My Tho Travel Guide

My Tho is the closest Mekong Delta area to Ho Chi Minh City and it has been the standard first stop for most travelers entering the delta for decades. The ward itself is modest: a working provincial capital of about 200,000 people with a riverside market, a 19th-century French colonial cathedral, and the Vinh Trang Pagoda complex with its distinctive blend of Asian and European architectural elements.

What gives My Tho its travel weight is the access it provides to the four island system in the Tien River: Thoi Son (Unicorn Island), Tan Long (Dragon Island), Quy (Tortoise), and Phuong (Phoenix), where day boat trips have built a long-established circuit of coconut candy workshops, beekeeping operations, fruit orchards, and Don Ca Tai Tu music performances.

The honest assessment is that My Tho’s tourist circuit is more developed and more visited than the deeper delta options at Vinh Long or Can Tho. It is the practical choice for travelers with one day to give the Mekong; longer itineraries reward going further into the delta.

Where Is My Tho Located?

• Location: Dong Thap Province, Mekong Delta, 70 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City
• On the river: Tien River (northern Mekong distributary)
• After 2025 provincial merger: Dong Thap province merged with Tien Giang province. My Tho city is divided into 3 wards: Dao Thanh, My Phong, Thoi Son, Trung An and My Tho.
• Area: 116,46 km²
• Population: 228.358
• Known for: Tien River island boat tours, Vinh Trang Pagoda, coconut candy workshops, hu tieu My Tho noodles
• Best for: Mekong Delta day trip from HCMC, river boat tours, accessible delta introduction
• Distance from HCMC: 70 km, about 1.5 hours by car via the Trung Luong Expressway

My Tho used to be the capital of Tien Giang Province, now it is located in Dong Thap Province, set on the banks of the Tien River, one of the Mekong’s main branches. Just 70-80 km from Ho Chi Minh City, it has long been the easiest entry point to the Delta, historically a trading hub linking Saigon with the fertile countryside.

How to Get to My Tho

From Ho Chi Minh City by private car: About 1.5 hours via the Trung Luong Expressway and Highway 1A. The most practical option for organized day tours.

By bus from HCMC: Regular services from Mien Tay Bus Station (An Suong) take about 1.5 to 2 hours. Tickets cost around 50,000 to 80,000 VND.

By organized day tour: Most HCMC tour operators run daily Mekong Delta day trips that include round-trip transport, boat tour, and lunch. The standard My Tho-Ben Tre circuit is among the most popular day excursions in southern Vietnam.

>>> Mekong Delta tours include My Tho as a one-day delta introduction and as the entry point for multi-day delta circuits extending to Vinh Long, Can Tho, and Chau Doc.

Best Time to Visit My Tho

November to April is the dry season, the most comfortable for boat travel and walking the islands. December to February offers the most pleasant temperatures.

May to October is the rainy season. Afternoon rain is frequent but rarely all-day. The delta is at its greenest and the rivers are at their highest, with the floodplain visible in late September and October.

The fruit harvest seasons add specific appeal: longan in June to August, jackfruit and rambutan in May to August, and tropical fruit broadly in greatest variety from April to September.

Top Things to Do in My Tho

1. Tien River Island Boat Tour

The standard My Tho experience is a half to full-day boat circuit through the four-island system. A typical itinerary departs from the My Tho main pier, motors out to Thoi Son or Ben Tre side, transfers to smaller rowing boats for the narrow canal sections through coconut groves, and includes stops at:

Coconut candy workshops: Watching fresh coconut milk reduced, cooked, and hand-rolled into the individually wrapped sweets the delta is known for. Buy directly at the workshop for the best prices.

Beekeeping operations: Honey tasting with green tea, the bees feed on longan and other tropical flowers, producing a distinctive honey character. Royal jelly and pollen products are also sold.

Fruit orchard stops: Seasonal tropical fruit (mango, longan, jackfruit, rambutan, pomelo) served fresh at orchard pavilions. Accompanied frequently by Don Ca Tai Tu live performance.

Tropical fruit and Don Ca Tai Tu performance: Southern Vietnamese chamber music, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tradition, performed in the orchard setting with traditional instruments (dan tranh, dan co, lute).

The tour is well-developed and consistent in quality across reputable operators. It is also more touristically packaged than the corresponding circuits at Vinh Long or Can Tho, useful context for travelers managing expectations.

2. Vinh Trang Pagoda

About 3 km from the city center, Vinh Trang is one of the most visually distinctive pagodas in southern Vietnam. The gate combines Chinese, Khmer, French, and Vietnamese architectural elements; the surrounding garden contains three enormous Buddha statues including a reclining Buddha and a standing Maitreya Buddha. The complex was founded in 1849 and rebuilt multiple times. Worth 1 hour.

3. My Tho Cathedral

Built between 1906 and 1910, the French Gothic Cathedral of My Tho stands at the city center with its twin spires visible from across the river. The cathedral was built as the seat of the Catholic Diocese of My Tho and remains an active place of worship. The architecture combines French Gothic with elements adapted to the tropical Vietnamese setting.

