Active and nature trips in the Mekong Delta
Tours · Wetlands & cycling · Grade 2
Tram Chim in high water
Two boat sessions timed to the hours birds leave and return to their roosts, one 21 km and one 12 km, and about 25–35 km of riding on the dyke lanes around Tam Nong, in the months when the Plain of Reeds turns back into water.
At a glance
- Length
- 2 days, 1 night
- Party
- Private, 1–10 (one park boat)
- Starts
- Ho Chi Minh City, 06:00
- Ends
- Ho Chi Minh City, late afternoon
- Grade
- 2 Active · 25–35 km riding plus two boat routes
- Price
- On request
Who this trip is for, and what it is not
Tram Chim National Park covers 7,588 ha of the Plain of Reeds in the Tam Nong area of Dong Thap, protected since 1998 and listed as a Ramsar wetland in 2012. Press reports count more than 230 bird species. It is about 140 km from Ho Chi Minh City by one published estimate, close enough for two days and far enough that day-trippers rarely reach it before the birds have dispersed.
This trip is for people who want to be on the water at 05:30, not at noon, and who will ride a bicycle on concrete dyke tops with water on both sides between the boat sessions. It is not a crane-watching trip. Sarus cranes made the park famous, but press coverage describes their numbers as having collapsed and we could not find a current count; in 2025 and 2026 the park received 12 sarus cranes from Thailand in two batches for a breeding and conservation programme. Do not book this trip to see cranes. Book it for the flooded landscape and the egrets, storks, cormorants and wild ducks the press lists there.
Sources: Wikipedia, Tram Chim National Park; Diễn đàn Doanh nghiệp, 19 Feb 2024; Tuổi Trẻ, sarus cranes, 24 Jun 2026; The Saigon Times, sarus crane conservation; Nông nghiệp & Môi trường, 25 Oct 2024 · checked .
Day by day
Day 1
Ho Chi Minh City to Tam Nong, the 12 km route at dusk
Birds coming in to roost from about 16:00
Departure at 06:00. The drive runs through the former Tien Giang and Dong Thap, which were merged into one Dong Thap province in 2025. Cao Lanh is about 145 km by road model, 2¾–3¼ hours; Tram Chim lies beyond it to the north. Lunch in Tam Nong, then a rest through the heat.
At 15:00 we ride 10–15 km along the dyke lanes outside the park to the gate. The 12 km Nang Ong boat route takes about 1½ hours and is timed so you are on the water between 16:00 and 17:00, when birds return to their roosts. The bikes go back in the van.
Day 2
The 21 km route at dawn, dyke riding, return
The first hour of the 21 km route
At the jetty for 05:30. The Ca Na route runs 21 km and takes about three hours, through the hours when birds leave their roosts. In the flood months the boat pushes through lotus and water lilies over grassland that is dry ground in April. If the park is renting kayaks or pedal boats on your date (they were listed in 2023), we add a short paddle near the jetty; we confirm this before you travel rather than promise it.
Back on the bikes by 09:00 for 15–20 km of dyke lanes while the air is still bearable, then lunch and the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Routes in numbers
| Segment | Distance | Surface | Start | Water note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nang Ong boat route | 12 km, about 1½ h | Water | 15:30–16:00 | Deepest Aug–Nov |
| Ca Na boat route | 21 km, about 3 h | Water | 05:30 | Deepest Aug–Nov |
| Tam Nong dyke lanes, day 1 | 10–15 km | Concrete dyke tops | 15:00 | Water on both sides in flood months |
| Tam Nong dyke lanes, day 2 | 15–20 km | Concrete dyke tops | 09:00 | Heat by 10:30 |
Sources: Diễn đàn Doanh nghiệp, 19 Feb 2024; Nông nghiệp & Môi trường, 25 Oct 2024 · checked .
Season: only with the water
Flood scenery roughly August to November (lunar calendar per Vietnamese press); February for nesting migrants; April to July hot and low.
We run this trip from September to November, plus February. Two press reports agree on the flood months: one calls August to November the most beautiful time of year, with lotus and water lilies in bloom, and notes that the flood months are also the birds' breeding season. Another recommends February, when migrant birds arrive to nest. A 2024 travel guide adds that hoang dau an flowers colour the grassland from December to February; check locally. From April to July the grassland is dry, hot and much less interesting from a boat.
A fire in June 2024 burned more than 20 ha of forest inside the park; the park replanted, and four months later the press reported the cassia recovering with the rains. Weekends bring more than 100 visitors a day in the flood season, so we plan for weekdays where we can.
Sources: Nông nghiệp & Môi trường, 25 Oct 2024; Diễn đàn Doanh nghiệp, 19 Feb 2024; Mia.vn, Tram Chim, 16 Jul 2024 · checked .
Fees on the ground
| Item | Published figure (VND) | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Park entry | 20,000 per person | 2024 |
| Park boat for up to 10, routes of 7–21 km | 700,000–1,200,000 per boat | October 2024 |
| Kayak or pedal boat | 50,000 per person (listed 2023; check) | 2023 |
| Park guide | 100,000 per person (listed 2023; check) | 2023 |
These are included in the trip price. The 2023 and 2024 reports give different figures; we confirm them for your dates.
Sources: Nông nghiệp & Môi trường, 25 Oct 2024; Mia.vn, Tram Chim, 16 Jul 2024 · checked .
Price
| Party | What changes | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| 2 travellers | Whole park boat for two | On request |
| 3–5 travellers | Boat and vehicle shared | On request |
| 6–10 travellers | Still one boat; larger vehicle | On request |
| With a third day | Extra night and the Xeo Quyt rowed-boat morning | On request |
The park boat is priced per boat, which is why couples pay more per person here than on our other trips. See the pricing page and how to book.
What the price includes
- Private English-speaking guide for two days
- Vehicle and driver from and back to Ho Chi Minh City
- Bikes and helmets for the dyke riding
- Park entry and two park boat routes (12 km and 21 km)
- One night in a named guesthouse in Tam Nong, shared room
- Meals as listed, drinking water and fruit
What it does not include
- International flights and Vietnam visa
- Travel insurance
- Binoculars (bring your own; we carry two pairs to share)
- Kayak or pedal boat hire, if the park offers it on the day
- Tips for guide, driver and boat crew
- Drinks and personal purchases
Gallery
Who this trip is not for
- Anyone travelling between April and July. The water is gone and so is most of the point.
- Birders on a target list. Tram Chim rewards patience with common waterbirds; rare species are not guaranteed and sarus cranes in the wild are not a reliable sight.
- Travellers who do not want 05:00 alarms. The dawn session is the core of the trip.
- Groups above ten, who would need two park boats and lose the quiet.
- Photographers expecting close approaches. Boats keep their distance from roosts.
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
Will we see sarus cranes?
Probably not in the wild. The park has received cranes from Thailand for a conservation programme, kept in a conservation area; whether visitors can see them is not something we can promise.
Is the riding inside the park?
No. We ride the public dyke lanes around Tam Nong and reach the park by bike on day 1. Inside the park you move by boat.
Can we kayak instead of taking the motorboat?
Only where the park allows and rents boats on the day. We will tell you before you travel what the park is offering. The long routes are covered by park boats only.
Can this be joined with An Giang?
Yes. Both trips belong to the flood season and the upper delta. Joined, they make a five-day loop without returning to Ho Chi Minh City in between.
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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.