The 13 River Cruises in Vietnam That Earn Their Price

1.CuChi Tunnels&Mekong Delta-Boat,TukTuk,Coconut Village SmallGroup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,113 reviews · from $32Our pick

Spend about 11 hours visiting the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City. Crawl through a tunnel, see wartime traps, ride motorboats and sampans, visit a coconut village, taste tropical fruit and honey tea, and enjoy Vietnamese lunch and traditional music. Guides such as Xem, Jackie, and Lockie are noted for lively storytelling.

“Great day exploring the Cu Chi tunnels learning about war history as well as a very relaxing afternoon on the Mekong Delta seeing the local way of life. We had an amazing guide Mr Toan who gave us a thorough explanation of everything during the day and went out of his way every time to provide good service. Mr T ensured we experienced everything on the itinerary despite a slightly late start. A very enjoyable day out!”

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2.HCM: Mekong Delta Islands Boat & Tuk-Tuk Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,285 reviews · 9 hours · from $14

Spend nine hours traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Ben Tre by air-conditioned van, motorboat, rowboat, tuk-tuk, and bicycle. Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, four Mekong islands, a bee farm, coconut candy workshop, and village orchards. Guides such as Steve, Phong, Lam, and Little Trung add history and humor to this excellent-value day.

“It was a great experience! Our guide did all the best and told us a lot about the places we visited and country, was very attentive and polite. Thank you!”

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3.Hoai River Boat Trip by Night and Floating Lantern

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,988 reviews · 20 min · from $8

Meet your English-speaking guide at the Kazimierz Kwiatkowski Bust on Tran Phu Street. You’ll walk five minutes to the dock, board a private wooden boat for up to five people, and release one paper lantern per person with help from the rower. Expect scenery and atmosphere, not commentary, with possible waits during the 18:30 to 19:30 rush.

“This was well worth booking… the normal queue for the boats was long and chaotic. My guide messaged me earlier in the day with meeting point, so met there and he escorted us down to the river and immediately onto a boat. No messing around, was great experience”

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4.River Lantern Boat Experience with Free 5G eSIM

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,819 reviews · 20 min · from $8

Meet at 153 Tran Phu Street near the Japanese Bridge, then walk five minutes to the Hoai River for a 20-minute lantern boat ride. You receive a floating lantern, herbal tea, and a free 24-hour eSIM with 8GB of data. Staff escort you to the boat, and guides can help with photos.

“Fantastic activity! 20 minutes was just the right amount of time. communication and organisation was excellent and the boat driver was lovely! thank you so much Quan & team!”

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5.Mekong Delta Discovery Tour from Ho Chi Minh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,427 reviews · from $59

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho with an English-speaking guide such as Linda, Bich, or Huong, then cruise the Mekong, visit fish and bee farms, taste tropical fruit and coconut candy, ride a Xe Loi cart, paddle narrow canals, and enjoy a set-menu lunch. Expect a full, social day with some shopping stops.

“Tour guide and the driver are very nice and they done a great jobs . I will recommend all my friends to join this tour and even I will do it again on my next visit. Loving it.”

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6.Da Nang: Han River Local Cruise by Night

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,152 reviews · 50 - 90 minutes · from $6Best value

Spend about an hour on Da Nang’s Han River, passing the Sunworld Wheel, Love Lock Bridge, and Dragon Bridge. Choose a simple cruise with fruit and water, or add a Vietnamese dinner. Weekend sailings can include the 9PM fire and water show, with clear WhatsApp help from Phuoc or Thao.

“This was the perfect way to see the golden dragon bridge lit up at night! This was a great cruise with a small snack and some water provided. It was easy to follow the instructions sent to us by WhatsApp and was good value for money.”

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7.Saigon River Boutique Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 778 reviews · 1 hour · from $12

Step aboard at Saigon Waterbus Station for a one-hour English-guided cruise past Hotel Majestic, Dragon Wharf, Bitexco Tower, Mong Bridge, and Landmark 81. Guides such as Vivian, Quan, and Blanco bring local history to life, while the sliding roof offers shade or rain cover. Drinks and snacks cost extra.

“We had a wonderful tour, and the experience was truly elevated by our guide Blanco. From the very beginning, he was friendly, knowledgeable, and incredibly attentive to everyone in the group. He shared interesting insights about local life, history, and culture. I would highly recommend the tour who visits this region of Vietnam.”

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8.My Son Sanctuary and Thu Bon River Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 653 reviews · 5 hours · from $16

Travel from Hoi An to My Son Sanctuary with an English-speaking guide such as Philip, Ben, Lee, or Tu. Walk among Champa temple ruins, watch a short Apsara-style dance performance, eat a local lunch or banh mi, then cruise back along the Thu Bon River. Entry fees are extra.

“All perfect! The My Son Sanctuary is really unbelievable!”

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9.Da Nang: Han River Night Boat Trip with Show on Weekends

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 455 reviews · 1h 30m · from $6

Board a large cruise ship opposite Da Nang’s Novotel for a 90-minute evening ride along the Han River. You’ll see the lit skyline, enjoy a dance performance, and, on Friday through Sunday at 9 p.m., watch Dragon Bridge’s fire and water display. Food and drinks cost extra, and English and Vietnamese assistance is available.

“Great experience for great value. Highly recommend for a great view of the Dragon Bridge show and general river cruise. Arrive early to get a good seat on top deck.”

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10.HCM: Authentic Mekong Delta – Boat, TukTuk, Khot Cake Making

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 380 reviews · from $23

Spend a full day exploring the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City with an English-speaking guide such as Kevin, Lily, Robert, or Lenny. Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, cruise by motorboat and rowing boat, ride a tuk-tuk, taste tropical fruit and honey, make bánh khọt, hear Southern folk music, and enjoy a local lunch.

“During our tour, we visited so many places, learned so many interesting things and acquired new skills. None of this would have happened without our guide Tom. He turned out to be a very pleasant person, an interesting interlocutor and a true expert in his field. He took care of every member of our group and it was largely thanks to him that we, people from different countries, became friends. As Tom was born in the neighbourhood of the places we visited, he knew lots of things and facts which we would never learn without him. He also gave us a lot of useful advice. Our trip was a real…”

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11.My Son Sanctuary & Sunset River Cruise BBQ or Banhmi

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 345 reviews · 5 hours - 330 minutes · from $18

You’ll visit My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An with guides such as Thao, Tin, Van, or Lam, who bring the Cham temples and local history to life. After a two-hour guided visit and traditional performance, enjoy a 40-minute Thu Bon River sunset cruise with either a BBQ meal or banh mi. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“We enjoyed the tour! Very friendly and informative guide.”

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12.Mekong Delta Full-Day Speedboat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 339 reviews · from $113

Leave central Ho Chi Minh City by speedboat for a small-group day in the Mekong Delta. Visit Thu Thua Market, a Cao Dai temple, local homes, workshops, and canals, with a Vietnamese lunch, fruit, cold drinks, and an English-speaking guide such as Hang, Lucky, Anna, or Loi.

“Hang was an amazing host, was very insightful tour and off the beaten track!! 5 stars and great value for money”

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13.Lively Saigon River Sightseeing Cruise + Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 305 reviews · 1 - 3 hours · from $19

Meet an English-speaking guide at the Saigon Opera House for an optional 4:00 PM walk along Nguyen Hue Walking Street, then reach the pier at Bach Dang for a 45-minute Saigon River cruise. Choose lower deck, upper deck, or boutique seating. Sunset, neon lights, live music, and complimentary ice cream add to the ride.

“I would prefer that cruise would last more (1,5 hrs - 2 hrs). That is just a suggestion!!”

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