Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests · From Can Tho
Cai Rang Floating Market: Private Boat Tours from Can Tho
Your own boat, on the river at first light.
Your own licensed local guide, fluent in English. Your own car and boat, on a route built around you. Every boat ride and every meal covered — from $50 per person.
What is Cai Rang Floating Market?
Cai Rang Floating Market is a wholesale market held on boats on the Can Tho River, about 6 km from central Can Tho. It trades from about 5 am and is busiest before 8, so the day starts early and carries on through the canals. With a local guide you get more than the photo: what each boat sells, how the trade works and how the families who live aboard get by.
On our tours the boat, breakfast and every other cost are already included — you never open your wallet.
Shared group tour vs. private tour
Shared group tours suit travellers who are happy to follow a big group on a fixed plan. Here is what actually changes when the day is yours.
Shared group tour
- One guide shared by a full boat of other guests
- Fixed route and timetable — no changes on the day
- From Ho Chi Minh City, arriving around 8 am as the trade winds down
- Breakfast, drinks and extra stops often paid on the spot
- A fixed loop from Ninh Kieu wharf to the market and straight back
Fixed plan · extras paid on the day
Your private day with us
- Just your group of 1–4, with a licensed local guide fluent in English
- Your route and pace — any itinerary can be changed on request
- On the river at first light, before the day trips arrive
- Every boat, every meal and every fee pre-paid
- Picked up and returned to your hotel — no shop stops, in writing
Made for your group · everything included
Our promises — in writing
No hidden costs
The group price is final. The boat, breakfast, workshop visits and every fee are pre-paid.
No shop stops
We earn from the tour price alone. Your time goes to the market and the canals, not a souvenir showroom.
Door to door
Pickup and drop-off at any central Can Tho hotel — never a meeting point you have to find yourself.
Licensed local guides
Locals fluent in English who grew up on these rivers. They explain the trade, the customs and how each craft is made, step by step.
Two sample days on the river. Each one can be tailored to you.
Book one as it is, or use it as a starting point — tell us what to add, skip or linger over and we will reshape the day. Car, guide, boat and meals are always included.
Want a different route, pace or group size? WhatsApp +84 368 938 081 — we will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote.
Questions people ask before booking
Is Cai Rang Floating Market worth visiting?
Yes, if you go early and expect a working market rather than a show. Official counts in 2025 put Cai Rang at a little over 200 boats a day, fewer than in the 1990s, and most of the wholesale trade is over by about 8 am. It is still the largest floating market left in the Mekong Delta, and from your own boat you can stop beside the cargo boats instead of circling past them.
How far is Cai Rang Floating Market from central Can Tho?
About 6 km downriver from Ninh Kieu wharf, or 30 to 45 minutes by boat depending on the tide. Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City, about 170 km away, usually reach the market between 7:30 and 8:30 am, when the trade is already winding down, so a night in Can Tho is what puts you on the water at first light.
What exactly is included in the price?
Private car with driver, a licensed local guide who speaks fluent English, hotel pickup and drop-off anywhere in central Can Tho, your own boat with life jackets, breakfast on the river, every workshop and entry fee, and lunch with drinks on the full day. The only things not included are personal shopping and optional tips.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed.
Can the tour be tailored for children, older parents or our own interests?
Yes — every itinerary can be adjusted. Tell us who is travelling and what you enjoy, and we will change the stops and the pace to suit. Getting on and off the boats means a step down from a pontoon; the boatman and your guide help everyone across, and the small hand-rowed sampan can simply be skipped.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
How far ahead should I book?
A few days is comfortable in the busy months from December to April; at quieter times next-day requests often work. Message us and we will tell you honestly what is still open.
Be on the river at first light. Everything included.
Every tour tailored on request · licensed local guides · free cancellation up to 3 days before.