4. Cai Be (Adjacent Day Combination)

About 30 km northwest of My Tho on the Tien River, Cai Be has the most genuinely working floating wholesale market in the delta. Many extended Mekong tours combine My Tho’s island circuit with a Cai Be morning market visit. See the full Cai Be travel guide.

5. Ben Tre Bridge to Coconut Land

The Rach Mieu Bridge (opened 2009) connects My Tho across the Tien River to Ben Tre Province, the “coconut land” of Vietnam, with over 70,000 hectares of coconut cultivation. Many My Tho day tours include a Ben Tre side excursion: a coconut handicraft workshop village (where everything from candy to brushes is made from coconut byproducts), a brick kiln demonstration, and additional small canal navigation.

My Tho Food

Hu tieu My Tho is the defining dish, a noodle soup with clear pork-and-shrimp broth, flat rice noodles, slices of pork, dried shrimp, and a generous garnish of fresh herbs and bean sprouts. The version specific to My Tho uses a particularly clear broth and the locally produced noodles are firmer and finer than other delta varieties. Find it at morning market stalls and dedicated “hu tieu” shops throughout the area from around 5:30 am.

Banh xeo Mekong (sizzling rice flour crepe with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts) is made in the delta style: larger and crispier than the central Vietnamese version, cooked in pork fat for the extra richness. Eaten by tearing pieces, wrapping them in mustard greens with fresh herbs, and dipping in “nuoc cham” (dipping sauce).

Tropical fruit: The fresh fruit boats at the My Tho riverside market, supplied directly from the upstream wholesale traders, offer some of the freshest and most affordable tropical fruit available anywhere in Vietnam.

Estimated Travel Costs in My Tho

My Tho is one of the most affordable introductions to the Mekong Delta. Most visitors come as a day trip from HCMC, so accommodation costs are optional; those who stay overnight will find prices very reasonable. The island circuit boat tour is the main activity cost and is inexpensive at any level.

Prices below are estimates for international travelers and may vary by season and booking time.

Category	Budget	Mid-Range	Luxury
Accommodation (per night)	200,000 – 380,000 VND (~$7.87-$14.96)	500,000 – 1,200,000 VND (~$19.69-$47.24)	1,400,000 – 3,000,000 VND (~$55.12-$118.11)
Island circuit boat tour (per person)	150,000 – 250,000 VND (~$5.91-$9.84)	300,000 – 600,000 VND (~$11.81-$23.62)	700,000 – 1,500,000 VND (~$27.56-$59.06)
Vinh Trang Pagoda entry	Free	Free	Free
Meal per person	25,000 – 60,000 VND (~$0.98-$2.36)	80,000 – 200,000 VND (~$3.15-$7.87)	250,000 – 600,000 VND (~$9.84-$23.62)
Bus HCMC-My Tho (one way)	60,000 – 100,000 VND (~$2.36-$3.94)	100,000 – 150,000 VND (~$3.94-$5.91)	–
Private car from HCMC (return)	–	700,000 – 1,200,000 VND (~$27.56-$47.24)	1,400,000 – 2,500,000 VND (~$55.12-$98.43)
Cycling on Cu Lao Thoi Son island	30,000 – 50,000 VND (~$1.18-$1.97)	50,000 – 80,000 VND (~$1.97-$3.15)	–
Total 5-day trip	1,500,000 – 3,000,000 VND (~$59-$118)	4,500,000 – 9,000,000 VND (~$177-$354)	10,000,000 – 22,000,000 VND (~$394-$866)
Total 7-day trip	2,100,000 – 4,200,000 VND (~$83-$165)	6,300,000 – 12,600,000 VND (~$248-$496)	14,000,000 – 31,000,000 VND (~$551-$1,220)
Total 14-day trip	4,200,000 – 8,400,000 VND (~$165-$331)	12,600,000 – 25,200,000 VND (~$496-$992)	28,000,000 – 62,000,000 VND (~$1,102-$2,441)

My Tho is most commonly visited as a day trip from HCMC. Tour prices from HCMC typically include boat and guide. Always recheck costs at time of booking.

My Tho Travel Tips

• The boat tour is most pleasant in the cooler morning hours. Depart by 8am if possible.
• The standard tour is good but heavily packaged; for a more authentic delta experience, continue further into the delta to Vinh Long or Can Tho where the boat circuits are less commercial.
• Combine My Tho with Ben Tre across the Rach Mieu Bridge for a fuller delta day; the coconut handicraft workshops on the Ben Tre side add genuine variety.
• A bicycle is the best way to cover Vinh Trang Pagoda, the cathedral, and the central market in a half-day after the boat tour returns.
• Hu tieu My Tho is best eaten at breakfast time when the morning broth is freshest.

Plan Your My Tho Trip with IDC Travel

Our Mekong Delta tours include My Tho as a one-day delta introduction from HCMC and as the gateway to multi-day delta circuits extending to Cai Be, Vinh Long, and Chau Doc. Contact us.