What to do in Can Tho – Top things to do in Can Tho (2023)

Can Tho is a commercial hub of the Mekong Delta and it is considered as “the capital” in the region. You should travel to Can Tho, not only to admire the beauty of the bustling urban area of the Mekong Delta but to also learn about the local culture and feel the local daily routines of the wonderfully sweet Southern Vietnamese.

To support you on a perfect trip, here are some of our experiences, tips, and what to do in Can Tho, Vietnam exclusively in our guide to Can Tho. I hope that “Top things to do in Can Tho“ will be useful for your Mekong trip.

What to do in Can Tho – Top things to do in Can Tho

1. Visit Cai Rang floating market

Cai Rang floating market is a highlight and a must in Mekong Delta but also in all Vietnam. The biggest iconic wholesale floating market has been trading goods for over a hundred years but it’s still bustling and dynamic. The traditional market starts at around 5 A.M and is in full swing between 6 A.M and 7 A.M so make sure that you take an early tour to see it at its best. The market is about 45 minutes away by a small sampan boat and best around sunrise hours. If you want to know what each boat is selling, just look to the long bamboo pole erected at the front that displays samples of everything sold on the boat. For a unique breakfast experience, consider having “Mekong Delta” style breakfast on the boat.

Address: Click here
Best time to Visit: 5:00 A.M – 7:00 A.M
Admission: free

* More information: Cai Rang floating market tour

2. Visit Phong Dien floating market

Phong Dien floating market is much smaller but more intimate experience than Cai Rang. It is about 20 km (12,4 miles) southwest of Can Tho. There are fewer motorized crafts, just about 20 small sampan boats trading local goods. Less crowded than Cai Rang floating market and there are fewer tourists that we can get up close and personal with the traders who were happy to chat, sell us fruit, and share laughter. It is worth getting to Phong Dien early because it is at its bustling best between 4 A.M and 7 A.M.

Address: Click here
Best time to Visit: 5:00 A.M – 7:00 A.M
Admission: free

* For more information: Can Tho floating market tour

3. What to do in Can Tho – Take photogenic photos in the small canal

Weaving small canals in Can Tho is a must in Mekong Delta. Small canals in Can Tho are considered are the most beautiful canals in Vietnam. The Mekong Delta has a complex system of thousands of canals connected together to connect village to village. Together with two ranges of water coconut palm trees and mangrove apple trees, the canals are stunning and picturesque with a green and peaceful atmosphere. Taking a small canal tour, you will have panorama views to get inside of a canal to have a deep understanding of the local life. Sit on the deck of the sampan boat, pose and have wonderful photos in the Mekong.

Address: Mekong delta
Admission: free

*For more information: Can Tho small canal tour

4. Enjoy fresh fruits in the tropical fruit garden

Along with Cai Rang floating market, visiting fruit gardens is also a must-do in Can Tho. To get to the fruit orchard, you also have to use boats to go deep into the water maze and enter numerous small canals. The journey on the water itself is eye-opening and interesting to feel more of the local life pace. In the fruit garden, you can enjoy many kinds of alluring tropical fruits, walk around gardens, and watch the farmers take care of trees and harvest fruits, etc. Get ready to blend into the lush gardens, admire tropical fruits you’ve never encountered before, and of course, savor them.

Address: Long Tuyen, Binh Thuy, Can Tho
Open hours: 6:00 A.M – 5:00 P.M
Admission: 20.000 VNĐ/pax (fruits included)

*For more information: Cai Rang floating market and small canal

5. Taste “Rice noodle pizza” in a traditional rice noodle factory

A traditional rice noodle factory in can Tho invites you to see every step of the noodle manufacturing process and take a shot at making noodles yourself. A stop at a family-run business noodle house is a must-do when you are in Can Tho. The entire process is pretty elaborate and time-consuming. Rice noodle paper is first made out of a thin batter (natural colors may be added), dried, and put through a machine to create strings of noodles. Fresh noodles are dried again before being packaged and sold. You can be part of the noodle-making process by trying some basic steps of Mekong noodles with the support of the owner. And do not forget to savor crispy “rice noodle pizza” made by the owner’s wife.

