Active and nature trips in the Mekong Delta
Tours · Forest & mangrove · Grade 2
Ca Mau and U Minh, to the end of the land
Four days at the southern end of Vietnam: rowed boats in the peat-swamp forest of U Minh Ha, lanes along the canals around Ca Mau, a night at the cape among the mangroves, and the expressway that since January 2026 makes the trip possible without losing two days to the road.
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Party
- Private, 1–10
- Starts
- Ho Chi Minh City, 06:00
- Ends
- Ho Chi Minh City, evening
- Grade
- 2 Active · 15–30 km riding, rowing, walks
- Price
- On request
Who this trip is for
Ca Mau used to be a trip for people with a week. The Can Tho–Ca Mau expressway, 110.85 km, opened in full on 19 January 2026, completing a corridor of nearly 270 km from Ho Chi Minh City; the state press puts the journey at about 4½ hours, against nearly ten before. Four days now leaves two and a half on the ground.
The trip suits travellers who want forest and mangrove rather than orchards, and who are happy with a mix of activity: rowing a narrow boat on dark forest canals, riding canal lanes in the morning, walking at the cape. Ca Mau province absorbed the former Bac Lieu in 2025; the trip stays within the former Ca Mau province.
Sources: VnEconomy, Can Tho–Ca Mau expressway, 19 Jan 2026; Báo Sài Gòn Giải Phóng, delta expressways, 20 Jan 2026; Resolution 202/2025/QH15, Báo Đại biểu Nhân dân, 12 Jun 2025 · checked .
Day by day
Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau by expressway, canal lanes at dusk
Departure at 06:00, along the expressway chain over the My Thuan 2 bridge and past Can Tho to Ca Mau. With stops, expect to arrive around midday. Lunch and a long rest.
At 15:30 a first ride of 15 km on the concrete lanes that follow the canals outside the city: flat, quiet after the school run, with the light going orange over shrimp ponds and cassia. Back before dark.
Day 2
U Minh Ha: lanes, a rowed boat and the tower
Rowing the small canals under the canopy
Departure at 05:30 for U Minh Ha National Park, about 40 km and an hour from the city. The park covers 8,527.8 ha of peat-swamp cassia forest and is the core zone of the Mui Ca Mau biosphere reserve. Before the gate opens at 07:30 we ride 10–15 km on village lanes near Vo Doi.
Inside, a rowed boat (xuong ba la) takes you along the small canals under the trees; where the rower agrees, you take a turn. The 24 m tower looks over the forest canopy. Where it can be arranged on the day, we join a local family collecting wild honey in the cassia (the honey season runs December to June). Lunch is cá lóc nướng trui, snakehead grilled in burning straw. Back to Ca Mau in the afternoon.
Day 3
South to the cape, mangrove boat and mudflats
Breakfast of bánh tầm cay, then the 120 km road south to the Mui Ca Mau national park at Dat Mui. On foot we skip the electric carts and walk the park: the sea wall, the ship monument and the GPS0001 national coordinate marker at the southern tip of the mainland, about 8°37'N.
Afternoon on a boat through the mangroves, with a stop on the mudflats to collect clams when the tide allows. Night in a farmstay at Dat Mui, where hosts may let you lift a crab trap.
Day 4
Dawn on the mangrove edge, return north
A dawn walk on the dykes around the farmstay before the heat, then the long return: back to Ca Mau city and up the expressway to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving in the evening. A night in Can Tho on the way breaks the drive if you prefer.
The route in numbers
| Segment | Distance | Surface | Start | Season note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ca Mau canal lanes | 15 km | Concrete lanes | 15:30 | Easiest Dec–Apr |
| Vo Doi village lanes | 10–15 km | Concrete lanes | 06:30 | Before the 07:30 gate |
| U Minh Ha rowed boat | 30–60 min | Water | 07:30 | Boats go furthest May–Nov |
| Ca Mau cape park on foot | 3–5 km | Paved paths, sea wall | 14:00 or 16:00 | Afternoon heat; shade is limited |
| Mangrove boat | By tide | Water and mudflat | With the tide | Times set by the tide table |
Sources: Mia.vn, U Minh Ha, 28 May 2026; VnExpress, 48 hours in Ca Mau, 11 Oct 2024 · checked .
