Saigon is pretty close to Can Tho and transportation is very convenient, so everybody can pack their bag and travel to Can Tho with only about 50 USD for a day trip by yourself. Even though it's only one day, we can all experience everything Can Tho has to offer.

What is attractive about Can Tho?
Can Tho city has wide roads, low-built houses, and comfortable walking. Sometimes traffic users gather at the red lights but no congestion. It must be said that the city is big but the traffic is great!!! If you go in the city, feel free to rent a motorbike and go around the city. The atmosphere is very pleasant, vast rivers surround the city. Lush green trees can be seen everywhere. At night, the lighting system is very eye-catching. At Ninh Kieu wharf, the bustling and wealthy business, the rivers are is charming and cool. It is especially beautiful at night with the moon and tourists can take boats to travel around, crossing under dozens of bridges spanning the Hau River, very lovely!

Transportation to Can Tho
There are many bus companies running to/from Can Tho. Bus fares is only about 130-150,000/person/way. I recommend that you choose Phuong Trang bus company (from Mien Tay station) with fares 130.000 VND/way (8 USD). Travel time from Saigon to Can Tho takes about 2.5 - 3 hours, so you can take a late trip to arrive early in the early morning. There is a trip every 1 hour. If possible, choose the trip between 2am to 5am.

Where to go in Can Tho?
Coming to Can Tho, you have to go to Cai Rang floating market. This is the most characteristic feature of the Mekong delta region.

In the early morning when the bus stops at Can Tho bus station, you get on the shuttle bus and go straight to Ninh Kieu station. Note that the shuttle bus is free, don't waste your money for a taxi. I went there at 5 a.m to get on the boat to go to the floating market, the first trip.

Boat trip: please note that charter a private boat costs about 700.000 VND (30 USD), the shared boat costs about 50.000 VND/person, if you go in group about 8-10 people, rent a private boat will be cheaper.

There are 2 tours: Floating Market tour (about 2 hours), Floating Market tour - visit fruit garden, visit noodle making place (4 hours, this tour only opens at 7am, especially still costs 50k/person, remember to bargain) You should go early because this time weather is cool, the market is crowded, you can see the beautiful sunrise.

What to buy when going to Cai Rang Floating Market
Fruit, it's cheap and fresh, on the market they carry whole boats to sell to tourists (mango, orange, jackfruit, rambutan, star apple, pineapple...). However, when buying fruit, you should be careful, not everything is good. You should also choose a seller to buy, or you encounter poor quality fruit, you should try and bargain the price as usual.

What to eat in Can Tho:
Morning: chicken bamboo shoot with vermicelli near Ninh Kieu wharf. As this is the tourist centre and everything is expensive.
Noon: I chose to eat snakehead fish. I heard everyone recommends A Man restaurant, from Ninh Kieu wharf, take a taxi it only costs about 2 USD. Well (On Sundays, A Man restaurant is not open). Eating snakehead fish cooked in porridge and grilled snakehead fish (delicious and grilled with beef) will fill you up. You guys should order just enough, you won't be able to eat it all. I ate 2 dishes and it costed 380.000 VND (drinks included).

Drinking coffee at the 1985, this cafe has a quality style, the lights are dim, cool, it's okay to sleep at noon. In general, if you go to the Mekong delta, just go to a cafe and you won't get overcharged. Travel around mainly by taxi, since 2019 there was Grab service.

You can also refer to some snacks in Can Tho if you don't like the above dishes in the list at the end of the article.

What to do in Can Tho:
You can go on Can Tho Cruise, have dinner, go around before going home, a boat trip takes about 2 hours. There are departures at 17:00, 19:00 and 20:00. Note that you must book in advance or there are no seats available.

Around 7:30 p.m., the bus picks you up at Ninh Kieu wharf, get on the bus and drive back to Saigon in the evening, arrive in Saigon at 11.00pm. This is a 1-day itinerary to Can Tho from Saigon. In general, it's quite refreshing. Total cost is about 700,000 VND/person.

Some buses to Can Tho from Saigon
- Phuong Trang bus:
Departure time: Mien Tay bus station from 1:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Can Tho from 0:30 - 23.00.
Tel: 08 38309309
- Mai Linh bus:
Departure time: From 0:00 to 24:00
Tel: 08 39393939
- Thanh Buoi bus
Departure time: From 0:00 to 24:00
Tel: 08 38333999 - 0710 3872872

Good restaurants in Can Tho
- Crispy fried pork skin - Pham Ngu Lao street, Ninh Kieu District
- Le Lai duckweed noodle soup - Le Lai street, Ninh Kieu District
- Crab noodle soup Ngo Khang - 13 De Tham, Tan An Ward, Ninh Kieu District
- Rice paper rolls, burnt rice - 16 Nguyen Cu Trinh street, Ninh Kieu District
- Squid Vermicelli - 251/18 Tran Ngoc Que street, Hung Loi Ward, Ninh Kieu District

Beautiful cafes in Can Tho
- Cat Cafe 72 Nguyen Cu Trinh street
- Athena's coffee - 53-55/178 Ly Chinh Thang street
- La Dolce vita coffee - 40 Tran Van Hoai street
- Rin coffee - 75-77 Pham Ngoc Thach street
- Britea English tea house - 142 3/2 street

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