Address: 474C, Lo Vong Cung street, An Binh, Ninh Kieu, Can Tho
Open hours: 6:00 A.M – 2:00 P.M
Admission: Free

*For more information: Can Tho River Tour

6. Enjoy the best chocolate in an organic cacao farm

At Lam The Cuong’s family cacao farm, visitors can learn how cacao fruits from a cacao tree become a bar of rich, dark chocolate, cacao powder, cacao butter, and cacao wine traditionally. Cacao farm is a must on your itinerary for Can Tho tour. Don’t forget to enjoy a glass of good chocolate drink made by Mr. Cacao – the owner of the cacao farm.

Address: 275 My Ai Hamlet, My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District, Can Tho, Vietnam.
Open hours: 7:00 A.M – 12:00 P.M
Admission: 50.000 VNĐ/pax (Chocolate, cacao drink, fresh cacao fruit included)

*For more information: Best of Can Tho tour

7. Explore Binh Thuy ancient house – The L’Amant’s house

This house has a nice blend of Asian and Western architectural styles to reflect Mekong’s life. It’s a well-known place since it was set as the background of a famous film named “L’amant”, The Lover – A true romantic story of a well-known French writer Marguerite Duras and Huynh Thuy Le in the days of the French Colonial period. Therefore, once visiting Cantho, one should not miss this place in their journey of discovering.

Address: 144, Bui Huu Nghia, Binh Thuy, Can Tho
Open hours: 8:00 A.M – 12:00 P.M and 2:00 P.M – 6:00 P.M
Admission: 15.000 VNĐ/pax

*For more information: Can Tho cooking class tour

8. What to do in Can Tho – See the real Mekong in Con Son Islet

Con Son Islet is known as a hidden gem in Can Tho reflecting ecological and authentic life in the Mekong delta. You might seem to get lost in the world of a serene setting, fresh air, fruit gardens, and delicious traditional southern cakes made by locals. Besides that, visiting a floating fish farm to see featured Mekong fish is a must in the trip to Con Son islet. Son islet is one of the country’s most attractive destinations for green community eco-tourism in Can Tho.

Address: Con Son islet
Open hours: 6:00 A.M – 5:00 P.M.
Admission: 20.000 VNĐ/pax (ferry fare)

*For more information: Con Son islet tour

9. Enjoy specialty in Hammock-shaped fine rice vermicelli house

There is only one family – Ut Dzach that still preserves this folk cake with traditional processing. The family has made this kind of special cake for more than 50 years in Can Tho. It is considered a specialty of the region. The cake is made from rice flour, served with BBQ pork, herbs, and special chili garlic sauce. Come and enjoy it.

Address: Nhon Ai, Ninh Kieu, Can Tho
Open hours: 8:00 A.M – 6:00 P.M.
Admission: 50.000 VNĐ/pax (Vermicelli included)

*For more information: Can Tho motorbike tour

10. Strolling in Ninh Kieu Wharf

Located on the bank of Hau River, Ninh Kieu wharf is a long-standing tourist attraction and attracts visitors because of charming river scenery and convenient location. For a long time, Ninh Kieu quay has become a symbol of the poetic beauty of Can Tho City and has gone into poetry. Around Ninh Kieu wharf also forms walking streets, walking bridge, Ninh Kieu night market (operating from 4 pm to midnight), many restaurants, hotels for both Vietnamese and international tourists.

Open hours: 24/7
Admission: free

11. Enjoy street food in Can Tho night market

There are two parts to the night market, one area selling clothes, hand-made things, and the other serving street food from a variety of mobile stalls, with vendors who are well versed in the point-and-nod style of ordering. Most of the food can be munched while walking and is more of a snack than a meal, but what’s on offer can change from day to day, so it’s best to just go and see what is available. Food stalls start appearing at around 4:00 pm each day. At Ninh Kieu night market, tourists could be delighted with sparkling sceneries, lively atmosphere on, and around the Hau River.

Open hours: 4:00 P.M – 11:00 P.M
Admission: free

*For more information: Can Tho food tour

12. Have a romantic moment in the bridge of love – Can Tho walking bridge

This is the first pedestrian bridge in Mekong delta. This modern bridge is easy to figure out the distinctive features of Southwestern Vietnam. Lovely S Shape and lotuses beautify the landscape of this love bridge all show a unique beauty of Vietnam. You love immersing in the bustling atmosphere with the sparkling color lights, and you should not ignore to come here in the evening. These love bridge witnesses many couples’ deep love. In particular, couples take the opportunity of Valentine’s Day to profess their love by putting locks on its railings. If you come to this place, it has better to take pictures and go sightseeing and not hang any heavy padlocks.