Season and water
December to February are the most comfortable; the rainy months May to November suit boats in U Minh Ha most but make the lanes wet.
U Minh Ha has two good faces. Guides recommend the start of the dry season, December to February, for comfort, and the rainy season, roughly May to November, for boat trips deep into the forest when the canals are full. We run the trip in both, and shift the balance between rowing and riding by the month. Dengue peaks in Vietnam from June to October, mostly in the centre and south, so repellent and long sleeves are part of the kit list in those months.
Sources: Mia.vn, U Minh Ha, 28 May 2026; WHO Viet Nam, dengue · checked .
Fees on the ground
| Item | Published figure (VND) | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| U Minh Ha entry | 10,000 per person | May 2026 |
| U Minh Ha boat | 150,000 per person per hour, or 80,000 for 30 min | May 2026 |
| Mui Ca Mau ticket | 30,000 adult, 15,000 child | October 2024 |
| Cape electric cart (we walk instead) | 10,000 per ride | October 2024 |
| Mangrove boat tour | 800,000–2,200,000 per trip | October 2024 |
| Farmstay at Dat Mui | 300,000–1,000,000 per night | October 2024 |
All included in the trip price, and listed so the quote can be checked line by line. Check before you go if travelling independently.
Sources: Mia.vn, U Minh Ha, 28 May 2026; VnExpress, 48 hours in Ca Mau, 11 Oct 2024 · checked .
Price
| Party | What changes | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| 2 travellers | One guide, one vehicle, private boats | On request |
| 3–4 travellers | Vehicle and boats shared | On request |
| 5–10 travellers | Larger vehicle; two boats at U Minh Ha | On request |
| With a night in Can Tho | Fifth day, shorter final drive | On request |
The long drive is the largest single cost here. The pricing page explains the lines in a quote; how to book covers the steps.
What the price includes
- Private English-speaking guide for four days
- Vehicle and driver from and back to Ho Chi Minh City, expressway tolls
- Bikes and helmets for the lane rides
- Two nights in a named Ca Mau city hotel and one farmstay night at Dat Mui, shared rooms
- U Minh Ha entry and rowed boat; Mui Ca Mau ticket; mangrove boat
- Meals as listed, drinking water and fruit
What it does not include
- International flights and Vietnam visa
- Travel insurance
- Single rooms, where the farmstay has them
- Tips for guide, driver and boat crews
- Drinks, honey and other purchases
- Extra nights outside the plan
Gallery
Who this trip is not for
- Travellers with only two or three days. The road takes most of day 1 and day 4.
- Anyone wanting long rides. The riding here is short and early; the forest and the cape are reached by boat and on foot.
- People who dislike basic rooms. The Dat Mui farmstay is simple by design.
- Visitors in September who mind rain. It is the wettest month of the year in the lower delta.
- Anyone expecting sandy beaches at the cape. The coast is mud and mangrove.
Grade 1 Steady, Grade 2 Active, Grade 3 Demanding. Grade 4 does not exist in the delta, because the land is flat and the hardest thing on most days is the heat, not the terrain. The full scale is on the grading page.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Why not fly to Ca Mau?
We price the trip by road because the expressway now makes it practical and the vehicle carries the bikes. Ask us if you want to fly one way; we check what is operating for your dates.
Is the cape worth 120 km each way?
If you want to stand at the end of the land and see a working mangrove coast, yes. If not, stay two nights in Ca Mau and add a second forest morning instead.
How hard is the rowing?
Easy if you let the rower set the rhythm. The boats are narrow and sit low; sit still and keep your weight in the middle.
Are mosquitoes a problem?
In the forest and at dusk, yes, especially in the rainy months. Bring repellent and long, light clothing.
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Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates or a month, how many are riding or walking, and how active the group is are enough to start. We reply by email with questions or a written quote that names the route, the km per day and every fee.