The Phong Dien Floating Market is a small and authentic floating market, not too far from Can Tho. If you want to visit this market, make sure you arrive the day before in the area, because the market is only held in the (very) early morning. Come here to see traders come together on boats to sell their local products such as fruit and vegetables. Despite the small size, it is well worth a visit if you are planning to stay in or around Can Tho.
- Where is Phong Dien floating market?
- Highlights of the Phong Dien Floating Market
- How to get there
- Tips for visiting Phong Dien Floating Market
Where is Phong Dien floating market?
In the past, the Phong Dien Floating Market was at the crossroads on the Phong Dien River, but today it has moved 800 meters next to the bridge and near the center of Nhon Ai Municipality. This new location will help the market attract more traders, tourists and customers. The closest city to the floating market is Can Tho and can be easily visited from here.
Highlights of the Phong Dien Floating Market
The floating market
From early in the morning traders come together to sell and buy fresh fruit and vegetables, that they then distribute further from here. The busiest time is from 5:30 am to 6:30 am when many boats are clogging the waterway. Around 7 am, the market starts to weaken, when most traders are leaving to sail through the smaller channels to sell or distribute their products along the way.
Despite the fact that the Phong Dien floating market is not nearly as big as the Cai Rang floating market a little further up the river, it is still impressive to visit. What certainly makes this market unique is that it is smaller, more local and therefore also feels very authentic. Due to the limited space here, the boats are all close together, making it a real social gathering and not just a trading spot.
When you arrive you will see a number of larger boats that are mainly for wholesale. These larger boats often have a long pole, with what they sell hanging on top of the product. This way traders can see from a distance what each boat is selling.
Smaller boats, often traditional rowing sampans, float around to buy the products that they can then take into the smaller canals.
Because you arrive here early in the morning, there is one thing you should definitely do and that is order breakfast at a “floating restaurant”. This floating restaurant is nothing more than a small rowboat, with a cauldron on the fire where noodle soup is boiled. A bowl of noodle soup here costs about 20,000 VND and drinks start at 10,000 VND each.
You’ll be amazed to see what they carry on these little boats, such as a style to wash dishes, including dish soap, food, fish sauce, cutlery and you name it. It is a small floating mini supermarket.
Tip! if you don’t visit the Phong Dien floating market by boat, you can still watch it from the bridge right next to the market. You can use Google Maps to find the market and at arrival to the town, you can’t miss the bridge.
Cai Rang floating market
The Phong Dien Floating Market is only 15 kilometers from the Cai Rang Floating Market, which is also the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta. And the best part is that you can see both floating markets in one morning. Various boat trips are offered on site where you can visit both markets. Since both markets have their peak in the morning, you may have to get up a little earlier, but this is of course totally worth it for a great experience.
Boat trip through the delta
You may have seen the Phong Dien Floating Market in half an hour to an hour, but since you are already awake, you can immediately continue the boat trip to explore the delta region here. Cruise through the smaller canals to see local life along the banks and on the rivers and canals themselves, seeing boats loaded with local produce, especially fruit.
Along the way you can stop to visit sleepy villages along the way, pick and taste fruit yourself at orchards and visit local small workshops to see how they make rice paper or other products. Despite the fact that you see a lot during a boat trip, it still feels wonderfully relaxed.
You can arrange a complete boat trip, with a visit to both floating markets (Cai Rang and Phong Dien) as well as exploring the smaller canals and visiting workshops and villages.
How to get there
The Phong Dien Floating Market is located about 15 kilometers from Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta. Due to the size of the city, there are also plenty of ways to get to Can Tho. Buses run throughout the day between Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho, with a choice of sleeper buses and luxury minibuses. The distance is about 170 kilometers and the journey takes about 3.5 hours. In addition, Can Tho also has an airport, with several domestic flights to and from cities such as Hanoi and Da Nang.
From Can Tho there are then roads that lead to this floating market which you can see from a bridge, but a more fun way is by boat. Boat trips can be arranged locally in the harbor or at your accommodation.
Local Vietnam tour: Mekong Delta homestay with Cai Rang & Phong Dien Floating Market
If you don’t want to arrange transport to Can Tho yourself and then have to arrange different activities from there, you can go with our self-designed private tour. On the first day you will go to Can Tho and cycle through the beautiful Delta. On day two you will visit both floating markets and take a lovely boat trip to visit local villages and workshops and explore smaller canals:
You also have the option to continue this tour with a transfer to Con Dao or Phu Quoc:
Tips for visiting Phong Dien Floating Market
- Depending on the weather you have that day, make sure you bring sunscreen or a raincoat.
- Check carefully whether you are going to visit a pagoda or temple during the boat trip. When entering a shrine, your shoulders and knees should be covered out of respect. For example, you can easily bring a scarf or sarong that you can wrap around you.
- The Phong Dien floating market is only happening in the early morning, so make sure you have pre-arranged to get to the market and stay nearby in a homestay, lodge or hotel (best is the region in or around Can Tho).
- For when you do not want or cannot visit the floating market by boat, you can still see the floating market very well from the bridge that is next to the market.
- Bring some change to buy breakfast and coffee at the floating market.
