Private Mekong days from Saigon
Tours · Cruise port day
A Mekong day inside your port call
A private day in the delta for cruise passengers, planned backwards from your ship's all-aboard time with the margin written down. Where your ship berths decides almost everything: a city berth makes a speedboat day possible, a berth at Phu My means a long road each way and a shorter delta.
At a glance
- Length
- Inside one port call
- Party
- Private, one party
- Starts
- Your ship's gangway
- Ends
- Same gangway
- Our margin
- Back at least 1 h before all-aboard
- Price
- On request
Who this is for, and when it does not work
This is a private day for cruise passengers who want to see the Mekong Delta during a call at Ho Chi Minh City, without joining a full coach from the ship. It is built for one party: a couple, a family, or friends travelling together. The guide meets you at the gangway or the port exit, the vehicle and boats are yours, and the day is planned from one fixed point: the time you must be back on board.
It does not always work, and we will say so. Large ocean ships usually berth at Phu My, south-east of the city. A port guide that checks its information regularly puts the drive from Phu My to central Saigon at 1.5 to 2 hours or more each way, and the delta is further than the city centre. On a short call that leaves too little time in the delta to justify the road. Ships that berth on the Saigon River close to the centre are in a different position: from there a private speedboat reaches the delta canals in about eighty minutes.
Before anything else, confirm your ship's timings and berth with your cruise line, as they can change after you book the cruise. Send them to us and we reply with an honest answer: a plan with times, or advice to spend the day in the city instead.
Sources: Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks, Ho Chi Minh City / Phu My (publisher check 28 May 2026); CruiseMapper, Phu My port page; Les Rives, Mekong Delta speedboat day (published itinerary) · checked .
Two versions, set by the berth
| Ship at Phu My | Ship at a city berth on the Saigon River | |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | Private car or van both ways | Car to the pier, then private speedboat |
| Road or river time | Long: 1.5–2 h or more to the city alone; the delta is further; confirmed for your date | About 1 h 20 min each way on the water, plus a short transfer |
| Where you go | The Tien River at My Tho and Thoi Son islet, the nearest point on the big river | Canals of the upper delta, Thu Thua area |
| Time in the delta | Shorter than from a city berth; we give the figure before you book | About 4 h on a typical call |
| When we advise against it | Calls of under about 10 hours | Rough weather on the river |
For the Phu My version we route your exact day before quoting: the road from the port to the delta, the road back, the hour of the day, and whether it is a weekday or a holiday. If the time left in the delta after both drives and our margin is under about three hours, we tell you, and suggest a day in Saigon instead.
Planning backwards from all-aboard
Every port day plan starts at the end. The ship's all-aboard time is fixed. From it we subtract our margin of at least one hour at the gangway, then the road or river time back, and that gives the latest moment you leave the delta. The same is done forwards from the earliest time you can be ashore. What is left in the middle is the delta time, and that is the number the plan is judged on.
| Step | Example for a city berth | What we fill in for Phu My |
|---|---|---|
| Ashore and through the port | 08:30 | Your ship's time |
| To the pier and on the water | 08:30–09:00 | Car from Phu My: road time for your date |
| To the delta canals | 09:00–10:20 | Road time to My Tho side |
| In the delta: sampan, village, lunch | 10:20–14:00 | What is left after both drives |
| Back to the city berth | 14:00–15:30 | Road time back to Phu My |
| Margin at the gangway | From 15:30 | At least 1 h before all-aboard |
| All-aboard (example) | 16:30 | Your ship's time |
The example uses published speedboat timings and is illustrative only. Your plan uses your ship's real times. If the ship's times change after you book, tell us and we re-plan the day.
Sources: Les Rives, Mekong Delta speedboat day (published itinerary); Cruise Deals Tips and Tricks, Ho Chi Minh City / Phu My (publisher check 28 May 2026) · checked .
The day, in full
Day 1
Ship to the Mekong Delta and back, inside the port call
A private sampan on a canal no coach group can reach in a port day
Your guide meets you at the port exit with a sign and a printed copy of the day's plan, which shows the all-aboard time and the hour we will have you back. Port guides note that independent operators need passenger details in advance, so we collect passport details when you confirm and send them on.