Open hours: 24/7
Admission: free

13. Explore Mekong culture in Binh Thuy Temple

Binh Thuy Temple is about 5km from Can Tho City. Its architecture is different from other Northern temples. The beautiful and perfect house preserved with the specific character of Mekong Delta in the old time. The temple connects with a garden, quite wide but not very long. In the front yard, lain with Chinese bricks and has some rock-gardens, potted plants, and a three-door temple gate. The house was not built by cement but of a kind of tree glue, including all joints in the system of rafters, without any single nails. All this had been made by craftsmen using valuable woods which were red-lacquered and gilded or encrusted with nacre, fine carvings depicting local images of the Southwest.

Address: 46/11A Le Hong Phong, Binh Thuy, Can Tho
Open hours: 8:00 P.M – 5:00 P.M
Admission: free

14. Explore nature & wildlife in Bang Lang stork garden

The Mekong Delta province of Can Tho is well-known for its endless beautiful rice fields and abundant orchards. The scenery is ornamented by thousands of storks spreading their wings against the sunset sky in Bang Lang stork garden. This magnificent 1.3-hectare bird sanctuary has astonishing views of thousands of local storks and snowy egrets. There is a bird-watching tower to see the birds filling the branches. The best times to view this incredible sight are around sunrise and sunset.

Open hours: 5:00 A.M – 7:30 P.M
Admission: 20.000 VNĐ / pax

15. Learn how to make traditional bricks in a beehive brick kiln

Along can Tho city lies a “red kingdom” where brick kilns line the Hau river bank and rows of sienna roof tiles fill local yards. Pottery and brick-making in Can Tho have existed for hundreds of years due to the region’s abundant natural clay deposits. Visitors can know how to make bricks from the wet clays into red bricks or pottery traditionally. Today, traditional brick kilns in the city face a decline both in production and popularity due to diminishing clay resources, rising fuel costs, and environmental problems.

Open hours: 8:00 A.M – 5:00 P.M
Admission: Free

16. Explore Chinese culture in Ong pagoda – Chinese temple

Ong Pagoda is extraordinary thanks to unique architecture, vivid colors reflecting Chinese culture. Chinese Assembly Halls were important for the Chinese as they became community centers of worship and governance. Chinese temple is home to organize the cultural and religious activities for Chinese communities in Can Tho. It was formerly the assembly hall of the Chinese group from Guangzhou and Guangdong under the migration flows in the 17 – 18 century. It was originally built to worship Kuang Kung, a deity symbolizing loyalty, justice, intelligence, and courage.

Add: 32, Hai Ba Trung street, Tan An, Ninh Kieu, Can Tho
Open hours: 8:00 A.M – 9:00 P.M
Admission: Free

17. Explore Mekong culture & people in Can Tho Museum

This large, well-presented museum brings Can Tho history to life with mannequins and life-size reproductions of buildings, including a Chinese temple and a house interior. Displays (with ample English translations) focus on the Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese communities, plant and fish specimens, rice production, and, inevitably, various wars.

Address: 1, Hoa Binh Avenue, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho, Vietnam.
Open hours: Tuesday to Thursday – 08:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M, 2:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M; Saturday and Sunday – 08:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M, 6:30 P.M to 9:00 P.M.
Admission: free

18. Visit Can Tho Grand Prison

Can Tho Grand prison is a very important historical site to visit in the city. It was initially built by the French during the French colonial time but then was used by the Americans during the Vietnam War. Can Tho prison “played a big role” in the French and Vietnam wars. The prison has 21 detention rooms, a church, a pagoda, a house for the supervisor, and a kitchen. The mannequins depict certain scenes of what it was like in prison when it was used, and they are quite eerie.

Address: 8 Ngo Gia Tu, Tan An, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho, Vietnam.
Open hours: Monday to Friday – 08:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M, 2:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M.
Admission: free

19. Munirensay – Khmer pagoda

This small golden pagoda was originally built in 1946 to serve Can Tho’s Khmer community. The ornamentation is typical of Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas, with none of the multiple Bodhisattvas and Taoist spirits common in Vietnamese Mahayana pagodas.