Small-Group Mekong Delta Experience by Speedboat

Nicknamed 'the rice bowl of Vietnam,' the fertile Mekong Delta provides work, food and shelter for much of Vietnam's population. On your full-day tour, you'll explore some of the delta's vast network of channels and canals by speedboat. Keep your camera handy for great photo ops, and hear informative commentary from your guide about the history, sights and significance of the Mekong Delta.

Begin in the early morning with transfer from your Ho Chi Minh City hotel to the central pier. Board your speedboat and zip along the Saigon River while nibbling on the provided light breakfast.

Your first stop takes in the ornately decorated Tuong Van Pagoda. Learn from your guide about Buddhist spiritual practices, then continue downriver to a colorful waterside market loaded with goods, including mounds of exotic fruits, veggies and fresh fish.

By mid-morning, your boat reaches a web of smaller tributaries of the Mekong River. Wind through lush canals shaded by tropical foliage and enjoy your time on a rowboat. Taste fresh coconut and other produce, or sip fiery Mekong whiskey or wine.

Visit a lovely pagoda where a private chef prepares a Vietnamese lunch featuring traditional favorites, such as fresh spring rolls, ginger chicken, caramelized pork or elephant ear fish — a Mekong Delta specialty.

After lunch, learn about the Cao Dai religion —  which combines the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Christianity — and see a colorful Cao Dai Temple, before visiting a nearby orphanage run by Buddhist monks.

In the afternoon, enjoy the scenery as you return by speedboat to Ho Chi Minh City. Your tour ends with drop-off at your hotel after transfer from the pier where you began your Mekong journey.