Things to Do in Can Tho 2026: Floating Market, Boat Tours and River Life

Can Tho’s activities are river and delta focused. Two full days covers the floating market, a canal tour, and the city sights.

Cai Rang Floating Market (dawn)

The primary reason to visit Can Tho. See the dedicated floating markets page for the full guide. Summary: hire a boat from Ninh Kieu waterfront the evening before, depart 04:30–05:00, arrive at the market for 05:30–06:00, return by 08:30. Price: ₫150,000–250,000 ($6–10) per person on a shared boat.

The market is a genuine wholesale produce market. You will see hundreds of boats trading watermelons, pineapples, cabbage, and coconuts. Small rowing boats sell coffee and breakfast among the wholesale boats. The experience is genuinely atmospheric.

Phong Dien Floating Market (smaller, quieter)

25km south of the city, the Phong Dien market operates 04:00–08:00. A bicycle ride from Can Tho (25km flat road) or motorbike. Less visited than Cai Rang and more focused on local trade.

Ninh Kieu Waterfront

The riverside promenade in the city centre. Best in the evening when locals gather along the waterfront for food, conversation, and the river views. The Can Tho Bridge illuminated at night is visible from the waterfront. Street food stalls operate along the riverside.

Binh Thuy Ancient House

A well-preserved 19th-century French-Vietnamese merchant house 6km from the city centre. Used as a filming location for the film L’Amant (The Lover, based on the Marguerite Duras novel). The interior — carved woodwork, antique furniture, and mixed French and Vietnamese elements — is in excellent condition.

Entry: ₫20,000 ($0.80). Accessible by bicycle or motorbike.

Canal boat tours

Half-day canal tours depart from the Ninh Kieu waterfront into the smaller waterways south and east of the city. The tours typically visit a coconut candy workshop, a honey and bee farm, and pass through narrow canals by rowing boat.

Price: ₫150,000–350,000 ($6–14) per person for shared tours.

Cycling from Can Tho

The flat roads east and south of the city pass through rice farming communities and small villages. Bicycle hire from city hotels: ₫50,000–80,000 ($2–3.20) per day. A half-day cycling circuit through the paddies and canal banks is a good complement to the boat tour experience.

Can Tho Market (Cho Can Tho)

The main city market near the Ninh Kieu waterfront. A working wet market with fresh produce, fish, meat, and the delta’s characteristic fruits (durian, rambutan, longan). Active from early morning. Good for a walk-through and breakfast at the market stalls.