averages under 4 mm of rain. Boat trips are easiest, skies are clearest, and the national tourism authority recommends these months for the floating markets. The catch is heat building towards April, the hottest month, with mean daily highs around 34 °C, and salt water pushing up the river mouths late in the dry season; in 2026 its peak was forecast for March and April.
Wet: May to November
In Can Tho's long-term record it rains on about 20 to 22 days a month from June to October, and September is the wettest month at about 450 mm. We plan boat legs for the morning and keep rain gear in the car. The orchards are at their peak from May to August. Dengue, carried by mosquitoes, peaks in southern Vietnam from June to October, so repellent and long sleeves at dusk matter most then.
Flood: September to November
Water from upstream spreads over the upper delta in autumn. It is the reason to visit Chau Doc then: Tra Su is at its fullest and the boats go deepest into the forest. In 2025 the peak at Chau Doc was forecast for the second week of October, and riverside streets in Can Tho and Vinh Long flood briefly at the high tides of October and November. Large cruise ships can find low bridges blocking the way into Chau Doc at high water; the speedboat and our car routes are not affected in the same way.
Sources: Wikipedia — Can Tho climate table (Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology data); Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Mekong Delta; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — Chau Doc; Ministry of Agriculture and Environment — 2025 flood outlook, 3 Oct 2025; WHO Viet Nam — dengue; National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting — salinity bulletin, 10 Mar 2026; Doanh nghiệp Hội nhập — Tra Su forest, 23 Oct 2024 · checked .
Which route in which month
| Months | Our first choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| December to February | Can Tho and Chau Doc, 3 days | Dry, cooler mornings; early in the dry season the floodwater at Tra Su is still receding |
| March and April | Can Tho, 2 days | Hot; short routes with early starts and rest in the afternoon |
| May to August | Ben Tre to Chau Doc, 4 days | Fruit season in the orchards; the rains have started |
| September to November | Delta to Phnom Penh, 5 days | Flood season at Chau Doc, two nights to enjoy it, and the river into Cambodia |
Any route works in any month; this table is about where each season shows most. See the routes compared for nights and hours.
Dates that change the trip
- Lunar New Year (Tet). Late January or February. Expect busy hotels and higher rates in the weeks around it, and ask us which family workshops will be closed. The flower villages near Cho Lach and Sa Dec are busiest just before it.
- Ba Chua Xu festival, Sam Mountain. The 23rd to 27th days of the fourth lunar month, usually May or June. Inscribed by UNESCO in 2024; Chau Doc fills with pilgrims, so book early.
- King tides in October and November. Riverside streets in Can Tho and Vinh Long can flood around high tide; in 2025 residents were told to limit travel from 05:00 to 08:00 and 16:00 to 19:00.
Sources: Việt Nam News — Ba Chua Xu festival on UNESCO list, 5 Dec 2024; Mia.vn — Cho Lach orchards and Cai Mon, 13 Oct 2025; Ministry of Agriculture and Environment — 2025 flood outlook, 3 Oct 2025 · checked .
If your dates are fixed
Then the route bends to the month, not the other way round. In April, we shorten the days and start earlier. In September, we keep rain gear in the car and plan boat legs for the morning. At Tet, we confirm hotels as soon as you accept the quotation and warn you which workshops will be shut. For the delta's places themselves, see the destination pages.
Plan your trip
Travelling in a particular month?
Send the dates. We reply by email with the route that suits that month, and say what will be different.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is the rainy season a bad time to visit?
No, but expect rain on most days from June to October and bring a light rain jacket. The orchards are at their peak from May to August.
When is Tra Su forest at its fullest?
From September to November, in the flood season. In the dry months the water is much lower.
When is fruit season?
May to August is the main harvest in the orchards around Cho Lach and on the islets.
Does the Phnom Penh boat run all year?
The operator publishes a daily schedule in both directions. Confirm close to your date, as with any boat.
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Tell us about the route you have in mind
The day you leave Ho Chi Minh City, how many are travelling and where you go afterwards are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a priced route that names every hotel.