From a city berth, a short car ride takes you to the pier and a private speedboat. About eighty minutes on the Saigon River and its canals brings you to the upper delta, where a private sampan, a village market and an orchard fill the morning, followed by a private lunch. From Phu My, a private car takes you towards My Tho and over to Thoi Son islet in the Tien River, where a private sampan runs along a small canal under water-coconut palms, past honey farms and coconut-candy workshops, before lunch at a garden house.
Whichever version you take, the guide watches the clock rather than the programme. If the road back looks slow, the delta part is cut short rather than the margin. You are back at the gangway at least an hour before all-aboard, with the time on the plan.
Things only cruise passengers need to know
- The ship does not wait for independent tours. Check what your cruise line says about guests on independent tours and late return. Our margin exists for this reason.
- Bring your cruise card and the passport details we asked for. Port guides note that independent operators need passenger details in advance.
- Day bags only. On the speedboat there is no space for more, and you will not need more.
- Cash. A small amount of Vietnamese dong is useful for drinks or a purchase in a village; everything on the plan is already paid.
- Times change. If the cruise line changes the berth or the hours, tell us as soon as you know. A change from a city berth to Phu My changes the whole plan.
Sources: CruiseMapper, Phu My port page · checked .
Price
| Party | Ship at Phu My: private car | Ship at a city berth: speedboat |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 travellers | On request | On request |
| 3–4 travellers | On request | On request |
| 5–8 travellers | On request | On request |
For the Phu My version the vehicle for a long day is the main cost; for the city berth it is the speedboat charter. The pricing page explains both, and how to book covers confirmation and what happens if the ship changes its plans.
What is included
What the price includes
- Private car or van, or private speedboat with crew, as the berth requires
- Private English-speaking guide from gangway to gangway
- Private sampan on a small canal
- Private lunch for your party, soft drinks included
- Drinking water, fruit and cold towels through the day
- Entrance fees on the plan; tolls and parking
What it does not include
- Port fees or passes if the port charges them, shown in the quote
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips for the guide, driver and crew
- Travel insurance
- Visas for Vietnam if your cruise line does not arrange them
Gallery
Who this is NOT for
- Passengers on a call of under about ten hours at Phu My; the road takes too much of the day
- Anyone who would be anxious all day about the ship; the ship's own excursion carries less risk of a late return
- Large groups from the ship; private boats and cars stop making sense above about eight people
- Passengers who want Ben Tre or Cai Be in a port day; they are too far for the margin we keep
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Where do cruise ships dock for Ho Chi Minh City?
Large ocean ships usually berth at Phu My, south-east of the city and a long drive away. Some ships berth on the Saigon River closer to the centre. Your cruise line confirms which applies to your call.
How much time will we have in the delta?
From a city berth, often about four hours. From Phu My, less, because of the road. We tell you the number for your ship before you book, and advise against the trip if it is too short.
What if traffic makes us late?
The plan keeps at least an hour at the gangway before all-aboard, and the guide cuts the delta time rather than that margin. Check your cruise line's rules for independent tours all the same.
Do we need a visa to go ashore?
Visa rules for cruise passengers depend on your nationality and on what the cruise line arranges. Check with the cruise line before the voyage; we cannot arrange this for you.
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What a private Mekong quote is made of, what moves it, and published prices to compare.
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How to book
The steps from the form to a confirmed private day, with weather and change rules.
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Plan · Cruise passengers
Planning a shore day
How a delta day fits a cruise call at Ho Chi Minh City, and when it does not.
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Example journey
Private speedboat day
Speedboat from central Saigon to the upper-delta canals, private sampan and lunch, back by late afternoon.
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Destinations · By water
The Saigon River route
Leaving Saigon by water: the river, the canals and the tide that governs them.
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Plan · Getting there
Speedboat or car
Speedboat against private car: door-to-door times, tide, traffic and luggage.
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Tell us the day you have in mind
A date, how many are travelling and where you start, a hotel, an airport or a ship, are enough to begin. We reply by email with questions or a written plan with door-to-door times.